MEETING OF THE PARKS & OPEN SPACE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO

Regular Meeting Minutes

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Third Floor Hearing Room
County Court House
1325 Pearl Street, Boulder
Members Present:
  • Janet George
  • Tony Lewis
  • Trace Baker
  • Paula Fitzgerald
  • Jackson Moller
  • Kristine Johnson
  • Derek Turner
Members Excused:
  • Drew Adams
  • Carol Byerly

  • Moved byPaula Fitzgerald
    Seconded byTrace Baker

    Tony Lewis and Jackson Moller abstained.

    APPROVED

Staff Presenter: Don Durso, Land Officer


Action Requested: Recommendation to BOCC

Q: Can the bore pit in the center of the property be retained with this easement?

Response: Yes, it should be about 5x5 feet. 

Q: What types of disturbances to wildlife or introduction of noxious weeds could result from this work?

Response:  Concerns from other workgroups wasn't high when they were consulted, but we'll have those staff come out to the site and make recommendations. We have seed that can be spread after the work is complete. 

Q: If at some future time maintenance requires the surface to be disturbed, will the same requirement for reclamation still be in place?

Response: Yes; theoretically they shouldn't need to disturb the surface again, but if there is a reason for it, we would issue them a temporary access easement with conditions of restoration.

Q: What is your formula for negotiating what Xcel pays? Is staff time considered?

Response: We are looking at $35k per acre for unirrigated land, so that is what is was based on. Our county attorney had previously determined we cannot charge for our staff time because that is considered part of our public service. 

  • Moved byPaula Fitzgerald
    Seconded byJanet George
    APPROVED

Staff Presenter: Aaron Clark, Land Officer


Action Requested: Information Only           

Q: You said the Comp Plan is advisory in nature. I see both "does", "should", and "shall". How are those interpreted?

Response: I see "shall" as "you need to do this", although the Plan it does not have the force of law.  

Q: A section of the Plan is a Telecommunications element that mentions cell towers, etc. Is there a similar concern for energy distribution, such as powerlines or solar and wind farms, is that addressed anywhere in the Comprehensive Plan?

Response: These questions relate to how the Boulder County Planning & Permitting department manages the county's reaction to requests. It's usually part of a larger planning process.

Q: Is there a ranking of Real Estate acquisition priorities, or do you use a matrix of land acquisition goals?

Response: They are looked at on a case-by-case basis, and all open space priorities bear equal weight. One property might be really important for a trail connection and another might have three or four values that makes that property really special. 

Q: When the list was determined, was it based on staff or community input?

Response: These are pieces of the Comp Plan that came through a community process in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The county occasionally does community surveys. The Open Space element was updated a few years ago and we did a large public input process for that at that time. We don't do a rank order because we want to do all of it. The Long Range Planning division at CP&P makes the determination for when the elements get updated.

Q: Can we have a presentation from CP&P about Comprehensive Plan updates?

Response: I will make that request.

 

Public comments: None

Molly Hardman, rural Boulder County. She stated that she has always supported the mission and purpose of Parks & Open Space, but she does not support the Red Hill elk hunt. She doesn't feel safe in her neighborhood while the hunt is happening. She has not received a response to her inquiries to learn the science behind this decision.

Jackson Moller: Carol Byerly has an author hour at the Boulder Bookstore on Sept. 3 to discuss her book Mosquito Warrior

Derek Turner: Will POSAC get an update on the current budget requests to get a better understanding of the BCPOS decision-making process?

Response: Janis Whisman will pass POSAC's request to Therese Glowacki. Our department starts budget discussions early in the year. In September, all department budget requests are presented and then in November the commissioners start making those decisions. The county passes the budget by the end of the year.

Tony:

  • Perhaps the annual POSAC retreat is a good time to learn about the BCPOS budget.
  • I'd like to thank staff for today's site visit to Heil Valley Ranch. It was very informative.
  • Congratulations to Trace Baker and Conrad Lattes for each being chosen to receive a Parks & Open Space Conservation Award. The ceremony will be on Sept. 18. 
  • There may not be a quorum for the September 26 meeting because several members will be gone.
  • Update on farm working housing: A group is meeting on Sept. 9 and Tony will report back to POSAC.
  • Regarding the comments from Molly Hardman, I hope that someone on staff will reply to her questions. It's always the desire that public inquiries will be responded to.

BCPOS does have a standard to reply promptly to public inquiries. Staff will look into what happened in Molly's case.

  • The Boulder County fair had a record-breaking year with more than 160,000 in attendance. 
  • Trailhead work at both Stearns Lake and Hall Ranch continues with significant improvements with drainage and accessibility. 
  • Youth Corps finished another very successful season with over 120 youth.
  • The Anne U. White trailhead restroom is in place and operational.
  • On Aug. 1, Education & Outreach helped make sure Nederland's 150th Anniversary celebration weekend went well, with a kickoff event at the Nederland Mining Museum, in partnership with the Nederland Area Historic Society, the Nederland Public Library, and the Buffalo Bill Museum in Golden. 

7:35 p.m.

 

This is only a summary of the meeting. The meeting video is viewable on the POSAC webpage.

 

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