It’s Friday, April 12, 2024.
Hello Boulder, happy Friday. It’s going to be beautiful out there today. Let’s get you through the news so you can get outside.
During last night’s city council meeting, the city manager revealed new details about the preemptive power outage aimed at preventing wildfires. The outage affected 35,500 City of Boulder customers, some for nearly three days. Councilmembers have called on Xcel to compensate for losses, particularly spoiled food. Given that such planned outages are expected to be used more frequently to avoid wildfires as climate change increases the risk of flames being ignited by utility equipment, there’s a push for a more coherent strategy. It appears likely that Xcel will face accountability for its mishandling of communications during the April 6-7 wind event.
Also, we’re covering a lawsuit against the City of Boulder. Yellow Scene Magazine is suing the city because it wants police bodycam footage from a fatal Boulder shooting in December, and the city is charging $1,400 for it. The magazine says the cost is prohibitive and violates a 2020 state law. The city says the cost falls under the reasonable expense of making the footage available.
Finally, while the federal EPA has informed water providers that they must remove PFAS from water systems, Boulder is already in a good position. In recent tests, no such harmful chemicals, known to cause learning disabilities in children and increase the risk of certain cancers, were detected in Boulder’s drinking water.
Have a terrific weekend.
— Tim, reporter
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Featured stories
Boulder power outage: Some residents were left without electricity for nearly three days, city manager says
City manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde recounted the scramble among city officials after Xcel provided them just hours to prepare for a planned power outage, aimed at preventing its equipment from sparking a wildfire. Continue reading…
City of Boulder sued for charging fees for body camera footage of fatal police shooting
Yellow Scene Magazine alleges the city’s request for substantial fees to release body cam footage violates a 2020 Colorado law, passed following national protests over police use of force. The city references a different law to defend these fees. Continue reading…
ICYMI: Taste of Pearl festival returns to downtown Boulder, after four-year hiatus due to Covid and slow pandemic recovery
There are 500 tickets available for the beloved food and wine event taking place April 14, 2024. Continue reading…
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In other news
70s and sunny through the weekend
Don’t get too down if you don’t get outside today. That perfect weather is slated to stick around for some time, or at least until Monday. The best part? Significant wind should hold off until Monday too, with breezes remaining totally reasonable.
Boulder City Council votes against creating a historic district in the downtown civic area
Boulder City Council on Thursday, April 11, voted 7-1 against establishing a historic district that would have stretched from Central Park to the Penfield Tate II Municipal Building. Councilmembers cited worries about a “selective reading of history” in the area, among other reasons. Mayor Aaron Brockett was the only councilmember who supported the creation of the proposed district.
Without the historic district, it likely will be easier for the city to pursue its plans to revamp the civic area, potentially by encouraging more recreational activities and events. The creation of a historic district would have added hurdles for construction projects.
Proponents of the historic district viewed it as an opportunity to memorialize the area’s history. The applicants for the district sought to commemorate the architects who helped design the area in the early 1900s, including Frederick Law Olmsted Jr., a landscape architect recognized as an advocate for the preservation of natural areas. Olmsted also promoted covenants in housing developments that excluded Black people, according to researchers. Others saw it as an opportunity to formally acknowledge the city’s role in displacing one of the city’s first Black communities located along Boulder Creek. The neighborhood vanished in the 1920s after the city bought or seized properties to build a park. Read more on BRL.
EPA requires near-zero PFAS in water; Boulder ahead of rule
The EPA has enacted a rule requiring the elimination of PFAS chemicals, known as “forever chemicals,” from municipal drinking water systems to near-zero levels. Linked to numerous health risks including cancer, these substances are pervasive across various consumer products and have been detected in the majority of U.S. blood samples.
However, Boulder, unlike many other municipal drinking water systems, doesn’t have anything to worry about for now, according to city officials.
“All of our samples have been non-detect,” Kate Dunlap, a drinking water quality manager for the City of Boulder, told Boulder Reporting Lab. “We’re very fortunate to have very high-quality sources of water and a strong source-water protection program.”
Back in 2022, Boulder Reporting Lab spoke to Dunlap about how Boulder protects its water sources. Much of that means protecting it from wildfire through forest-thinning projects.
Boulder County orders CEMEX plant closure
Boulder County has issued a termination notice to CEMEX, Inc., demanding the cessation of operations at its Lyons cement plant. The plant is among the county’s largest greenhouse gas emitters, and environmental advocates have long clamored for its closure. This decision follows a traffic study that found increased truck activity at the plant, creating hazards and constituting an unauthorized expansion of operations. The plant, operational since 1965, has 30 days to contest the findings, adjust operations, or appeal to the County Commissioners. CEMEX remains operational pending a final decision.
In 2022, Boulder County commissioners voted to deny a county permit extension to CEMEX. It came after the Mexico-based cement manufacturer applied for a permit extension to continue extracting limestone and shale at its Dowe Flats quarry on the north side of State Highway 66 just east of Lyons. Even with the permit denied, CEMEX proceeded to ship in the necessary materials for cement by truck.
Colorado PUC to investigate Xcel
The Colorado Public Utility Commission unanimously voted on Wednesday, April 10, to open a comprehensive investigation into the actions and decisions of Xcel Energy during the windstorm across the Front Range last weekend.
The PUC’s investigation will examine Xcel’s operational responses, customer communications and community engagement efforts during the outage.
Specifically, the PUC wants a timeline of critical decisions and events, comprehensive maps illustrating the impact on infrastructure and customers, and a better understanding of the protocols Xcel used for service restoration, among other information. Read more on BRL.
Tell the Boulder Chamber how the outage affected your business
Following the power cuts, the Boulder Chamber and Downtown Boulder Partnership hosted a forum with Xcel’s top executives, Robert Kenney, president of its Colorado operations, and Hollie Velasquez-Horvath, a regional vice president. The session focused on the impact of the outages on local businesses.
The Boulder Chamber is now conducting a survey to assess the economic and operational effects on businesses, urging owners to share insights that will help the chamber advocate for improved support and response strategies. All responses will be kept confidential.
Police on e-bikes
The Boulder Police Department has introduced an eco-friendly transportation option for officers. Costing about $8,000 each, the e-bikes are tricked out with a siren and lights, among other features. The department said it already has had “several successes” with officers patrolling on e-bikes, including incidents where they intercepted a person smoking fentanyl and seized the illegal drug, conducted traffic stops and more.
The bikes are currently active in the downtown area, but their use will soon be expanded across town.
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