During a recent government meeting, Broomfield officials addressed concerns regarding two significant infrastructure projects: the Uptown Avenue widening and the Arista Street lighting upgrade. Council member Marsh Holshin raised questions about the necessity of upgrading streetlights in a relatively new area and why the costs were not being covered by the developer.

Katie Allen, co-director of community development, clarified that the Uptown Avenue project aims to widen the road and enhance bike and pedestrian facilities, extending from Parkland to Reed Way. She noted that this project is funded by a grant.

Regarding the Arista Street lighting, Allen explained that the original design of the area included unique streetlights that were not offered by Xcel Energy at the time of development. Consequently, the city agreed to own and maintain these lights. However, ongoing maintenance issues, including frequent outages and public complaints, have prompted the city to transition to standard streetlights operated by Xcel Energy. This transition will occur in phases to replace the existing lights.

Additionally, the meeting touched on the community development budget, which has seen significant increases across various divisions—27% for transportation, 30% for planning, and 12% for administration. Allen attributed these increases to a restructuring within the community development department and other factors that may have influenced budget changes.

The discussions highlighted the city's commitment to improving infrastructure while addressing the challenges posed by previous development agreements.