[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6354250,"mediaKeyId","2220216-5e5fcfe47c33518413c198b599999559","parentId",2220216,"title","City outlines long-term financial strategy; 2025 to focus on \"take care of what we have\" measures","audioSeconds",2540,"startMs",3429000,"endMs",5969000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220216-5e5fcfe47c33518413c198b599999559&start=3429&end=5969","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220216-5e5fcfe47c33518413c198b599999559/thumbnail_3429000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6354250/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/City-outlines-long-term-financial-strategy-2025-to-focus-on-take-care-of-what-we-have-measures","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354250-45e495955ae743bd8d35c11fd62f698e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156395&Signature=kPea3FXiSh5YXccOmgHzNMxfTQlJByMVhR2iIxw3Hb2MBVDvNejkXtuXiEcwEdxKfV1fPdPPTgUSS99y4KqCOdw79xeCn2z-R-IW7TP5KBrZqdD7uUfRnrz1V49vsv1HKLAl-dEOjRPOlLL2E~V7Q9Po0L-U8WX30hML0LydYOrerc-13dgOurf7X54ieREMuY6UpSgGi~AKYDdeOE9GG1FauoCjAUtKsD9j0Fr4canPb7wjjaawGMy9wAIkcMrZXP5HexT0SaLtJX9mUf5D1qhW-T2y8Z2ZT~wJdm3LpA6HupKPVTe1CHHSoOnC5OMERcHpiYiJ6T5~Qj-0f9MEHg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder City, CO","date","2025-02-04T21:12:18Z","article","Charlotte Husky, the city's budget officer, presented the city’s long-term financial strategy to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and described it as a foundational, multiyear effort to align revenues, reserves and service levels.

Husky told the board the strategy builds on earlier reviews, including the Blue Ribbon Commission recommendations, and aims to increase revenue flexibility and reduce dependence on sales and use tax. She summarized the framework around three guiding principles—fiscal sustainability and sufficiency, equity, and resiliency—and said staff are inventorying fees, taxes and service-level priorities across departments.

Husky said the council saw a preliminary estimate of roughly $380 million in combined capital and ongoing needs across the organization and that the city is considering a two-stage ballot strategy: 2025 measures narrowly focused on “taking care of what we have,” such as extending or modifying existing dedicated taxes for core capital and maintenance; and a broader package in 2026 that could include additional, larger measures for unmet needs. She said staff will complete a current-state inventory and recommend priorities in time to inform council’s annual budget timetable.

Board members asked how parks and rec priorities like future recreation-center projects would fit. Husky and Allie (Parks staff) said the 2025 package will prioritize maintaining existing services and capital repairs, and that larger new projects such as a replacement or major renovation of South Boulder Recreation Center would be more likely candidates for 2026 ballot planning because those projects require more detailed cost and program definition.

Husky outlined a timeline that would wrap phase one of the strategy in early 2025 and carry major ballot-measure development and refinement through the first half of 2026. She said staff will continue community engagement and work with the Financial Strategy Committee (three council members) to refine priorities and language before anything is placed on the ballot.

Board members raised questions about dedicated funds, the mechanics of undedicating or extending taxes, and how parks projects would be prioritized alongside public-safety and housing needs. Husky said staff would develop communications and clearer project-level examples (playgrounds, courts, maintenance backlogs) to help voters assess trade-offs.

—Evidence: Budget officer presentation and Q&A recorded in the board meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","1-27-25 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Charlotte Husky, the city’s budget officer, presented the draft long-term financial strategy and said staff will pursue a two-year approach: focused revenue steps in 2025 to address core services and a broader ballot strategy in 2026 for additional investments.","taxTitle","Boulder, Boulder County, Colorado","taxId",3386,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6354254,"City staff say annexation filed for East Boulder site; plan would add courts, indoor facility with CU partner",2095,1275000,3370000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220216-5e5fcfe47c33518413c198b599999559&start=1275&end=3370","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220216-5e5fcfe47c33518413c198b599999559/thumbnail_1275000.jpg","/articles/6354254/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/City-staff-say-annexation-filed-for-East-Boulder-site-plan-would-add-courts-indoor-facility-with-CU-partner","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354254-43a167719019daf1bf68e78eedf69068/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156395&Signature=jpQm~MA1dJnZE6vuvFbuT-3CwUQL14DwjoG9vawb4MTlHfiFLIIfkpm~llB8MFpQyKYv6-OBypTDxorJSKNtYgmXQmxCCHZBe~-Lv~22Fde14trq7XvynTmqqET0etdzpLjUh~aiXjV485wG-z6O-ytsCpBomH4BiI5ugEjEPNfUJ-La-PSEbPLtIN-xcoYvoFw1ngN07BOhrjuXpk-mCDdgXMuIelHYRy81r6w7-~RIBCP~IS7fb8e6OjiVPusSXDBzj1hx~url0Rxm~0XelbZxY~guKyIxC9EXOoTzyEq-aLFUmJisAxYEwqZeV2drBk4bKZm9rtNOSngYJBrQug__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boulder Parks and Recreation staff told the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board that the city has submitted an annexation application for the triangular parcel known as Hogan/Pankost and is planning new courts and an indoor facility there.

The move matters because the land is outside city limits (Area 2 under the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan) and must be annexed to allow park development. Staff said the site would combine stormwater infrastructure and park uses while adding tennis and dedicated pickleball capacity where tabletop studies show few low-noise sites exist.

Staff presented the court system plan and a package of projects to increase court supply while minimizing neighborhood impacts. Natalie (Parks staff) told the board, “we have officially submitted our annexation application,” and described a likely build area of about four to five acres adjacent to the existing East Boulder Community Park. The proposal calls for up to eight new tennis courts (a net gain of three tennis courts because five existing courts will be converted to dedicated pickleball) and space for up to 12 pickleball courts; staff also described an indoor, year-round facility that CU would help fund.

Staff said the planned indoor facility would include covered courts CU's athletics department would use for practice; CU’s use was described as limited—less than 5%—and the rest of the hours would be open for community programming under a future operating agreement. Allie (Parks staff) and Jackson (project staff) said the city will need a formal intergovernmental agreement with CU and that the project still requires zoning and land-use review after annexation; planning board and city council approvals are next.

The board heard that Tom Watson Park (60 Third and Iris) is being advanced as an immediate, lower-complexity project to deliver 12 dedicated pickleball courts this year. Staff said funding for Tom Watson totals about $2,016,000 in the class C estimate with roughly $1.6 million currently identified and a funding gap of about $400,000 for lights and other amenities. Play Boulder (the local parks foundation) will run a capital campaign and staff said they are pursuing USTA and AARP grants and other philanthropy to close gaps. Scott (courts staff) said the department is switching to post‑tension concrete for rebuilt courts to extend life cycles “up to about 50 years,” a change staff said will lower long-term maintenance costs.

Staff emphasized flood and wetlands analysis already completed on the Hogan/Pankost site and said much of the site’s design will be coordinated with flood-mitigation and groundwater experts. Natalie noted the parcel is not raw land — historically it hosted rodeos and ranch buildings — and that some areas will remain natural to balance more intensive court development. Staff reported neighborhood outreach and said some adjacent property owners are generally supportive while others may raise traffic or sound concerns during the public review.

Next steps: annexation approval, land-use/zoning review, class B cost estimating (staff said a class B estimate is expected in March), and final design before construction. Staff said the annexation moves the parcel from Area 2 to Area 1 under the Boulder–county agreement, a necessary legal step before building.

What remains unclear: final indoor-facility size and operating model, exact funding allocations for East (staff said some infrastructure costs such as crossings are still being analyzed), and the final schedule for construction once land-use approvals are complete.

—Evidence: staff presentation and Q&A with the board; fundraising and grant-seeking plans are underway, and immediate court capacity will be increased at Tom Watson Park while the East site proceeds through annexation and permitting.","Parks staff reported that the city submitted an annexation application for the Hogan/Pankost Triangle and is proposing new outdoor courts and a possible indoor facility with CU, plus near-term dedicated pickleball courts at Tom Watson Park funded through a mix of city funds, grants and fundraising.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6354246,"East rec used as warming shelter during cold snap; resident urges attention to South Boulder Rec",0,850000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2220216-5e5fcfe47c33518413c198b599999559&start=850&end=850","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2220216-5e5fcfe47c33518413c198b599999559/thumbnail_850000.jpg","/articles/6354246/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/East-rec-used-as-warming-shelter-during-cold-snap-resident-urges-attention-to-South-Boulder-Rec","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6354246-9e4b2c9c9d3d38a7afc1882272bb8e9e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771156395&Signature=X8to0lrk00TtQcBU~4QATv7jOv4Wgubn16MgIVgLaVNHBU3FIVMc4UJZCmHRoGuTNBmc3VJUlpUE40Y0vpC~FN4F6AAd9mMykYVsXaXo7ajILKQOtSSjIXvII-nPh4zKouFZaPc4AEXSh7kLB4xIahKQgWokkyCHeLZVWYWRxFkVAMLf6ciHsGJ8mAgCvwW3hpuiO2Ks9rlkTEPHvnPrRRr2cmBUjMfb4LzO6tQP3YBeEowg6uLvr0lr-igbRvKRfAlbrSos-th3X1fSRvcp~8XvBEiIChy4M506vVDKdzqhGT31jC62P7Fr7htratdaDu794md9IItj4vRqzVHW7g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Parks staff told the advisory board that the East Boulder facility operated as an emergency warming shelter over a recent holiday cold spell and that city and county agencies provided around-the-clock staffing and outreach.

Staff said the effort drew more than 100 unique guests and reached a peak occupancy of about 70 on the coldest night; teams from Boulder County and partner agencies provided intake, supervision and connections to services. \"We had over a hundred unique guests that stayed there, and at most, I think the coldest night was Sunday. We had 70 folks,\" a staff presenter said. The board heard staff describe lessons learned about co-locating shelter services with recreation operations and that a formal after-action review is pending.

During the public participation period, Pam Unruh, a resident, urged the board to consider the South Boulder Recreation Center’s role in socialization and community health, to prioritize access and retrofit options rather than closure, and to weigh travel and climate impacts if users must drive to other facilities. \"The rec center is essential for that. I see that with seniors at the rec center as well,\" she said in public comment. She asked staff to consider retrofit scenarios that preserve both meeting space and a pool or to prioritize nearby access so residents need not travel long distances.

Board members asked about thresholds for opening emergency shelters and whether the city uses a documented protocol. Staff said a documented protocol exists that ties openings to temperature and snow duration criteria and that staff will add threshold details to a forthcoming February report. Staff also described the usual intake flow — city shelter first (All Roads), with transportation to East — and said the rec center remains a back-up when the shelter is not an option for some individuals.

On South Boulder Recreation Center specifically, staff said design and funding for a replacement or major renovation are being scoped but that the magnitude of a rebuild means it is more likely to be part of larger ballot or budget discussions in 2026 rather than in the narrowly framed 2025 package for core-service maintenance. Staff noted near-term work to keep South operational (sewer-line and other infrastructure priorities) would be pursued through the budget process to avoid an immediate closure.

—Evidence: public comment by Pam Unruh and staff report on warming-shelter operations during staff updates.","Staff reported the East Boulder recreation center served as a temporary warming shelter during extreme cold, sheltering more than 100 unique guests with a peak of about 70 overnight. A public commenter urged the board to prioritize South Boulder Recreation Center's social and program needs during future planning.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

City outlines long-term financial strategy; 2025 to focus on "take care of what we have" measures

City staff say annexation filed for East Boulder site; plan would add courts, indoor facility with CU partner

East rec used as warming shelter during cold snap; resident urges attention to South Boulder Rec