[{"_1":2,"_123":-5,"_124":-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",[32,75,87,99,111],{"_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",6526319,"mediaKeyId","3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f","parentId",3800196,"title","Trustees press staff on 2026 budget after cost-allocation charges climb; staff explain reserves and process","audioSeconds",3544,"startMs",5543000,"endMs",9087000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f&start=5543&end=9087","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f/thumbnail_5543000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6526319/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Trustees-press-staff-on-2026-budget-after-cost-allocation-charges-climb-staff-explain-reserves-and-process","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526319-643862a325d95950d830517e0ae82b08/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023430&Signature=STmrRFT3STaKb-x2E8uif1kXF-8jgPYCMpW5Y~HIWYGNdWD7AOMd~VfNuQVPi5jUqjLEBZth59qEbgn822Iy~f5XnGo3hBkfuS8xmYx0zMcTazpVsJgFIAfYcpapTjPp9YArV2nxbNpSebJ38j5lgCAa-j-MNm1u5VDk~zyYqpXnQpGfFjVYRw8LuMGuAZBF9TWeuG5G1XCi-PFth2je35x629FAq3CcnJZEPT7qzTeKGOS~E6jm8501LEz~GSvTyKJYA3sIppqthqvmOfAdqxrNnfq0J7aPN6QggEFPl84xcJfOv3Z6D3pG~D2T-yMMqRWqKcw9ErsIT7SBLPdfjw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder City, CO","date","2025-06-13T00:09:56Z","article","Board members spent substantial time on the department's proposed 2026 operating and capital budget, focusing on cost-allocation charges and interfund transfers that staff project will climb in the coming years. Trustees asked staff for greater transparency about what the city's central-service cost allocations represent, why those charges rise as a proportion of OSMP operating budget in the six-year projection, and whether the board should limit or challenge such increases when recommending the department's budget to City Council.

Lauren Kilcoyne, deputy director acting for a staff member on leave, walked the board through the schedule for budget submission and the fund financial: staff plan to submit materials to the city manager's office and finance by June 27; the department continues to operate in a fiscally constrained environment and is proposing measures to preserve tier-one master-plan priorities while adjusting other items to fit projected revenues.

Kilcoyne and staff explained the department's reserves and \"glide\" strategy: the contingency reserve percentage is being reduced from 20% to 16.7% (the city recommended minimum) to free funds for operations and projects; staff are using previously saved fund balance to carry certain master-plan implementation work through the near term, with the expectation of returning to an annual operating balance by the end of the planning horizon. The packet and staff discussion cited an acquisition reserve (used earlier in the meeting for a mineral-rights opportunity) and a separate contingency yard for pay-related liabilities.

Trustees raised these specific concerns and requests: (1) the cost-allocation and transfer line item has risen in recent years and is projected to increase further (board members cited a rise from about $2.8 million to a projected $5.5 million by 2031), representing a growing share of the fund's operating dollars; (2) trustees asked whether that charge is proportional to FTE counts and how seasonal/temporary staffing factors into the calculations; (3) trustees asked for a clearer breakdown of services purchased via cost allocation and whether any of those internal-service charges could be re-negotiated or capped to preserve funds for open-space operations and wildfire resilience. Staff said cost allocation models are updated periodically by finance and that internal-service charges are driven largely by citywide staffing and service levels; staff offered to seek further detail from Finance and the city manager's office.

Kilcoyne also briefed trustees on operational items affecting the budget: the city announced a hiring pause through the end of the year (staff are assessing near-term impacts, particularly on seasonal and temporary field crews), the department retains significant unspent capital carryover in some projects (accounting for a larger 2025 CIP total) and staff are working to align long-term staffing and fixed-term positions to the master-plan priorities. Trustees asked for additional reporting to inform the July recommendation and requested staff seek greater cost-allocation transparency from the finance department ahead of council review.

Trustees did not take a formal separate vote on the budget at the meeting; they will make a formal recommendation in July after follow-up information is provided.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","6-11-25 Open Space Board of Trustees Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Trustees probed Open Space staff on rising cost-allocation and transfer charges in the six-year fund projection and asked for more transparency and possible limits on how much central-service overhead is charged to the Open Space fund.","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},6526323,"City outlines wildfire resilience implementation plan, homeowner grants and prescribed-fire pilot for fall 2025",2638,2165000,4803000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f&start=2165&end=4803","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f/thumbnail_2165000.jpg","/articles/6526323/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/City-outlines-wildfire-resilience-implementation-plan-homeowner-grants-and-prescribed-fire-pilot-for-fall-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526323-a2bf164182fd999040d4cb8a4e35b435/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023430&Signature=aEnvoq~TGP6dGrHsQ0ZmaCi8MuKWk-dKOL7odp2BKbD9C~2~8Mxbv1OCLnLfLUlAaOrTn9r8vtS1uVrBnZDmhuOs6d-DuvMA8L99DyEhJ5cD7~K6aoKTaH9klc0X3xV~3Rx6a4t3WcYvwJ7j3TGgXn-lD6hvrN5oVrZ7pJbQvIKzaTNy9gC8fncOQfVIslny0pZreZmksQfubSBRaiRHw-YLqw1MbgV6xr2ARTOKOgAiT0T0yavwMElz7oaibdqEne-Hw3AuRHkwQy0R0RNzgJBXqZc0b6IGYkg~GVuYmkfPe~Iuol9PI8v~7dcVVPAY9aCcWlWmX3OMjPBboLCXZg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City staff presented a citywide Wildfire Resilience Implementation Plan (RIP) to the Open Space Board of Trustees, describing a portfolio approach that consolidates the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) and roughly two dozen other city plans into about 166 discrete projects organized into 18 \"action areas.\" Staff described the RIP as an umbrella for prioritizing, sequencing and costing wildfire-related work across departments.

Brian Anacker, OSMP senior manager for science and climate resilience, outlined governance and committees structured around the three national cohesive strategies: fire-adapted communities, resilient landscapes and wildfire response, with crosscutting committees for communications and budget. Anacker said the portfolio includes completed work, active projects and works-in-progress and that the action-area framing (for example: homeowner grants, building codes, mechanical fuels reduction, prescribed fire, cross-boundary coordination, biomass utilization, evacuation) will allow executive leadership to set priorities and report progress more clearly.

Chief David Lowery and Chief Brian Oliver of Boulder Fire Rescue, and Paul Denison, OSMP's Wildland Fire senior program manager, described specific initiatives: Boulder Fire Rescue's detailed home assessment (DHA) program has produced roughly 600 assessments since late 2023 and provides homeowners with downloadable, prioritized recommendations for property hardening. The Wildfire Resiliency Assistance Program (a city finance-managed pilot that began Sept. 2024) distributed about $50,000 in the pilot and will reopen in June 2025 with revised rules: households in the designated Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) will be eligible for up to $2,000 (applications may be made multiple times up to the cap), and homeowner associations will be eligible for grants up to $10,000.

On prescribed fire, Paul Denison and Chief Oliver described a focused pilot: staff aim to implement at least one unit of the Flatiron Vista burn plan in fall 2025 to learn capacity gaps and operational needs. The Flatiron Vista plan covers roughly 1,800 acres on OSMP land and is divided into multiple units; staff targeted one unit that is predominantly grassland and bounded by control features (3'to\u0004300+ acres depending on operational decisions) as an achievable initial objective. Denison emphasized that prescribed fire is a collaborative, time- and resource-intensive activity that relies on Boulder Fire Rescue's burn-boss qualifications and on coordinated planning with grazing tenants and ecological staff.

Chief Brian Oliver outlined response capacity improvements: Boulder Fire Rescue has about 130 uniformed personnel with a 24/7 minimum on-duty staffing level (25 on duty at a time) and a cadre of six wildfire operations specialists. The department described equipment inventory (multiple engine types, urban-interface pumpers, type 6 rigs including one currently owned by OSMP) and operational changes including indices-based dispatching and closest-unit dispatching to increase surge capacity across jurisdictions. Oliver said regional incident-management team agreements and the Colorado mutual-aid system are in use to scale response when incidents exceed local capacity.

Board members asked about smoke-notification timelines, protections for smoke-sensitive residents, how action areas are prioritized and how the RIP will be represented to the public. Staff said state smoke-permit minimum notification is 24 hours but that staff aim for broader outreach 7'to\u00010 days in advance and typically attempt 48'to\u00073'hour notice for prescribed burns; staff also maintain a registry of smoke-sensitive residents to whom they send direct notices. Staff outlined next steps: an additional focus on ignition prevention in July, a fall '25 operational push to implement priority actions and an early-2026 public progress-evaluation and story-map rollout that will display metrics, maps and multimedia documenting progress and investments.","City staff presented a consolidated wildfire resilience implementation plan (RIP) that bundles the CWPP and other plans into an action portfolio; staff also previewed targeted homeowner grants, a RAP pilot reopening in June, and a fall 2025 pilot to implement a unit of the Flatiron Vista prescribed‑fire plan.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526332,"Open Space trustees recommend purchase of 140 net mineral acres from Teton LLC",1002,592000,1594000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f&start=592&end=1594","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f/thumbnail_592000.jpg","/articles/6526332/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Open-Space-trustees-recommend-purchase-of-140-net-mineral-acres-from-Teton-LLC","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526332-17542af91a6117fdf2dc2ef484c144ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023430&Signature=lC22vLRHqPTW2ymu0JoGow5Vu55FJQwCc2aA~uCY-DhRp1r7w5QjR3dvEjte8mLgD8HO8~uuZ8JEb71cLwSg2UYv~bZx2Vx9~nXt51ak7X1bwME3fZlNDzOKP3jm3J1SWWHMQsFu3ByZHTGxWPbwsuyG2v~VpMW91-GpSEBkLfxc2Hw86cSK3Xq1uPMmCsGUvhjPTMo9cua0w~wl0SFP-TZnWZkAo62cg9fMigoZZ5dTyAVJIc38CxmStX75YV64UlvCiDKxoJohYghXOxyE0h~WS5YIrrrvqv6wO3vTqjYDXRLjCH6dSSeAWUUXk67WYnuXYge2PLFSmjvK7OeJTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Open Space Board of Trustees voted unanimously to recommend acquisition of 140 net mineral acres of severed subsurface mineral interests from Teton LLC, a package staff described as covering mineral rights beneath city, Boulder County and privately owned open space parcels in southern Boulder County. Staff said funds would come from the department's acquisition reserve and would not reduce current OSMP operating programs.

The recommendation followed a staff presentation that framed the purchase as a strategic move to control future mineral development risk. Bethany Collins, senior manager of the real estate work group, told trustees the seller offered the mineral interests as a single package and that the holdings sit in a geologic nexus where historic gold, coal, clay, sand, gravel and expanding oil-and-gas activity have occurred. Collins said the full package included holdings under lands such as Flatiron Vista, Greenbelt Plateau and Marshall Mesa and that acquiring subsurface rights can reduce future conflict and the need to rely solely on regulatory mechanisms.

Trustees asked about prior swap offers from the seller and about price comps. Staff said earlier offers had included property-exchange proposals the department declined because doing so would have meant giving up surface lands that fulfill open-space purposes. Trustees also discussed the purchase price and fiscal impact; one trustee referenced a roughly $2.7 million price tag discussed during the meeting and said it gave them pause before supporting the recommendation. Staff told trustees the acquisition reserve and bonding authority are available citywide and that the department would evaluate bonding capacity if a purchase opportunity required it.

No county or other partner funding was confirmed; staff said Boulder County and neighboring jurisdictions had indicated general support but had not offered funds. Staff noted the sale is an unusual opportunity because Teton LLC was marketing a complete package. The board voted 4'to'0 to recommend the acquisition to city council.

The board's recommendation does not itself transfer title; staff said any final purchase would be subject to usual council approval and closing requirements.

The item drew technical questions about likely forms of future extraction and regulatory oversight. Staff summarized the relevant oversight agencies mentioned during the presentation: hard-rock mining oversight by the Federal Office of Surface Mining and the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety; oil-and-gas regulation by Colorado's Energy and Carbon Management Division (previously the COGCC); and applicable city and county land-use regulations that may vary across jurisdictions. Staff said regulatory controls alone would not necessarily prevent future directional drilling or other extraction that could cross jurisdictional boundaries.","The Open Space Board of Trustees voted unanimously to recommend acquisition of 140 net mineral acres of severed subsurface mineral interests from Teton LLC, covering minerals under city, county and private open-space parcels in southern Boulder County.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526314,"Boulder Open Space Conservancy raises $60,000 in 2024, expands fundraising and sponsorships for OSMP",778,6406000,7184000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f&start=6406&end=7184","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f/thumbnail_6406000.jpg","/articles/6526314/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Boulder-Open-Space-Conservancy-raises-60000-in-2024-expands-fundraising-and-sponsorships-for-OSMP","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526314-40fcc30cb7b5fe39257ca8c3c8bfb46e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023430&Signature=YD0Po9cTi5m~bWmJ06RcbtZGs4eMCfbPRAq7THb7jclM0KbyZb9IXCAjWRWU7Zf~BOUiMeTSSX4r-yEstPxMvPWUh0eOhWK9hnHVkiOl5liEtGKQ3clNY2Sjivxx4ALV7XcNa9VianMs8nFkuQ7KxQmdxmmBHTI4GHjT7oxfTZhqakCc8ZU4~Ssepa227Wdt8CRlztSAFbSA-L0XGeHoxs6kQsZVcVO125LM0bagpNGZFJ4nNfuTgDi1Ur6GqamlnKIBmgHpR1NX07R1I-S20edozhNqJQ3jdsYHLg4vy2fDW~7E9oOt3eGIWpESpERsK-SdIeDqAfTGtMbdjEbGJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Boulder Open Space Conservancy (BOSC), the nonprofit partner for Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP), briefed trustees on its fundraising and outreach work. BOSC reported it raised approximately $60,000 in 2024 designated for OSMP projects and intends to grow contributions in 2025 through events, corporate partnerships and targeted campaigns.

Allison (referred to in the meeting as the BOSC executive director) and BOSC board members described priorities that include continued fundraising for Mount Sanitas stabilization and trail investments, support for youth-nature programs such as junior rangers, and contributions to wildfire resilience projects. BOSC said roughly $12,000 of the 2024 funds raised was earmarked for wildfire-resilience efforts; the rest supported trail, outreach and stewardship projects.

BOSC described community engagement events used to both cultivate donors and raise awareness. The nonprofit cited a spring garden party and partner events such as a Full Moon Jazz benefit scheduled for Sept. 7, and it highlighted volunteer- and sponsorship-based collaborations with private businesses (for example, craft-brewery and outdoor-gear partnership examples used to drive small-scale earned fundraising). BOSC said it is building a more robust corporate sponsorship program and working with OSMP on matching grants and project-specific campaigns.

OSMP staff and BOSC emphasized the partnership's role in increasing philanthropic support for projects that extend beyond what the department can fund from the Open Space sales-and-use tax. Trustees welcomed the partnership and offered to assist with outreach and fundraising.

BOSC made printed and QR-coded materials available to trustees and invited board members to upcoming events and volunteer opportunities.","The Boulder Open Space Conservancy (BOSC) reported a $60,000 fundraising year for OSMP projects in 2024, pledged continued campaign work for Mount Sanitas and wildfire resilience, and outlined community events and corporate-sponsorship efforts to expand philanthropic support.",{"_33":112,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":113,"_41":114,"_43":115,"_45":116,"_47":117,"_49":118,"_51":119,"_53":120,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":121,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":122,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6526328,"Board approves sale of 250 sq ft at Luzberg Open Space to resolve property encroachment",678,1568000,2246000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f&start=1568&end=2246","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3800196-60f6f0bb35c83586a4b1d6539a19999f/thumbnail_1568000.jpg","/articles/6526328/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Board-approves-sale-of-250-sq-ft-at-Luzberg-Open-Space-to-resolve-property-encroachment","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6526328-f0420b5c194cbdf15022d451ce00a666/orig.mp4?Expires=1771023430&Signature=RdFXOU7WgK44qVNqtPdEN1CrFDW9n-e7uxytVf-DgUI8v4cE4PvKOIMxkvXOiQcJD3q33ejBjJvMBA~BiL8vYuZy~j4sdEpTKRx3CuL6x2C85Q~4ZoGPp6uWXo4xqWvgHGd4fxBjkXgAhppe~hNmG~sOyXcLOiRzPrPigbv5lB6gUlQ2tk55gHvGXmX6zZkXIqBqLBvhLNZ8p4GrKBI3lGM2HIs2aqu3NrDmN-k3-qaNQ3FRwwGqshTPIGWN98Jx4AE0KmXVMay89svJJNdIIDGWSQWXLuA4Om7ZAqGpIFHNERWqqFVZVTERptZHCGbLbqoAqXqGZxxeRYaLDgfM1w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Open Space Board of Trustees voted 4'to'0 to approve and recommend that City Council approve disposal of approximately 250 square feet of the Luzberg Open Space to John and Kate Barbaras to resolve a boundary encroachment. Staff characterized the area as a small triangular parcel where an older fence line and private irrigation infrastructure were located after the city's 1996 acquisition and a partial fence relocation.

Mark Pedrucci, senior property agent for Open Space and Mountain Parks, presented the item and described the survey history: the city moved a fence in one location after buying Luzberg in 1996 but did not relocate a short triangular segment; the Barberas family, which owned the adjacent parcel prior to the city's acquisition, assumed the fence indicated the boundary and later installed underground irrigation in the triangle. Pedrucci said the city considered the operational burden of maintaining a narrow triangular patch and the cost to the homeowners to remove irrigation infrastructure when evaluating options and concluded disposal to the homeowner was an appropriate resolution.

Staff proposed a purchase-and-sale agreement with a per-square-foot price of $1.35; based on a survey estimate of roughly 250 square feet, staff estimated total proceeds around $350 (final amount to be based on the completed survey and legal description). The agreement would require the purchaser to pay any due-diligence costs and is contingent on approval of a boundary-line adjustment (subdivision exemption) by Boulder County Community Planning and Permitting. Pedrucci said OSMP had completed a pre-application meeting with county staff who characterized the process as a subdivision-exemption/lot-line adjustment.

Kate Barbaras, who spoke in favor of the proposal during public comment, told trustees the irrigation infrastructure in the triangle is substantial and that removing it would be burdensome and costly. Trustees asked whether selling the small parcel would reduce maintenance difficulty for Open Space operations; staff said the tiny pointed triangle is hard to maintain and that disposal would simplify mowing and maintenance in that location.

The motion to recommend sale to city council was made and seconded by trustees. Roll-call votes recorded Robinson, Glenn, Estrella and the presiding trustee as voting \"yes.\" The board's recommendation must be forwarded to City Council for final approval; the purchase agreement and county boundary adjustment are required conditions for the disposal to close.","The Open Space Board approved sale of about 250 square feet of the Luzberg Open Space to adjacent homeowners John and Kate Barbaras to resolve a longstanding fence-and-irrigation encroachment. The sale is conditioned on county approval of a boundary adjustment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Trustees press staff on 2026 budget after cost-allocation charges climb; staff explain reserves and process

City outlines wildfire resilience implementation plan, homeowner grants and prescribed-fire pilot for fall 2025

Open Space trustees recommend purchase of 140 net mineral acres from Teton LLC

Boulder Open Space Conservancy raises $60,000 in 2024, expands fundraising and sponsorships for OSMP

Board approves sale of 250 sq ft at Luzberg Open Space to resolve property encroachment