[{"_1":2,"_110":-5,"_111":-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",[32,75,87,98],{"_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",6150377,"mediaKeyId","5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c","parentId",5508182,"title","Local organizer presents plan to revitalize Longmont Skate Park; councilors offer follow-up","audioSeconds",119,"startMs",7025000,"endMs",7144000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c&start=7025&end=7144","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c/thumbnail_7025000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6150377/Longmont/Boulder-County/Colorado/Local-organizer-presents-plan-to-revitalize-Longmont-Skate-Park-councilors-offer-follow-up","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150377-58179899083c556c707827d604a9756f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770701964&Signature=RFwFeMS~lqn4m03AeZiW5D0nOgprn5l9RkAlXShWp-qZa5RtLWkrO4hhto05-EcZn2aqGmv0haCZ85inwKIxaihVHxyhNPsZlOX4OjianwvhP5CbZ5bdjMEOUdCl2I1UTFbPhZkRCmUtlUc8NZtr59PP~409FnUGiusRSISEXDs7qK7CPhVMmoSey1fiLeukTnTDILXg6pAniBKfsoVbfNbtkDrv-r07fScAiZGrIbIGIX1kMldzHBoN7ZMam-JEFMnMonHtLjqgQoasF-zfP~CyOHAlVlKv7WRWKvM3z0~CMfvlUUIqZGkdoG9G-AriKP2KEvTSLd8FbqiQi2FaNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Longmont CO\n","date","2025-07-30T16:40:14Z","article","A Longmont resident who grew up in the city presented a plan and a petition to renovate the Longmont Skate Park behind the recreation center on Quail Road during the July 29 open forum. Alex Bell told councilors he collected more than 500 petition signatures in under a month and supplied contact information and proposals from skate-park contractors.

Bell said the existing park, built in 2002, has been neglected and would benefit many children and families if updated. He said he has shared materials with Parks and Recreation staff and requested further conversations on funding and feasibility. “We received over 500 signatures in under a month,” Bell said.

Councilors responded positively. Councilor Popkin said he had already reviewed Bell’s materials at a recent “coffee with council” and offered to set a time to follow up with Parks staff. Councilor Yarbrough asked Bell to send materials to his office as well. Parks staff accepted a flyer left at the meeting and council recommended staff follow up with Bell and the community to identify feasible next steps.

Ending: Councilors directed staff to follow up with the presenter and Parks & Recreation staff to determine feasible next steps; no formal funding decision was made at the meeting.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Open Forum 07/29/2025","oneSentenceSummary","A Longmont resident presented a petition and contractor proposals to renovate the city’s skate park behind the recreation center. Councilors agreed to follow up with Parks & Recreation staff to explore feasibility.","taxTitle","Longmont, Boulder County, Colorado","taxId",3876,"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},6150380,"Councilors say they will explore safe nesting platform after resident flags osprey nest on Distal utility pole",207,5116000,5323000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c&start=5116&end=5323","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c/thumbnail_5116000.jpg","/articles/6150380/Longmont/Boulder-County/Colorado/Councilors-say-they-will-explore-safe-nesting-platform-after-resident-flags-osprey-nest-on-Distal-utility-pole","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150380-0ecdde0392958b68c866ecd56525086f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770701964&Signature=GmPq1QZBrsvZhpJOV1QYBXKTktiEgOgwjNIrartWKOdQy53givqDMlwIfi2S0IlajoFAyRf9KfnFOLKSx~XwszZPnoV1OrU58dTkyfl68Cbd91pkXwbyK8M6AK1Y11Vq1Qv6RprdT7RkOTRQS3muLXmYJSMgZ6Pt~-CIXy~oiHfjeugM49OfRelq928bn5gfjKGcrPgxaG8ydwbOeDgsn5U2iDvSUt6Mdxblc6FuirRlLVWTiwPqwzcDG4ew-K9pCyRgHHU7~bZ~BdYa6pDkgiUiolg3NLitlmcPXDWFRuUbZADx30uWineduHgDMWSw8neIYgGWpGLGMVeLKOAW4Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A Longmont resident told the City Council on July 29 that an osprey family has nested on a utility pole inside the Distal open-space property and asked the city to fund and install a nearby nesting platform to reduce the risk of electrocution, worker hazard and fire. The speaker said the bird — nicknamed “Ozzy” — uses a nest that could be endangered by the pole location and that a nearby platform would be an accepted mitigation used elsewhere in Colorado.

Ethan Augren told councilors that “ospreys are a federally protected raptor species under the Migratory Bird Treaty Act,” and that relocating the nest to a city-built platform 100 to 200 feet away would be a low-cost, best-practice solution that reduces risk to birds and utility workers. Augren asked the city to act quickly because fall migration would begin in mid- to late-August and recommended installation within about two weeks so the osprey family would discover the platform while still in the area.

Mayor Pro Tem Hidalgo Faring and Councilor Yarbrough each said they would speak with staff to explore constructing a platform; both thanked Augren for raising the issue. Councilors noted that nests with eggs or live birds cannot be removed without authorization and that coordination with Colorado Parks and Wildlife and the local utility would be appropriate.

Ending: Councilors directed staff to review the request and confirm whether existing city programs can fund and install a nesting platform before fall migration; no formal vote was recorded at the meeting.","A resident urged the council to fund and install a nearby osprey nesting platform for a federally protected raptor nesting at the Distal open-space property. Council members asked staff to investigate and said they supported quick action before fall migration.",{"_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},6150385,"Residents urge Longmont council to withdraw Distal-Toll land swap amid composting concerns",0,3957000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c&start=3957&end=3957","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c/thumbnail_3957000.jpg","/articles/6150385/Longmont/Boulder-County/Colorado/Residents-urge-Longmont-council-to-withdraw-Distal-Toll-land-swap-amid-composting-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150385-168a5768b292970433721a0b6e9ef2ac/orig.mp4?Expires=1770701964&Signature=kWvfFLjy5QU~wWAvo7MF9qKIQYvwKzQTz0Ks72YHoA~4hKyl6D-mRtlHJPG5oJjcrIfFrmh-SOSC9Q9aMpehypVR5TO0pBOtqS5FWHwl32q60kutPk4bUfEwwJ~isxW1thuQKHR187SthZAku33308uUcDRQgsDDDlzxexIYb7lXnHkRT8yurycGpfMAPETUCSaLgp9plZpC-gqvEQ9sDqomfS9R69hB4cInf9uqr8oBuu92JnK96pES3Xtu5Xv5D0xq7Sa4x61LNUEnJWw~ogRy2~62QTbXMAH2GNE3tdz3Vh9LkZ77Me76Ag4GKuM-0gYoRoDFmp4TEmX1AQ18oQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Dozens of Longmont residents urged the City Council on July 29 to withdraw a proposed land exchange that would transfer the Distal open-space parcel in return for the Toll property, which council staff said would better serve utilities or public works. Speakers said the swap would break the public trust because Distal had been purchased with voter-approved open-space funds and could be used instead as a composting site or for other industrial uses.

Jeff Lester, a nearby resident, told council that approving the swap would “set a lasting precedent politically and culturally — that land purchased with voter-approved open space funds is negotiable, even expendable, if another city department has a compelling enough need for the land.” Several other speakers echoed that concern and added ecological, public-health and process criticisms.

Speakers identified specific ecological and operational problems they expect from a composting facility at Distal: a high water table and potential leaching into groundwater or the Saint Vrain Creek corridor; odor and nuisance impacts that could reach neighborhoods and parks such as Sandstone Ranch; and increased traffic and truck trips. Ruby Bowman, who said she is Diné (Navajo), urged the council to consider impacts on bald eagles and said a “composting facility will also function as a wildlife attractant for bald eagles and other raptors.”

Several speakers urged the council to keep Distal off-limits for industrial use regardless of whether a composting facility is ultimately proposed. Jamie Simo noted the 12/17/2019 ordinance in which council approved acquisition terms for Distal and Toll and the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board’s recommendation against the swap. Rob Alexander, a recent Boulder County Parks and Open Space staff retiree, said the feasibility study for composting had not addressed product end-use and transport costs and warned the project might not be economically viable. Jeff Lester and others asked the council to ask Boulder County to remove Distal from consideration as a compost site and to limit future infrastructure siting to land already designated for public works.

Council action: Mayor Peck moved to table the Distal–Toll land exchange “due to ongoing legal negotiations with Holcomb’s property interests.” Councilor Christ seconded. The motion passed unanimously; the roll call showed Mayor Peck, Mayor Pro Tem Hidalgo Faring, Councilors Christ, Popkin, McCoy, Rodriguez and Yawuru present and voting in favor. Mayor Peck said the item will return to a future agenda when negotiations conclude.

Residents asked for additional steps beyond tabling: formal removal of Distal from consideration, a biological assessment for raptors, greater transparency about negotiations and assurances that any exchange would not reduce the net open-space protection purchased with voter funds. Multiple speakers pointed to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) recommendation opposing the swap and to an upcoming Boulder County phase-2 composting feasibility study expected in September as reasons to pause and seek alternatives.

Ending: The council’s formal action at the meeting was to table the item while legal negotiations are ongoing. Residents asked that council go further and remove Distal from further consideration for a compost facility; staff said the council will return the issue for future consideration when negotiations are resolved.","Dozens of residents opposed a proposed land exchange that would make the Distal parcel available for infrastructure use and possible composting, citing open-space protections, wildlife, groundwater, odor and precedent concerns. The council voted to table the exchange pending legal negotiations.",{"_33":99,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":100,"_41":101,"_43":102,"_45":103,"_47":104,"_49":105,"_51":106,"_53":107,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":108,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":109,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6150390,"Longmont residents press council on smart-meter safety, insurance and medical opt-outs",10458,360000,10818000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c&start=360&end=10818","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5508182-32603690faa47425a5fd2f16d86b086c/thumbnail_360000.jpg","/articles/6150390/Longmont/Boulder-County/Colorado/Longmont-residents-press-council-on-smart-meter-safety-insurance-and-medical-opt-outs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6150390-fc9f1c314881e34f13417b166e1e6b77/orig.mp4?Expires=1770701964&Signature=D9TXl23QvdLjULeb~nelDkUshU~3hT5NLtilh46Q45x0EBi1~WFKyYMOgHx158P7N3jTxXVZg40gUxyUt66ulw8Uhgt5WO3T9cWnQjWJmdEkce6~8rC2BUSOGzrPCkbOZAfWfMsfiVREbYeIa-BEk0Yed34kPcUAjWqcFTK4XcCS8TeUXMjvMFT59v2qwdi1x2QSo9CtMrv35CXofcFBq-Sv2Rjnq6SLR0sFibv3T4F-LrJkV-jnTx9HjAMHCerXiTX0FRiDzQ28ugm3K3R9qO9Nc01tsPY3kdoxg9EzWWovQDcYV3IfEWog8a3bLYY-VNoImzpYtzcyZPQRCndxcg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Longmont residents raised fire-safety, health and insurance concerns about the city’s AMI smart-meter rollout during the July 29 open forum, prompting council members to say they will seek more information from Longmont Power & Communications and the fire chief and to confirm a pause on any planned service disconnections for opt-out cases. Diane Chavez, who described repeated unanswered questions to city staff, told council that homeowners had reported canceled fire insurance policies and said, “homeowners insurance policies have been canceled due to the fire danger posed by the smart meters, which I have come to understand do not have a UL listing for safety and are not grounded.”

The issue matters to residents who said meters can affect medical devices, create fire risk and leave people exposed financially. Those concerns contrasted with assurances from city and utility representatives during the meeting that Longmont’s new meters meet safety standards. Councilor Popkin, reading material from utility staff, said that “all of the new Landis+Gyr electric meters, both AMI and opt-out, are UL listed and comply with all applicable safety and electric codes and requirements and [are] grounded.”

Council members said the city has not documented any Longmont fires caused by AMI meters but acknowledged reports of meter fires elsewhere in the country and residents’ anxiety. Councilor McCoy told speakers the council would request a public statement from the fire chief addressing smart-meter safety and insurance questions. Councilor Christ confirmed a temporary pause on any disconnections related to the rollout while the city follows up; city staff later reported that Longmont Power & Communications sent a notice delaying planned actions.

Residents described multiple, overlapping concerns: possible electromagnetic interference with implantable medical devices, whether an opt-out meter truly removes wireless transmission, and whether homeowners’ insurers are denying or limiting coverage. Several speakers urged the city to offer a medical exemption that would allow residents with documented medical vulnerability to avoid an AMI installation or to retain a noncommunicating analog meter. Rosanna Jenny, who had a disconnect hearing, asked for more time to submit medical documentation and told council she feared a power shutdown because her CPAP and other needs make relocation difficult.

City staff and council offered procedural responses rather than policy changes during the meeting. Staff repeated that the Longmont Power & Communications (LPC) email states 91% of U.S. electric meters were smart-capable in 2023 and that the city’s newer meters conform to UL and applicable codes. Council members said they would ask LPC and the fire department for clarifying statements and follow up with residents who reported insurance cancellations. Councilor Christ also floated the idea of exploring a medical variance process for documented illnesses.

The meeting record shows the council did not adopt a new policy at the session; rather, it directed staff to collect information and promised public statements. Residents said they will continue to press for an analog opt-out option that cannot be remotely enabled and for clearer guidance from insurers and the fire department.

Ending: Council members closed the open forum after the smart-meter discussion and other public comments; staff follow-up and a potential public statement from the fire chief were the next steps identified by council.","Residents and several council members debated safety, insurance and medical-exemption concerns tied to Longmont’s advanced metering infrastructure (AMI). The council confirmed staff would review the issues and said planned power disconnections were paused while staff follows up.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Local organizer presents plan to revitalize Longmont Skate Park; councilors offer follow-up

Councilors say they will explore safe nesting platform after resident flags osprey nest on Distal utility pole

Residents urge Longmont council to withdraw Distal-Toll land swap amid composting concerns

Longmont residents press council on smart-meter safety, insurance and medical opt-outs