[{"_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",[32,75,86,98],{"_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",6590381,"mediaKeyId","5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272","parentId",5565969,"title","Council approves IGA with Louisville to swap water deliveries as part of Marshall shares settlement","audioSeconds",1310,"startMs",10731000,"endMs",12041000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272&start=10731&end=12041","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272/thumbnail_10731000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6590381/Broomfield-County/Colorado/Council-approves-IGA-with-Louisville-to-swap-water-deliveries-as-part-of-Marshall-shares-settlement","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590381-b32bc40fa31d13faf3c09f111c34faa6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166082&Signature=SChXWvpaUWXqJyvcTC0LtvWZFnOZxbfriic6lggPgH1sJQeWBsCrZFobRx1LKCeUtIT-WgJoDDY3d6feTODR4pNl5YWM7jw0604HYrM3R1c867iP~8jBc8OUZaeeD4Xap95OGrcNHICMty6fGZ7S7vgKifIuEI-BC6FxPoO4PieOsuMlEO5I8hYX0nTkyUyZKiZun1PY1dRPPk~ghdonoSgTFGwwB1WbXrvR3-BQ7A2IPMpqrb-VTDyAx8jBNd17AeRxJ7qBY4sK~C7J4Kmo0mAMs1ytq7~5qxJ6zS0ooXLfAYqHmdMROV2t-FJvUZM8dlFg6EoJWmnkbjuB03~dNg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Broomfield County","date","2025-08-13T00:00:44Z","article","The Broomfield City and County Council unanimously approved Resolution 2025-14 authorizing an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with the City of Louisville under which each city will lease fully consumable water to the other to help meet court-ordered stream-replacement requirements tied to Broomfield’s recently decreed Marshall shares.

Why this IGA: Broomfield changed 157 Marshall shares in a water-court case to allow municipal uses, which triggered conditions to protect downstream water rights. Louisville, an opposer in that case, wanted assurances that Broomfield could deliver replacement water to an unnamed tributary to Coal Creek that flows through a series of ponds (the Anthem ponds). To settle that concern without trial, the two cities agreed to a limited water-lease arrangement.

Major terms
- Each party may deliver up to 150 acre-feet per year to the other to address augmentation/stream-replacement needs; there are monthly limits and an initial five-year term that automatically renews unless terminated.
- Water delivered on behalf of the other will be tallied in two-year accounting periods; at the end of the two years, the net-delivery imbalance will be reconciled and the party that received more water will pay the delivering party Broomfield’s reuse rate (currently about $492 per acre-foot).
- Deliveries may be suspended if a party cannot provide water due to drought or other declared emergency.

Broomfield officials said the IGA gives the city an additional, reliable tool to meet year-round augmentation obligations laid out in the Marshall decree and avoids the uncertainty and cost of extended litigation. Water utilities director Ken Rutt and water-resources superintendent Mark Lohrey explained that other options exist (releases from Community Ditch or Sienna Reservoir, or future Broomfield Reservoir) but the IGA provides operational flexibility and may generate net revenue in some years if one party uses the swap more than the other.

Anthem ponds and future costs
Mark Lohrey said the Anthem ponds that intercept releases flowing toward Coal Creek are city-owned but are not decreed under state water law. The settlement requires Broomfield to resolve the legal status of those ponds by 2030 either by a substitute water-supply plan (a temporary, administrative approach) or by seeking a full decree in water court. Lohrey estimated a substitute water-supply plan could cost roughly $5,000–$10,000 per year initially for legal and engineering support; a full decree process might cost hundreds of thousands (his referenced Marshall-court process cost ~ $1.2 million for the earlier, broader case). Council asked staff to return with timelines and cost estimates for addressing the Anthem ponds.

Council action
- Motion to approve Resolution 2025-14 authorizing the IGA with Louisville: moved by Council member Leslie; seconded by Council member Ward.
- Vote: unanimous approval by the council.

What’s next: Staff will execute the IGA, begin two-year accounting procedures for deliveries and coordinate with Erie and other downstream stakeholders on any measurement stations required to document deliveries. Staff also said it will pursue either a substitute water-supply plan or a decree for the Anthem ponds by 2030 as required by the settlement terms.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Sessions","oneSentenceSummary","The council unanimously approved a five-year intergovernmental agreement with the City of Louisville to swap consumable water deliveries to meet stream-replacement obligations tied to Broomfield’s Marshall shares decree; the IGA caps deliveries and establishes a two-year accounting and payment reconciliation.","taxTitle","Broomfield County, Colorado","taxId",9320,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":44,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6590385,"Council advances updated public land dedication rules on first reading, incentives tied to affordable housing",2441,8290000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272&start=8290&end=10731","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272/thumbnail_8290000.jpg","/articles/6590385/Broomfield-County/Colorado/Council-advances-updated-public-land-dedication-rules-on-first-reading-incentives-tied-to-affordable-housing","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590385-7afdb9bddf89db5680c9279636948853/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166082&Signature=gJy9K2Iy8pLDmBtMYOaU0SQAYeOmTcVwuU4nLorqp5zQaYTIJZORMg~tINH~8ft0l7Fq2CIcWglm0BEHJmuGPh6Pvu3qK543quHfXb5~Qk-rzluUR3ptNfZR2bBwNvBdhsVLt-wHH6MIVUxv6McgmJ8B-3zRWaLTAQVQuYpAoG3J0S1BqdffVcSCkRE-J~ddor13~MLdeYnFcA6OW8lcNjKGQfiJX9N5lr9flFGttqlGtIj3h6YkedkHBNek4yKmSpaQxXjjFlzYZ~Ieu68THr8DceLP70P2ELsVwtEMADrGwqcIYgEXqk~-4suefNkL0OjBKqbJxw8~45vsGudrHQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","On first reading the Broomfield City and County Council unanimously approved Ordinance 2273 to update municipal code provisions governing public land dedication (PLD) for new residential development.

Planning manager Brandon Rowe told council the PLD update implements recommendations from the Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan adopted in 2024 and modernizes a policy that dated from 1987. The ordinance establishes three PLD methodologies tailored to project types: market-rate projects (method 1), 100% income-aligned projects (method 2, targeted at units at or below 60% AMI), and mixed-income projects (method 3). The updated approach reduces on-site dedication percentages and waives or reduces cash-in-lieu requirements for qualifying affordable projects in order to incentivize inclusionary housing.

Key changes include:
- Retain a baseline on-site dedication requirement (previously 25% of site area) for market-rate projects, with cash-in-lieu remaining an option at currently published rates.
- For 100% income-aligned projects, on-site dedication drops to 20% for sites >=10 acres and 15% for sites under 10 acres; qualifying projects can qualify for a waiver of cash-in-lieu obligations.
- Mixed-income projects receive structured reductions in cash-in-lieu when they provide specified percentages of income-aligned units (detailed tables in the draft code).
- Sites of 3 acres or less may provide PLD that remains privately owned but subject to a permanent public access easement; staff will provide a template easement for standard use.
- Credits for stormwater features were revised: engineered detention channels would receive lower PLD credit (proposed reduction from 50% to 25%), while lakes/reservoirs/streams would receive higher credit (proposed increase from 25% to 50%), reflecting habitat and recreational value.

Council members asked technical questions about how detention ponds and retention features interact with PLD credit, maintenance responsibilities for small private-open-area parcels, and how credits would be measured. Community development and public works staff said detention ponds are typically engineered features that require regular maintenance and do not always provide the habitat value of larger reservoirs, which informed the revised crediting.

Action and next steps
- Motion to approve Ordinance 2273 on first reading: moved by Council member Henkel; seconded by Council member Wynne.
- Vote: passed unanimously (10–0) on first reading.
- Staff told council the second reading and public hearing is tentatively scheduled for Sept. 23; staff will return with a final code draft and sample public-access easement template.

Why it matters: The PLD update aligns the city’s dedication rules with contemporary development patterns and with the city’s open-space and inclusionary housing goals. By reducing on-site and cash obligations for deeply affordable projects, the city aims to make affordable development more feasible while preserving open-land targets.","Broomfield council approved Ordinance 2273 on first reading to modernize public land dedication (PLD) rules; the draft introduces three PLD methods, reduces on-site dedication for income-aligned projects, and permits private ownership with public access easements for small sites.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_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},6590390,"Council adopts medium- to high-density residential zoning changes amid debate about building heights",2058,5599000,7657000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272&start=5599&end=7657","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272/thumbnail_5599000.jpg","/articles/6590390/Broomfield-County/Colorado/Council-adopts-medium-to-high-density-residential-zoning-changes-amid-debate-about-building-heights","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590390-f3a768b4c82299adb4608c63cbe4b53b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166082&Signature=V8qkScMYgtzZ1gW-dJw4G4q2rgAKcTUXUBkpQjX2Fb9LkIPqmmkOWdtB0TLRUogW-uB-UPaq2HEVvJTS3f8exFOC7TmzHzUjxe0eDAWl9wjVb18Q57nKwCoZqmY6caUeWOIahS6Dh5eXntATuQeQdnNkGmNJ9T6OTY81xf650IHb2S3aPaIfeGPPEuLPq8GgDWga0eNPYL3eiM0SyAsFcaw5VzuiVtE~kU692f8MLu9fXdzLzT7wbgtodlowb3FMEmDnbt7xi4vckPAPctGB41ahYR9Q2jP~GmwJtOFXApDTBs8pirsyDBNorGT-1A1lFN89r72fc~FTN3IG1NAl2A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The City and County of Broomfield City Council voted 8–2 to approve Ordinance 2275 on second and final reading, revising the municipal zoning code to add and rename medium- and high-density residential districts and to change development standards for multifamily housing.

The ordinance renames the existing R3 district to “medium-low density” and updates it to accommodate townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and clustered cottage products. R5 is to be called “medium-high density,” updated for neighborhood-scale multiunit development. The ordinance creates a new R7 district intended for higher-density multifamily projects and sets a maximum by-right building height of 80 feet for R7; R7 developments will require site-plan review and council approval.

Planning manager Brandon Rowe said the changes update code that dates to 1973 and respond to recent development patterns and the city’s open-space and housing goals: “The R7 District…is intended for higher density, multifamily or multiunit projects,” he said during the hearing.

Resident Carl Buckholtz, who lives in the Lacombeau neighborhood, urged a lower height limit. “I strongly urge council to amend the current proposed R7 height allowance…to 60 feet,” he said, citing concerns about the city’s viewshed and the differences between Broomfield and neighboring jurisdictions.

Council members debated the trade-offs between allowing greater height and encouraging more units. Some members said a higher by-right height creates certainty for developers and can speed approvals, supporting housing production and potential affordability. Others said raising the maximum to 80 feet without adjusting the unit-per-acre ratios created a mismatch and risked harming long-term mountain views for some neighborhoods.

Key provisions and clarifications
- R7 (new) established as a high-density district; R7 projects require site-plan and council review.
- Council-approved stepbacks and lower height limits where higher-density parcels abut lower-density single-family neighborhoods (examples: maximum 35-foot height within 35 feet of property line adjacent to R1 shown in staff table).
- By-right R7 maximum height set at 80 feet; R5 proposed at 50 feet and R6 at 60 feet in staff tables.
- Rezoning to R7 is a discretionary public process: rezonings will require neighborhood notification, a Land Use Review Commission hearing, and a council public hearing.

How the vote went
- Motion to approve Ordinance 2275 on second reading: moved by Council member Ward; seconded by Council member Wynne.
- Final vote: 8 yes, 2 no.

Why it matters: The ordinance updates decades-old zoning and creates a framework for more multifamily housing in Broomfield. The changes are intended to increase housing supply and diversify housing stock, but they also shift the debate about where and at what scale taller buildings will be allowed. Council discussion indicated that future rezoning requests will be evaluated on a site-by-site basis through public hearings.

Next steps: The ordinance is now final; existing parcels are not automatically rezoned. Any property owner seeking R7 or other rezoning must apply and will be subject to neighborhood notification and public hearings.","On second reading the council approved Ordinance 2275 to create new R7 high-density zoning and revise R3/R5 standards, including an R7 maximum height of 80 feet; council debate focused on mountain views, density, and how height and unit counts align.",{"_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},6590395,"Broomfield council approves slate of ballot questions and routine consent items; six charter amendments placed before voters",3071,2521000,5592000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272&start=2521&end=5592","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5565969-5524c4d5eb1a51a4650995423e063272/thumbnail_2521000.jpg","/articles/6590395/Broomfield-County/Colorado/Broomfield-council-approves-slate-of-ballot-questions-and-routine-consent-items-six-charter-amendments-placed-before-voters","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6590395-a1379afd425a60264427a4e93ad47830/orig.mp4?Expires=1771166082&Signature=NcUZjhdW~HFWXybHLu5yQg0QalXyyp6ABmu1vb5hbsF1qRSGzIYBwD7qKQepjrFNBh6rwM8sP9Aq2a4RHnf3J8q8o-8gMvKmHwepglhrXQgofIJnHhmwxIszM25WqlL5fpTJ4lp-LP9RNIw9cSpygtAZcEye-E6N0QLD9tjZAZOcDNq7nwheKFSy0kS5efopq~F-aj7P3vzuYyM05QEsAD2PKYftIPedyy2~1rBpNvuJXr6voYkp~GMO1cVeOeDiZmGEge1THlruaLS0cz8NRtxLAnWYZDZHoB-UGISRjmbhhZDQijOiVmeF2XmzECCuSVnrOUCA4n44k1rq5M9phg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Broomfield City and County Council voted on multiple items during its meeting, approving a set of consent items and advancing six proposed charter amendments that will appear on the Nov. 5 coordinated ballot.

Council approved the consent agenda—including contract amendments, construction agreements, and a master license agreement—without recorded dissent. City and county attorney Nancy Rogers summarized the next set of items as six proposed charter amendments on second reading, including a general cleanup, prohibiting dual publicly elected offices, changes to how vacancies are filled, a requirement to adopt and maintain a code of ethics, modifications to emergency ordinance effectiveness, and a change to how intergovernmental agreements (IGAs) are approved.

“ I want to be very clear for everybody that’s watching and listening. There are no charter amendments that are approved tonight. This is entirely a voter decision,” Nancy Rogers told the council before the public hearing and votes.

The council moved each ordinance forward by recorded electronic vote. Several proposals prompted brief council discussion: the no-dual-office question was edited on the floor to clarify that an elected official “cannot concurrently hold any other publicly elected office,” and the vacancy procedure amendment was expanded so appointed officials would serve only until the next coordinated or general election rather than for the full remaining term. Council debated whether some proposals (notably the code-of-ethics and the IGA vote-threshold amendment) should be placed on the ballot or enacted by ordinance, but a majority moved the measures to the voters.

Why it matters: The ballot questions change the city and county charter, setting rules that will limit or guide future council conduct (for example, restricting dual officeholding and requiring a code of ethics) and changing how some emergency and intergovernmental matters are approved. Putting these questions to voters makes the changes subject to popular approval rather than immediate council ordinance.

Votes at a glance
- Consent agenda (items 6a–6e): approved unanimously (electronic tally shown as unanimous).
- Ordinance 2276 (general cleanup / language updates to the charter): passed unanimously.
- Ordinance 2277 (prohibit concurrently holding another publicly elected office, amended for clarity): passed unanimously after amendment to the ballot language.
- Ordinance 2278 (fillings of vacancies; appointee serves until next general/coordinated election): passed 9–1.
- Ordinance 2279 (requirement that council adopt and maintain a code of ethics): passed 8–2.
- Ordinance 2280 (make emergency ordinances effective immediately under existing publication/notice rules): passed unanimously (10–0).
- Ordinance 2281 (change threshold for approving intergovernmental agreements from two-thirds to majority; formalize delegation of signature authority): passed 9–1.

What’s next: If adopted by the council tonight, these measures will be printed in the voter information materials and placed on the Nov. 5 coordinated election ballot for voter approval. The council and staff said they will prepare a plain-language explanation booklet (a blue book) and printed copies for election locations and public counters to help voters understand each question.","The City and County of Broomfield City Council unanimously approved consent agenda items and voted to place six proposed charter amendments on the November ballot; several charter questions drew brief council discussion before being approved for the coordinated election.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Council approves IGA with Louisville to swap water deliveries as part of Marshall shares settlement

Council advances updated public land dedication rules on first reading, incentives tied to affordable housing

Council adopts medium- to high-density residential zoning changes amid debate about building heights

Broomfield council approves slate of ballot questions and routine consent items; six charter amendments placed before voters