[{"_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",5978196,"mediaKeyId","5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf","parentId",5792752,"title","Residents press Boulder council to divest from companies tied to Gaza hostilities; councilors note UN findings and public concern","audioSeconds",1919,"startMs",849000,"endMs",2768000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf&start=849&end=2768","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf/thumbnail_849000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5978196/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Residents-press-Boulder-council-to-divest-from-companies-tied-to-Gaza-hostilities-councilors-note-UN-findings-and-public-concern","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978196-4a82b2987e64125de3abd170d94de8b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770884182&Signature=VFRjiUmy82OwPy3kEWkzvK214D916L7g~FAVlBQI9aIl5BnZcZ1AqmX27Yr~HDfCgP7xAcKLlpPFynLSeSKju-8ZVTUOiAZZkz4g3otfEWR64SjINvSZD0lOuZCYYBAf5E06vgkzQWHdyBSfaNh8J0UogVnRQ07lchleSiJPoKTdFUYDNHQq-WIDVfXS-ZjNhiVuPy~EATzfsGg7VBQbi~QP8zNv5VUIetvLNI-MggarmYG4~FIsv3CfAe26sCz4Tpg5NDiVQUMMlv9Yy2OLmgMUL0hMeK3b0nrVE5XGr879IGk-4oz0574eLLJ5zKfgqiQn16zsNCH~xVlDmDyDTg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Boulder City, CO","date","2025-09-19T04:01:39Z","article","A series of residents used the meeting’s open comment period to call on the Boulder City Council to divest city funds from companies they believe are complicit in harms in Gaza and to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire.

Speakers cited recent determinations by international bodies and civil society groups and asked the council to divest from companies including Microsoft and Caterpillar and to adopt a ceasefire resolution. Several speakers identified themselves as members of Boulder’s Jewish community and others described personal ties to Gaza; some urged the council to treat the matter as an ethical obligation. One speaker read from international reports and urged immediate divestment and a public statement.

Councilmembers thanked the speakers and acknowledged the depth of feeling in the community. Councilmember Taisha Adams specifically thanked speakers and expressed concern about escalating violence in certain locations tied to a Boulder sister‑city relationship, saying she appreciated references to humanitarian aid and the ongoing dialogue. Council members asked staff to route follow‑up questions to the appropriate offices and to consider avenues such as cosponsoring humanitarian aid measures.

No formal council action to divest or pass a ceasefire resolution was taken during the meeting; council discussion acknowledged public sentiment and indicated staff follow‑up on procedural questions and possible future items.

Speakers (partial list): Susan Hall; Bella Wexler; Patty Fuster Aguilar; Zoe Silverman; Mary Pettigrew; others. Their remarks included references to United Nations Human Rights Council findings and appeals to the city’s ethical responsibilities.

Council took no binding action at the meeting on divestment or a ceasefire resolution; staff and council members indicated they would continue to receive public comment and consider procedural pathways for items brought formally to the council.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","September 18, 2025 City of Boulder City Council Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","Multiple residents urged the City Council to divest city funds from companies they associate with harms in Gaza and to adopt a ceasefire resolution; speakers cited recent international findings and urged urgent local action. Councilmembers acknowledged the comments and some indicated interest in humanitarian aid measures and follow-up.","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},5978203,"Parent urges council to ban armed demonstrations near playgrounds after gun-toting marcher at North Boulder Park",1856,710000,2566000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf&start=710&end=2566","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf/thumbnail_710000.jpg","/articles/5978203/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Parent-urges-council-to-ban-armed-demonstrations-near-playgrounds-after-gun-toting-marcher-at-North-Boulder-Park","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978203-1dc680037d5075a761e3dfd54c0a5f79/orig.mp4?Expires=1770884182&Signature=OTtDrTUO2jrYgFj-jE8mVCNvuLE6Wd~Vrc~aeC1qpamX-Yl8L7F6eE54Zfp3BIoJMD6mB7FyBWOI2Z8jw3JV1uW1QecCspdgmfDRF~67IXlsITDCP1wsZG46UazX2BrrU85D~~nGaBXWP~042BvreTpEK1MjpejI8gTafe7WEFnr95~f~qo5TYNprFRiCd8Z-nd1PmroC3dOPl39VliUzSy03Fx78N3PTW-~pXfspTiIq~bFT8upHaaeBhBPOTxAObCsyXewwApV9FcDj0D82cuEEOmKBuEIxcL4uUpwZ9ZsvBa~YYLZDhVBhGNHatfuQVIfMa5vqqFow9QTXjsI3w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","John Knapp, a North Boulder resident, told the City Council that on Aug. 31 an armed demonstrator wearing military gear walked near a children’s playground at North Boulder Park while uniformed police officers marched with the demonstrators. Knapp said police declined his request to remove the armed person, telling him the demonstrator was exercising constitutional rights.

\"I was left shocked,\" Knapp said during open public comment. He asked the council for unanimous support on measures including: prohibiting armed demonstrations near playgrounds and recreation areas; banning open carry near playgrounds and recreation areas; directing police to prioritize children’s safety and to warn families when demonstrations with weapons are occurring nearby.

City Manager Nuria Rivera Vandermeidt told council she had reached out to the police chief and that “it’s the first time he’s heard of it,” and that staff would follow up with Knapp to collect more details as they investigate. Councilmembers asked staff for a procedural review of the legal options and the current status of the city’s assault weapons litigation and enforcement tools.

Council discussed whether the matter required council action or a staff follow-up and whether an ordinance would be required to change enforcement around firearms at demonstrations. Staff said they would research the legal framework and report back, noting that some city provisions are subject to ongoing litigation and state preemption statutes may limit local ordinance options.

No formal action was taken at the meeting beyond staff’s commitment to follow up and report back to council on legal options and operational responses.","A Boulder resident told the council that a person wearing military gear and carrying an assault-style rifle marched past a playground while uniformed police accompanied demonstrators; he asked the council to prohibit armed demonstrations near playgrounds and require police to prioritize child safety.",{"_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},5978209,"City audit gives clean opinion but flags reporting error on federal grants",999,3909000,4908000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf&start=3909&end=4908","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf/thumbnail_3909000.jpg","/articles/5978209/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/City-audit-gives-clean-opinion-but-flags-reporting-error-on-federal-grants","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978209-011d15c18d1c295a55231e01a11cec4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1770884182&Signature=U9HMFwQv01LA5FpHld6R~ptU5ipTW8c~xIavdLmQF7Ktx22rchXEnz-111-9p6Msbu3jStMlHcoDvsVukpQ-wKgNNCQmLQdtROV4sloRB5ADCOy-kK0UW2Qi5uD3WxKHldyuBAnrNQSQd3HTxNyy6g7TEssh6RAEr7OC1Pw8~Wji0t7OaIk9dApIyf86ONrCY-35YIIsrcy~mrDCwGMSCFdh43u~URYxmI12N5ba3cSE5-Ful5bpgbCar2LHftWWKXYk1R4FiS-D-gIl2vba4ONWX6AmJML257ZlUMKDDvUbphfMxQT3DtKFpxKOZ0gEUfqXlBjMQ-LAsrwivOT2Uw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boulder’s outside auditors issued a clean, unqualified opinion on the city’s 2024 financial statements, but the audit committee reported a material weakness involving the classification of certain grants that led to an omission on federal reporting.

David Gross, teaching professor of finance at CU Boulder and member of the city’s audit committee, told council that CliftonLarsonAllen’s audit produced a “clean and unqualified opinion” on the financial statements but that auditors identified a material weakness in the city’s grant reporting processes. The material weakness arose because the city recorded about $22 million in federal grants properly in its ledgers, but roughly $1 million of federal grant activity routed through the Boulder County Small Business Development Center (SBDC) had been reported as state grants rather than federal on the SEFA, the federal report listing expenditures of federal awards.

Gross said the error was a reporting — not a recording — error that did not affect the city’s financial statements, creditworthiness or general accounting, and auditors were satisfied with planned process changes to centralize and clarify grant reporting. He said the city discovered the misclassification and would file the corrected federal schedule; the audit committee recommended that council accept the annual comprehensive financial report.

Council accepted the audit as part of the consent agenda vote. During discussion, Councilmember Wallach asked whether staff’s changes would avoid a recurrence; Gross said he was convinced the revised centralized process would mitigate future errors.

The matter did not require restatement of the city’s financial statements; only the SEFA required correction. The committee and auditors characterized the issue as a material weakness because it affected the city’s federal reporting package, and they recommended the administration keep centralized control over grant classification and reporting going forward.","The City of Boulder received an unqualified audit opinion for its 2024 financial statements, but auditors and the audit committee reported a material weakness: certain federal grants administered through the county SBDC were misclassified as state grants and omitted from the Schedule of Expenditures of Federal Awards (SEFA).",{"_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},5978214,"Council approves festival lodging license for large events, including Sundance visit",5413,9955000,15368000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf&start=9955&end=15368","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf/thumbnail_9955000.jpg","/articles/5978214/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Council-approves-festival-lodging-license-for-large-events-including-Sundance-visit","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978214-3a79a349600006610d90e2b017512ce5/orig.mp4?Expires=1770884182&Signature=Yw1xOg6TtrAGZgLojdgBWNukLfmAiFrB6s6x3p2vZqxJL5IXBy9gLKvi8zUF3nJ2vht~eLVfk4jCROJQ7YYGK6g-X6vjFOYckqqDp6oK-P5514M8rXY7ebamRzItwHEG-u0~eY~qwrIqAClfVbMVQn4uWPW1d2kjKfsf8EJ~au2OaGnN9sxaU78xC4VvQ12UvHoSaONWujxDAGNFO-m1uTl8gD3Gv8LfXIF5CeutLQKCM8wGExt4hhS9oWqTMDTKi8VNH4FQ7N6YEO0rxYb~GG0hPm0SmIiMYWtx5kJQ7rQiVLa0SiHm10VBrJHGEpcmxRQ9TfGPy-D0sxFsMh-cgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boulder City Council approved Ordinance 87 15 on second reading to create a festival lodging rental license that allows property owners to rent dwelling units during city‑designated festivals for a capped number of days per calendar year.

The council voted 7–1 in favor of the measure. Councilmember Adams cast the lone recorded no vote.

The license is modeled on the city’s short‑term rental program but is limited to festival periods set by a future festival‑event license the city will define administratively. Under the ordinance as adopted, property owners may use the festival license for up to 29 days per calendar year (10 days before a qualifying festival, the festival period itself, and nine days after) and the license would be valid for four years. The city will collect short‑term‑rental taxes on nights rented under the license.

Chris Meschuk, Deputy City Manager, said the ordinance was developed after Boulder was awarded hosting of the Sundance Film Festival beginning in 2027 and other potential large events. He said staff’s goals were to \"keep it simple,\" provide additional lodging capacity during large events while protecting the city’s long‑term housing stock and to avoid allowing a unit to hold multiple types of city rental licenses at the same time.

Staff said owners of units that already hold a long‑term rental license or the existing year‑round short‑term rental license would not be eligible for an overlapping festival license for the same unit. The festival license would expand eligibility to additional ownership types, such as LLCs, unless council amends that provision; council debated but did not adopt an amendment tonight to limit festival licenses to principal residences only.

The council and staff discussed several implementation questions: how the city will define a qualifying festival (staff plan to create a festival event license and a working definition, including an example threshold of events that expect to exceed local hotel capacity), whether ADUs should be treated differently, how tenants might sublet with landlord permission, and how to monitor and enforce compliance. Staff said the license would be administered online, with a $190 application fee (amortized to $47.50 per year over the four‑year license period), and that enforcement will build on the city’s existing short‑term rental monitoring tools.

Staff and several council members also stressed the ordinance is the start of an iterative process; councilmember Nicole said the city should “pass this tonight knowing that we are going to be looking at this, monitoring, seeing how the impacts are going to come over time and that we will be able to change things.” Staff said a web page and application would go live the day after council action and that the first licenses could be issued in early December, with the ordinance effective in November following third reading and ministerial processing.

Council chose not to adopt an amendment that would have exempted second homes from eligibility; the council instead approved the ordinance as drafted and directed staff to monitor impacts and return with implementation details and potential refinements. Ordinance 87 15 passed on second reading and will come back on the consent agenda for third reading; if approved at third reading it would take effect in early November.","The council passed an ordinance creating a time-limited festival lodging license to allow owners to rent properties during city‑designated festivals; staff will finalize a festival-event definition and an online application and will monitor impacts on housing and hotels.",{"_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},5978218,"Boulder adopts Transportation Demand Management ordinance for new development",6903,3041000,9944000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf&start=3041&end=9944","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5792752-3ae5b91c2a954237f6e6de8476e8c6cf/thumbnail_3041000.jpg","/articles/5978218/Boulder/Boulder-County/Colorado/Boulder-adopts-Transportation-Demand-Management-ordinance-for-new-development","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978218-fd73378637654ca45a2d73d628f5e3f4/orig.mp4?Expires=1770884182&Signature=CnakvPpZHHlNc6ByrHMHATNcJZ50spAfWMewNoPhananFHmWJCHdfPIyTHnV-jarfs8cQwBGBn~-iFBGYJDMQA4SmVyoQe1RQTwJO3bR6~CYHUhG53-u5Tt2rrOb6xgd9bvL5HT7rMVtp0VS4ASUF-uht4Hk6iwTNCpb3G6S0v0~njDT4lheWTOFuwbDc92qexao5~DJqDlwzKpslvTMMQj~yzMVPFDvohcKz0ydqlLv~kKUl5YQJC3Me8KmzZ~bShHxymI6g8-r5BtWhvLnEVOrgPwVzobOPsMzIiLKiuYjhMqXDFG7qLiExMJY8XrPf2ZPLctrBh39iW4w2S9q4g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Boulder City Council on second reading unanimously adopted Ordinance 87 13 on a package of transportation demand management (TDM) requirements for new development, aiming to cut vehicle trips and support multimodal access.

The ordinance requires tiered TDM plans for larger new developments, including an “EcoPass plus” package, options for transportation wallets or other locally tailored programs, annual financial guarantees paid by developers and a remedial fund for projects that fail to meet trip-reduction targets. The council vote was 9-0.

Council and staff framed the ordinance as the third leg of the city’s AMPS (access management and parking strategies) program, designed to work with recent parking reforms. Valerie Watson, Deputy Director, Transportation and Mobility, told council the ordinance \"complements the off-street and on-street parking reforms\" and is intended to \"mitigate the impacts of new development on our transportation system, on adjacent properties, and surrounding neighborhoods.\" Chris Hagelin, who presented the ordinance, said the city will apply the rules to new projects that add floor area and will use a three-tier approach so the largest projects face the strictest requirements.

Under the measure, tier 2 projects — the largest and most impactful — must meet a 30% reduction below Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) trip-generation rates as measured by independent third-party studies. Developers will post annual financial guarantees sized by land use and square footage; the council packet provided example calculations showing annual guarantee estimates (about $200 per employee per year for tier 1 commercial and higher for tier 2, with residential guarantees set per unit).

If a tier 2 project misses its target, the city can draw on a remedial guarantee to fund additional incentives for tenants and restart a three-year compliance cycle. Staff told council that if a development is compliant three years in a row, monitoring will shift to a five-year check-in cadence. The ordinance also continues the city’s practice of requiring a TDM coordinator for properties subject to TDM plans.

Council members pressed staff on implementation details: how tenants will be involved in finalizing measures, how the city will set guarantee amounts for bedroom‑based student housing, the effect on affordable housing and whether the developer community had been engaged. Staff said tenants will help finalize plans after occupancy, Boulder Housing Partners representatives participated in stakeholder outreach and the city plans to subsidize EcoPasses for affordable units in the same way it does today. Staff estimated the ordinance would apply to roughly five projects per year under current development pipelines and expected implementation to start after 2026.

Councilmember Ryan said the ordinance provides “clear standards for how TDM works” and praised its targeted approach. Councilmember Mark Wallach expressed concern about cost burdens and urged staff to show comparisons between TDM costs and parking construction savings; staff responded that structured parking in Boulder can cost $60,000–$100,000 per space and that TDM investments are smaller and can be funded in part from those savings.

City staff recommended adoption; the ordinance was passed on second reading and will be implemented by Transportation and Mobility with outreach materials, owner toolkits and software changes during the implementation period.

The ordinance number is 87 13; staff said additional refinements and monitoring procedures will be developed as the program is implemented and suggested future updates based on monitoring results.","Boulder City Council unanimously approved a Transportation Demand Management ordinance that requires new larger developments to fund and implement programs to reduce vehicle trips, monitor outcomes and hold financial guarantees to pay for annual TDM programs.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Residents press Boulder council to divest from companies tied to Gaza hostilities; councilors note UN findings and public concern

Parent urges council to ban armed demonstrations near playgrounds after gun-toting marcher at North Boulder Park

City audit gives clean opinion but flags reporting error on federal grants

Council approves festival lodging license for large events, including Sundance visit

Boulder adopts Transportation Demand Management ordinance for new development