Mandy Boltz, appearing for Responsible Association of Retailers (RAR), told the Beverage Licensing Authority on December 18 that she is serving in an interim role after the departure of Nathan Dewey and that the Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division (LED) has not approved her as a certified trainer.

“I am certified as a TIPS trainer and a ServSafe trainer, the state LED is not recognizing that,” Boltz said. She added that because the state has not approved her, she cannot obtain official TIPS or ServSafe certifications for local licensees even though she can provide the trainings.

Kristen Changaras, the city’s licensing manager, reminded the authority that the Boulder rules of procedure require training accepted by the city to be a course approved by the state LED. “If it's not, then it's not currently something that we can accept,” Changaras said. She told Boltz that, if the BLA wanted a different standard, the board would need to consider amending its rules of procedure.

Members of the authority discussed handling the issue in the near term. Member Absalom said the authority should wait until all members are present before considering any rule changes and suggested handling training acceptances on a case‑by‑case basis in the interim. The authority agreed to place the topic on the January agenda for further discussion and asked Boltz and RAR to keep the board informed.

Boltz asked whether she could write letters to confirm training completion while the state approval is pending. Members indicated that, under current rules, the city could not accept such letters as a substitute for state‑approved certification and that staff would advise licensees about available options.

The authority did not take formal action at the meeting but directed staff to place the matter on the January agenda and consider how to handle training verification while the state LED processes credentials.