Boulder city attorney tells oversight panel he provides legal advice, not direction; panel presses for clarity on conflicts and event guidance

Chris Reynolds, an attorney in the Boulder City Attorney’s Office, told the Boulder Police Oversight Panel on a September meeting that his role is to provide legal advice to the panel, to the independent police monitor and to city staff — not to direct or oversee panel decisions.

“I'm a lawyer for a panel. So if there are legal questions or issues that come up, I am a resource,” Reynolds said, adding that his advice is grounded in the city code and that he will “[evaluate] the facts, and then I'll render an opinion.”

Panel members said they need clearer boundaries on when the city attorney’s office will step in proactively, whether members can request independent counsel and whether legal advice will be coordinated with panel co-chairs before being shared with outside parties.

Why it matters: The city attorney’s office is the official interpreter of city code and ordinances. Panel members said differences in interpretation and a recent community engagement event that resulted in legal involvement left some members unsure whether…