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City plans OneMeeting transition July 24 and standardized boards-and‑commissions reporting; council discusses communication and implementation
Summary
City staff told council the agenda system will move from Novus to OneMeeting (first council meeting under the new system July 24), introduce a shorter memo template with fiscal, equity and climate sections, and bring boards and commissions onto the platform in 2026. Staff recommended biannual reports from boards and commissions and a
Boulder — City staff told the Boulder City Council on May 1 that the city will replace its Novus agenda system with OneMeeting (styled in staff materials as “1Meeting”) and that the first council meeting using the new platform will be July 24, 2025. Staff also outlined a range of administrative changes and proposals to standardize and strengthen how the city manages boards and commissions.
“Novus Agenda is being discontinued by its parent company, Granicus, and no longer meets our needs,” Pam Davis, assistant city manager, told council. Staff said the new platform will produce more user‑friendly, digitally accessible packets, and will allow the city to apply a revised memo template and enhanced staff training to deliver shorter, clearer public memos.
Key changes and timeline
- Technology and packets: OneMeeting will go live for city council on July 24, 2025; packet release deadlines will change so council members receive no more than one full packet in a week and informational items will be separated from meeting packets and archived for on‑demand access. - Memo template and staff training: New memo formats (policy memos, study session memos, quasi‑judicial) will standardize analysis and include dedicated sections for a fiscal note, racial‑equity and climate‑resilience impacts. Staff has prepared a memo writing handbook and internal training series. - Boards and commissions on OneMeeting: Boards and commissions are expected to migrate to the same platform in 2026; planning board staff and the city clerk’s office have been piloting configuration work.
Boards and commissions: recommended process reforms
Staff and the council’s boards‑and‑commissions subcommittee recommended several process changes the clerk would manage centrally, including: - Biannual reports: standardized, twice‑yearly reports to council (one forward‑looking in Dec/Jan ahead of priority‑setting, and one progress update in June/July) with staff support for drafting and short format expectations. - Work plans and scope: a more uniform, centrally managed work‑plan process so boards’ tasks align to council priorities and department work plans; staff would help set and track those plans. - Short rapid alerts: a staff‑issued brief “heads up” for council if a board meeting raises an unexpected or urgent issue prior to the usual minute‑approval cycle.
Council reaction and issues raised
Council members generally supported the OneMeeting transition, the shorter memo format and adding fiscal, equity and climate considerations. Several council members asked for clarity on how biannual reports would be used and whether all 20 boards and commissions should be required to submit reports; staff replied reports could be brief, centrally supported and that boards could “opt out” in specific circumstances.
Council members also debated options for more direct council engagement with boards and commissions, including a possible regular hearing format where council would meet board representatives to review work plans. Staff cautioned that charter language constrains some changes — for example, the charter prescribes member counts, term lengths (five years currently), age minimums and prohibits compensation without voter approval. Staff said a November ballot measure could be considered to change charter provisions that currently restrict structural reforms.
Other follow‑up items
Council asked staff to provide additional data on the results of recent recruitment and orientation efforts (application counts and demographic outcomes), to continue developing draft report templates and to pilot the rapid‑alert practice for meetings that raise unexpected public interest. Staff said minutes will continue to be posted, and that OneMeeting’s public portal will improve navigation and archiving of past meetings once the records migration is complete.
What this means for the public
Beginning July 24, the public will see a new agenda portal with separate upcoming/past meeting views, smaller weekly packets and standalone informational items archived for on‑demand review. The boards‑and‑commissions shifts are intended to standardize applicant and member experience, improve onboarding and increase transparency about volunteer workload and priorities.
No formal council vote was taken; staff will return with revised council procedures and options for any charter changes as requested by council during the May 8 study session.
