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Longmont council directs staff to draft stronger open‑space protections, prepare 2026 ballot language
Summary
The council voted 6–0 (Popkin absent) to direct the city manager, city attorney and Natural Resources to draft ordinance changes to strengthen disposition protections in Ordinance 2011-10, require conservation easements on fee acquisitions and prepare November 2026 ballot language to add open space to Charter section 13.2.
Longmont’s City Council on April 7 directed staff to prepare ordinance language and ballot language aimed at strengthening protections for city open space.
Council Member Coloffer moved to direct the city manager, city attorney and the Natural Resources Department to draft revisions to the city’s open‑space disposition process, including treating conservation easements as an exemption from disposition and requiring conservation easements on fee acquisitions. The motion also directed staff to prepare ballot language for the November 2026 election to add open‑space properties to Section 13.2 of the Longmont City Charter. The motion passed by voice vote, carried 6–0 with Council Member Popkin absent.
Council Member Coloffer framed the proposal as a response to resident concern about prior land swaps and to preserve the public trust in Longmont’s open‑space program. Council Member Christ said she heard widespread voter support during the campaign and underscored that a charter amendment requires voter approval. "Seventy‑four percent of our residents voted in favor of open space," Christ said in the meeting when explaining why she wanted a charter amendment sent to voters.
The directive references existing disposition rules (Ordinance 2011‑10) and asks staff to craft both ordinance changes and ballot language for consideration. City staff told the council they had the draft language available for review and would return with formal recommendations.
Next steps: staff will prepare draft ordinance language and sample ballot text for the council to review; any charter change would require voter approval in November 2026.
