06.28.21 PRAB PacketPARKS & RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
Virtual Meeting
6:00 p.m., June 28, 2021
100 Years of Excellence
Boulder Parks & Recreation
Advisory Board Members 2021
Raj Seymour (Chair)
Pamela Yugar (Vice Chair)
Charles Brock
Elliott Hood
Mary Scott
Jason Unger
Tara Winer
Mission Statement
BPRD will promote the health and well-
being of the entire Boulder community
by collaboratively providing high- quality
parks, facilities and programs.
Vision Statement
We envision a community where every
member’s health and well- being is
founded on unparalleled parks, facilities
and programs.
Goals of the Master Plan
1. Community Health and Wellness
2. Taking Care of What We Have
3. Financial Sustainability
4. Building Community
5. Youth Engagement
6. Organizational Readiness
For more information on BPRD Master
Plan visit the City of Boulder web site
at: https://bouldercolorado.gov/pages/
parks-recreation-master-plan
AGENDA
All agenda times are approximate
/͘APPROVAL OF AGENDA (2 minutes)
//͘FUTURE BOARD ITEMS AND TOURS (2 minutes)
///͘PUBLIC PARTICIPATION (15 - 30 minutes)
This portion of the meeting is for members of the public to communicate ideas or concerns to the Board
regarding parks and recreation issues for which a public hearing is not scheduled later in the meeting (this
includes consent agenda). The public is encouraged to comment on the need for parks and recreation
programs and facilities as they perceive them. All speakers are limited to three minutes. Depending on the
nature of your matter, you may or may not receive a response from the Board after you deliver your
comments. The Board is always listening to and appreciative of community feedback.
/s͘CONSENT AGENDA (5 minutes)
͘ Approval of Minutes from May 24, 2021
B. Parks and Recreation Development and Operations Update
sI͘ MATTERS FOR DISCUSSION/INFORMATION
s/I͘ MATTERS FROM THE DEPARTMENT
͘ 2022 Operating Budget (30 minutes)
VIII͘ MATTERS FROM BOARD MEMBERS
A.PRAB Community Engagement Updates (verbal)
This portion of the meeting is for members of the board to report on PRAB’s annual work plan goal of each
member: attending two or more parks and recreation-related community activities per month; promoting
parks and recreation through social media; attending site tours; and supporting the department’s
partnership initiatives.
IX͘ NEXT BOARD MEETING: 6:00 p.m., July 12, 2021
X͘ ADJOURN
A͘ Park Naming Project (30 minutes)
s͘ ITEMS FOR ACTION
͘ Studio Arts Boulder Lease (10 minutes)
B. 2022-27 Capital Improvement Plan (30 minutes)
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD
FUTURE BOARD ITEMS
UPDATED: June 23, 2021
JUNE JULY AUGUST SEPTEMBER PRAB June 28:
• 2022-27 CIP (a)
• Studio Arts Boulder Lease (a)
• Park Naming (d/i)
• 2022 Operating Budget (md)
• PRAB Community
Engagement (mb)
July 12:
• PRAB Preparation for
Council Study
Session on Master
Plan Needs
Assessment (d/i)
• Historic Places Plan
Update (md)
• Greenways Advisory
Review (md)
• PRAB Community
Engagement (mb)
August 23:
• Boulder Creek
Management Plan
Update (md)
• Flatirons Golf Course
Facility Update (md)
• Council study session
recap on Master Plan
Needs Assessment (md)
• PRAB Retreat Planning
(mb)
• PRAB Meeting Format
(mb)
• PRAB Community
Engagement (mb)
September 27:
• Reservoir Annual
After-Action
Review Process
Overview (md)
• 2021 Financial and
Metric Review (d/i)
• GAC meeting
follow-up (mb)
• PRAB Retreat
Agenda Review
(mb)
• PRAB Community
Engagement (mb)
Department Events and Items of Interest • June 11: Reservoir Visitor
Service Center Celebration
• June 12: Scott Carpenter Pool
Celebration
• June 17: Howard Hueston
Neighborhood meeting
• June 24: Master Plan public
open house
• July 27: Council Study
Session on Master Plan
(cc)
• July TBD: Chautauqua
Playground Celebration
AGENDA SETTING
The PRAB Chair, PRAB Vice Chair and BPR staff set the agenda for the next month on the Thursday directly following the regular PRAB
meeting. PRAB members can submit agenda requests to the Chair and Vice Chair by Wednesday following the PRAB regular meeting for
consideration. If time-sensitive matters arise, PRAB Chair and Vice Chair may amend the agenda as needed.
LEGEND
Action Item (a): A public hearing item to be voted on by the Board (public comment period provided).
Procedural Item: (p): An item requiring procedural attention.
Consent Item (c): An item provided in written form for consent, not discussion by the Board; any consent item may be called up by any Board
member for discussion following the consent agenda.
Discussion/Information Item(d/i): An item likely to be a future action item (or council item) and/or that benefits from an in-depth discussion.
Matters from the Department (md): Items that will be reviewed and discussed during the meeting but not requiring as much in-depth analysis.
Matters from the Board (mb): Items initiated by the Board that will be reviewed and discussed during the meeting but not requiring as much in-
depth analysis.
City Council Item (cc)
Other Boards and Commissions (obc)
Community Engagement and/or Events (e)
Holiday/Closure (h/c)
Italics indicate a tentative date or plan.
CITY OF BOULDER
BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
To listen to the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board meetings in their entirety, please go to the
following link: www.boulderparks-rec.org
Name of Board/Commission: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
Date of Meeting: May 24, 2021
Contact Information Preparing Summary: Charlotte O’Donnell, Phone Number: 303-413-
7223
Board Members Present: Charles Brock, Elliott Hood, Mary Scott, Raj Seymour, Tara
Winer, Jason Unger, Pamela Yugar
Board Members Absent:
Staff Present: Ali Rhodes, Dennis Warrington, Jeff Haley, Bryan Beary, Stephanie Munro,
Jackson Hite, Megann Lohman, Stacie Hoffman, Charlotte O’Donnell, Chris Passarelli, Tim
Duda, Jonathan Thornton, Tina Briggs
Guests Present: Renee Cyr, Holly Steinke, Cathy Hill, Brandon Blew, Daniel Lin, Maddy
Barnes, Tamar van Vliet, Eliana, Alice, Elizabeth, Executive Director of Studio Arts Boulder
Kari Palazzari
Type of Meeting: Advisory/Regular
Agenda Item 1: Call to Order
The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. A quorum was present for the conduct of
business. Motion to amend agenda to have public participation as Item 2 and Sharing Youth
Voices as item 3. Motion by Seymour. Second by Winer. The motion passed 7-0.
Motion to amend the agenda to add new operations information from Rhodes under Consent
Agenda. Motion by Seymour. Second by Brock. The motion passed 7-0.
Agenda Item 2: Public Participation
Eric Tussey shared his experience of living on 51st Street near the Reservoir and concerns
about the Reservoir being open later.
Roman Sammartino, community member and CU rowing coach, concerned about changes in
fee structure happening at Reservoir in the early mornings.
There being no one else who wanted to speak, public participation was closed.
Agenda Item 3: Matters from the Department
A. Sharing Youth Voices – Master Plan Update
This item was presented by Jeff Haley, Cathy Hill, Eliana, Alice, Brandon Blew and Daniel
Lin. The Board had the following questions and/or comments:
• Thanks to students for their work and guidance.
• Could adults play with the goats as well?
• Would we be able to receive the presentation, YOAB survey results and other key
attachments?
• How did YOAB get the word out about the survey?
• Did YOAB run those statistics for the survey?
• Excited to hear students interest in volunteering and thinks that this would be a great
idea to pursue.
• Supports making goats part of a future conversation.
• Excited to explore option for obstacle equipment ideas in parks for people and dogs,
festival options and website updates.
Agenda Item 2 (continued): Public Participation
PRAB recommended re-opening public comment to accommodate a participant who had
signed up to speak but arrived after the initial participation time earlier in this meeting.
Emily Brake shared frustration with Parks and Recreation work with people with disabilities,
including accommodations for participation in virtual public meetings. She commented on her
experience at Scott Carpenter Pool and perception that there are unsatisfactory
accommodations and pool conditions.
There being no one else who wanted to speak, public participation was again closed.
Agenda Item 2: Future Board Items and Tours
Rhodes reviewed upcoming agenda items for PRAB. The Board had the following questions
and/or comments:
• Will PRAB plan to cancel one of the summer meetings as has happened in past years?
• Who did the Chautauqua playground design?
• Excited to see how popular the new playground is already, especially with older kids.
• Excited to see parks included in an independent tour of the city for visitors.
Agenda Item 4: Consent Agenda
A) Approval of Minutes from April 26, 2021
Motion to approve the minutes from April 26, 2021 as presented. Motion by Seymour. Second
by Yugar. The motion passed 7-0.
B) Approval of Minutes from May 10, 2021 Study Session
Motion to approve the minutes from May 10, 2021 Study Session as presented. Motion by
Seymour. Second by Hood. The motion passed 7-0.
C) Development and Operations Update
The Board had the following questions and/or comments.
• Why was there a pause on the construction at Howard Heuston park?
• Will PRAB be invited to the meeting with the Howard Heuston neighborhood?
• In response to no capacity limits at pools this summer, are there any scenarios where
capacity limits for certain lap lanes or leisure pool features might exist?
• Will the slides at Scott Carpenter Pool be open?
• Support staff and understand seeing similar problems with hiring staffing in other
cities.
• Is the next BLA meeting still scheduled for June 9?
• The youth who presented tonight mentioned interest in more volunteer opportunities
with BPR. How would youth find out about these volunteer opportunities?
Agenda Item 6: Matters for Discussion/Information
A. 2022 Budget Strategy Continued
i. Scenario Planning and Fees
This item was presented by Jackson Hite. The Board had the following questions and/or
comments:
• In the bar chart that compares 2022 and previous years. Which fund includes the golf
course project?
• Would like to see effort to address reducing car traffic by changing the fee structure at
the Reservoir. Could this be part of the Master Plan?
• What was the reasoning behind hiring 8.5 more full time employees?
ii. 2022-2027 CIP 2nd touch
This item was presented by Jeff Haley. The Board had the following questions and/or
comments:
• Support for the approach of “Taking Care of What We Have”. Would it be possible to
focus more on what we have exclusively for one year out of every five years?
• What is the third item you are considering as part of the Community and Culture
Safety Task?
• Appreciation for the attention to Boulder creek.
B. Studio Arts Lease
This item was presented by Bryan Beary and questions answered by Kari Palazzari, Executive
Director of Studio Arts Boulder. The Board had the following questions and/or comments:
• What is the intent of the liquor license?
• Is Studio Arts Boulder planning any expansion of events given the liquor license?
• Does Studio Arts Boulder have kilns at the Aurora Street location?
Agenda Item 7: Matters from the Board
A. Election of Greenways Advisory Committee (GAC) Representative
Board members had the following questions and comments:
• Scott expressed interest in being the representative. Board agreed to Scott as their
representative.
• Could this be two people, or does it need to be one?
• Do we know what date will the August meeting be this year?
B. Remote Meeting Updates
Board members had the following questions and comments:
• It would be great if board members could have the option to be present via video even
if board meetings are in-person.
• Looking forward to return to in-person meetings.
C. PRAB Community Engagement Updates
• Seymour attended the BLA meeting regarding the special event liquor licenses at the
Reservoir and spoke as a community member.
• The lighting at night and flooring at Chautauqua is great.
• Yugar reported that 63 PLAY passes have been given out today which represents
$13,000 worth of grant funding.
• The PLAY duck race will be happening in several months and PRAB will have a
team.
Agenda Item 8: The next PRAB meeting will be held Monday, June 28, 6:00 p.m. virtually
(via video conference).
Agenda Item 9: Adjourn: There being no further business to come before PRAB at this time,
the meeting was adjourned at 9:08 p.m. Motion by Seymour. Second by Winer. The motion
passed 7-0.
Approved by: Attested:
_______________________ _________________________
Raj Seymour Charlotte O’Donnell
Board Member Administrative Specialist
Date _____________________ Date ____________________
TO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
FROM: Ali Rhodes, Director, Parks and Recreation Department
Jeff Haley, Planning and Ecological Services Manager
Bryan Beary, Community Building and Partnerships Manager
Jackson Hite, Business Services Manager
Megann Lohman, Recreation Manager
Stephanie Munro, Regional Facilities Manager
Dennis Warrington, Urban Parks Manager
SUBJECT: Consent Agenda
DATE: June 28, 2021
A. Approval of Minutes May 24, 2021
B. Parks and Recreation Development Update
The following information is intended to provide the PRAB with relevant updates on specific
projects as they reach major milestones. This section is not all inclusive of all current projects
and only illustrates major project updates. For a complete list of all current projects and details,
please visit www.BoulderParkNews.org.
Planning and Design
The following projects are currently in the planning and design process that involves research,
alternatives analysis, public involvement and development of planning documents and design
plans to guide decision making and future capital improvements.
• Flatirons Golf Course Facility Design
Staff submitted plans for a land use review as a Minor Amendment in May. Comments
from the Planning and Development Services (P&DS) department resulted in a request
for revised submission for a Minor Modification under administrative review. There are
less requirements from P&DS through the Minor Modification submission, but staff will
continue to plan the project with the goal of setting an example of citywide energy and
resilience goals while remaining fiscally responsible.
As promised, staff will continue to share the details as they are developed. Last month’s
highlights included the building materials, elevations, and the floor plan. This month, we
will focus on access and circulation.
The approved concept plan showed a sidewalk extending along the driveway to Arapahoe
Avenue. Many installation options and alignments were reviewed. The feasibility
analysis resulted in a priority to protect the large significant trees lining the driveway
during this phase of construction. The sidewalk alignment will remain on the concept
plan for consideration in phase 2 or when broader access improvements on the south side
of Arapahoe Avenue are considered feasible.
The parking lot improvements will include:
o vegetation islands
o standard and compact car parking spaces to
match current code requirements.
o electric vehicle parking spaces
2 spaces with installed charging station
2 spaces with wiring and junction box,
ready for station installation
12 spaces planned with conduit, ready to
wire and install.
o bike parking spaces
8 u-rack spaces
4 enclosed bike locker spaces
o wider pedestrian walkway though center of
parking lot
o drop-off area
Flatirons Golf Course
Click to enlarge
Improvements in the parking lot, such as adding vegetation islands and standardizing
parking space sizes, will result in a decrease in overall number of parking spaces to 230.
A parking analysis confirmed that the number of spaces will be sufficient to
accommodate all concurrent planned uses of the facility.
Low level lighting in the parking lot is under consideration for safety of pedestrians
crossing the parking lot during the early evening use of the bar/restaurant hours through
the winter with the earlier sunsets. The lighting under consideration will be dark sky
compliant with timers set to minimize impact to the surrounding neighborhood.
A drop-off area has been integrated to accommodate events and deliveries. The area will
allow efficient logistic coordination and ease of access for the community during events.
It is also intended to serve as a drop area for golf equipment and easy access needed for
youth programming.
The access and flow for golf carts and staging is similar to the current configuration. The
staging area has been increased to match the ability to host tournaments. A food and
beverage pick-up window and centrally located restrooms are intended to increase user
experience.
Golf services will remain in the existing building with improvements made to extend the
life and experience in and around the building. PRAB can look forward to more
information about the existing building improvements next month.
• Planning Projects Underway: Staff or contractors continue to work on the following
projects and will update the PRAB as major milestones are achieved:
o Historic Places Plan (HiPP)
o Master Plan Update
Construction
The following projects are scheduled for construction, under construction or have been recently
completed. For additional details please visit www.BoulderParkNews.org.
Howard Heuston Mini Skate Area Update and Staff Recommendation
Staff held a community meeting about the proposed mini skate area at Howard Heuston Park on
Thursday, June 17 to ensure the neighborhood is familiar with background information about the project,
review approved plans and listen to feedback and ideas from neighbors.
Those who were not able to attend can review presentation materials from the meeting.
On Friday, June 18, staff sent a follow up email with information and a link to provide additional
comments and feedback and staff will be accepting feedback until Friday, June 25th.
Over 30 people attended and shared their thoughts and ideas about the project.
As a result of the meeting, staff is recommending the proposed mini skate area should remain
where it was originally approved as part of the concept plan in 2016 illustrated below (next to the
basketball court at south end of the park) and not deviate from the approved plan to relocate the
skate area near the playground and dog park.
More detailed plan for the new mini-skate area that is smaller than originally proposed and near the
basketball court:
Key takeaways from the research and neighborhood input that led to this decision include:
• Master Plan direction and policy guidance supports youth activity and engagement and providing
low-cost opportunities for recreation in all parks that are appropriately scaled for neighborhoods,
especially adjacent to neighborhoods that might not have resources and opportunities that others
might have. This neighborhood has approximately 250 children and youth within the service area.
• Master Plan direction also prioritizes “Community Health and Wellness” by giving youth options
to get outside, meet new friends, and be active, which is especially important coming out of the
pandemic when mental and physical illness are at record levels due to isolation.
• After several years of research and engagement with youth, skate areas are typically a top
attraction given the low cost and individual use that doesn’t require teams, costly equipment or
memberships.
• Many parks in Boulder already have unique play opportunities for youth, such as slack lines,
pump tracks, mini skate bowls, and zip lines.
• Howard Heuston is similarly a unique neighborhood park since it has the only off-leash dog area
in the city other than the three city/community parks.
• Neighborhood parks often serve as one’s yard, especially in dense residential areas with
multifamily developments. This proposed feature in the park would allow “close to home”
experiences for children and youth without having to drive or ride across the city.
• Regarding the ratio of green space to paved area, 91% of the park will remain green, soft, natural
and unpaved after the installation of the proposed mini skate area.
During the neighborhood meeting, community members had a variety of input that has helped shape the
process to ensure Howard Heuston Park is as successful as possible for all park users.
Staff will update the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board through the consent agenda at the upcoming
meeting on Monday, June 28.
Since the plan was already approved and no changes are being proposed to the approved plan,
construction will move forward soon to try and remain on schedule with the current contractor and not
incur additional expenses.
Summary of feedback
Below is a comprehensive summary of the feedback received and information staff has considered to
recommend supporting the neighborhood and revising the location to the originally approved plan.
Conflict in uses and incompatibility:
• While some neighbors were absolutely opposed to the skate area, most of the feedback from the
neighbors related to the potential conflict between off-leash dogs and the skate area use. While
many neighbors discussed the tranquility of the park and the green space, the overarching
comments were related to concerns for their dog’s behavior and how the new activity and use
would impact their experience with their dog.
• There were a few assumptions and misinformation discussed at the meeting and staff were able to
clarify and dispel some of the false information. Most notable were thoughts that the dog area
was going to be completely fenced in. Staff will not be fencing anything near the dog area and
would not do anything new to the dog area without engaging the community. In fact, staff would
enjoy hearing about other opportunities to improve the dog area or other spaces within the park, if
the neighbors have ideas.
• The previously approved site (that is being followed) near the basketball court (proposed
location) is as far from the dog area as possible and combines the more active uses of the court
and mini skate area. The skate area will likely not be any louder or more active than a game of
basketball happening. In fact, the basketball/skate area is almost not visible from the dog area.
• Several neighbors agreed that a skate area would add a nice opportunity to ensure all neighbors
have an activity to enjoy if it is done responsibly and compatible with existing uses.
• One neighbor facilitates a juggling program each week and explained that a mini skate area
would add another nice amenity to the park that is compatible with other uses.
• Fencing can also be incorporated into the new skate area to ensure no basketballs or dogs come
into the skate area. It will separate uses for safety.
• The proposed skate area will be smaller, approximately 3,000 to 4,000 square feet and can only
support one or two riders at a time. This will not be a large, busy skatepark and the presentation
boards illustrate the size differences. The new skate area will be similar size to a 5–12-year-old
play area and is not even as large as the current basketball court.
• The skate area is multi-use and supports bikes, scooters, skateboards, roller blades, skates,
wheelchairs, etc. This equipment can be easily acquired by anyone and local shops and
organizations already provide free equipment to youth in Boulder.
Additional Improvements and Programming
• Staff also heard many thoughts and comments about “who will be using this new skate area” and
“folks can’t afford skateboards, bikes or other equipment.” Many local shops and organizations
already go to great lengths to introduce kids and youth into the sport and provide lessons,
equipment, etc. Square State Skate and the Chill Foundation are examples of local programs that
will be engaged in this location.
• A few neighbors specifically mentioned support for the area if it will be used and especially if
opportunities exist for kids that might not have the resources to buy gear.
• Staff also propose future improvements to the existing basketball court with new goals and
upgrades to support youth and others who already enjoy the court.
• Staff will also be planting new trees within the park in the future to increase shade and provide
additional screening/buffer between park areas.
Skate Park and Pump Track - Scott Carpenter Park and Valmont City Park: The
construction of a skate park at Scott Carpenter Park is complete, and work on the skate park at
Valmont City Park continues. More information on the status of Howard Heuston can be found
in this Consent Agenda.
The addition of the new skate features and the pump track at the parks are supported by
community members and stakeholder groups and will greatly increase the amount of
skateable space in the city for users of all abilities. It will also provide much needed
outdoor, socially distant recreation opportunities and beginner skate features for those
starting to learn. Each of the locations will be accessible to all community members.
Scott Carpenter Park: The new skate park at Scott Carpenter is complete and is now open
to the public. The new design integrates approximately 5,300 square feet of skateable
area with the existing skate park. The new park is designed for beginner and intermediate
users an includes smaller, low-impact street features.
Valmont City Park – Skate and Pump Track: A new 10,000 square foot skate park is
currently under construction at Valmont City Park. The skate park is designed for all skill
levels and incudes bowls, transition elements, and street features.
A new beginner level bike pump track was also recently completed at Valmont. This
new 10,000 square foot track is comprised of rolling asphalt trails. Previous PRAB
updates incorrectly stated that the track would also include a slant wall and hammock
riding features. These features were included in the design as alternates and would only
be constructed if funds were available. While funds were not available to include as part
of the initial construction project, the department is currently looking into other
opportunities to fund some of the elements.
While the pump track construction has
been completed, the track will remain
closed to allow for grass establishment on
the slopes and interior areas of the track. It
will be opened as soon as possible and
when the grass has taken root.
General information on the skate park improvements and pump track project can be found here.
The following projects are focused on habitat and wildlife management in an urban environment.
• Natural Lands Operations:
Thunderbird Lake: The Natural Lands team, in partnership with Park Operations,
continues to perform annual maintenance activities at Thunderbird Lake in Admiral
Arleigh A Burke Park to ensure water quality. These activities include:
• Clearing of vegetation from maintenance corridors near gazebo, headgate and
outlet.
• Removing noxious weeds.
• Maintaining the aerators for water quality.
• Adding microbes for water quality/algae control mid-April to late September.
Due to high temperatures, low precipitation and to minimize the potential for algal
blooms, microbe treatments were added early this year on April 4. Those efforts have
been successful with no algae present upon the most recent inspections. Currently the
water level is higher than it has been in several years, likely due to above average spring
precipitation and ground water. The water level is above the highest reading on the staff
gauge (see photo on the left below).
In 2020, a summary report was completed by Biohabitats with findings from monitoring water
levels from 2016 through 2019 and providing potential alternatives for long-term management
given current conditions. Later this fall, staff will be engaging the community, neighbors and the
PRAB to evaluate these proposed alternatives to determine a preferred long-term management
strategy for Thunderbird Lake. In the near-term, staff will be meeting with a group of neighbors
to understand immediate concerns and further outline the plan and process for the engagement
this fall.
Natural Lands Projects Underway: Staff or contractors continue to work on the following
projects and will update the PRAB as major milestones are achieved:
o Volunteer Programs.
o Urban Wildlife Management.
o Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Restoration.
o Visitor Management; and
o Boulder Aeromodeling Society coordination.
C. Operations Update
The following information is intended to provide the PRAB with relevant updates on specific
BPR services in the parks or facilities. This section is not all inclusive of all current operations
and intends to provide awareness on key accomplishments, new happenings, service
level adjustments, or other information impacting operations.
COVID-19
The latest information and results of recovery efforts can be found
at https://bouldercolorado.gov/coronavirus.
City of Boulder COVID-19 Recovery: As public health orders are lifted at the state and
county levels, the city’s Response and Recovery Team, in partnership with the City Attorney’s
Office, is assessing remaining city emergency orders to prepare to repeal those that no longer
apply and plan to transition long-term recovery programs and services to their applicable city
departments.
Facility Masking Requirements: As of June 10, the Boulder County Public Health Order
expired and the county is now fully aligned with the current state masking requirements. Boulder
County Public Health provided the following graphic to assist businesses and the public with
masking recommendations. In line with recommendations, the department is currently requiring
youth participants in registered programming such as summer camps and gymnastics to mask
when indoors. Staff facilitating these programs are also required to mask to model behavior.
Operations
Boulder Reservoir Update:
Driftwind Operations: Driftwind at the Rez is semi-operational as a concession, with
full operations limited by some logistical challenges that are frustrating but typical with
new construction. As shared previously and following the withdrawal of the permanent
liquor license application, Driftwind is focusing on a successful first summer within
currently allowed activities. Driftwind’s Dinner on the Beach series is designed to
“showcase and support the abundant work of local non-profits, helping to raise financial
resources and awareness, bringing together the community in a wholly unique dining
experience.” On June 17 and at a special hearing, the Beverage Licensing Authority
reviewed Special Event Liquor License applications for six non-profit organizations for
the first six of the events, scheduled for weekend evenings in July. 17 neighbors
submitted comments for the hearing and several spoke at the meeting. Their comments
generally express concern that these events would be unsafe, lead to drunk driving and/or
unsafe activities at the Reservoir, and negatively impact their neighborhood. After asking
many questions of the applicants to understand the nature of the events, including
security protocols and measures to prevent overconsumption, the BLA approved all six
applications.
Despite approval through this process, some neighbors have still expressed dissatisfaction
with plans and BPR is working with partners to determine the best way to respond.
Sound Monitoring: BPR purchased sound equipment to continuously monitor and
record sound levels at the front gate. This equipment is also utilized at Chautauqua to
monitor for sound intrusion to nearby neighbors and will help BPR ensure commitments
about sound levels are fulfilled.
Pool Operations: Staff continue to balance and prioritize operations while facing a national
lifeguard shortage. Additional onboarding and training of new lifeguards is taking place
continuously and staff intend to reassess and make any possible changes to summer operations
for the second half of summer by July 12. The following is a list of facilities and amenities that
are currently operational. Full pool schedules are published online and updated each Friday with
any changes and can be found here. Additional amenities are made available at facilities as
staffing allows.
• Scott Carpenter Leisure Pool Features:
o Shallow areas and splash pad: 7 days a week: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
o Lazy river: 7 days a week: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
o Water slides: 7 days a week: noon to 5 p.m.
o Deep pool: 7 days a week: 2-6 p.m.
• Scott Carpenter Lap Pool:
o Monday – Friday: 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
o Saturday – Sunday: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• East Boulder Community Center Leisure Pool:
o Monday – Friday: 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.
o Saturday: 9 a.m. to noon
o Sunday: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
• East Boulder Community Center Lap Pool
o Monday – Friday: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
o Saturday – Sunday: 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• North Boulder Recreation Center Lap Pool:
o Monday – Friday: 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Facility Opening Celebrations: Now operating at increased capacities after a season of limited
operations, the department held celebrations to commemorate the completion of the Scott
Carpenter Pool renovations and the remodeled Visitors Services Center and restaurant at the
Boulder Reservoir.
To celebrate the Visitors
Services Center opening,
members of the Parks
and Recreation and
Advisory Board
(PRAB), City Council
and city staff held an
event on Friday, June 11,
at the outdoor dining
area with views of the
reservoir and Flatirons.
A ribbon cutting
ceremony officially
opened the center and
restaurant to the
community.
The celebration at Scott
Carpenter Pool on Saturday, June 12 included members of PRAB, City Council and city staff
who thanked all involved in the project. The event was a chance to hold a ribbon cutting and see
all the new features in action, while enjoying refreshments from the new Bellyflop concession
area at the pool.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___1____
C I T Y O F B O U L D E R
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: June 28, 2021
AGENDA TITLE: Studio Arts Boulder Three-Year Lease and Service Agreement for
the City of Boulder Pottery Lab
PRESENTERS:
Alison Rhodes, Director, Parks and Recreation
Bryan Beary, Recreation Manager, Community Building + Partnerships
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
The purpose of this item is for the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) to
review and consider approval of a three-year Lease and Service Agreement for the City
of Boulder’s Pottery Lab (Attachment A).
In September 2019, Boulder Parks and Recreation (BPR) solicited competitive proposals
from organizations that had interest in leasing and offering programs at the Pottery Lab.
Studio Arts Boulder (SAB), a Colorado nonprofit organization, was the only responsive
proposal and staff entered negotiations to update the relationship between the two parties.
These discussions were subsequently delayed by impacts of the pandemic. Capacity to
reengage with SAB this spring has allowed for staff to move forward with the completion
of the agreement being presented to the PRAB for consideration.
On May 24, 2021 department staff presented the proposed agreement to the PRAB with a
recommendation for a three-year lease. The PRAB sought clarification on the intent of
SAB potentially pursuing a liquor license, which SAB clarified is related to both
fundraising activity and to formalize the practice of allowing wine to be consumed at
select ‘date night’ programs. The PRAB shared little other concern while voicing their
appreciation of the program partnership with SAB.
Key elements of the agreement are:
• Three-year term, through June 30, 2024.
• $1 per year lease payment, in consideration for use of the Pottery Lab facility.
• Clarification on cleaning, maintenance, and repair responsibilities.
• Allowance for SAB to pursue provision of alcoholic beverage sale or
consumption.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___2____
• Provision for the operation of two wood-fired kilns located at 63rd street location.
• Updates to performance benchmarks.
Staff believe this agreement continues to foster the delivery and growth of cultural arts by
SAB while also establishing appropriate maintenance and operating responsibilities
related to the Pottery Lab as an important historic asset for the department and
community.
BACKGROUND:
The Pottery Lab was established in 1954 and moved to its current location at 1010
Aurora Avenue, Boulder, Colorado in 1956 (a former Fire Department station, to be
managed by BPR). Since its inception, the Lab has provided art classes and pottery
instruction to children, teens, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities as highly
subsidized community programs.
In an effort to increase the exposure of the program to a broader community segment and
address cost-recovery issues, in 2010 the department contracted with Museum
Management Consultants, Inc. to complete a Pottery Program Management Assessment.
In February 2012, participants of a department-initiated community roundtable reviewed
recommendations from the Management Assessment and established the Pottery Lab
Working Group (PLWG). Comprised of twelve members of the community, PRAB and
department staff, the PLWG was established in February 2012 to make consensus
recommendations to the city on ways to ensure the sustainability of the city’s pottery
program. The working group recommended the city explore a nonprofit or public-private
partnership for the management and operation of the Pottery Lab. Eight of the twelve
working class members recommended that the city move forward with the partnership
option, for the following reasons:
• A partner would have more flexibility in hiring, programming, and fundraising for
the Pottery Lab program; and
• Ongoing city management of the pottery program appeared unlikely to result in
long-term programmatic sustainability.
Based on the recommendation of the PLWG, the city issued a Request for Proposal
(RFP) in July 2013. One responsive proposal was submitted by SAB. The city accepted
the SAB proposal and negotiated in good faith with representatives from SAB to develop
an agreement modeled on previous agreements between the city and other nonprofit
organizations.
Studio Arts Boulder has acted as the nonprofit partner leasing and operating the Pottery
Lab since 2014. Previously mentioned amendments and renewals have extended the
current lease agreement with SAB through June 30, 2021.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___3____
In September 2019, Boulder Parks and Recreation solicited competitive proposals from
organizations that had interest in offering programming and leasing the Pottery Lab. One
responsive proposal was submitted by Studio Arts Boulder and staff entered negotiations
to update the relationship between the two parties.
ANALYSIS:
Contractor Performance
Since taking over management of the Pottery Lab program in 2014, SAB has been able to
transition the Pottery Lab from running at a nearly $100,000 deficit, serving around 630
people each year, to a sustainable nonprofit business. SAB now serves over 3,000 unique
individuals annually across 32,000 program hours through the Pottery Lab and is not
receiving any direct financial subsidy from the City of Boulder.
SAB is now responsible for all operating expenses for programming at the Pottery Lab,
and nearly all routine maintenance expenses less than $3,000 for the building and its
surrounding property.
Students of SAB vary in age from 3 to 85 years old, coming from a wide range of the
Boulder community. All aspects of programming are designed to support artistic
learning, social connection, and personal creativity. Performance evaluations show 95%
of students are very or totally satisfied with current operations and management, with
85% of students returning to take additional classes.
Between 2017-2020, SAB has provided over 100 youth and adult scholarships,
to families with incomes at or below 200% of federal poverty levels. Adult scholarships
allow registration at a 50% discount while scholarships for youth allow for 100%
discounted classes and camps. Additionally, SAB provides free and reduced-rate outreach
programs to underserved populations through partnerships, including, the City of
Boulder Youth and Families programming, Attention Homes, I Have a Dream
Foundation, Safehouse Progressive Alliance for Nonviolence, Boulder Housing Partners,
Transgender Youth Education & Support, Rocky Mountain Pathfinders, Imagine!, and
Colorado Residential Solutions.
2019 RFP Process
In alignment with the department’s commitment to program life cycle management
through the Service Delivery Model, an RFP was issued to ensure the selected operator of
the Pottery Lab is providing services that address and impact the current needs and
interests of the community and customers after last being issued in 2014.
In preparation for the Pottery Lab RFP posting in 2019, staff procured an independent
Property Inspection and Market Analysis with Insurable Value to understand the current
state and value of the property and then calculated average annual costs of ownership and
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___4____
management. Staff then applied industry standard calculations to identify the total costs
of ownership for the Pottery Lab.
Chart 1: 2019 Property Inspection and Market Analysis with Insurable Value excerpt
Estimated Value
Insurable Value (IV) $ 830,000
Annual Cost Calculation
Operations and Maintenance (O&M)
(industry standard is 2% of IV)
$ 16,600
Repair and Replacement (R&R)
(industry standard is 2.5% of IV)
$ 20,750
Total Annual Cost of Ownership* $ 37,350
* Total annual cost of ownership covers all estimated O&M and R&R expenses for the
facility
As demonstrated in Chart 1, shifting management of the Pottery Lab to a lessee relieves
the city of potential operations and maintenance responsibilities and lifecycle expenses
estimated at $37K per year. While those costs could alternatively be recovered or
exceeded through rental fees with limited community benefit, the ability to additionally
provide cultural arts programming with a wide, accessible service reach and high
customer satisfaction directly supports Master Plan policy in Theme 4 – Building
Community and Relationships as:
“BPRD shall build community through partnerships that are mutually beneficial,
mission focused and grounded in BPRD guiding principles as demonstrated in parks,
facilities and programs.”
Accordingly, a $1.00 per year lease payment is accepted for the operations and
management of the Pottery Lab programming for the duration of the lease. The term of
the lease is limited to three years both to provide program stability for SAB, and to allow
flexibility to adjust for outcomes of the Master Plan Update in future years.
Maintenance Responsibilities
To ensure the Pottery Lab is adequately maintained and repaired, responsibilities are
shared between SAB, BPR, and the city’s Facilities department:
• SAB will bear the cost of cleaning, maintenance, and repairs less than $3,000, as
well as the sole responsibility for the trash enclosure.
• BPR will bear the cost of maintenance, repair, or replacement above $3,000, as
well as sole responsibility for site fences, signage, and roof expenses.
• The Facilities department will regularly inspect the Pottery Lab to ensure
appropriate compliance with maintenance obligations and industry standards.
• As a historic landmarked structure, any improvements and alterations are subject
to prior city approval.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___5____
Liquor License
SAB has expressed interest in pursuing an application for the provision of alcoholic
beverage consumption on site at its sole expense and liability. Should SAB pursue this
potential, consideration of and approval for the related liquor license would be
determined by the Beverage Licensing Authority. This agreement supports the request in
principle - so long as the associated management plan ensures that any alcohol is
provided with strict compliance to liquor license requirements, including TIPS-Certified
personnel and necessary security, and the consumption operates within a maximum
‘redline’ area that encompasses the Pottery Lab building and rear fenced kiln yard only.
63rd Street Kilns Operating Agreement
In order to provide clear communication between SAB and BPR staff at the 63rd Street
location, which hosts both wood kilns for pottery and a maintenance shop for the parks
and planning divisions, a simple operating agreement was included to maintain a safe and
effective operation of the site.
Performance Benchmark Updates
Minor clarifications were made to the Performance Benchmarks to more accurately
represent subsidized access based on the number of spaces in a class, rather than classes
as-a-whole. The change will support SAB’s desire to more broadly implement a ‘pay as
you are able’ model across a wider selection of classes.
Staff Feedback
The department supports the lease agreement with SAB as during the term of the original
lease and subsequent amendments or extensions, SAB has met or exceeded all
established performance measures while complying with all city reporting requirements.
For example, growth of participation has reached a maximum capacity and over 90
percent of evaluated respondents have shown they are fully or partially satisfied with
pottery program offerings. Given the success of the initial seven-year programmatic
partnership and continued responsiveness to a refreshed RFP, the department agrees that
a three-year lease agreement is appropriate. Throughout the lease agreement period, the
department will continue to work with SAB staff to ensure ongoing public access to the
Pottery Lab and programs, fulfilling all lease requirements.
As with the current lease and as part of the partnership, the department will continue to
provide one full page in the department guide at no cost. Finally, the renewal has adjusted
the performance benchmarks to reflect current status and growth opportunities.
Staff are confident that with these updates, SAB staff are poised to continue to deliver
high quality services to community members and further department and community
goals.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___6____
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the PRAB approve the service agreement and authorize the City
Manager to make minor amendments prior to or during the term of this agreement in
order to ensure that the Lease and Service Agreement is provided in a manner that is
consistent with applicable laws and the policies and regulations of the City of Boulder.
Suggested Motion Language:
Staff requests the PRAB’s consideration of this matter and action in the form of the
following motion:
Motion to approve the Lease and Service Agreement with Studio Arts Boulder for the
City of Boulder’s Pottery Lab between the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation and
Studio Arts Boulder and authorize the City Manager to make minor amendments prior to
or during the term of this agreement in order to ensure that programming is provided in a
manner that is consistent with applicable laws and the policies and regulations of the City
of Boulder.
NEXT STEPS:
Staff will consider the PRAB and public’s feedback and make any necessary revisions to
the proposed agreement. If approved, staff will present SAB with a final version of the
Lease and Service Agreement for an anticipated July 1, 2021 start date.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment A: Studio Arts Boulder Lease and Services Agreement for the City of
Boulder Pottery Lab (2021)
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___7____
Attachment A
LEASE AND SERVICES AGREEMENT
FOR THE
CITY OF BOULDER POTTERY LAB
THIS LEASE AND SEVICES AGREEMENT, (the “Agreement”) is made to be
effective this ________ day of ___________, 2021, by and between the City of Boulder,
Colorado, a Colorado home-rule city (the "City”), and Studio Arts Boulder, a 501(c)(3)
non-profit corporation (the "Contractor") (collectively, the “Parties”).
RECITALS
A. The City’s Pottery Lab (the "Lab") was established in 1954 and moved to
its current location at 1010 Aurora Avenue, Boulder, Colorado in 1956. Since its
inception, the Lab has provided art classes and pottery instruction to children, teens,
adults, seniors, and people with disabilities.
B. The City wishes to provide high quality pottery resources to the
community in the most cost-effective manner. Through a Request for Proposal (RFP)
process, the City sought a contractor to operate and manage the Lab as well as to provide
pottery, ceramics and other arts classes to the community.
C. The Contractor submitted the most responsive proposal for the operation
and management of the Lab, and the City is desirous of contracting with the Contractor.
D. In compliance with City Charter Sec. 164, and Section 8-3-2,
“Applicability,” B.R.C. 1981, the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board shall approve
any lease in or on park lands whose term does not exceed three years, as may be
recommended to it by the city manager. Longer lease term periods require city council
approval.
E. This Agreement is for Contractor services as well as lease of park
property, the Lab. The lease term shall be three years commencing on July 1, 2021 (the
“Commencement Date”) and unless terminated sooner, terminating on June 30, 2024.
COVENANTS
NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the promises and obligations set forth
below, the Parties agree as follows:
1. AGREEMENT DOCUMENTS. It is agreed that the request for bids, the
specifications, and the Contractor's proposal (copies of which are hereto attached) are
made a part of this Agreement, and each of the parties agrees to carry out and perform all
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___8____
of the provisions of said documents. In the event of conflicts or inconsistencies between
this Agreement and its exhibits or attachments, such conflicts or inconsistencies shall be
resolved by reference to the documents in the following order of priority:
(a) The Agreement and its attachments;
(b) The request for bids and specifications; and
(c) The Contractor's proposal.
2. GRANT AND TERM.
A. Lab Facility & Equipment Lease. The City agrees to lease the Lab to the
Contractor, together with the existing lab equipment (the “Lab Equipment”), and the
Contractor shall provide for the operation and management of the Lab on the
Commencement Date of July 1, 2021 through June 30, 2024. See Attachment 1, Lab
Equipment Inventory. At the expiration of the Agreement, the Contractor shall surrender
the remaining City-owned Lab Equipment to the City by delivering the Lab Equipment to
the City in good condition and working order, ordinary wear and tear excepted, as it was
on the Commencement Date. The parties agree to perform a walk-through on the
Commencement Date to document the condition of the Lab and the Lab Equipment.
Additionally, the Contractor agrees as follows:
i. The Contractor shall only use the Lab Equipment in a careful and proper
manner and shall comply with all laws, rules, ordinances, statutes and
orders regarding the use, maintenance of storage of the Lab Equipment.
ii. The Contractor shall, at the Contractor's sole expense, keep and maintain
the Lab Equipment clean and in good working order and repair during the
term of this Agreement. In the event the Lab Equipment is lost or damaged
beyond repair by the Contractor, the Contractor shall pay the City the
replacement cost of the Lab Equipment, and the City shall replace the lost
or damaged Lab Equipment. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
Contractor shall not be required to replace, or pay to the City, the
replacement cost of Lab Equipment lost or damaged beyond repair due to
natural catastrophes, including but not limited to fire and flood.
iii. Any equipment purchased by the Contractor, including equipment
purchased to replace worn out Lab Equipment shall be and remain the
property of the Contractor throughout the term of this Agreement and at
the expiration of this Agreement. The Contractor is responsible for
maintaining any documentation to verify its purchase of any equipment.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Contractor is not required to replace
worn out Lab Equipment.
iv. The Contractor shall use and maintain two wood-fire kilns located at the
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___9____
63rd Street location subject to operating agreements outlined in
Attachment 4, Wood Kiln Operating Agreements. The parties agree to
maintain a mutually-beneficial approach to optimize space at the 63rd
Street location for all relevant stakeholders.
v. The Contractor agrees to an annual shutdown of the Lab, not to exceed
seven days, as agreed by the parties, to allow the parties to perform annual
cleaning, repair and maintenance responsibilities.
vi. The City represents and warrants that as of the execution of this
Agreement, the Lab is, and on July 1, 2021 the Lab will be, in compliance
with all ordinances, rules and regulations of the City so that the operation
of the Lab, as currently conducted, will not violate any City ordinance,
rule or regulation.
vii. The Parties agree that in accordance with its own uses and at its sole
expense and liability, Contractor may pursue an application affording the
provision of alcoholic beverage sale or consumption on site in accordance
with applicable laws, ordinances, or regulations. Contractor shall provide
TIPS-Certified personnel and necessary security in compliance with the
liquor license. Attachment 5, Pottery Lab Diagram and Redline, indicates
the maximum extent of the Contractor’s liquor license “redline”, which
may be adjusted pending input.
B. Consideration. In consideration for use of the Pottery Lab facility,
Contractor agrees to pay the City the sum of $1.00 on or before the first day of each lease
year beginning July 1, 2021.
3. SUPPORT SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE CITY.
A. ADA Inclusionary Training Services. The City shall provide the
Contractor and its staff with accommodation training up to three times per year, to assist
the Contractor in providing inclusionary services to their program participants.
Additionally, the Contractor may contact the City's EXPAND program at 303-441-4933,
for additional information regarding accommodations and the inclusion process.
B. Program Manager. The Contractor shall consult with and advise the City
as it reasonably requires during the term of this Agreement. As a general matter, it shall
communicate about this Agreement through the City of Boulder Parks and Recreation
Manager of Community Building and Partnerships, currently Bryan Beary or his
designee.
4. PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___10____
A. Intellectual Property. The Lab will continue to be identified as the "City of
Boulder Pottery Lab" (the "Lab Name"). The Contractor shall have the right to reference
and use "City of Boulder Pottery Lab,” "City of Boulder Parks and Recreation
Department," or common abbreviations of these names in connection with providing
promotional materials about the Lab. Contractor agrees to include the Parks and
Recreation Department logo in promotional materials to publicly credit City support for
the Pottery Lab. The Contractor acknowledges that the City owns and retains exclusive
intellectual property rights now existing, or which may in the future exist, associated with
the Lab and the City. No part thereof may be used by or under the authority of the City in
any manner other than as expressly provided in this Agreement.
B. The City’s Approval. The Contractor will submit all promotional materials
to the Program Manager that are to be included within the City of Boulder Parks and
Recreation Guide or on the City’s website or digital newsletter. The Contractor shall
provide such materials and information on or before the deadline as communicated by the
Program Manager. These marketing and promotional materials are subject to the City’s
approval.
C. The Contractor's Identification. For any promotional materials or
references to the Lab, including but not limited to, building signage, program names,
communications, websites (the City’s and the Contractor’s), and phone, the Contractor
may include its name, logo, and other reference as may accurately reflect the Contractor's
role in the operation and management of the Lab.
D. Advertising of Classes. The City agrees to co-promote the Contractor
including advertise the Contractor's classes in the seasonal City of Boulder Parks and
Recreation Guide in the amount of one page per guide published for the length of this
Agreement. The City shall also publish promotional information on the City’s website
and digital newsletter in the amount of 10 eBlasts per year.
5. CONTRACTOR'S OBLIGATIONS AND REPORTING RESPONSIBILITIES.
A. The Contractor's Duties. In accordance with the Contractor's proposal, the
Contractor is responsible for the operation and management of the Lab, including the
provision of pottery, ceramics and other arts related classes and programs, and as more
specifically set forth in Attachment 2, Contractor's Duties. Any fundamental change in
the operation of the Lab or the Contractor's duties as contained in Attachment 2 will be
subject to prior approval of the City.
B. Reports. The Contractor shall submit the following reports, to the Program
Manager annually (minimally), no later than 30 days past December 31st each year of the
Agreement:
i. Financial ledger;
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___11____
ii. Proof of utilities payments;
iii. Documentation of conformance with the performance benchmarks as set
forth in section 6 of this Agreement;
iv. Participant information, on a form provided by the City, in Microsoft Word
or Excel, or compatible software, as follows: i) participant name; ii) parent
name (if applicable); iii) street, city, zip code; iv) phone number; and v)
email address; and
v. Expenditures and proof of such expenditures associated with the provision
of inclusions services, as set forth on Attachment 2, Contractor's Duties,
paragraph 4.
6. PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS. In order for the City to guarantee consistent
levels of service at the Lab, the City has established the performance benchmarks as
goals for the Contractor as forth in Attachment 3. Failure by the Contractor to meet these
benchmarks may be considered a material breach and the City may exercise its right to
terminate this Agreement in accordance with section 9 of this Agreement, except in the
event of a natural catastrophe and, in such event, the benchmarks shall be waived with
such time as the Contractor is able to resume normal operations of the Lab.
7. MAINTENANCE, UTILITIES, ALTERATIONS AND IMPROVEMENTS.
A. Cleaning, Maintenance, and Repairs. The Contractor shall be responsible
for and bear the sole cost and expense of all cleaning, maintenance, and repairs of the Lab
for which the cost is less than $3,000, except Contractor shall have sole responsibility for
the trash enclosure and the City shall have sole responsibility for site fences, signage, and
roof expenses.
i. The Contractor shall keep the sidewalks in front of and around the Lab, as
well as the grounds of the Lab, free from all snow, ice, litter, dirt, debris
and obstructions, and it shall neither permit nor suffer any disorderly
conduct, noise or nuisance whatsoever on or about the Lab having a
tendency to annoy or disturb any persons occupying property adjacent to
the Lab.
ii. The maintenance performed by the Contractor shall, at a minimum,
comply with industry standards for the maintenance of buildings and
facilities and shall be performed by appropriately qualified individuals to
ensure quality products and workmanship. The Contractor shall allow the
City to conduct regular inspections of the Lab to ensure compliance all
maintenance obligations.
iii. The Contractor shall annually submit a maintenance log to the City on or
before February 1st detailing: (i) maintenance performed on the Lab; (ii)
the date corresponding maintenance was completed; and (iii) a list of
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___12____
items which will require maintenance and repair to be performed by the
City, unless immediate maintenance is required for the safe and efficient
operation of the Lab. The parties agree to meet prior to the annual
shutdown to review maintenance issues. The maintenance log will be
made available to the City upon request at any time for its review.
iv. The Contractor acknowledges that the Lab is a historic landmarked
structure and will maintain the Lab with the proper care due a historic
building. The Contractor agrees to contact the City if it has any questions
regarding any materials or equipment located within the Lab.
B. Improvements. The Contractor may make improvements and alterations to
the Lab subject to prior City approval and provided that such improvements and
alterations are in conformity with all applicable codes and provisions of law. If the
Contractor is approved to make any exterior changes to the Lab, such exterior changes
shall be subject to the standards set out in Section 9-11-18 "Historic Preservation, B.R.C.
1981". Additionally, the Contractor agrees to the following for any improvements
associated with the Lab:
i. Any work done by the Contractor as provided by this Agreement shall
conform to all applicable building and fire codes, and regulations.
ii. The Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with any
modification that is based on program changes and changes to the physical
layout of the Lab implemented by the Contractor.
iii. The City shall not be liable for the payment of any expense incurred by the
Contractor, or the value of any work done or material furnished to the Lab
by virtue of any construction, change, addition or alteration undertaken by
the Contractor. All such work shall be at the Contractor's sole cost and
expense. The Contractor shall be wholly responsible to all contractors,
laborers and material men for any such work.
iv. With regard to improvements, the Contractor shall indemnify and hold the
City harmless from any and all liabilities, damages or penalties, and any
costs, expenses or claims of any kind or nature arising out of any
construction, change, alteration or addition undertaken by the Contractor,
including the City's reasonable attorney's fees. Such indemnification shall
apply to any damages or injuries to person or property.
v. All additions, alterations and leasehold improvements made by the
Contractor shall become part of the real estate and permanent structure
thereon and shall remain upon and be surrendered with said Lab as a part
thereof upon the termination of this Agreement.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___13____
vi. Trade fixtures, furniture and equipment which may be installed in the Lab
by the Contractor during the term of this Agreement shall not become a
part of the Lab and may be removed by the Contractor at any time prior to
the end of the term. However, the Contractor shall, at its own cost and
expense, repair any and all damage to the Lab resulting from or caused by
the removal thereof.
C. Payment of Utilities. The Contractor shall be responsible for the payment
of the following utilities:
i. Trash and recycling services;
ii. Telephone services;
iii. Internet connection;
iv. Gas; and
v. Electric.
The Contractor agrees that all bills and services which it incurs in connection with the
Lab shall be listed in the Contractor's name alone. The Contractor shall hold the City
harmless for any and all bills, charges and services which may accrue with respect to the
Lab during the term of this Agreement.
D. The Contractor's Personal Property. All personal property of any kind or
description whatsoever of the Contractor's in the Lab shall be kept there at the
Contractor's sole risk, and the City shall not be held liable for any damage done to, or loss
of such personal property; nor for any damage to or loss of personal property which may
be suffered by individuals using or attending activities at the Lab.
E. Liens Caused by the Contractor. If, because of any act or omission of the
Contractor, any mechanic's or other lien or order for the payment of money shall be filed
against the Lab or against the City (whether or not such lien or order is valid or
enforceable as such), the Contractor shall, at the Contractor's own cost and expense,
within 10 days after notice, either cause the same to be canceled and discharged of record
or deliver to the City a bond containing provisions satisfactory to the City, issued by a
surety company reasonably acceptable to the City from and against all costs, expenses,
claims, losses, damages and liabilities, including reasonable counsel fees.
F. Contractor’s Failure to Maintain. If the Contractor shall fail, refuse or
neglect to provide routine maintenance or fulfill its repair obligations stated in this
Agreement and in Attachment 5, Maintenance Schedule, or if the City is required to make
any repairs or alterations to the Lab as a result of such neglect, the City shall have the
right, but not the duty, after the City has given to the Contractor ten days' notice (except
in case of any emergency), to perform such maintenance or make such repairs on behalf
of and for the account of the Contractor and to enter upon the Lab for such purposes, and
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___14____
charge the cost and expense thereof to the Contractor, and the Contractor agrees to pay
such amount. Any cost or expense incurred by the City and chargeable to the Contractor
as herein provided shall be reduced to the extent that the City is reimbursed therefor
under any policy of insurance.
8. MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS OF THE CITY.
A. Maintenance, Repairs, and Replacement. Subject to and limited by
available appropriations of funds by the City Council for the purpose, the City shall be
responsible for and shall bear the sole cost and expense of any maintenance, repair, and
replacement at the Lab for which the cost is $3,000 or more, except the City have sole
responsibility for site fences, signage, and roof expenses and Contractor shall have sole
responsibility for the trash enclosure.
B. Damage or Destruction. The City shall be responsible for major damage
expenses caused by natural forces and covered by its insurance carrier. If the Lab is
damaged by fire or other casualty the City will, promptly after learning of such damage,
notify the Contractor in writing of the time necessary to repair or restore such damage, as
estimated by the City's architect, engineer or contractor. If such estimate states that repair
or restoration of all of such damage that was caused to the Lab or to any other portion of
the Lab necessary for the Contractor's occupancy cannot be completed within 90 days
from the date of such damage (or within 30 days from the date of such damage if such
damage occurred within the last 12 months of this Agreement), then either party will
have the option to terminate this Lease. Nothing in this section shall remove the City's
discretion not to repair or restore the Lab.
Any option to terminate as described in this section must be exercised by written notice
to the other party given within 10 days after the City delivers to the Contractor the notice
of estimated repair time. If either party exercises its option to terminate this Lease, the
Term will expire and this Lease will terminate 10 days after notice of termination is
delivered.
If the Lab is damaged by fire or other casualty and neither party terminates this
Agreement, as stated above, the City will repair and restore such damage with reasonable
promptness, subject to delays for insurance adjustments and delays caused by matters
beyond the City's control. However, the City will not be required to spend more for such
repair and restoration than the insurance proceeds available to the City as a result of the
fire or other casualty. The City will have no liability to the Contractor and the Contractor
will not be entitled to terminate this Agreement if such repairs and restoration are not in
fact completed within the estimated time period, provided that the City promptly
commences and diligently pursues such repairs and restoration to completion. In no event
will the City be obligated to repair, restore or replace any of the property required to be
insured by the Contractor according to section 10 of this Agreement.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___15____
C. Condition of the Lab. Subject to and limited by available appropriations of
funds by the City Council for the purpose, the City shall keep the structure of the Lab
repaired so as to comply with all applicable zoning, building and fire codes, regulations,
and laws but in so doing it shall receive the cooperation of the Contractor to the degree
that responsibilities assigned to, or rights allowed the Contractor by this Agreement, are
affected. Nothing in this section shall limit the Contractor's obligation to perform non-
structural maintenance as set forth in section 7 of this Agreement.
9. TERMINATION.
A. For Cause. This Agreement may be terminated by either party if it has
been materially breached by the other party, 30 days written notification is tendered, and
if during such 30-day period following receipt of such notice, the breaching Party fails to
cure such breach. Notice must include a description of the breach.
The parties shall cooperate with respect to the termination date in order to provide
sufficient time to allow for the orderly withdrawal of the Contractor without creating
additional harm or inconvenience to the Lab program and participants. The City will
make the final determination as to the amount of time, and shall provide the date of
termination in a written termination notice to the Contractor.
B. For Convenience. The parties may, at any time, terminate this Agreement,
in whole or in part, for its own convenience and without cause of any nature by giving the
other party written notice at least 180 days in advance of the termination date.
C. Additional Termination Terms. In the event of any termination under this
section:
i. The Contractor shall continue to be liable to the City for the expense of
removing all persons and property from the Lab. The City may re-enter
the Lab using such force for that purpose as may be necessary without
being liable to any prosecution for such re-entry or the use of such force.
ii. In the event of any vacation or abandonment of the Lab, the Contractor
shall nevertheless continue to be liable to the City for all sums for which
the Contractor would have been liable had it not vacated or abandoned the
Lab. The City may re-enter the Lab, using such force for that purpose as
may be necessary, without being liable to any prosecution for such reentry
or the use of such force. The City may repair or alter the Lab in such
manner as it may deem necessary, and the Contractor shall repay the costs
of such retaking, repossessing, repairing and altering of the Lab and the
expense of removing all the Contractor’s property from the Lab.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___16____
iii. The City may, but shall not be required to relet the Lab or any part thereof
for the whole or any part of the remainder of the original term or for a
longer period in the City's name, or as the agent of the Contractor. No
entry or re-entry by the City, whether had or taken under summary
proceedings or otherwise, shall absolve or discharge the Contractor from
liability hereunder. The Contractor hereby expressly waives any defense
that might be predicated upon the issuance of a dispossess warrant or their
termination or cancellation of the term hereof.
iv. In the event of any termination under this section, the City shall be free to
obtain said services from other sources without incurring liability or
damages to the Contractor.
v. Upon termination of the Agreement by the City, with or without cause, the
Contractor will not have any claim against the City by reason of, or arising
out of, incidental or relating to termination. The City will not have any
claim against the Contractor by reason of, or arising out of, incidental or
relating to termination, once possession of the Lab is returned to the City
and the City has found that the Lab and its equipment are in good working
order, as set forth in Section 2.1 of the Agreement.
10. INSURANCE.
The Contractor agrees to procure and maintain in force during the term of this
Agreement, at its own cost, the following minimum coverages:
A. Workers’ Compensation and Employers’ Liability
i. State of Colorado: Statutory
B. General Liability
i. General Aggregate Limit: $2,000,000
ii. Per Occurrence: $1,000,000
Coverage provided should be at least as broad as found in Insurance Services
Office (ISO) form CG0001 and should include both ongoing and completed
operations coverages up to the policy limits.
C. Automobile Liability Limits
i. Bodily Injury & Property Damage Combined Single Limit:
$1,000,000
D. In the event Contractor secures a liquor license, Contractor shall carry
Liquor Liability Coverage of $2,000,000
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___17____
Coverage provided should be at least as broad as found in ISO form CA0001
(BAP) including coverage for owned, non-owned, and hired autos.
E. Insurance shall:
i. Provide primary coverage;
ii. Include the City of Boulder and its officials and
employees as additional insureds as their interest may appear
(except for Worker’s Compensation and Professional Liability).
Additional insured endorsement should be at least as broad as ISO
form CG2010 for General Liability coverage and similar forms for
auto liability;
iii. Include a waiver of subrogation for General Liability
coverage;
iv. Issue from a company licensed to do business in Colorado
having an AM Best rating of at least A-VI; and
v. Be procured and maintained in full force and effect for
duration of the agreement.
F. Certificates of Insurance evidencing the coverages described herein, shall
be forwarded to Purchasing for each year of the agreement. Certificate Holder
shall be: City of Boulder, 1777 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80306.
G. Within seven days after receiving insurer’s notice of cancellation or
reduction in coverage, the Contractor, or its insurance broker, shall notify the
City. In either such case, the Contractor shall promptly obtain and submit proof of
substitute insurance complying with the City’s insurance requirements.
11. INDEMNIFICATION.
A. The Contractor’s Indemnification. The Contractor shall indemnify and
hold harmless the City, its directors, officers, employees, and agents and their heirs,
executor, successors, and permitted assigns of any of the foregoing from and against all
losses, claims, obligations, demands, assessments, fines and penalties (whether civil or
criminal), liabilities, expenses and costs (including reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs of
defense), bodily and other personal injuries, damage to tangible property, and other
damages, of any kind or nature suffered or incurred by the City directly or indirectly
arising from or related to: (i) any negligent or intentional act or omission by the
Contractor or its representatives in the performance of the Contractor’s obligations under
this Agreement, or (ii) any material breach in a representation, warranty, covenant or
obligation of the Contractor contained in this Agreement. The Contractor is not obligated
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___18____
to indemnify the City in any manner whatsoever for the City’s own negligence. The
Contractor’s obligation to indemnify the City as set forth in this Agreement shall survive
the termination or expiration of the Agreement.
B. Infringement. The Contractor shall hold and save harmless the City from
any and all claims for infringement, by reason of the use of any patented design, device,
material, process, or trademark or copyright and shall indemnify the City for any costs,
expenses, and damages, including court costs and attorney fees, which it might be
obligated to pay by reason of infringement at any time during the prosecution or after
completion of the Contractor’s services under this Agreement.
C. Immunity. The City, its officers, and its employees, are relying on, and do
not waive or intend to waive by any provision of this Agreement, the monetary
limitations or any other rights, immunities, and protections provide by the Colorado
Governmental Immunity Act, C.R.S. 24-10-101 et. seq., as from time to time amended,
or otherwise available to the City, its officers, or its employees.
12. NOTICES. All notices hereunder and communications with respect to this
Agreement shall be effective upon the mailing thereof by registered or certified mail,
return receipt requested, and postage prepaid to the persons named below:
If to the Contractor: Studio Arts Boulder
1010 Aurora Avenue
Boulder, CO 80302
If to the City: City of Boulder
P.O. Box 791
Boulder, CO 80301
With a copy to: City of Boulder Parks and Recreation Department
Attn: Community Building & Partnerships Manager
3198 Broadway
Boulder, CO 80304
Either party may change designated recipients by written notice to the other party.
13. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS.
A. Independent Contractor. The relationship between the Contractor and the
City is that of an independent contractor. The Contractor shall supply all personnel,
equipment, materials and supplies at its own expense, except as specifically set forth
herein. The Contractor shall not be deemed to be, nor shall it represent itself as, an
employee, partner, or joint venturer of the City. No employee or officer of the City shall
supervise the Contractor. The Contractor is not entitled to worker’s compensation
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___19____
benefits and is obligated to directly pay federal and state income tax on money
earned under this Agreement.
B. The City’s Parks and Recreation Department Not to Compete. The Parks
and Recreation Department shall not directly or indirectly compete with the business of
the Contractor. The term "business" here means the operation of any pottery or ceramic
programs except those programs that may be offered collaboratively through the City of
Boulder's EXPAND program.
C. The City’s Attendance at Board Meetings. A representative of the City
may attend regularly scheduled Contractor Board of Directors meetings pertaining to the
Lab, provided however, that, in the discretion of the Board, sensitive or confidential
matters may be discussed at closed meetings. The City will provide at least 24 hours
advance notice to the Contractor if a City representative wants to attend a regularly
scheduled Board of Directors meeting. The Contractor may waive such advance notice at
its discretion.
D. No Assignment. The Contractor shall not assign this Agreement without
the written consent of the City, which it may withhold at its sole discretion.
E. Boulder Revised Code. This Agreement shall be subject to the provisions
of the Charter, Municipal Code and ordinances of the City.
F. No Third-Party Beneficiaries. It is expressly understood and agreed that
the enforcement of the terms and conditions of this Agreement and all rights of action
relating to such enforcement, shall be strictly reserved to the City and the Contractor.
Nothing contained in this Agreement shall give or allow any claim or right of action
whatsoever by any other third person. It is the express intention of the City and the
Contractor that any such party or entity, other than the City or the Contractor, receiving
services or benefits under this Agreement shall be deemed an incidental beneficiary only.
G. Waiver. The waiver of any breach of a term, provision or requirement of
this Agreement shall not be construed or deemed as waiver of any subsequent breach of
such term, provision or requirement, or of any other term, provision or requirement.
H. Amendments in Writing. This Agreement is intended as the complete
integration of all understandings between the parties. No prior or contemporaneous
addition, deletion or other amendment hereto shall have any force or effect whatsoever,
unless embodied herein in writing. No subsequent notation, renewal, addition, deletion or
other amendment hereto shall have any force or effect unless embodied in a writing
executed and approved by the City pursuant to the City’s rules.
I. Prohibitions on Public Contracts for Services. The Contractor certifies that
the Contractor shall comply with the provisions of section 8-17.5-101 et seq., C.R.S. The
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___20____
Contractor shall not knowingly employ or contract with an illegal alien to perform work
under this Agreement or enter into a contract with a subcontractor that fails to certify to
the Contractor that the subcontractor shall not knowingly employ or contract with an
illegal alien to perform work under this Agreement.
The Contractor represents, warrants, and agrees (i) that it has confirmed the employment
eligibility of all employees who are newly hired for employment to perform work under
this Agreement through participation in either the E-Verify or the Department Program;
(ii) that the Contractor is prohibited from using either the E-Verify Program or the
Department Program procedures to undertake preemployment screening of job applicants
while the Agreement for services is being performed; and (iii) if the Contractor obtains
actual knowledge that a subcontractor performing work under this Agreement for
services knowingly employs or contracts with an illegal alien, the Contractor shall be
required to:
i. Notify the subcontractor and the contracting state agency or political
subdivision within three days that the Contractor has actual knowledge
that the subcontractor is employing or contracting with an illegal alien;
and
ii. Terminate the subcontract with the subcontractor if within three days of
receiving the notice required pursuant to 8-17.5-102(2)(b)(III)(A) the
subcontractor does not stop employing or contracting with the illegal
alien; except that the Contractor shall not terminate the contract with the
subcontractor if during such three days the subcontractor provides
information to establish that the subcontractor has not knowingly
employed or contracted with an illegal alien.
The Contractor further agrees that it shall comply with all reasonable requests made in
the course of an investigation under section 8-17.5-102(5), C.R.S. by the Colorado
Department of Labor and Employment. If the Contractor fails to comply with any
requirement of this provision or section 8-17.5-101 et seq., C.R.S. the City may terminate
this Agreement for breach and the Contractor shall be liable for actual and consequential
damages to the City.
J. Authority. The Contractor warrants that the individual executing this
Agreement is properly authorized to bind the Contractor to this Agreement.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the Parties hereto have signed this Contract effective as of the
day and year first written.
(signature page follows)
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___21____
STUDIO ARTS BOULDER
By:
__________________________________
Title:
_________________________________
STATE OF COLORADO )
) ss.
COUNTY OF BOULDER )
SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me, a notary public, this ______ day of
______________, 20__, by ___________________ (contractor name) as
________________________________ (contractor title).
Witness my hand and official seal.
_________________________________
(SEAL) Notary Public
CITY OF BOULDER
____________________________________
_
City Manager
ATTEST:
_____________________________
City Clerk
APPROVED AS TO FORM:
______________________________
City Attorney’s Office
Date:
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___22____
ATTACHMENTS
1. Lab Equipment Inventory
2. Contractor's Duties
3. Performance Benchmarks
4. Wood Kiln Operating Agreements
5. Pottery Lab Diagram and Redline
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___23____
ATTACHMENT 1 - LAB EQUIPMENT INVENTORY
City-owned Equipment at the Pottery Lab as of July 1, 2021:
Description Qty Approximate
Acquisition
Approximate
Lifespan Location
Shimpo Wheels 2 2006 10 Lab downstairs
Shimpo Wheels 3 2014 10 Lab downstairs
Brent Wheels 5 before 2006 10 Lab downstairs
Brent Wheels 2 2010 10 Lab downstairs
Kick Wheels 3 before 2000 na Lab downstairs
Kick Wheels w/ motor 2 before 2000 10 Lab downstairs
Slab roller 1 2011 25 Lab downstairs
Extruder - round 1 before 2000 na Lab downstairs
Extruder - square 1 before 2006 na Lab downstairs
Pug Mill 1 2010 10 Lab downstairs
Raku Kiln 1 2011 8 Lab kiln yard
Baby Blue Gas Kiln 1 2008 10 Lab kiln yard
Electric kiln 1027 round 3 2008 10 Lab upstairs
Electric kiln 1627 oval 1 2012 10 Lab upstairs
Spray booth 1 2005 20 Lab upstairs
Bourry Box wood kiln 1 2005 15 63rd Street
Anagama wood kiln 1 2006 15 63rd Street
Treadle wheel 1 before 2006 na Offsite storage
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___24____
ATTACHMENT 2 - CONTRACTOR'S DUTIES
1. Contractor will schedule and supervise all Pottery Lab ("Lab") classes, programs,
camps, workshops, events and activities ("Program") as well as supervise the Programs'
participants.
2. Contractor is responsible for paying all operating costs of the Lab, including but
not limited to: staff salaries, insurance, rent and utilities, materials and supplies, routine
maintenance of the Pottery Lab (drain clogs, kiln cleaning, custodial services, interior
painting, etc.); routine maintenance of Pottery Lab equipment; legal, human resources,
payroll, marketing and other administrative functions.
3. Contractor will supply all materials including clay, tools, glaze materials, other
pottery or administrative supplies necessary to operate the Lab.
4. Contractor is responsible for providing inclusion services. If a participant in the
Contractor’s programming requests an accommodation, Contractor is responsible for
providing any such accommodation in accordance with ADA requirements. By way of
example accommodations may include: hands-on teaching techniques in addition to
verbal instructions, one-on-one staffing assistance, two-on-one staffing assistance,
interpreter etc. Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with providing the
accommodation. Contractor shall contact the City’s EXPAND program at 303-441-4933,
for additional information or training regarding accommodations and the inclusion
process. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the City will pay all costs associated with the
provision of inclusion services for any participant in a City program specifically designed
for persons with disabilities, such as EXPAND.
5. Contractor will provide a scholarship program for participants who are eligible for
financial assistance. Contractor is responsible for all costs associated with providing the
assistance.
6. In conjunction with a scholarship program, Contractor will conduct community
outreach to underserved populations of the community.
7. Contractor will hire, supervise and pay all Program staff. Unless previously
conducted by the City, Contractor will conduct background checks on all its employees
who will be staffing youth programs, classes or camps (16 and younger) and programs
specific for people with disabilities (FAC for example) at its own cost; obtain a NCIC
background check on each employee prior to working with any of the program
participants.
8. Contractor shall be responsible for establishing all programs, camps, fees, course
schedules, number of class participants and in general, all day to day operations of the
Lab.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___25____
9. Contractor will conduct participation satisfaction surveys approved by Program
Manager, following all program sessions. Forms or results of administered surveys will
be provided to the Program Manager.
10. Contractor will provide training for Contractor's staff in Program operation, first
aid, AED and CPR.
11. For children's classes and camps, Contractor will (i) maintain class appropriate
student to teacher ratio as required by the State of Colorado and (ii) will keep accurate
records and provide complete and timely information for required reports on camp
activities including "check-in and check-out" procedures, incident and accident reports
and injury log.
12. Contractor will notify the Program Manager and prepare and maintain incident or
accident forms within 24 hours of any incident or accident. The forms will document
participant's and Contractor's employees and agent's injuries associated with the Lab and
will be provided to the Program Manager within 72 hours of the incident or accident.
13. Contractor will implement recycling and sustainability programs or other efforts
that support the City’s Climate Initiatives and abide by the City’s Zero Waste ordinances.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___26____
ATTACHMENT 3 - PERFORMANCE BENCHMARKS
In order for the City to guarantee consistent levels of service at the Lab, the City has
established the following performance benchmarks as goals for the Contractor. A pattern
of continued failure by the Contractor to meet these benchmarks may be considered a
material breach and the City may exercise its right to terminate this Contract in
accordance with Section 10.
The performance benchmarks are as follows:
A. At least 85% of respondents should indicate they are fully or partially satisfied
with pottery program offerings and/or instruction on program participation surveys.
B. Contractor shall provide consistent levels of service at the Lab, which shall not
fall below an average of 100 adult spaces and 60 youth spaces each session.
C. Offer a minimum of 10% of program spaces at reduced or subsidized rates in
accordance with Attachment 2 – Contractor’s Duties, paragraph 5.
D. Conduct a minimum of 100 classes each year for underserved populations of the
community in accordance with Attachment 2 – Contractor’s Duties, paragraph 6.
D. Hold at least one fundraising event each year.
E. Apply for at least one grant per year.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___27____
ATTACHMENT 4 - WOOD KILN OPERATING AGREEMENTS
In order to provide clear communication between the parties and maintain safe and
effective operation of the kilns, the parties agree to the following:
A. Contractor shall provide all codes, keys, or other methods needed to access the
wood kiln site to the Program Manager to ensure the City has access to all areas of the
property.
B. Contractor shall give notice to necessary city work groups on site as well as the
Program Manager at least one week in advance before any programs or on-site activity by
patrons who are not Contractor’s employees.
C. At least annually Contractor shall provide a list of scheduled activities at the
wood kilns, including estimated dates, times, description, and number of people on site.
D. City shall provide identified space for parking in advance of any scheduled
program activities on site.
E. Contractor shall have a designated point of contact at all times during programs
on site and provide the Program Manager with all necessary contact information to
communicate directly with this contact.
F. Contractor shall ensure the designated point of contact is aware of all rules,
regulations, and protocols to ensure safe and effective operation of the kilns and use of
the site.
G. If any safety issues arise, the point of contact shall directly inform Contractor and
all necessary City staff including on site work groups and the Program Manager.
H. Contractor shall meet all relevant legal requirements to fire the kilns and shall
have a fire mitigation plan that includes extinguishers and/or appropriate on-site water to
extinguish any fires outside the kilns.
I. All of Contractor’s tangible personal property shall remain within the fenced area
enclosing the kilns. Contactor shall promptly remove any items left outside the fence.
J. Contractor shall maintain all equipment and components of equipment in good
working order to prevent unnecessary risks.
K. City and Contractor shall equally share any expenses associated with repair or
replacement of the existing fence around the kiln area.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___28____
L. Contractor shall not permit any person, whether employee or patron, to enter City
workspace, which includes the interior of the building as well as the fenced area around
City equipment.
M. Contractor shall maintain the cleanliness of the entire fenced kiln area and shall
dispose of all trash, recycling, and compost generated by patrons and employees.
N. Contractor shall carry general liability insurance as outlined in the lease
agreement.
O. City and Contractor agree to work in collaboration to maintain long-term space
optimization at the 63rd Street property to support both city work groups and wood kiln
programming into the future.
AGENDA ITEM # V A_ PAGE___29____
ATTACHMENT 5 - Pottery Lab Diagram and Redline
The redlines indicate the maximum extent of the Contractor’s liquor license “redline”,
which may be adjusted pending input.
Sidewalk
Aurora Avenue
Fence
Fence
Kiln Yard Driveway Fire Escape
Studio Alley
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___1____
C I T Y O F B O U L D E R
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: June 28, 2021
AGENDA TITLE:
Public Hearing and Consideration of Motions Approving the 2022 Expenditures from the
Permanent Parks and Recreation Fund and 2022-2027 Parks and Recreation Department
Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
PRESENTERS:
Ali Rhodes, Director
Jeff Haley, Planning and Ecological Services Manger
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
As part of the city’s annual budget process, departments develop a six-year Capital
Improvement Program (CIP). The current CIP process is for fiscal years 2022 through
2027. Within this process, funds are appropriated for the first year, 2022. Staff has
provided the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) with two previous agenda
items related to the CIP in April and May, and this item is the third and final with the
requested approval and public hearing. The PRAB’s role in this process is defined in the
Boulder Revised Code (B.R.C.), 1982 TITLE 2 GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATION,
Chapter 3 Boards and Commissions, Section 10 Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
(d)(2): “To approve or disapprove expenditures or appropriations from the permanent
park and recreation fund and forward such recommendations to the city council.” It is
within this context that the PRAB is requested to hold a public hearing and provide a
recommendation on the CIP to Planning Board and City Council. After a motion is
passed by the PRAB, the department’s CIP will be submitted to the Planning Board and
City Council for review and respective considerations and approvals. The focus on the
current CIP is to continue “taking care of what we have” and funding key facility
upgrades identified within many relevant plans while recognizing staff and the
community is currently updating the BPR Master Plan that will inform investments into
the future.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the PRAB approve the 2022 expenditures planned from the
Permanent Parks and Recreation Fund and approve the recommended 2022-2027 Parks
and Recreation Department CIP (Attachment A).
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___2____
Suggested Motion Language:
Staff requests the PRAB’s consideration of this matter and action in the form of the
following motions:
• Motion to approve the 2022 recommended expenditures from the Permanent Parks and
Recreation Fund.
• Motion to approve the recommended 2022-2027 Parks and Recreation Department
Capital Improvement Program (CIP).
IMPACTS:
Fiscal: $4.5 million recommended for 2022 with the 2022-2027 CIP projecting an
investment of $26M throughout the six-year program. This equates to average annual CIP
funding of $4.3M and reflects the total uses of funds projected for 2022 in the Lottery
(Fund 2100), .25 Cent Sales Tax (Fund 2180), Capital Development Fund and Permanent
Parks and Recreation (Fund 3300).
(Described in greater detail in Attachment A)
PUBLIC FEEDBACK:
The June agenda item includes a formal public hearing and the community will have the
opportunity to comment on the proposed CIP. With City Council acceptance of the Parks
and Recreation Master Plan in 2014, the department has completed considerable public
involvement over the past few years to complete multiple plans and studies outlining
capital needs. The project needs outlined in those plans and studies have directly
informed the department’s CIP and continue to be discussed with the community as
projects are developed. The public will also have an opportunity to comment during the
Planning Board’s upcoming CIP review and City Council’s discussions and review of the
2022 recommended budget during future public hearings.
BACKGROUND:
Capital Projects
CIP projects are defined as any major project with a cost greater than $50,000 for
purchase or construction or major replacement of physical assets. CIP projects are
potentially subject to a Community and Environmental Assessment Process (CEAP)
review that evaluates any potential environmental, traffic or social impacts to Boulder
residents, neighborhoods and businesses.
Capital Funding
The department’s CIP is funded primarily from the Permanent Parks and Recreation Fund
(Fund 3300), .25 Cent Sales Tax Fund (Fund 2180) and Lottery Fund (Fund 2110).
Additional sources of funding that have limitations on the type of capital investment that
funding can be spent on and are not managed exclusively by the department include the
Capital Development Fund (Fund 2100), Boulder Junction Improvement Fund (Fund
3500) and past Capital Improvement Bond or Tax Funding.
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___3____
The Permanent Parks and Recreation Fund (Perm Parks Fund) is funded specifically from
property and development excise taxes. By city charter, this fund is dedicated to the
purposes of acquiring land and renovating or improving existing park and recreation
assets. It may not be used to fund daily operations or routine maintenance. Due to
increasing assessed property values, the outlook on this fund is currently positive (while
still sensitive to economic conditions).
CIP Process
The capital budget is how the city manages its assets and implements projects and
programs that are chosen by its citizens through their elected representatives, City
Council. The department’s budget is formulated within the context of the Parks and
Recreation Master Plan (master plan) that was adopted by the PRAB and accepted by
City Council in 2014. The CIP is developed in support of achieving the department’s
master plan goals.
Once again this year, staff has provided the PRAB with a “three touch” approach that
included 1) discussion item presented at the April meeting communicating process,
policies and procedures and definitions/criteria that guide the CIP development; 2) a
discussion item presented at the May meeting to review draft projects and prioritization
as it relates to the CIP; and 3) a PRAB Public Hearing to consider motions approving and
recommending the department CIP.
CIP Guiding Principles
To plan and prioritize capital investments, staff apply specific guiding principles based
on the City’s CIP guiding principles and the department’s master plan goals. The
following departmental framework is also utilized to determine and plan CIP projects and
make budget decisions that are sustainable over time. These priorities are also focused on
maintaining the integrity of the current infrastructure and facilities before expanding
and/or enhancing programs and facilities.
1. Safety / Compliance (S) – Projects represent important deficiencies and are
essential safety and compliance concerns. Project may include ongoing
infrastructure repairs, replacements and/or refurbishments of park play equipment
and amenities, irrigation systems, landscape and turf upgrades and facility
improvements. Compliance considerations also include meeting local, state and
federal requirements that are required to be completed to comply with specific
regulations, such as city of Boulder’s ‘dark sky’ lighting ordinance and the
Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).
2. Commitment (C) – Projects that are required by law/ballot (e.g., Elks Park), are
in-process of development (e.g., Valmont City Park), as part of a prior
development agreement, are recommended as part of the department master plan
(e.g., playground and irrigation system renovations) and/or are required to be
completed within a specific period of time.
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___4____
3. Efficiencies (E) – The department will consistently seek efficiency improvements
in both operational and capital investments. Projects will represent important
operational and/or maintenance efficiencies resulting in improved life cycles, cost
efficiencies and savings in resources, energy or water usage (e.g. aquatics facility
repairs).
4. Revenue (R) – The department will invest in facilities and programs that generate
revenues to support valued recreational opportunities in the Boulder community.
Projects will enhance the department's ability to earn more revenue after initial
investment and operational costs are considered (e.g. Flatirons Golf Course
Facility, aquatics facility enhancements and athletic field improvements) and/or
possible collaboration/partnerships leveraging outside funding sources.
ANALYSIS:
For both 2022 as well as the full 6-year CIP, staff performed careful analysis and
projections for all funds that make up the department CIP. With PRAB support, staff
have adjusted the spending accordingly to remain within funding projections while still
maintaining a healthy fund balance for reserves. Over half of the CIP is now funded
exclusively out of the Permanent Parks and Recreation fund while the remaining is
funded appropriately out of the .25 Cent Sales Tax, Capital Development Fund and
Lottery Fund.
2022 Capital Project Priorities (described in greater detail in Attachment A)
Aquatics Facility
Capital
Enhancements
Based on recommendations of the 2015 Boulder Aquatics
Feasibility Plan, this project provides implementation of
priority indoor and outdoor pool enhancements for
Boulder's aquatics programs. In 2021, the East Boulder
Community Center leisure pool will be redesigned with
community input to determine a new and improved family
aquatics experience. This work will include a new multi-
use leisure pool for warm water classes and instruction, a
new waterplay structure and an outdoor splash pad will be
completed in 2022 in partnership with Facilities Department
funding necessary facility repairs.
$1,638,000
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___5____
Natural Lands
Management
The department's natural lands team manages over 1,000
acres of wildlife and vegetation conservation areas to
support the region’s vulnerable ecosystems within urban
areas. Capital funding helps support planning and
implementation of critical conservation measures and
management strategies on the properties.
In 2021, funding will provide an opportunity to partner with
other departments in developing a comprehensive
restoration and management plan for Boulder Creek to
balance recreation and public use with maintaining the
streams ecosystem which is critical to Boulder. In 2022,
funding will allow for the replacement of a trail bridge at
Coot Lake Natural Area that is in disrepair and in danger of
failure if not replaced within the next year
$50,000
Parks and
Recreation
Strategic
Planning
Initiatives
As illustrated in the Boulder Parks and Recreation Master
Plan, the department must consistently review the many
programs, services and facilities to ensure alignment with
the community expectations, best practices in the industry
and strategic focus to meet the many goals of the master
plan. This is achieved through ongoing planning and studies
that are funded through the CIP. The specific projects
planned for each year include:
2022 – Reservoir Strategic Plan Update and regional multi-
modal feasibility study
2023 – General Maintenance and Management Plan Update
/ Ops Maintenance Facility Assessment
2024 - Natural Lands Strategic Plan
2025 - Water Assets Strategic Plan
2026 - Facilities and Aquatics Plan update
$150,000
Urban Forest
Management
This project provides annual funding to continue the EAB
response by allowing critical safety measures of removing
identified trees throughout the city and replacing with new
tree species to slow the spread of the pest and ensure safety
of the public as well as expanded urban forest management
practices. This project also provides treatment of trees
designated for preservation and associated infrastructure
improvements such as irrigation to ensure sustainability of
the new trees.
$300,000
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___6____
Columbia
Cemetery
Capital
Maintenance
The cemetery is a designated landmark and requires
ongoing maintenance to meet the preservation requirements
associated with all the infrastructure ranging from
headstones, markers, ornamental fencing and grounds
maintenance. This project will provide necessary funding
to complete projects as well as local match for leveraging
state grant funds.
$40,000
Flatirons Golf
Course Capital
Enhancements
The Flatirons Golf Course is the only public course in
Boulder and provides a highly desired recreation amenity
while also contributing to funding sources through revenue
generation. The golf course has many planned
enhancements to ensure playability and provide necessary
visitor amenities. This project will provide design and
construction of a new clubhouse to replace the former
events center that was demolished because of the 2013
flood. The design of the replacement facility will occur in
2021 and construction to begin in 2022. Funding in 2022
restores the contingency funds that were removed last year
due to budget constraints and reductions.
$ 700,000
Neighborhood
and Community
Park Capital
Maintenance
This project provides funding for asset maintenance
throughout the system as well as a complete renovation of
one neighborhood park annually to meet the goals outlined
within the BPR Master Plan and Capital Investment
Strategy. The renovations typically include playground
replacement, irrigation renovation, forestry maintenance,
ADA compliance and shelter repairs. In 2022, renovations
will be focused on East Boulder Community Park.
$900,000
Capital
Infrastructure
Enhancements
and Partnership
Opportunities
This project will provide capital funding to implement
enhancements at parks and facilities throughout the system.
In 2022, funding is provided to finalize the design of the
undeveloped portions of Violet Park and Eaton Park that
have been a priority for several years to extend the service
areas of parks to adjacent neighborhoods.
$100,000
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___7____
Recreation
Facility Capital
Maintenance
Based on recommendations of the 2016 Facility Strategic
Plan and upcoming Recreation Needs Assessment, this
program will provide annual capital funding for
implementation of key facility repairs and renovations at the
city's three recreation centers to ensure acceptable facility
conditions and continue cost-effectively meeting the needs
of health and wellness opportunities within Boulder. This
project is combined with funding from the Facilities
Department. In 2022, funding will be provided to support
the East Boulder Community Center by addressing
maintenance backlog items combined with opportunities for
energy conservation to reach climate goals.
$ 500,000
Flatirons Golf
Course Forestry
Management
One of the many qualities that makes the Flatirons Golf
Course so desirable is the many mature trees throughout the
course. In fact, 10% of all the trees that are within the parks
are at the golf course and many are large mature trees that
need pruning and/or removal to ensure safety of the players.
The median size of the trees is a 30" diameter trunk which
is very large and costly to prune or remove and 45% of the
trees are high-risk species such as Cottonwood and Willow
that tend to break easily. This project will address the
backlog of work and continue a regular pruning rotation to
ensure vibrant and safe trees for the future of the course.
$150,000
Operating and Maintenance Impacts
The department prioritizes capital projects based upon maintaining existing assets and
decreasing the maintenance backlog of the department’s portfolio of parks and facilities.
Therefore, most projects included in the department’s Capital Improvement Program will
not have an impact on maintenance costs due to replacement of aging infrastructure and
efficiencies associated with new and improved facilities and systems. However, as the
department fulfills commitments relative to long-term planning needs such as the future
phases of Valmont City Park, Boulder Junction Park or Violet Neighborhood Park in the
future, the department will need to carefully design enhancements in sensitivity to the
department’s O&M funding and not overburden funds with maintenance of these new
facilities.
Unfunded Projects and Emerging Needs
In the long-term, additional funding will need to be secured to develop any new major
facilities as well as improve service standards for maintenance operations and to fund
deferred maintenance. The master plan includes a list of priority items to complete based
on various funding levels. Staff continues to evaluate deferred maintenance needs,
including park sites and recreation facility needs and have implemented an Asset
Management Plan (AMP) to assist in capital planning and day-to-day operations. With
the upcoming update to the master plan, priorities will be refined based upon new
AGENDA ITEM #__V-B____PAGE___8____
information provided through various assessments and community input. The current
maintenance and facility improvements backlog, including major repairs and
replacements, is significant. The department anticipates that this backlog will continue
until funding levels reach appropriate amounts to accommodate life-cycle projections for
the department’s assets. A list of unfunded projects within the department can be viewed
in (Attachment B – BPR Unfunded Projects).
Key Unfunded Projects Include:
• Boulder Reservoir South Shore enhancements to accommodate increased use and
visitation as well as basic amenities to support the regional destination as outlined in
the Boulder Reservoir Master Plan and currently evaluated through the Concept Plan
and Capital Strategy.
• The Recreation Facility Strategic Plan projected a total of $4.5 million in deferred
maintenance and an additional $3 million over the next ten years in the three
recreation centers. This funding need will also be refined and updated with the
upcoming master plan related to the Recreation Facilities Needs Assessment.
• Increased capacity and additional facilities for youth and adult sports fields.
• Expansion and enhancement of recreation centers and aquatics facilities that
accommodate increased demand for lap swimming, fitness equipment and multi-use
classroom space that could be expanded.
NEXT STEPS:
Staff will keep the PRAB updated on the status of the CIP process as it proceeds to
Planning Board and City Council during the summer months and ultimately upon
approval. PRAB will be updated if any refinements to the department’s CIP is
considered. Additionally, the discussion with City Council regarding the renewal of the
Community, Culture and Safety tax continues and BPR has two key projects that are
currently being considered relating to the Boulder Creek Corridor improvements and the
complete renovation of the East Boulder Community Center. The next steps for this
process for City Council related to renewing the tax and selecting the projects includes:
July 20: - Discussion of community survey results and community non-profit
focus groups input.
• August 3: - Potential first reading on ballot measure for capital tax renewal.
• August 17: - Latest date for second reading or first reading of emergency
ordinance for ballot items and to set titles.
• November 9 Coordinated Election
The most recent City Council packet related to the tax can be found here.
2022-2027 CIP Process/Timeline (Projected)
Planning Board Hearing August
Council Study Session September
Attachments:
A. BPR Draft 2022-2027 CIP 6-Year Plan
B. BPR Unfunded Projects
ATT A: BPR Draft 2022-2027 CIP 6-Year PlanProjects Description/Comments2022 Projected 2023 Projected 2024 Projected 2025 Projected 2026 Projected 2027 Projected6 Year Total (2022-2027) Project TypeAquatics Facility Capital EnhancementsBased on recommendations of the 2015 Boulder Aquatics Feasibility Plan, this project provides implementation of priority indoor and outdoor pool enhancements for Boulder's aquatics programs. In 2022, the East Boulder Community Center leisure pool will be renovated based on community input to determine a new and improved family aquatics experience. This work will include a new multi-use leisure pool for warm water classes and instruction, a new kids play structure and an outdoor splash pad will be completed in 2022 in partnership with the Facilities Department funding necessary facility repairs. This work will also be informed by the currnet master plan updates that are in process for both BPR and Facilities. In 2025, funding is provided to partner with City Transportation to begin the design of the 30th street improvements along Scott Carpenter park to remain in compliance with necessary infrastructure required through the city's regulatory planning and development review process for Scott Carpenter Pool enhancements. The construction of the 30th street improvements is anticipated to be approximately $1M and is required to be complete by 2026. In 2027, new leisure activities for children will be improved by adding spray amenities and splashpad as identified within the Aquatics Feasibility Plan at Spruce Pool.1,638,000$ 100,000$ 1,000,000$ 450,000$ 3,188,000$ Capital Enhancement Athletic Field Capital EnhancementsBased on key recommendations of the Athletic Field Study, this program will allow implementation of field repairs and enhancements including turf, field renovations and expansion to accommodate additional capacity for sports uses. Average cost for a complete renovation of an irrigation system is $63K and which is necessary to ensure preventative maintenance of the systems. System failures can lead to field closures and loss of revenue from field use. 63,000$ 63,000$ 63,000$ 189,000$ Capital Maintenance Natural Lands Management The department's natural lands team manages over 1,000 acres of wildlife and vegetation conservation areas to support the regions vulnerable ecosystems within urban areas. Capital funding helps support planning and implementation of critical conservation measures and management strategies on the properties. In 2022, funding will allow for the replacement of a trail bridge at Coot Lake Natural Area that is in disrepair and in danger of failure if not replaced within the next year. In 2023, funding will allow the department to complete and inventory and prioritization of the department's populations of prairie dogs across the system to better manage the colonies aligned with the department's goals. In 2024, funding will allow the department to begin relocation of the prairie dogs at Valmont Park to allow for the next phase of planned improvements. In future years, the capital priorities will be influenced and informed by a strategic plan for the natural lands that will be completed in 2023.50,000$ 75,000$ 500,000$ 625,000$ Capital Maintenance
Projects Description/Comments2022 Projected 2023 Projected 2024 Projected 2025 Projected 2026 Projected 2027 Projected6 Year Total (2022-2027) Project TypeParks and Recreation Strategic Planning InitiativesAs illustrated in the Boulder Parks and Recreation Master Plan, the department must consistently review the many programs, services and facilities to ensure alignment with the community expectations, best practices in the industry and strategic focus to meet the many goals of the master plan. This is achieved through ongoing planning and studies that are funded through the CIP. These various plans identifiy policy direction, budget priorities, operational adjustments and capital needs. The specific projects planned for each year include:2022 – Reservoir Strategic Pplan Update and regional multi-modal feasibility study2023 – General Maintenance and Management Plan Update / Ops Maintenance Facility Assessment2024 - Natural Lands Strategic Plan2025 - Water Assets Strategic Plan 2026 - Facilities and Aquatics Plan update150,000$ 100,000$ 60,000$ 120,000$ 60,000$ 490,000$ Capital Planning Studies Boulder Reservoir South Shore Capital EnhancementsContinuing to implement the 2012 Master Plan and recent Concept Plan and Capital Strategy, this project will provide key improvements to the south shore recreation area and various visitor amenities to serve the region. Funding is planned through 2026 to continue key enhancement priorities that are outlined each year in the recently approved Concept Plan and Capital Strategy. Projects include a variety of amenities including but not limited to signage, dock repairs, trail connections, pavilions, facility maintenance, road repair, landscaping, and parking lot repair. In 2022, an update to the Boulder Reservoir Master Plan will be completed along with an initial feasibility study and concept plan will be developed for the proposed multi-use path along 51st street to prepare for future funding and grant opportunities. This planning will be funded through a different project; the stratgic planning initiatives.1,300,000$ 355,000$ 721,500$ 100,000$ 500,000$ 2,976,500$ Capital Enhancement Columbia Cemetery Capital MaintenanceThe cemetery is a designated landmark and requires ongoing maintenance to meet the preservation requirements associated with all the infrastructure ranging from headstones, markers, ornamental fencing and grounds maintenance. This project will provide necessary funding to complete projects as well as local match for leveraging state grant funds. BPR is currently in the process of preparing a comprehenisve plan that reviews all of BPR's historic and cultural assets to inform future treatments and capital needs to allow stewardship of these unique assets.40,000$ 32,000$ 32,000$ 32,000$ 32,000$ 32,000$ 200,000$ Capital Maintenance Urban Forest ManagementBoulder's urban canopy covered approximately 16 percent of the city’s area in 2013. Ash tree losses due to Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) will reduce Boulder’s canopy by nearly 25 percent (to just 12 percent coverage) in the coming years. Given expected losses due to invasive pests such as EAB and to continued climate change stressors, Boulder Forestry’s overarching 20-year goal will be to restore and maintain, rather than increase, its current canopy cover of 16 percent.This project provides annual funding to continue the EAB response by allowing critical safety measures of removing identified trees throughout the city and replacing with new tree species to slow the spread of the pest and ensure safety of the public as well as expanded urban forest management practices. This project also provides treatment of trees designated for preservation and associated infrastructure improvements such as irrigation to ensure sustainability of the new trees.300,000$ 500,000$ 500,000$ 500,000$ 500,000$ 500,000$ 2,800,000$ Capital Maintenance
Projects Description/Comments2022 Projected 2023 Projected 2024 Projected 2025 Projected 2026 Projected 2027 Projected6 Year Total (2022-2027) Project TypeFlatirons Golf Course Capital EnhancementsThe Flatirons Golf Course is the only public course in Boulder and provides a highly desired recreation amenity while also contributing to funding sources through revenue generation. The golf course has many planned enhancements to ensure playability and provide necessary visitor amenities. This project will provide design and construction of a new clubhouse to replace the former events center that was demolished because of the 2013 flood. The design of the replacement facility will occur in 2021 and construction to begin in 2022. Funding in 2022 restores the contingency funds that were removed last year due to budget constraints and reductions related to the pandemic. The result of this project will provide the community with a new, energy compliant facility that will serve all members of the community as well as the golfers on the course through events, food and various programs.700,000$ 200,000$ 200,000$ 1,100,000$ Capital Enhancement Neighborhood and Community Park Capital MaintenanceBPR has a goal of taking care of what we have and the park system is the foundation of the department by serving our neighbors and residents within a half mile to a quarter mile of every person. This project provides funding for asset maintenance throughout the system as well as a complete renovation of one neighborhood park annually to meet the goals outlined within the BPR Master Plan and Capital Investment Strategy. The renovations typically include playground replacement, irrigation renovation, forestry maintenance, ADA compliance and shelter repairs. The current list of parks within the CIP include:2021 -North Boulder Park2022 - East Boulder Community Park Playground Reno & Pickleball Courts 2023 - Martin Park Playground + Restroom/Shelter Reno2024 - Parkside Park2025 - Shanahan Ridge Park2026 - Elmer's Two-Mile Park2027 - Beach Park900,000$ 900,000$ 900,000$ 900,000$ 900,000$ 900,000$ 5,400,000$ Capital Maintenance Capital Infrastructure Enhancements and Partnership OpportunitiesThis project will provide capital funding to implement enhancements at parks and facilities throughout the system. Currently undeveloped park sites such as Violet Park in north Boulder and Eaton Park in Gunbarrel have planned amenities that need to be implemented to meet service levels of surrounding neighborhoods. Other properties have seen a dramatic shift in land use adjacent to the park and warranting a redevelopment option to serve more residents such as Mapleton Ballfields. Additionally, this project will provide implementation of planned amenities at developed park sites that haven't been constructed such as restrooms, ballfields, additional sport courts and play areas. The Recreation Facility Needs Assessment completed in 2021 will also outline future priorities that will be funded through this project that will enhance the existing recreation facilities. In 2022, funding is provided to finalize the design of the undeveloped portions of Violet Park and Eaton Park that have been a priority for several years to extend the service areas of parks to adjacent neighborhoods. Construction will occur at Violet Park first in 2023 with Eaton Park being the focus in 2023 and 2024.100,000$ 1,000,000$ 500,000$ 1,600,000$ Capital Enhancement
ProjectsDescription/Comments2022 Projected 2023 Projected 2024 Projected 2025 Projected 2026 Projected 2027 Projected6 Year Total (2022-2027) Project TypeRecreation Facility Capital MaintenanceBased on recommendations of the 2016 Facility Strategic Plan and upcoming Recreation Needs Assessment, this program will provide annual capital funding for implementation of key facility repairs and renovations at the city's three recreation centers to ensure acceptable facility conditions and continue cost-effectively meeting the needs of health and wellness opportunities within Boulder. This project is combined with funding from the Facilities Department of Public Works. In 2022, facility maintenance will be focused on the East Boulder Community Center in conjunction with the planned improvements to the leisure pool. In 2026, maintenance will be focused on the South Boulder Recreation Center.500,000$ 500,000$ 1,000,000$ 2,000,000$ Capital Maintenance East Mapleton Ballfield EnhancementsAs a result of the implementation of the Boulder Junction area along 30th street near Mapleton, the area has increased in residential units resulting in more demand for community park and recreation amenities such as playgrounds, dog parks, open lawn areas and other multi-use amenities. The original area plan indicated a goal of providing park and recreation amenities to this new residential area as development occurs. This project will result in the addition of new amenities at the existing East Mapleton Ballfield site that is in close proximity to Boulder Junction connected by the underpass along Goose Creek. A community planning project will be completed to determine the final design and priorities for construction. Any reduction in ballfields will be replaced at other sports complexes as indicated in the department's Athletic Field Study completed in 2015.210,000$ 1,890,000$ 2,100,000$ Capital Enhancement Valmont City Park Phase 2 DevelopmentThe Valmont CIty Park Concept plan was updated in 2015 through community involvement and approval from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board. This project provides for the development of the next major phase identified for the park, south of Valmont Road. Potential amenities to be built include adventure playground elements, community garden space, a splash pad, adult playgrounds, an event pavilion and additional parking. Final plans will be completed in 2023 to determine amenities for development as well as available funding. Final design and permitting will occur in 2024 with construction to commence in 2026. This project also allows for increased park service to the surrounding areas of east Boulder as well as the entire Boulder community.240,000$ 3,000,000$ 3,240,000$ New CapitalFlatirons Golf Course Forestry Management One of the many qualities that makes the Flatiorns Golf Course so desirable is the many mature trees throughout the course. In fact, 10% of all the trees that are wihtin our parks are at the golf course and many are large mature trees that are in need of pruning and/or removal to ensure safety of the players. The median size of the trees is a 30" diameter trunk which is very large and costly to prune or remove and 45% of the trees are high-risk species such as Cottonwood and Willow that tend to break easily. This project will allow enough work to be completed to address the backlog of work and continue on a regular pruning rotation to ensure vibrant and safe trees for the future of the course.150,000$ 150,000$ Capital MaintenanceTotal Budget4,528,000$ 4,180,000$ 5,177,000$ 2,436,500$ 6,092,000$ 3,645,000$ 26,058,500$
PROJECT CAPITAL COST
O&M COST
(Annually)DESCRIPTION
Master
Plan
Funding
Plan
NOTES
Maintenance
Facility
Enhancements
$ 139,500 $ 2,790.00
The GMMP study has indicated that the lack of indoor storage for machinery and equipment is a
significant shortfall in the building designs and capacity on the golf course property. Given the
location of the buildings in a flood plain it is recommended to commission a complete
recommendation that will include facility(s) size recommendations, feasibility study and funds needed
to complete the structural additions or adjustments. The study shall further give cost construction
estimates and location feasibility information for the addition of a permanent shade structure located
adjacent to the current grill area and the feasibility and design for enhancements to the grill area
structure to increase seating capacity and access.
Fiscally
Constrained
Parking Lot
Renovation $ 500,000 $ 10,000.00
The golf course parking lot is in poor condition and needs repair. As the lot is currently not designed
to existing City standards, the repair of the lot should include redesigning the lot to include
appropriate size stalls, accessible spaces, drainage, landscape elements and walkways among other
required features. It is also recommended that the design of the lot include the consideration of
expanding the width of the practice range to the west. This work will try to be achieved wtih the
upcoming facility improvements in 2021.
Fiscally
Constrained
Included in new facility
devleopment
Golf Course
Irrigation Pond
Dredging
$ 225,000
The main irrigation pond located on hole #17 has lost approximately 40% of its original storage
capacity. In 2008 when the pumphouse was rebuilt it was recommended that the pond be dredged in
the near future as the amount of silting observed was projected to threaten the viability of the intake
and wet well systems. The original capacity was also observable during that project. Golf course
industry standards recommend the main irrigation ponds be dredged every 20 years. This pond has
not been dredged in at least 35 years. Water storage on hole #9, two ponds on the west side of the
hole would also be included in this project. $75K each pond.
Fiscally
Constrained
Various Course
Improvements $ 288,500 $ 5,770.00
An assessment has been completed on each hole of the course with recommended improvements
for playability and maintenance. The enhancements include cart path extensions, tree removals and
bridge repairs.
Fiscally
Constrained
Historic Roney
House Restoration $ 400,000 $ 8,000.00 Complete the restoration of the landmarked property south of Valmont Road per the recommedations
to come with the proposed preservation plan.Action
New Restroom at
Dog Park $ 300,000 $ 6,000.00 Design and develop a new, year-round restroom on the east side of the park near the dog park. Action
Disc Golf Site Plan $ 15,000
The Valmont Disc Golf course was built in 2013 as a temporary course until a more permanent
course will be built. Disc golf has increased in popularity and the Valmont course reflects that
increase. The course enjoys a strong volunteer presence and has a nice partnership with the Boulder
Disc Golf Club. The 2015 Valmont City Park Master Plan update called for 16.5 acres designated for
a new disc golf course. The area is designed to have mounds trees and other hazards for enhancing
the playing experience not currently offered at the temporary course. By funding the course design
portion, we can more accurately project total costs and can utilize the disc golf community and PLAY
Foundation to fundraise now towards aiding the City’s construction efforts.
Action
Maintenance
Facility
Enhancements
$ 15,000 $ 300.00 Enhancements to the current maintenance building to provide additioanl covered storage of
equipment, vehicels and materials.
Fiscally
Constrained
Skills Loop Shelter $ 40,000 $ 800.00 Design and construct a new shade shelter in the skills loop area of the park to serve children and
families.Action
New playground
near dog park and
skills loop
$ 250,000 $ 5,000.00 Design and construct a new childrens play area near the dog park on the east side of the park.Action
South park
development $ 45,000,000 $ 900,000.00 Implementation of the 2015 Concept Plan for the development of various amenities south of Valmont
Road.Vision
Maintenance
Building
Repair, Paint and
Elect.
$ 30,000 $ 600.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Picnic Shelters
add 2 $ 50,000 $ 1,000.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Covered Parking
for maint. vehicles $ 40,000 $ 800.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Primary Road
Asphalt
Repair and maint. $ 1,275,000 $ 25,500.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Secondary Road
Asphalt
Repair and maint.
$ 25,000 $ 500.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Unpaved Road
Grade to overflow lot $20,000 $ 400.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Paved Parking
Maint. and repair
existing
$ 50,000 $ 1,000.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Flatirons Golf Course
Valmont City Park
Boulder Reservoir
Roads, Parking and Trails
Structures and Facilities
Attachment B: BPR Unfunded Projects
Paved Parking
Porous asphalt for
new boat parking
$ 1,008,000 $ 20,160.00
There are critical repairs needed to the asphalt in the Coot trailer parking lot. This lot is at the top of
the priority list for repair of parking lots at the Boulder reservoir. The large cracks and the dip in the
lot where the new sewer line was installed pose safety hazards for thousands of patrons and risk of
damage to patron boats and trailers. The Coot parking lot is a highly used year round by boaters, as
well as special events. This lot is a highly sought after space for boat storage due to its close
proximity to the boat ramp and easy accessible spots for boat parking. In addition to yearly boat
storage this space is used as daily parking of vehicles and boat trailers by 60-100 patrons.
The coot lot is also the location of the bike transition area for the full Ironman. During this event the
lot is the location for 3000 bicycles and their athletes to transition from the swim to their bike.
Given the current condition of the lot an assessment would need to be done to determine the most
cost effective solution to address the current status of the lot.
Fiscally
Constrained
Unpaved Parking
Repair and maint.
exisiting
$ 25,000 $ 500.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Paved Walkway
and Plaza
at Central drop-off
$ 43,800 $ 876.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Soft Surface Trail 1
Regional trail $ 169,000 $ 3,380.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Soft Surface Trail 2
New connectintrails $ 29,000 $ 580.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Promenade
Walkway
concrete, asphalt or
soft‐surface at
shoreline
$ 180,000 $ 3,600.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Landscape
Improvements
Native revegetation
on west boundary
57,000$ $ 1,140.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Landscape
Improvements
Screen
Planting/groupred
trees
140,400$ $ 2,808.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Landscape
Improvements
Parking area trees
and srubs
184,950$ $ 3,699.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Picnic Tables
Replace existing 15,000$ $ 300.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Shaded Bench
Area 7,500$ $ 150.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Boat Storage
Racks
small craft
20,000$ $ 400.00
Currently the reservoir sells over 1000 Small watercraft permits per year. This number has steadily
increased over the past 3 years. The demand to store those watercraft on site has also increased.
Currently we have 8 spots that are specifically dedicated to smallcraft storage. Many patrons
purchase a shore mooring spot and build their own racks to store multiple craft in one spot. This
practice leads to a loss of revenue and an inconsistency in structures on site. The storage racks
would allow 6-10 craft per structure and could potentially generate 30K-50K in revenue per year.
The ability for more on site smallcraft storage address goal #4 in the Reservoir master plan to
implement strategies to reduce and manage the risks of ANS infestation by decreasing the number of
times a craft exits and reenters the park. This would also would decrease the amount of boat traffic
through the front gate area and the number of smallcraft inspections that need to be performed
Fiscally
Constrained
Signage for South
Shore
wayfinding, rules,
coutesy, interior
needs
160,000$ $ 3,200.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Signage for North
Shore
minimal additions
while north shore
plan is developed
5,000$ $ 100.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Water
Entertainment
System
$ 240,000 $ 4,800.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Irrigation
Upgrades to more
efficient systems and
support additional
trees, shrubs and
lanscaped areas.
Prepare for future
needs.
$ 50,000 $ 1,000.00
Fiscally
Constrained
Fuel Station
new shell $ 18,000 $ 360.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Rip Rap
overflow from 6‐mile $ 50,000 $ 1,000.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Ped Crossings
Paint, bump, mark at
10 locations
$ 27,000 $ 540.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Regional Trail
Access Gates 4,000$ $ 80.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Accessible Dock
new in 3 locations $ 225,000 $ 4,500.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Existing Docks
Repair and maint. $ 15,000 $ 300.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Boat Ramp
Rip rap 60,000$ $ 1,200.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Site Amenities
Infrastructure and Utilities
Security, Safety and Access
Boat Ramp
Repair and
replacement
50,000$ $ 1,000.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Boat Launching
Areas
Rip rap
63,000$ $ 1,260.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Maintenance Area
Compound Fence $ 15,000 $ 300.00 Fiscally
Constrained
West zone
Notification signage 2,500$ $ 50.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Erosion Control
along existing
Shoreline
20,000$ $ 400.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Goose Manure
Collector 8,000$ $ 160.00 Fiscally
Constrained
Prairie Dog Fence $ 10,000 $ 200.00
Fiscally
Constrained
Goose Beacons $ 15,000 $ 300.00
Fiscally
Constrained
Coot Lake
Restoration and
Enhancement
1,500,000$ $ 30,000.00
Plans for south & east shoreline stabilization (north shore is already in progress) at Coot Lake.
Wetland permitting would be needed even for floating islands to be installed. The banks are
experiencing erosion issues due to users accessing the lake wherever they want so fencing would be
installed to create designated access points. Trail repairs will be included over to 55th and to provide
better ADA access around the lake. Signage would be updated. Parking, amenities and facilities
would be updated as they are in a major state of disrepair and are potential liabilities. Work must be
coordinated with nesting birds and other wildlife in mind.
Fiscally
Constrained
ARA
Thunderbird Lake
Dredging 75,000$ $ 1,500.00
Given potential drought conditions and our commitment to keep the water at a certain level, this
project is a priority. The low lake levels, poor water quality and lack of water views and access would
finally be addressed by dredging the lake and installing a pier. Consultants and wetland permits
would be required. Educational signage that was not completed in the last round would be added to
address the value of urban natural lands, nature play, “Bee Friendly” areas, the history of Burke Park
and significance to local farming, the ecology of the current pond and wetlands as well as the
geological formations that are influencing water in the region.
Fiscally
Constrained
ARA
Boulder Reservoir
North Shore
Resource
Management
450,000$ $ 9,000.00 Implement recommendations such as wildlife and vegetation surveys, prescribed burns, erosion
control, habitat improvement, invasive removal/vegetative restoration, closures, etc.
Fiscally
Constrained
Community Park
Enhancements 11,600,000$ $ 232,000.00
Includes the design and development of enhancements to community parks including: Foothills
Community Park, Harlow Platts Community Park, and East Boulder Community Park. Each of these
Community Parks has planned future phases that include additional amenities and recreation areas
not including athletic fields:
Action
Boulder Civic Area
Phase 2
Development
8,000,000$ $ 160,000.00
This project would provide a key next step in the momentum of the Civic Area transformation by
implementing key amenities that support the guiding principles and vision of the Civic Area based on
a wealth of support from the community and City Council. This next phase of Civic Area
implementation would develop the community-supported, public market by renovating the existing
Atrium building at 13th and Canyon. To compliment this phase, the adjacent Central Park would be
renovated and improved to better support an active market, events and programs within the East
Bookend. Additionally, this phase would provide a public restroom, enhancements to 13th Street and
opportunities for a variety of public/private partnerships.
Action
Historic and
Cultural Facility
Improvements
2,758,000$ $ 55,160.00
The city's historic assets must be maintained appropriately to preserve them over time and for future
generations. Additionally, some assets are governed by various grants that require certain
maintenance efforts and upgrades to meet requirements of grant funding. Conservation and
preservation of important historical and cultural assets in the community that are managed by the
Parks and Recreation Department including the Columbia Cemetery, Chautauqua Park, Pottery Lab,
Harbeck House, Boulder Bandshell, Boyd Smelter Site, Roney House at Valmont Park and the
historic locomotive assets housed at the CO Railroad Museum.
Action
Rec Centers and
Indoor Pool
Renovations
8,640,000$ $ 172,800.00
The rec centers are foundational to the city's delivery of programs and services that enhance the
social capital including the health and wellness of the community. The centers serve a broad range
of residents with multi-generational facilities and inclusive to all income levels. This funding would
allow uninterrupted service to the community and enhance the centers to provide quality facilities and
equipment. This will address the existing backlog of maintenance items within the recreation centers
including pools while also providing key upgrades and enhancements to better serve the community
's focus on health and wellness. This would restore the facilities to "like-new" condition by allowing
BPR to catch up on maintenance and provide some new planned amenities to improve the facilities.
Action
Area III Concept
Planning 200,000$ Develop long-term plan for the development of the Area II park planning reserve to support the
department needs within the community.Vision
Sports Complexes
and Athletic Field
Improvements
5,240,000$ $ 104,800.00
Provision of ballfields continues to be a priority for the community and growth continues in sports
leagues and programs. This funding would allow the city to provide critical upgrades and new fields
to support the growing demand as evidenced in the Athletic Field Study. Address backlog of
maintenance needs to keep fields open and up to standards while also enhancing parking and other
amenities. Design and development of new or improved diamond and rectangular athletic fields at
existing Parks and Recreation facilities in support of various team sports leagues and multi-use
practice field needs.
Action
Natural Lands
General Parks and Recreation Needs
Water Quality and Environment
C I T Y O F B O U L D E R
PARKS AND RECREATION ADVISORY BOARD AGENDA ITEM
MEETING DATE: June 28, 2021
AGENDA TITLE: Park Naming Research and Equity Focus
PRESENTERS:
Alison Rhodes, Director, Parks and Recreation Department
Charlotte O’Donnell, Administrative Specialist, Parks and Recreation Department
Kimberly Jackson, History Graduate Student Intern, University of Colorado at Boulder
Phoebe Young, PhD, Associate Professor of History, University of Colorado at Boulder
Paul Sutter, PhD, Professor and Chair, Department of History, University of Colorado at Boulder
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Public parks and recreation facilities provide a sense of community to the residents and visitors
that use them and often provide deep rooted connections and sense of ownership to the users.
Similarly, the names of public spaces are often deeply held to the residents of a community given
their meaning or significance. Staff recognize that the names of parks and facilities in Boulder
are special and want to also ensure that public spaces -and their names- represent the community
as a whole and the current values of Boulder. The City of Boulder Parks and Recreation (BPR)
department wants to evaluate existing park names to identify those that by contemporary
community standards may not reflect city values and develop a naming strategy that deliberately
furthers the City's Racial Equity Plan goals and strategies.
Beginning in summer 2020, BPR engaged University of Colorado Boulder Department of
History to carry out research on the names of Boulder parks. This work has been performed
primarily by students and faculty and provides an initial and general overview of the history of
Boulder’s park and facility names. Staff shared preliminary details of this project with PRAB in
August 2020 (page 20-21).
Staff are also currently in the process of two concurrent initiatives including the update to the
BPR Master Plan and the Historic Places Plan. Each of these initiatives has opportunities for
alignment and overlap of information that relate to one another regarding history, public input
and community perceptions of parks and facilities.
As part of the naming policies in place, PRAB has authority over park naming in conjunction
with a thorough public process like all other formal decisions. The purpose of this item is to
share research gathered on different park names and get the PRAB’s recommendation for
pursuing future naming strategies. The PRAB’s input will inform next steps, including the staff
vetting of the research and recommendations.
1
BACKGROUND
Context
In recent years, with public interest in and concern for inequity and exploring the evidence of
systemic racism throughout our country, Americans have taken a critical appraisal of public
spaces. Beyond a consideration of monuments, like those of Confederate leaders and historical
figures like Christopher Columbus, Americans have turned to examine public places like parks
and buildings and names on the landscape like mountains and neighborhoods. This has been a
trend across the United States and in Colorado.1
Place names, or toponyms, mark and define our landscapes. Bryan Smith, writing on street
names, remarks that they communicate to “residents of an area a particular history of that
community by normalizing the presence of particular people and excluding others.” In other
words, toponyms “can be read as ‘subtle propaganda’ that renders one particular historical
reading of places as natural while denying alternative narratives the same representational space
in the commemorative landscape of a community’s map.”2 Another scholar, Nadja Penko Siedl
notes that toponyms are “positioned between a landscape’s physical reality and humans’
perception and understanding of that reality.” Importantly, as people have always “named places
according to their significance,” toponyms reveal “information about the way people perceived,
understood, and adapted the natural environment to their needs.”3
Thus, place names not only hold a place of significance in the community’s understanding of
itself and its landscape, but also place a level of significance of the name itself. This trend is
further substantiated when looking at place names that commemorate individuals. Longstanding
place names that commemorate individuals present those individuals as significant and worthy of
honorifics. Importantly, these place names integrate those individuals, and their histories, into the
landscape of the community. Two prominent examples in Colorado are the Stapleton
neighborhood in Denver and Mount Evans.
The Stapleton neighborhood in 2020 was renamed to Central Park, removing the name of former
mayor and Klansman Benjamin Stapleton. JuJu Nkrumah, a Denver resident, prior to the
renaming, had “long avoided going to the area, viewing the name as a slap in the face to Black
people such as her.”4 Speaking to the name change, the neighborhoods’ Master Community
Association put out a statement that read: “It has become more clear that continuing with the
current name is hurtful to many residents of all backgrounds and life experiences… as a
community that aims to foster inclusivity, diversity and respect, maintaining the current name
1 See Nicolas Brulliard, “Naming Matters,” National Parks (Summer 2019), https://www.npca.org/articles/2189-
naming-
matters#:~:text=Changing%20the%20name%20of%20a,private%20land%20%E2%80%94%20that%20appear%20o
n
2 Bryan Smith, “Engaging Geography at Every Street Corner: Using Place-Names as Critical Heuristic in Social
Studies,” The Social Studies 109 (May 2018), 113.
3 Nadja Penko Seidl, “Engraved in the Landscape: The Study of Spatial and Temporal Characteristics of Field
Names in the Changing Landscape,” Names 67 (March 2019), 17.
4 Sam Tabachnik, “Stapleton residents vote ‘Central Park’ as new name; ‘It really is a meaningful first step’,”
Denver Post, 1 August 2020.
2
only serves to divide us.”5 The recent events of George Floyd’s death and Black Lives Matter
protests urged the neighborhood to reconcile with the narrative that the name “Stapleton”
created, and in the end they changed the name.
In a similar manner, Coloradans have had to grapple with the name that adorns one of Denver’s
prominent peaks – Mount Evans. Originally named, Mount Rosa, Rosalia, and Rosalie the peak
was renamed in 1870 to honor Colorado’s second territorial governor, John Evans. While Evans
did not directly participate, he ordered the Sand Creek Massacre that resulted in the slaughter of
Native Americans by U.S. troops. For Native Americans, then, Mount Evans does not symbolize
a great governor who pushed for development and statehood, but rather a man who committed
atrocities. While the name Mount Evans remains on the landscape, there are active name change
proposals. One seeks to change the name to Mount Cheyenne Arapaho, honoring those who lived
and died there. Another wishes to rename the peak Mount Soule, after the captain who refused to
participate in the Sand Creek Massacre.6 Thus, Colorado seeks to redefine its landscape, who
deserves to be commemorated on it, and how it displays inclusion – both in the past and in the
present.
Beyond histories of racism and exclusion, Americans must also grapple with the United States’
history of settler colonialism. Western names are not the only, nor were they the first, names to
mark the American landscape. Indeed, all people use toponyms to define, understand, and situate
themselves within the landscape. When Americans, or Westerners more broadly, place their
names on the landscape they erase these earlier histories and understandings.
Consider, for example, Devils Tower in Wyoming. The geologic feature takes its name from an
erroneous translation, mistranslating “bear” to “bad god”. For Native Americans who view the
site as a sacred place, such a name provokes “anger and ongoing resentment.” As such, they wish
to have the name restored to a correct translation – Bear Lodge.7 While the name change has of
yet not occurred, trends elsewhere prove promising. In 2015, President Obama issued an
executive order that renamed Mount McKinley to its original name Denali. Previously, the name
had long been seen as a slight against Native Americans and “an example of cultural imperialism
in which a Native American name with historical roots was replaced by an American one having
little to do with the place.” The peak was named by a gold prospector who had just heard news of
McKinley’s nomination, even though President McKinley had never and would never visit the
Alaska. This name replaced the Native American name for the mountain, Denali, meaning “the
high one” or “the great one,” in many ways erasing their presence from the landscape. After the
name change, Senator from Alaska, Lisa Murkowski thanked the president “for working with us
5 David Williams, “Local officials in Denver’s Stapleton neighborhood want to change its name because of a former
mayor’s KKK ties,” CNN, 15 June 2020, https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/15/us/denver-stapleton-name-change-
trnd/index.html
6 May Ortega, “Polis Issues Executive Order to Review Troublesome Landmark Names. Is Mount Evans Next?”
CPR, 2 July 2020, https://www.cpr.org/2020/07/02/mount-evans-name-change-colorado-advisory-board-announced/
7 Nicolas Brulliard, “Naming Matters,” National Parks (Summer 2019), https://www.npca.org/articles/2189-
naming-
matters#:~:text=Changing%20the%20name%20of%20a,private%20land%20%E2%80%94%20that%20appear%20o
n
3
to achieve this significant change to show honor, respect and gratitude to the Athabascan people
of Alaska.”8
In naming places, people create narratives – narratives of what proves to be significant and
worthy of commemoration and narratives of who belongs on the landscape both in the past and
in the present.
Nationwide, conversations continue to grow about the importance of local park names. New
York City recently launched the NYC Parks Renaming Project to feature prominent Black
historical figures. Here in Boulder, the City Council voted to affix the name of Boulder’s first
and only African American mayor, Penfield Tate II, to the Municipal Building in October 2020.
In June 2021, after several years of collaboration with Tribal Representatives, council adopted
the name “The People’s Crossing” for the site managed by OSMP formerly known as “Settler’s
Park”. In addition to renaming these city properties, the City of Boulder made another stride
toward furthering racial equity with City Council’s approval of the city’s first Racial Equity
Plan.
Evaluating urban park names based on diversity and researching how individual names reflect or
contradict contemporary community standards is one way to contribute to the city’s broader
racial equity goals. Thus, to further local goals and as part of this national movement, BPR
engaged the History Department at CU Boulder to take a proactive look at the local landscape of
park names owned or operated by BPR.
Park Naming History/Process/Policies
Before the creation of PRAB and formal naming policy, parks acquired names through many
different channels, including being named after the surrounding neighborhood developments or
donors.
In 2007, BPR adopted the Park and Plaza Naming and Dedication Policy (Attachment A) which
governs dedication and naming of different types. This includes naming a new property or
naming a park after nearby land features. This policy ensures that a formal public process is
carried out and a name be provided that allows community input as well as formal approval by
PRAB. Park names are like any other formal process related to park planning, design and
implementation. Many times, not everyone in the community will support the name and it might
not represent everyone, but a consensus is reached and PRAB considers the approval based upon
the research and public involvement.
In 2010, the citywide Policy of Commemorative Naming of City Facilities (Attachment B) was
adopted to address the process of naming facilities in commemoration of persons that have made
unusually significant contributions to the City. One such significant contribution is defined as a
person who “worked to foster equality and reduce discrimination” (Section III). This policy
applies to naming of parks when the proposed name is commemorative in nature. BPR used this
8 Julie Hirschfeld Davis, “Mount McKinley Will Again Be Called Denali,” New York Times, 20 August 2015,
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/31/us/mount-mckinley-will-be-renamed-denali.html
4
policy to guide the process when community members requested the renaming of Emma Gomez
Martinez park, formerly Canyon Park, in 2014.
Research Process
Led by Professor Paul Sutter, Professor Phoebe Young and graduate student Kimberley Jackson,
the CU Boulder department of History carried out research on specific parks and analyzed
broader park naming trends in Boulder. The object of research was to evaluate existing park
names to identify names that by contemporary community standards may not reflect city values.
This research represents the initial findings of students and faculty. Staff are currently in the
process of reviewing and vetting the information as well as considering a process to engage the
community in helping understand the history of various sites. The following table details the
timeline of these efforts.
Table 1: Timeline of CU Research on Boulder’s Park Names
Semester Activity
Fall 2020 • Undergraduate students conducted preliminary research
on parks named for people to identify any with specific
concerns.
• Graduate students analyzed overall park naming
patterns to identify any gaps in the naming (e.g. not
recognizing First Nations or other key members of
Boulder’s history)
Spring 2021 • Undergraduate students researched six parks which
were identified as having potential concerns and
suggested improvements.
• Undergraduate interns synthesized research on parks
named for people and researched suggested individuals
to be included in future naming to fill gaps identified.
Summer 2021
(In-Progress)
• Graduate intern Kimberly Jackson will synthesize
research, prepare public-facing summaries and
collaborate on potential naming recommendations.
• BPR staff vetting research and looks forward to
sharing the research on the individual park names with
the public later this summer through social media and
the city website.
5
ANALYSIS
Park Naming Findings
The origins of Boulder park names and the backgrounds of the individuals parks are named for
vary widely (Figure 1). Based on research by graduate students, of the eighty-two named parks
in the City of Boulder, over 35% of parks are named after individuals or families, for a total of
twenty-nine parks. Another 32% of parks are named based on their location – either the street
they are on or the neighborhood in which they are located. The remaining parks are named for
landforms or are arbitrary in nature.
Figure 1: Boulder Park Names by Origin
Each of the park names are specific to the legacy of an individual and represent key
accomplishments and contributions to the community that warranted recognition by the
generation at the time. In addition, there are community members today that honor and continue
Boulder’s history; residents in the community appreciate the rich heritage Boulder’s parks and
facilities provide in the naming.
6
Staff cannot speculate as to how certain names were defined and approved as that is not
documented. Of the twenty-nine parks named for individuals or families, twenty-five are named
for individuals with varying professional backgrounds (Figure 2). In some cases, the individual
recognized had more than one profession which is represented in Figure 2. Of those twenty-five
parks, six of them recognize women. There are no parks in the City of Boulder named for
businesswomen, despite businessman being the most prevalent occupation of park namesakes.
This trend is continued when examining elected officials, the second most prevalent occupation,
as well.
Figure 2: Boulder Park Name Origins by Profession and Gender of Namesake
Current research suggests that only one Boulder city park is named in recognition of an
individual or family from one of Boulder’s minority communities. Other than Emma Gomez
Martinez Park, it appears that all other parks are named for white individuals and families.
Through research on the names of parks, the CU Boulder Department of History identified six
parks for further study due to questions regarding the individual, organization, or origin of the
name and when viewed through a modern lens and with equity in mind. Students explored
possible alterations to the names of Hiram Fullen Park, Keewaydin Meadows Park, Andrews
Arboretum, Elks Park, Tom Watson Park and Columbia Cemetery. More details about these
parks and other parks named for individuals are included in Attachment C: Research Summaries
by Park.
Additionally, as a result of this research, city staff reached out to both the Boulder Elks and IBM
regarding Elks Park and Tom Watson Park respectively. While the city owns Elk’s Park, Tom
Watson Park was created by an easement from IBM which is in place to this day. City staff is
investigating how the easement informs the naming process.
7
Next Steps
• Research Vetting
The research and information presented shares initial findings of the students and faculty;
these findings have not yet been vetted for accuracy by city staff or the community. Staff are
currently in the process of reviewing and vetting the information as well as considering a
process to engage the community in helping understand the history of various sites and
associated park names.
• Further Exploration
After vetting has been completed, staff recommends engaging with the community,
specifically nearby neighborhoods of the six parks recommended for further exploration and
other stakeholders (such as local historic preservation advocates or unrepresented
populations), as staff capacity allows to further explore if an alteration of naming is
appropriate. As successful park renamings have shown in the past, buy-in from the
community contributes to meaningful changes. Renaming can also serve as a positive
opportunity for community to reconnect with a park.
• Park Renaming Strategy
The research and evaluation of existing park names reveals several opportunities for BPR to
increase the diversity of individuals represented and to better reflect current city values. Staff
is bringing these preliminary finding to the PRAB for strategic guidance on charting a path
forward for park naming and renaming.
To align park naming with the city’s Racial Equity goals, BPR could explore several policy
and strategic directions including:
• developing an annual review process for park names
• developing criteria for park names review which includes equity
• developing criteria for renaming which includes equity
• setting name term limits after which a review or renaming process occurs (e.g. agencies
that have declared names will be reviewed every 50 years).
NEXT STEPS:
Questions for PRAB:
1. Does PRAB have any questions, comments or concerns about the content or method of
sharing this research with the public?
2. Does the PRAB wish to advise staff to identify a workplan item to pursue further
renaming efforts or develop a naming strategy with an Equity focus? This would likely
occur in tandem with current planning processes or as part of the 2022 BPR work plan.
Attachments:
A. Park Naming Policy
B. Commemorative Naming Policy
C. Research Summaries by Park
8
Park and Plaza Naming and Dedication
Policy PAGE 1
CITY OF BOULDER
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION
***
POLICIES AND PROCEDURES
Park and Plaza Naming and EFFECTIVE DATE: September 2007
Dedication Policy ADOPTION DATE: September 2007
Jan Geden, CPRP, Director of Parks and Recreation
I.POLICY
It is the policy of the Parks and Recreation Department to provide community members with the
opportunity to name and dedicate city parks and plazas owned and operated by the Parks and
Recreation Department.
II.PURPOSE
The purpose of the park and plaza naming and dedication policy is to provide a clear process for
naming and dedicating parks and plazas owned and managed by the Parks and Recreation
Department.
III.PROCEDURES
Park and Plaza Naming
•Considerations for naming a park or plaza include one or more of the following:
1.Historic names relevant to the park or plaza;
2.Geographic names descriptive of the location or significant natural features
(including flora, fauna and geography in or near the park or plaza);
3.Cultural names relevant to the park or plaza;
4.Person(s) or organizations who made significant contributions to the park or plaza
being named;
5. Persons (or organizations) who made a significant contribution to the community
over an extended period of time; and/or
6.Person(s) or organizations donating land to be used for park or plaza purpose(s).
Attachment A: Park Naming Policy
9
Park and Plaza Naming and Dedication
Policy PAGE 2
• Considerations for park or plaza name changes must be made through the completion of a
Park and Plaza Naming/Renaming Application (to be developed) to the Parks and
Recreation Advisory Board (through the Parks and Planning Superintendent).
• Prior to the Board’s consideration, the department will notify the impacted neighborhood
of the proposed park name or name change to allow time for comments prior to the Board
meeting. Staff will review the naming application and supporting documentation, along
with the public input and make a recommendation to the PRAB.
• All proposed names for Parks and Recreation Department owned and managed parks and
plazas must be considered and approved by a majority of the members of the Parks and
Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) at a regular business meeting.
• Upon approval by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, a Weekly Information
Packet (WIP) item will be provided to City Council for their review and consideration
(through a City Council call-up), of the recommended name.
Park and Plaza Dedications
Areas within a named or unnamed park or plaza owned and managed by the Parks and
Recreation Department may be dedicated according to the following criteria:
• Considerations for dedicating a park or plaza include one or more of the following:
1. Persons (or organizations) who made significant contributions to the park or plaza
being named
2. Persons (or organizations) who donated the land for the park or plaza; and/or
3. Persons (or organizations) who made a significant contribution to the community
over an extended period of time.
• Considerations for park or plaza name changes must be made through the completion of a
Park and Plaza Dedication Application (to be developed) to the Parks and Recreation
Advisory Board (through the Parks and Planning Superintendent).
• Prior to the Board’s consideration, the department will notify the impacted neighborhood
of the proposed park name or name change to allow time for comments prior to the Board
meeting. Staff will review the naming application and supporting documentation, along
with the public input and make a recommendation to the PRAB.
• All proposed names for Parks and Recreation Department owned and managed parks and
plazas must be considered and approved by a majority of the members of the Parks and
Recreation Advisory Board (PRAB) at a regular business meeting.
• Upon approval by the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, a Weekly Information
Packet (WIP) item will be provided to City Council for their review and consideration
(through a City Council call-up), of the recommended name.
10
Park and Plaza Naming and Dedication
Policy PAGE 3
Park and Plaza Naming and Dedication Policy Criteria
1. Name of the person/organization submitting the application_____________________
2. Current or working name of the park under consideration _____________________
3. Physical location of the park under consideration _____________________
4. Proposed name for the park under consideration _____________________
5. Is this a new name for an existing park? _____________________
6. Rationale for the name being proposed for park under consideration (may be as long as
applicant desires. Please provide supporting documentation if appropriate):
11
CITY OF BOULDER
POLICIES, PROCEDURES AND GUIDELINES
Policy on Commemorative Naming of City Facilities EFFECTIVE DATE:
December 1, 2010
Jane S. Brautigam, City Manager
1.POLICY
It is the policy of the City of Boulder ("City") to allow, in appropriate circumstances, the naming
or renaming of facilities, owned and operated by the City, in commemoration of persons that
have made unusually significant contributions to the City. This allowance extends to facilities
that are owned by the City but leased to, and used by, another entity.
11. PURPOSE
City facilities are built and maintained at public expense and for the purpose of carrying out city
business. The naming of such facilities can have long lasting implications and raise political,
legal and equity concerns both within the City organization and with the public at large. The
purpose of this policy is to attempt to anticipate these concerns and to provide a uniform,
transparent and citywide process for addressing them.
III. SCOPE
A.Policy Limited to Naming in Response to Commemoration of Persons - The
scope of this policy does not extend to other practices of naming city facilities, including-
1 )Naming of facilities in response to sponsorship (addressed in Policy on
Sponsorship Nanning of'City Facilities).
2)Naming for purposes of public identification (i.e., "North Boulder Park"
and "East Boulder Recreation Center"), or
3)Naming after landmarks, including naming after local resources,
geographic feature, or identifiable community characteristics.
4)Naming after past or present owners of the property, property donors, or
after the name historically used for identification of the property.
Attachment B: Commemorative Naming Policy
12
B.Applicability of Existing Department Policies - Some City departments,
including the Parks and Recreation and Community Planning and Sustainability, have policies
and procedures already in place that guide the consideration of naming of City facilities within
their purview. To the extent that such policies incorporate requirements that are at least as strict
as this policy, including specific adherence to all five procedural steps outlined in Section VI of
this policy, such department-specific policies shall continue to take precedence over this policy
and be the sole documents to be adhered to with regard to naming.
III. DEFINITIONS
The following terms are used in this policy:
Commemorative: The term "commemorative" or "commemoration," as used herein, refers to
the practice of naming a facility to honor persons who have over an extended period of time:
demonstrated excellence, courage or exceptional service to the citizens of the City, the State of
Colorado or the nation; provided extensive community service; worked to foster equality and
reduce discrimination; made a significant financial donation or in-kind contribution to a City
facility with such contribution significantly benefiting the community that the facility serves (i.e,
the facility may not have otherwise been possible without the financial assistance), or who have;
historical significance to the community, the City of Boulder, the State of Colorado or the nation.
Donation: The term "donation" describes financial or in-kind contributions that are made
without restrictions on how the money or resources are to be used and without expectation of
reciprocal benefit by the donee. When a contribution is made with a clear expectation that an
obligation is created or that the recipient will provide something of value in return, the
contribution is considered a "sponsorship," not a donation.
Facility: The tenn "facility, as used herein, means any City-owned land and buildings, and any
features affixed to the land including components of the property such as rooms, parks, fields,
trails, shelters and other components of the facility. The term "facility," however, does not
extend to city streets, alleys or amenities such as trees, benches and fountains.
Person - The term "person," as used herein, refers to any living or deceased human being. It
does not extend to the name of any organization, including but not limited to, a business, sole
proprietorship, partnership, or corporation.
IV. CITY RETENTION OF RIGHT TO RENAME
The City retains the right to rename facilities at any time.
V.LIMITATIONS
A city facility cannot be named or renamed:
A.After an elected or appointed City official, or family member thereof, that is
currently serving, at the time of application or consideration of such application.
POLICY ON COMMEMORATIVE NAMING OF CITY FACILITIES
13
Commemorative naming immediately after termination of a city official's terms of service, while
not prohibited, is discouraged.
B.After a currently employed City staff member or volunteer, that is currently
employed or volunteering, at the time of application or consideration of such application.
Commemorative naming immediately after termination of a city staff member's employment, or
volunteer's tenure, while not prohibited, is discouraged. Furthermore, commemorative naming
for former City staff members is not appropriate when based only on tenure or performance of
normal job duties.
C.After a person which has a quasi-judicial matter pending, or expected to be
pending, before the City at the time of application or consideration of such application,
VI. PROCEDURES
Step 1 Consideration for naming or renaming of a City facility begins with the
completion of a Commemorative Naming Application
Step 2 The proponent of the naming/renaming will be required to solicit and summarize
feedback from impacted stakeholders in order to capture controversies associated
with the proposal. Depending on the nature of the facility and whether the
proposed name would replace a previous commemorative name, this process
could include extensive outreach to nearby property owners or constituency
groups associated with the facility.
Step 3 The Commemorative Naming Application, along with a summary of public
comment, must then be submitted to the City Manager's Office for consideration.
Step 4 The application will first be reviewed by the city's naming committee; a
standing committee created by this policy composed of representatives from the
City Manager's and City Attorney's Office, along with a representative of the
facility to be named. The focus of the committee's work can include developing a
recommendation for the City Manager's consideration and documenting that
recommendation.
Step S After reviewing all information provided, the City Manager will make a
determination on whether to approve or disapprove the naming proposal. The city
manager will then submit his or her decision, along with all supporting
documentation, to the city council in a Weekly Information Packet (WIP) as a
call-up item that allows council the ability to reconsider the city manager's
decision. Until council has had that opportunity, a decision on the naming or
renaming shall not be considered final.
VII. CONSTRUCTION AND INTERPRETATION
POLICY ON COMMEMORATIVE NAMING OF CITY FACILITIES 3
14
Employees who have questions concerning the interpretation or application of this policy are
directed to contact the City Manager or his/her designee.
VIII. EXCEPTIONS/CHANGE
These guidelines may be reviewed and changed at any time.
IX. CITY MANAGER DESIGNEE
December 1, 2010 - Carl Castillo, Policy Advisor
POLICY ON COMMEMORATIVE NAMING OF CITY FACILITIES 4
15
Kim Jackson
PhD Student
History Department
University of Colorado, Boulder
Boulder Park Name Histories
Andrews Arboretum:
Created in 1948 by Boulder High School botany teacher Maud Reed, Andrews
Arboretum is named after local horticulturalist Darwin Andrews. Andrews moved to Boulder in
1893 and shortly thereafter established the Rockmont Nursery. His nursery became world-
renowned for its mail-order catalog, and Andrews was considered the authority on Rocky
Mountain flora, especially as it pertained to what could be grown in home gardens. Andrews had
a cottonwood, two oaks, and several native Colorado species named in his honor. The Andrews
Arboretum features a number of plants donated by Andrews’ son from his nursery stock.
Ann Armstrong Park:
Ann Armstrong Park serves as a memorial to the late Ann Armstrong, who passed away
from cancer in 2004. The land was purchased by the City of Boulder in 1997 and was named
after Armstrong in 2008. Previously it was commonly referred to as the “Alpine Pocket Park,” as
it had no formal name. Armstrong was born on 9 July 1944 in Glendale, California and grew up
in Denver. She graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in horticulture. In 1971
she moved to Boulder, and in 1987 began working for the city as a plant ecologist. In her
position with the city, which she kept until just before her death, she identified, cataloged, and
promoted native flora. Today, Ann Armstrong Park is a native species park, continuing
Armstrong’s legacy.
Arapahoe Ridge Park:
Arapahoe Ridge Park is named in part for the neighborhood in which it resides. Arapahoe
Ridge also represents the geologic formation that it resides upon – the Arapahoe Formation. The
Arapahoe Formation is the uppermost bedrock unit in the Denver area. It is an upper cretaceous
geologic formation that is 150 feet thick and is mainly composed of claystones, siltstones, and
sandstones. The Arapahoe Formation is named for its thick development and exposures in
Arapahoe County, which was named in reference to the Arapaho Tribe, who historically lived in
the region.
Aurora 7 Park:
Aurora 7 Park commemorates one of the Project Mercury NASA missions that Boulder
resident Scott Carpenter participated in. Project Mercury was the first human spaceflight
Attachment C: Park Name Research Summaries
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program of the United States. It ran from 1958 to 1963. The fourth crewed flight of Project
Mercury, Mercury-Atlas 7, launched on 24 May 1962. In this mission, Scott Carpenter flew the
Aurora 7 capsule and orbited the earth three times. While Carpenter grew up on the corner of
Aurora and Seventh Avenues in Boulder, he named the capsule for the open sky and the dawn –
representing the dawn of a new age.
Barker Park:
Barker Park is named after Hannah Barker, who donated the land to the City of Boulder
in 1911. Barker was born in Ireland in 1844 and immigrated with her family to Massachusetts in
1852. In 1867, she moved to Ward, Colorado, where she became a teacher. She later relocated to
Boulder and worked as one of the earliest teachers in the Boulder Valley School District. In
1877, she married local businessman Ezra Barker and left her teaching career. When Ezra died
six years later, Barker inherited his land and property holdings, which included the land that is
now Barker Park. Barker was involved in a number of philanthropic endeavors, including the
Boulder Women’s Club, the Ladies’ Literary Society, Boulder Fortnightly Club, Women’s
Christian Temperance Union of Boulder, and Boulder’s Colorado Chautauqua Association. In
1911, Barker donated a portion of her land holdings to the city of Boulder for a park. In 1917, the
Women’s Club of Boulder voted to establish the Boulder Day Nursery – a non-profit that
provides affordable childcare for low-income families. In 1929, Boulder City Council decided to
lease a corner of Barker Park to the Boulder Day Nursery, a decision that continues to today and
exemplifies Barker’s legacy of teaching and philanthropy. Barker died in 1918 of complications
related to influenza during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918-1919.
Beach Park:
Beach Park is named in honor of the Beach Family. In 1937, William L. Beach, a
prominent businessman and property owner, gifted twenty-two plots of land to the City of
Boulder to develop a public park in memory of his late wife, Grace Beach. William Beach
additionally donated $2,000 to purchase a clock for the new Boulder County Courthouse in her
honor after her passing in 1935. In 1885, the Beach Family was among the first settlers to Yuma,
Colorado, and they moved to Boulder in 1902. William Beach owned several properties in
Boulder and co-developed the Beach-Johnson business block on 13th Street between College and
Pennsylvania. Grace Beach was an active member of the Boulder Women’s Club. William and
Grace Beach never had children of their own, so when William Beach donated land for a park in
Grace’s honor, he dedicated it to be used as a “playground for children, forever.”
Bill Bower Park:
Informally known as Mesa Memorial Park, the land that is now Bill Bower Park began
development in 2012. In Fall 2014, the park was officially named Bill Bower Park in
commemoration of Colonel William Marsh Bower. Bower was born on 13 February 1917 in
Ohio. He served in World War II as a pilot and participated in the Doolittle Raid. In April 1942,
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the Doolittle Raid saw sixteen American airplanes bomb Tokyo, proving that it was vulnerable to
American air attacks. After the raid, Bower’s crew landed in China and returned to the United
States. For his efforts, Bower was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the Doolittle
Raid, Bower served in North Africa and Italy until 1945. After Bower retired from the Air Force
in 1966, he moved his family to Boulder. Here, he gave back to his community extensively. He
served on various non-profit boards and city committees. He also volunteered for programs like
Second Harvest, Community Food Share, and Meals on Wheels. When Bower passed away in
2011 at the age of 93, he was the last remaining Doolittle Raid pilot.
Burke Park:
In 1996, a group of Boulder residents, the “Burke Beavers,” approached the City of
Boulder to rename Thunderbird Park in honor of Admiral Arleigh A. Burke. Burke was born on
19 October 1901 in Boulder. He would have graduated from Boulder High School if not for the
Spanish Flu Pandemic. He then attended and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1923.
He served for five years on the USS Arizona before becoming a Navy ordnance specialist and
earning a master’s degree in chemical engineering. He earned national attention during the
Second World War when he led Destroyer Squadron 23 to a decisive victory over the Japanese at
the battles of Augusta Bay in 1943. He was later awarded the Navy Cross – one of the military’s
highest honors. During the Korean War, Burke served as the Deputy Chief of Staff to
Commander Naval Forces Far East and commanded Cruiser Division Five. In 1955, Burke was
chosen to serve as the chief of naval operations, a post he held for an unprecedented three terms.
In this position, Burke played a key role in authorizing the development of a nuclear-powered
submarine force and submarine-launched ballistic missiles. Burke retired from the Navy in 1961
after serving for 38 years. He died in Bethesda, Maryland in 1996.
Campbell Robertson Park:
Campbell Robertson Park is named for a Boulder resident known for dedicating his life to
studying the trees of Boulder. While not a professional botanist, in 1977, he published a book,
The Trees of Boulder, that shared his knowledge of and love for Boulder’s foliage.
Christensen Park:
Christensen Park is named for the substantial donation left to the City of Boulder by Jean
Louise Christensen. Christensen left 59% of her estate to the city to create a park – a donation of
over $400,000. Little is known about Christensen, but what is known is that she was born in
Wyoming on 17 January 1915. Her father, John Christensen, was a medical doctor, and during
World War II, Christensen worked with her father in Washington as a member of the Navy
WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services). She attended Washington State
College and eventually earned a degree from Linderwood College before moving to Boulder in
the 1950s. Christensen never married but was an active member of the Boulder community. She
was a member of the First Presbyterian Church, the Philharmonic Guild, the Daughters of the
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American Revolution, the Business Professional Women’s Club, and the Boulder Republican
Women’s Club. Christensen passed away in 1989 at the age of 74.
Columbia Cemetery:
Purchased in 1869, Columbia Cemetery is named for the Columbia Lodge No. 14 A.F. &
a.m. (Ancient Free and Accepted Masons). Columbia Lodge No. 14 was founded in 1866 in
Columbia City (now Ward) and granted an official charter in 1867. Columbia Lodge No. 14
moved from Columbia City to Boulder in 1868. In 1869, realizing that Boulder did not have a
cemetery, Columbia Lodge No. 14 purchased ten and a half acres from another lodge member,
Marinus Smith, to establish one. In 1870, the first resident, Smith’s wife Anna, was interned
there. Later that year, the Boulder chapter of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows purchased
one-fourth of the cemetery from Columbia Lodge No. 14. The cemetery fell into disrepair over
the years as the Columbia Lodge and subsequently formed Park Cemetery Association did not
have the funds to maintain it. In 1966, the City of Boulder took over the cemetery. Other
colloquial names like “pioneer,” “park,” “masonic,” “old,” “Boulder,” and “city” exist for the
cemetery, but the name Columbia Cemetery recognizes the original owners and founders –
Columbia Lodge No. 14.
Dakota Ridge Park:
Dakota Ridge Park is named after the neighborhood in which it resides. The
neighborhood stands as a reference to the Dakota Hogback or Ridge – a prominent geological
feature throughout the Front Range of Colorado. The Dakota Hogback runs from southern
Wyoming through Colorado to northern New Mexico and gets its name from its top layer of hard
sandstone – Dakota Sandstone. Fielding Bradford Meek and Ferdinand Vandeveer Hayden were
the ones to name the Dakota Sandstone. Meek and Hayden conducted a number of geological
surveys of the West beginning as early as 1853. On these surveys, they first identified Dakota
Sandstone and named it such for two reasons: being near the town of Dakota (now Dakota City,
Nebraska) and for the fact that they supposedly reached their largest development along the
Missouri River near the Dakota Territory. The Dakotas take their name from the Dakota people,
a group within the Sioux Nation. In the Dakota Language, the word Dakota means ally or friend.
East Mapleton Ballfields:
The land that is now the East Mapleton Ballfields was purchased by the Boulder County
Agricultural Society in 1869 for fairs and horse races. By the 1920s, the site was primarily used
for auto racing. In 1929, the site hosted the First Annual Rodeo, which became a popular event in
the Boulder community. In 1934, local leaders decided to host another rodeo to lift the
community’s spirit during the Great Depression – the Pay Dirt Pow Wow Rodeo. The event
continued through the years and, in 1939, it dropped “Pay Dirt” from its name. In 1957, after
years of mismanagement, the Pow Wow Board had to give 11.5 acres of land to the City of
Boulder for back taxes, which included the land where the East Mapleton Ballfields now sit. The
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City of Boulder constructed a lighted softball field soon after the acquisition, with a second
added in 1966 and a third in 1972. The site was renamed from the Pow Wow Grounds sometime
in the late 1970s to East Mapleton Ballfields to avoid any implications with Native American
groups.
Eaton Park:
Eaton Park is named after Henry “Woody” and Leslie Eaton, who donated the land to the
City of Boulder in 1996. Henry Eaton is a longtime Boulder resident who attended Boulder High
School and the University of Colorado, Boulder. He spent the majority of his career as a dentist
before venturing into real estate. The Eatons have also made significant contributions to the
University of Colorado, including the establishment of the Henry and Leslie Eaton Scholarship
and donations for the construction of what is now the Eaton Humanities building.
Eben G. Fine Park:
Eben G. Fine Park is named for one of Boulder’s original boosters – the man also known
as Mr. Boulder. Fine was born near Hamilton, Missouri in 1865 and in 1882 quit school to be an
apprentice in the drug business. He moved to Boulder in 1885 to work at Fonda’s Pharmacy. In
1906 he quit this job to be the secretary for the Boulder Commercial Association. The following
year, he purchased the Temple Drug Company and went into business himself. Fine also was a
prominent public speaker and gave lectures on the Boulder area. Fine traveled for two months
each year for fourteen years promoting Boulder, putting him in front of over 3,500 people. In
1927, Fine was elected to the Secretary of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, a position he held
for ten years. In addition, Fine was a director of the Chautauqua Association for forty-five years,
an active member of the Rocky Mountain Climbers Club, the Colorado Mountain Club, and the
City Planning and Parks Commission – he was instrumental in acquiring over five-thousand
acres of mountain space for the park system. Fine passed away in 1957, and this park was named
in his honor in 1959.
Elks Park:
Elks Park is named for the Benevolent and Protective Order of the Elks, also known as
the Elks Club. The Elks Club sold the park site to the City of Boulder in 1999, and the park is
named in recognition of this fact. The Elks Club originated in New York in 1868, and in 1900,
the Boulder Elk Lodge, Number 566 was founded. The Boulder Elks Club has a history of
service to the community but also has a problematic past as it comes to inclusivity in its
organization. In 1969, five African American men, all prominent residents of Boulder, were
denied membership in the Elks Club based on their race alone. In 1972, the Boulder Elks Lodge
voted to accept non-white members into the organization; the national organization followed suit
in 1973. In 1995, the Elks Club dropped the male clause from membership requirements. While
the Elks Club is now an inclusive space, a legacy of exclusion surrounds the organization in
some circles.
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Elmer’s Two Mile Park:
Elmer’s Two Mile Park was officially named in 2003. It is named in reference to the
prominent natural feature of the park – Elmer’s Two Mile Creek. “Two Mile” refers to the
approximate distance of the creek from its source, a spring north of Iris Avenue, to Baseline
Road. It is unknown whom Elmer refers to. Elmer may refer to the given or family name of
someone who lived near the creek and named it, but records have not been found to confirm or
deny this fact.
Emma Gomez Martinez Park:
Emma Gomez Martinez Park is named in recognition of the local Boulder activist who
played a prominent role in its establishment. Emma Gomez Martinez was born on 1 January
1928 in Avilar, Colorado and grew up in Erie, Colorado. In the early 1950s, she met her husband
John Martinez, who grew up in Boulder, and the two moved into a home at 2040 Water Street
(now Canyon Boulevard). Across the street from their home was a small community of Quonset
huts that were used as married family student housing by the University of Colorado, Boulder,
for the influx of returning soldiers attending school under the GI Bill. Although Martinez only
had a high school education, she soon took on the role of the spokesperson for the Latinx
community in Boulder. She first worked as the interpreter for the City Manager, Ted Tedesco,
and eventually held a position on the board for the Office of Economic Opportunity. Through her
activism efforts, Martinez worked to get the site of the Quonset huts to be turned into a park for
the local Latinx community when they were no longer used to house university students. In
1968, the City of Boulder leased the site from the Boulder Valley School District (then owners of
the site) to serve as a park, and in 1974 the city purchased the site. In 2013, the site was renamed
from Canyon Park to Emma Gomez Martinez Park in recognition of her dedication to the park,
the Latinx community, and the City of Boulder.
Evert Pierson Kids’ Fishing Pond:
Evert Pierson Kids’ Fishing Pond is named after a prominent member of the Boulder Fish
and Game Club. Pierson was born on 8 November 1909 in Lafayette, Colorado, and moved to
Boulder in 1925. He served in the U.S. Army in World War II, fighting in North Africa and Italy
– he received five medals for his service. After the war, he returned to Boulder and worked as a
postman until his retirement in 1972. Pierson also volunteered with the Boulder Fish and Game
Club, serving as the stocking committee chairman since the early 1950s until he moved into an
assisted living home. As stocking committee chairman, Pierson helped coordinate the Boulder
Fish and Game Club’s efforts to stock alpine lakes with trout. Pierson was instrumental in
perfecting the bottle system that the Club used to transport fist from their stock ponds in Boulder
to high mountain lakes. The Kids’ Fishing Ponds were created in 1949 when the Boulder Fish
and Game Club convinced the University of Colorado to convert its gravel pits to fishing ponds.
In 2006, the Club renamed the ponds in Pierson’s honor after his death.
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Fitzpatrick Park:
Fitzpatrick Park is named after longtime Boulder educator Jessie Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick
was born on 6 February 1886 in Kansas. Her family moved to Boulder in 1897 and lived in the
Mapleton neighborhood. Fitzpatrick graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1908
and began teaching at Whittier Elementary. In 1924, Fitzpatrick became principal, a position she
held until her retirement in 1947. Fitzpatrick died on 11 September 1975.
Fortune Park:
Fortune Park is named in recognition of Sheila Fortune’s donation of the park site to the
City of Boulder. Fortune donated the land to the city in August 1999 with the stipulations that it
would be used as a public park for 100 years, named Fortune Park, and that Sheila Fortune
would be contacted for input on park design plans. Currently, the park contains a community
garden that was funded entirely by Fortune. Fortune purchased and donated the park with the
intention of it serving as a pocket park and a place to share her love of gardening.
Gerald Stazio Ballfields:
The Gerald Stazio Ballfields are named for a City of Boulder Parks and Recreation
employee who died of leukemia in 1974. Stazio was born on 12 July 1941 in Melrose Park,
Illinois. He graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in 1965 and began working for
the Parks and Recreation Department. As the city’s first softball supervisor, Stazio was
instrumental in developing Boulder’s softball program from 1966 until his death. In 1975, the
year after his death, there were only twelve teams; six years later, there were almost five
hundred. Originally, the Gerald Stazio Ballfields were located on Colorado Avenue near
Foothills Parkway. This site was owned by the University of Colorado and leased to the city,
where they built the ballfields in 1978. In the 1980s, the University of Colorado informed the
city that they were going to construct a research park on the site, tearing down the ballfields. As
a result, the city began construction on the current site of the Gerald Stazio Ballfields in 1989.
The new site continues to bear Stazio’s name and uphold his legacy of softball in Boulder.
Greenleaf Park:
Greenleaf Park is named in honor of John Greenleaf Whittier, the nineteenth century poet
and abolitionist. Whittier was born on 17 December 1807 near Haverhill, Massachusetts. He
grew up in a Quaker family on a small family farm. Whittier was a fierce abolitionist who
promoted his views through his writing and his active involvement in politics. In 1866, he
published his most popular work, Snow-Bound, the publication that gained the adoration of
Boulder students. In 1886, William Casey, the principal at then-named Pine Street School, read
Whittier’s work to his class. They loved the work so much that they wrote a letter to Whittier for
his 79th birthday. Whittier responded to their letter, and they continued corresponding. In 1903,
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they renamed the school Whittier Elementary in his honor, and the name expanded to the
neighborhood. Greenleaf Park serves as another reminder of Whittier, his work, and his
connection to Boulder.
Haertling Sculpture Garden:
The Haertling Sculpture Garden is named for local architect Charles A. Haertling.
Haertling was born in 1928 in Missouri, after high school he served in the U.S. Navy for two
years (1946 – 1948) before attending Washington University in St. Louis. At Washington
University, Haertling earned a degree in architecture, graduating in 1952. In 1953, Haertling
moved to Boulder to teach at the University of Colorado, Boulder and begin working as an
architect. Haertling started his own architectural firm in 1957 and designed more than forty
buildings in and around Boulder, a number of which are recognized as Structures of Merits and
Boulder landmarks. In addition to being a prominent, renowned architect, Haertling also served
the Boulder community. He was first elected to the city council in 1966, he served for seven
years. Haertling also held the position of Deputy Mayor. In these roles, Haertling pushed to
improve the image and spirit of Boulder, upholding standards of aesthetics through the creation
of the Public Design Review Committee, the promotion of the Boulder Tomorrow group, and
support for open and green space programs.
Harbeck-Bergheim House:
The Harbeck-Bergheim House is named after the two families who lived there. In 1899,
the Harbecks began construction on the house, and it was completed in 1900. John H. and Kate
Harbeck used the site as a summer home. John Harbeck was a stockbroker and businessman in
New York City. After John died in 1910, Kate Harbeck never returned to Boulder. In 1930, Kate
Harbeck passed away and requested that the house remain vacant for a number of years. In 1936,
Leonard Blystad bought the property with the intention of turning it into a fraternity or apartment
building. When the city turned down these plans, Blystad began to sell off the property. In 1937,
he sold 20 lots to William Beach, who would donate them to the city to establish a park – Beach
Park. In 1939, Blystad sold the remaining seven lots, including the house, to Boulder clothing
store owner Milton Bergheim. The Bergheim Family lived in the house until 1969, when they
leased the house with an option to buy to the City of Boulder. In 1972, the City of Boulder
officially named the house the Harbeck-Bergheim House in recognition of the two families who
lived in it.
Harlow Platts Community Park:
Harlow Platts Community Park is named in honor of local businessman Harlow Platts.
Platts moved to Boulder in 1911 with his family at the age of 18. In 1913, his family started a
knife company – Western Cutlery. Platts graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder in
1916 with a degree in mechanical engineering and joined the family business in 1920. Platts ran
the company with his brother H.R., Harlow was in charge of manufacturing while his brother
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took over sales. By World War II, Western Cutlery had grown into a good-sized company and
began producing knives for the military. After the war, Harlow’s son Harvey joined the
company. In 1953, Platts began to turn over management responsibilities to his son, who became
executive vice president in 1953 and president in 1964. More than just a skilled businessman,
Harlow Platts gave back to the Boulder community through his three decades of service on the
Boulder city planning and parks commission as well as the board of zoning adjustment. In 1962,
the City of Boulder named the new park surrounding Viele Lake in the Table Mesa subdivision
after Platts in recognition of his service to and development of the city. Platts died in 1983 at the
age of 90.
Hiram Fullen Park:
Hiram Fullen Park recognizes Boulder resident and local newspaperman Hiram Fullen,
Jr. Fullen was born on 7 September 1900 in Boulder, Colorado. He worked as the advertising
manager for the Daily Camera, and, in 1932, he was elected as the president of the Colorado
Newspaper Advertising Association. Later, he worked for an advertising agency in Denver and
served as a representative for advertising in the state government. Fullen passed away in 1979 at
the age of 78. The park was named in Fullen’s honor in 1980.
Howard Heuston Park:
Howard Heuston Park is named in recognition of Boulder doctor and mayor Howard
Heuston. Heuston served as the mayor of Boulder from 1932 to 1940. He was instrumental in
bringing relief to the city during the Great Depression, including work from the Works Progress
Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps. As a doctor, he was instrumental in the
founding of the Boulder Medical Center, of which he was the first chairman. In addition,
Heuston was elected to be a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons.
Keewaydin Meadows Park:
Keewaydin Meadows Park was named by the developers of the neighborhood, Reggie
Howard and Bill Suitts. In the late 1950s, when the neighborhood was being developed, Boulder
experienced a series of intense windstorms. This ordeal reminded Howard of a poem by Henry
Wadsworth Longfellow – “The Song of Hiawatha.” Longfellow’s poem was based on the
writings of Henry Rowe Schoolcraft – a man celebrated in his time for being an “expert” on
Native Americans. Schoolcraft, however, played a significant role in negotiating lopsided land
treaties in Michigan and Wisconsin that helped the United States dispose Native Americans of
their land. While Schoolcraft wrote down many Native American stories and legends that he
heard, it is believed that he distorted or falsified many of them to increase their marketability.
Longfellow based his poem on these distorted stories and admitted to combining multiple stories
to create “The Song of Hiawatha.” In this poem, Longfellow used the word “keewaydin,”
meaning “northwest wind” – which reminded Howard of the windstorms that had recently struck
Boulder. As such, Howard proposed naming the neighborhood and park Keewaydin Meadows. It
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should be noted that the word keewaydin is a word of Algonquin origins. There are no known
ties between the Algonquins and Boulder or Colorado more broadly. As such, there is no
historical relevance to the name keewaydin, other than a wind storm, and the naming practice is
more a matter of aesthetics on the part of the developers than cultural significance.
Martin Park:
Martin Park is named after early Boulder rancher and miner William Martin. Martin was
born in Sussex County, England in 1841. He moved to New York and then Ohio with his family.
At the age of eighteen, Martin left Ohio and set out for the goldfields of California. Martin
followed gold prospects and later moved to Virginia City, Nevada. In 1860, Martin came to
Central City, Colorado, and helped to discover the famous Caribou Mine near Nederland. With
the money he earned from the Caribou Mine, Martin purchased 400 acres of farmland – on
which Martin Park now sits. In addition to being a miner and rancher, Martin also helped to
establish the First National Bank, where he was a director until he died in 1925.
Maxwell Lake Park:
Maxwell Lake Park is named for the lake that exists on the property. The lake honors a
past owner of the property and significant person in the development of early Boulder – James P.
Maxwell. Maxwell was born in Wisconsin in 1839 and graduated from Lawrence University in
1859. He moved to Colorado in 1860 following the gold rush. Maxwell engaged in a number of
economic ventures, including mining and lumber mills. In 1870, Maxwell moved to Boulder and
served as deputy U.S. mineral and land surveyor for several years. In 1872 and 1874, Maxwell
was elected to serve Boulder as the representative in the territorial legislature. In 1876, he was
elected as a state senator, a position he held until 1880. From 1878 to 1880, Maxwell
additionally served as the second mayor of Boulder. From 1888 to 1893, Maxwell served as the
state engineer. Maxwell played a significant role in road development in and around Boulder, as
well as water development. He was, among others, a key player in the construction of the Silver
Lake Ditch and sold the Goose Lake reservoirs to Boulder to provide water for the city. Maxwell
died in 1929 at the age of 90.
Olmsted Park:
Olmsted Park is named in honor of Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. Olmsted was born in
1870 and is the son of Frederick Law Olmsted – the forefather of landscape architecture.
Olmsted followed in his father’s footsteps and began his career as an apprentice to his father in
the early 1890s, and in 1897, Olmsted became a full partner in the family business. In 1899,
Olmsted was a founding member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, where he
served two terms as president. From 1905 to 1915, Olmsted found himself in great demand in
cities and towns across the nation to help them with urban planning and development. One of
these cities was Boulder. In 1908, the Boulder City Improvement Association, a private citizen
group, invited Olmsted to Boulder. Based on his observations, he published “The Improvement
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of Boulder, Colorado” in March 1910. One of Olmsted’s recommendations was to set aside land
for public parks. It is thus fitting that one of Boulder’s parks bears his name.
Salberg Park:
Salberg Park is named in commemoration of John and Eva Salberg. The park was
donated to the City of Boulder in 1969 by three of John and Eva’s children – John T., Laura, and
Eleanor. John and Eva brought their family to Boulder in 1894, and John worked as a brick
mason. In his work, John laid much of the stone and brick at the University of Colorado,
Boulder. John passed away in 1938; it is unknown when Eva died.
Scott Carpenter Park and Pool:
Scott Carpenter Park and Pool recognizes Malcolm Scott Carpenter, an astronaut who
grew up in Boulder. Carpenter was born on 1 May 1925 in Boulder and grew up in the family
home on the corner of Aurora Avenue and Seventh Street. He attended University Hill
Elementary and Boulder High School. On 12 February 1943, Carpenter enlisted in the U.S. Navy
to fight in World War II, but the war ended before he finished training. After he left the service,
Carpenter returned to Boulder to study aeronautical engineering at the University of Colorado,
Boulder. In 1949, Carpenter was recruited by the Navy to become a pilot, and he left the
University of Colorado before graduating. As a Navy test pilot, Carpenter was one of the first
men recruited to be an astronaut by the newly established National Aeronautics and Space
Administration (NASA). Carpenter was selected for Project Mercury, where he piloted Aurora 7
in the Mercury-Atlas 7 mission. He would be the second American to orbit the earth and the
fourth American in space. In 1965, Carpenter worked with SEALAB II, a project with the U.S.
Navy, and lived for 28 days on the ocean floor. This feat made Carpenter both an astronaut and
an aquanaut. The City of Boulder re-named Valverdan Park in his honor in 1962. Carpenter died
in 2013.
Shanahan Ridge Park:
Shanahan Ridge Park is named, in part, for the neighborhood in which it resides.
Shanahan Ridge was developed in the 1970s and is named for the family who originally owned
the land – the Shanahans. The Shanahans first moved to Colorado in the 1860s from Minnesota.
They lived on the property and operated a ranch since then. The name Shanahan Ridge
commemorates the Shanahans’ role in developing the land and the agricultural history of
Boulder.
Sinton Park:
Sinton Park, located next to the Dairy Arts Center, commemorates the presence of the
dairy industry in Boulder. In the 1970s, the site was developed as a milk processing plant for
Watts-Hardy Dairy. Watts-Hardy Dairy was created out of the merger between Gilt Edge
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Creamery and Watts Blue Ribbon Dairy in 1927. In 1983, Sinton Dairy bought Watts-Hardy
Dairy, including the land that is now Sinton Park and the Dairy Arts Center. Sinton Dairy was
established in 1880 by Melvin Sinton in Colorado Springs. By 1980, Sinton Dairy was the
largest independent dairy producer in the state. After it acquired Watts-Hardy, Sinton Dairy soon
ceased to use the milk production center, and by 1988 the site was being used as a collaborative
arts center. In the 1990s, the site was split to form the Sinton Apartments and the Dairy Arts
Center, including Sinton Park.
Smith Park:
Smith Park is named in recognition of local Boulder resident Edward Sell Smith. Smith
was a real estate investor and union leader. Smith was a somewhat peculiar man who is known
for planting an apple orchard near his home. Smith died in November 1959, and his wife donated
the park site to the city in 1963, which was named in his honor.
Tom Watson Park:
Tom Watson Park is named after Thomas J. Watson, Sr. one of the principal leaders of
International Business Machines (IBM). In 1914, Watson was hired to head the newly formed
Computer Tabulating Recording Company, which he would rename to IBM in 1924. Watson
was in charge of IBM until just before his death in 1956, and during this time, he grew IBM into
a successful, dominant, international business. As a prominent businessman, Watson was elected
to the American Chamber of Commerce and served with the International Chamber of
Commerce. In this position, Watson worked to help promote and support the Third Reich’s
economy. Additionally, the Nazi State was a crucial business partner of Watson and IBM – they
relied on IBM products and support for the massive data processing they needed to carry out the
Holocaust. Watson structured IBM so that they never sold their machines, they only leased them,
they were the sole suppliers of the necessary punch cards, and they provided regular servicing to
their customers. In this way, while Watson was not an architect or perpetrator of the Holocaust,
his actions and decisions made him complicit in it. Before World War II, Watson was awarded
the Merit Cross of the German Eagle with Star by Adolf Hitler in 1937. Watson returned the
medal in 1940 in the face of growing American anti-Nazi sentiments. It should be noted that
IBM did business with many nations during the Second World War. Tom Watson Park was
created and named by IBM, as it was a part of their Boulder facility that was completed in 1967.
In 1997, IBM turned the site over to the City of Boulder, and it kept its name.
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3198 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304 | www.boulderparks-rec.org | O: 303-413-7200
TO: Parks and Recreation Advisory Board
FROM: Alison Rhodes, Director, Parks and Recreation Department
Jackson Hite, Business Services Manager
SUBJECT: Matters from the Department
DATE: June 28, 2021
A.2022 Operating Budget Submission
Between February and May, Boulder Parks and Recreation (BPR) staff provided regular updates
on the Recreation Activity Fund (RAF) based on impacts from COVID, gathering the Parks and
Recreation Advisory Board’s (PRAB) input on 2022 recreation user fees and levels of service.
Concurrent to this RAF specific process, staff has worked to develop a 2022 budget submission
that restores responsive and equitable service delivery and sets recreation on a sustainable path
into the future while allowing flexibility to implement recommendations from the 2022 Boulder
Parks and Recreation Mater Plan Update.
The department developed the 2022 proposed budget between April and early June in
consultation with staff and the PRAB and in alignment with the city’s Budgeting for Resilience
definitions and the department’s master plan. On Monday, June 28, the department will present
the proposed budget to the internal Executive Budget Team who will review the department
proposal as it relates to the City’s overall budget. The proposed budget as submitted by expense
type and fund are summarized in Table 1.
Table 1: 2022 Proposed Expense Type by Fund
Fund Personnel Operating
(NPE)
CIP Cost
Allocation
Total
General Fund $3.6 million $1.3 million $0 $0 $4.8 million
.25 Cent ST $3.6 million $2.4 million $2.9 million $0.5 million $9.8 million
RAF $6.9 million $3.7 million $0 $0 $10.6million
Perm Parks $1.0 million $0.5 million $1.1 million $0.1 million $2.7 million
Lottery $0 $0 $0.4 million $0 $0.4 million
Capital
Development
$0 $0 $0.1 million $0 $0.1 million
Total $15.1 million $7.8 million $4.5 million $0.7 million $28.5 million
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3198 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304 | www.boulderparks-rec.org | O: 303-413-7200
The Central Budget guidance for 2022 budget development has focused on strategic service level
restoration, while cautiously evaluating the economic recovery following COVID-19.
Staff anticipates further refinement to the budget submission based on Central Budget’s guidance
and based upon actual financial recovery. Staff will continue to work with Central Budget on the
department’s budget proposal before City Council reviews the budget (September 2021) and
approves it (October 2021). Staff will report back to the PRAB with a final recommended budget
later this year.
Areas of Restoration:
All budget requests considered by the department were aligned with the city’s Sustainability
Framework and examined for Racial Equity Impact. The proposed budget restores service levels
in a way that ensures responsive and equitable service delivery, sets recreation on a sustainable
path into the future and allows for implementation of recommendations from the Boulder Parks
and Recreation Master Plan Update. There is a significant focus on reinvestment in staff capacity
to ensure the department has the staff resources to reintroduce programming that was stopped
due to impacts from COVID 19.. The department will continue to work within the limited
financial resources.
In total, there would be 7.0 FTE reinstated from positions that were left vacant throughout the
past year, 1.25 FTE on new positions to support operational needs, and 1.0 FTE converted to a
new job title. The reinstated positions include 3.0 FTE for Park Operations and Forestry. There
are an additional 4.0 FTE that would be restored in the Recreation Activity Fund, with 1 position
supporting Expand, 1 position supporting aquatics and 2 positions supporting Sports, Gymnastics
and Health and Wellness. These positions would be phased in as program levels are restored,
with a continued focus on community access and youth programming. A total of 1.25 FTE in
new positions are being requested, with 1.0 FTE supporting the Columbia Cemetery and Civic
Area with increased maintenance needs. An additional 0.25 FTE is being requested to support
water safety access at Boulder Reservoir. Finally, a management level position would be
converted to support operations at the three recreation centers, with a focus on childcare and
youth access. Collectively, this would increase the budgeted FTE from 125.75 FTE in the 2021
budget to 135.0 FTE in the 2022 proposed budget. This staffing level is still significantly less
than the 145.25 FTE in 2020’s approved budget as staff continues to restore positions in a
methodical approach as programming, demand, and budget allow for it.
In addition to standard staffing, the proposed budget includes additional non-standard staff to
support operations that have seen the largest increase in usage since the onset of the pandemic.
The workgroups that would increase non-standard staffing levels include Aquatics, Flatirons
Golf Course, Boulder Reservoir, Natural Lands, Park Operations, Special Events and Valmont
City Park. The proposed budget also includes additional budget for non-standard staffing based
on increased market rate wages for certain positions and anticipated increases to minimum wage.
These front-line employees allow for increased staffing levels during peak seasons and increased
usage across the parks and recreation system.
For Urban Parks, funding would be restored that helps with regular park maintenance, which will
allow the department to catch up on deferred maintenance. In 2020 and 2021, aesthetic services
like string trimming were performed less frequently, and non-essential maintenance on
playgrounds and tennis courts was also deferred. This funding would allow for reinstatement of
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3198 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304 | www.boulderparks-rec.org | O: 303-413-7200
these types of maintenance activities. Other increases in the Park Operations budget include
increased janitorial for the public restrooms in parks, including the East Boulder Community
Park restroom that will open in 2021, and other general cost escalations in materials and services.
Forestry would have funding restored to help with the commercial tree program and maintenance
of the urban canopy. Many of these expenses were reduced in 2020 and 2021 due to decreased
staff, while other expenses were shifted to the Emerald Ash Borer Capital Improvement Project
to reduce the burden on the general fund. Funding would ensure the department can meet safety
goals and implement recommendations laid out in the Urban Forest Strategic Plan. Special
Events would receive restored funding in 2022 for community and special events that support
space activation and community events. This includes programs such as Snow Much Fun, which
historically activates the Civic Area and Downtown over the holidays in November, December,
and January.
The Recreation Activity Fund’s 2022 budget submission includes additional expenses for
maintaining the business model. There are increased costs associated with janitorial and potential
replacement for the recreation management system that is over 5 years old. The department will
continue to prioritize community recreation where services are not provided by other government
agencies or the private sector. The department will also continue to rely on funding from the
General Fund to subsidize access and inclusion, to continue services for underserved youth and
families and to provide age-based discounts for youth and seniors.
Based on the work done with the PRAB since February 2021, there is a delta between revenues
and expenses in the Recreation Activity Fund of approximately $1.3 million. This delta is caused
by decreased participation at recreation centers and increases in staffing costs and other fixed
expenses. The PRAB recommended to not increase recreation facility fees in 2022 and to seek
possible funding alternatives from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), General Fund Subsidy or
RAF Reserves. If these methods do not work, staff will engage with the PRAB to further reduce
expenses or increase revenue, which may include additional service reductions.
Impacts
Operating Budget: Based on initial department review of proposed operating budget, the 2022
proposed operating budget totals $24.0 million: $15.1 million in personnel costs, $7.8 million in
operating non-personnel costs and $0.7 million in cost allocation. Collectively this amounts to an
approximately 14% increase in expenses or $3.0 million when compared to the 2021 approved
budget.
CIP Budget: $4.5 million recommended for 2022 with the 2022-2027 CIP, projecting an
investment of $26.1 million throughout the six-year program. This equates to average annual CIP
funding of $4.4 million and reflects the total uses of funds projected for 2021 in the Lottery
Fund, .25 Cent Sales Tax Fund, Capital Development Fund and Permanent Parks and Recreation.
The decrease of CIP in 2022 is 47%; however, this is tied to the phasing and sequencing of CIP
projects given 2021’s budget was larger than a typical year to provide funding to the Flatirons
Golf Course Facility. The CIP budget focuses on urban canopy restoration, neighborhood and
community park maintenance and refurbishment of existing facilities. The largest project in
2021’s CIP is the Aquatics Facility Enhancement planned for the East Boulder Community
Center’s leisure pool. In the 2021-2026 CIP there was a total projected investment of $31.0
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3198 Broadway, Boulder, CO 80304 | www.boulderparks-rec.org | O: 303-413-7200
million, which has decreased by approximately 16% or $2.9 million across the six-year program,
which is about a $0.5 million decrease per year.
NEXT STEPS
At a future PRAB meeting, staff will provide an update on the 2022 proposed budget. Staff will
also inform the PRAB as information is made available upon spending of ARPA funding. The
proposed budget will be reviewed by the city’s Executive Budget Team, discussed by City
Council in September 2021, and is scheduled for adoption by City Council in October 2021. All
funds would be appropriated and available starting in January 2021.
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