03.05.24 UHCAMC Meeting MinutesCITY OF BOULDER
BOULDER, COLORADO
BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS MEETING MINUTES
Name of Board/Commission: University Hill Commercial Area Management Commission
Date of Meeting: March 5, 2024
Contact Information Preparing Summary: Lisa Wuycheck, 303-441-3254
Board Members Present: Trent Bush, Tell Jones, Cheryl Liguori, Ted Rockwell (Chair), Andrew
Shoemaker (Vice-Chair)
Board Members Absent:
Staff Present:
Cris Jones, Director of Community Vitality (CV)
Reegan Brown, CV Senior Project Manager
Lane Landrith, CV District Vitality Specialist
Emi Smith, City of Boulder Communications Program Manager
Lisa Wuycheck, CV Executive Assistant
Guests Present:
Jake Hudson-Humphrey, The Hill Boulder
Dakota Soifer, The Hill Boulder
Mary Cooper Ellis, University Hill Neighborhood Association
Charlene Hoffman, Visit Boulder
Public Present:
Type of Meeting: Regular/Hybrid
The meeting was called to order at 4:02 p.m. A quorum was present for the conduct of business.
Agenda Item 1: Roll Call
Agenda Item 2: Procedural Items
A. Approval of the January 9, 2024 Meeting Minutes
• Liguori made a motion to approve the January meeting minutes as presented in the meeting
packet. Second by Tell Jones. The motion passed unanimously.
Agenda Item 3: Public Participation
Mary Cooper Ellis provided the following updates from the University Hill Neighborhood Association
(UHNA).
• Ellis said the UHNA is looking forward to the opening of the Hill Hotel in hopes that this
invite more reciprocity between the commercial area and the residential area.
• Ellis said the UHNA is eagerly awaiting the creation of designated Lime E-Scooter parking
spots (groves) that will enforce proper parking of the scooters and keep the scooters off of the
sidewalks.
• Ellis said the UHNA is eager to hear an update on the status of the 14th Street parking lot.
Agenda Item 4: Consent Agenda
Consent Agenda – Topics will not be discussed unless there are questions posed by the Commission.
Please reference the consent agenda memo.
• UHCAMC had no questions or comments regarding the consent agenda.
Agenda Item 5: Fund Financials
The fund will not be discussed unless there are questions posed by the Commission. Please reference
the packet attachment.
• UHCAMC had no questions or comments regarding the fund financials.
Agenda Item 6: The Hill Boulder Update
Jake Hudson-Humphrey and Dakota Soifer, from The Hill Boulder, addressed the Commission.
Hudson-Humphrey and Soifer presented an overview of The Hill Boulder’s purpose, its recent
accomplishments, and its current challenges.
Hudson-Humphrey explained The Hill Boulder acts as an intermediary between the City of Boulder
and The Hill merchants and property owners. He said The Hill Boulder focuses on strong marketing
efforts for the district.
Soifer announced The Hill’s ARPA funding of $10K/year will stop at the end of 2024. He said The
Hill Boulder does not want to lose the progress they’ve made over the last couple of years due to lack
of funding.
Soifer and Hudson-Humphrey asked UHCAMC to support a commitment from the City for $20K
yearly funding for The Hill Boulder from 2025-2028.
The commissioners thanked The Hill Boulder staff for their work.
Agenda Item 7: University Hill Marketing Efforts
Visit Boulder CEO Charlene Hoffman said the organization’s mission statement is to strengthen the
local economy by inspiring visitor connections to Boulder’s vibrant landscape and unique culture.
Hoffman said Visit Boulder is the official destination marketing organization for the City of Boulder.
Hoffman said the new hotel and convention center on The Hill is a major focus for Visit Boulder. She
spoke about bringing groups to The Hill hotel through a price incentive program. She emphasized the
importance of a safe, clean environment on The Hill to attract visitors.
Hoffman asked the commissioners the following questions.
• What do you want The Hill to be known for?
• What kind of vibe do you want The Hill to have?
• How do we market this for you?
• What stories do you want us to be telling?
Hoffman said Visit Boulder has funding to help with a lot of these initiatives. She said their contract
with the City includes providing services to the hospitality industry which includes all the merchants.
Rockwell said there are a lot of different entities connected to The Hill, and he suggested coordinating
these forces. Hoffman said Visit Boulder is engaged in a feasibility study to determine if the hotels are
interested in forming a Boulder Hotel Improvement District. She said, if this happens, more revenue
streams will be available.
Rockwell said he appreciates Visit Boulder’s advocacy for The Hill. Wuycheck will send Rockwell
the meeting minutes from the most recent UHCAMC retreat. Rockwell will send the minutes and the
ULI TAP results to Hoffman. Visit Boulder and UHCAMC plan to work together to promote
economic vitality on The Hill.
Agenda Item 8: Matters from Staff
A. 2023 Final Budget Report
UHCAMC had no questions or comments regarding the 2023 final budget report.
B. ULI Tap & Hill Revitalization Efforts
Community Vitality Senior Project Manager Reegan Brown presented an update on The Hill
revitalization efforts. She gave an overview of the ULI TAP final report, discussed current staff
initiatives, and explained plans for the future.
Brown said short term revitalization strategies include projects that consider connecting, activating,
and enhancing the district's identity. She said long term strategies include the redevelopment of the
14th Street lot.
Brown discussed the immediate action plan resulting from the ULI TAP report which includes the
following.
• Explore greater connectivity.
• Implement short term activation opportunities.
• Deregulate liquor licensing rules unique to The Hill.
• Initiate a neighborhood rebranding campaign.
• Explore other long term district funding mechanisms.
• Initiate a long-term redevelopment plan for the 14th Street lot.
Brown said staff will implement pedestrian wayfinding on The Hill by replicating the signs currently
downtown.
Brown announced the City is partnering with Roots Music Project. She said there will be a three-part
music event series from June through August on Event Street in the district.
In the short term, she said staff is exploring piloting events and other unique experiences including
pop up activations for the 14th Street lot. She said the pavement might be painted in certain areas to
include an artistic crosswalk at Pleasant Street and Broadway. She discussed the possibility of new
murals.
Brown said staff is working closely with the Forestry Department to assess tree canopy improvements.
Brown discussed the Civic Area Phase 2 Project led by the Planning Department with support from
other city departments. This project explores connectivity improvements between The Hill and
Downtown.
UHCAMC Responses:
• The commissioners inquired about the process of planning special events on The Hill. Interim
Senior Manager of Cultural Vibrancy and District Vitality Matt Chasansky offered to share
contact information for Community Vitality’s Special Events Senior Manager Justin
Greenstein.
• Liguori discussed the importance of creating safe, welcoming alleys on The Hill.
C. District Alternatives Analysis and Capital Planning Project
CV Interim Senior Manager of Cultural Vibrancy & District Vitality Matt Chasansky is leading the
Alternatives Analysis and Capital Planning Project. Chasansky said the project researches the current
funding mechanisms and the current state of Boulder’s general improvement districts.
Chasansky said the purpose of the project is to develop a set of recommendations for financial
decisions for each of Boulder’s general improvement districts. He said staff is evaluating revenue and
taxation in each district vs services, programs, and capital expenses in order to create a functional
balance.
Chasansky said data collection is needed to understand the current conditions and needs of each district
while considering its visions. He said new circumstances arose after the pandemic in addition to new
public safety challenges, new opportunities, and the evolution of transportation options that weren’t
originally envisioned.
He said staff is analyzing how the public moves physically between the districts and what draws them
between the districts. Staff are also researching the governance of how the districts are run. Chasansky
emphasized the importance of efficient and effective governance to achieve the desired outcomes for
the districts.
Chasansky said the project will also evaluate how district funds can be leveraged to help realize future
visions. He said there must be a vision for each district to identify new services and programs over the
next set of decades. The vision will include capital planning.
Chasansky said CV staff and other city departments will work on this project. He added that staff will
assemble a stakeholder group to ensure people who are paying taxes and are affected by the
programming are in the room to help with visioning. He said members of various commissions will
be asked to serve on a committee.
Staff’s goal is to have recommendations finalized by the third quarter of 2025. At that time, the
recommendations will be presented to the commissions and to City Council.
Chasansky asked for one or two UHCAMC commissioners to volunteer to serve on the committee.
The commissioners agreed to identify volunteers at the May UHCAMC meeting.
Agenda Item 9: Matters from Commissioners
A. Feedback from Commissioners Ted Rockwell and Tell Jones – Meeting with Cris Jones
Rockwell and Cris Jones discussed creating a bi-monthly meeting series as an opportunity for CV staff
and Rockwell to check-in during the months when UHCAMC meetings are not being held. An
additional commissioner will attend the meetings on a rotating basis. Wuycheck will contact Rockwell
and CV staff to schedule the meetings.
B. City Council Request – UHCAMC Top Priorities
City Council requested a letter from each commission listing their top priorities. Prior to the meeting,
Wuycheck collected feedback from each commissioner, and staff drafted a letter based on the
feedback.
The commissioners reviewed and edited the draft letter and determined the following top 3 UHCAMC
priorities.
1. Readiness of the University Hill District for Increased Attention/Foot Traffic: With
expectations of increased attention and foot traffic in the University Hill district, proactive
measures are needed to support business development, enhance beautification efforts, and
address parking and access challenges including improved connections to downtown Boulder.
We encourage the City Council to prioritize initiatives aimed at fostering economic vitality,
improving streetscapes, and enhancing accessibility and wayfinding to and within the district to
capitalize on its potential as a vibrant commercial and cultural hub.
2. Cleanliness and Safety for an Inviting and Vibrant District: Ensuring that the University
Hill commercial district remains clean and safe is paramount to maintaining its vibrancy and
attractiveness to residents, visitors, conferences, and businesses alike. We urge the City Council
to continue prioritizing resources for enhanced cleaning services, increased public safety
measures, and proactive efforts to address vandalism, graffiti, and loitering.
3. Parking in the Redevelopment Plan for the 14th Street UHGID-Owned Parking Lot: As
redevelopment plans for the 14th Street UHGID parking lot progress, it is essential to consider
provisions for parking to accommodate the needs of businesses, employees, and visitors in the
area. We request that the City Council work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure that
adequate parking and access solutions are integrated into the redevelopment plan to support the
district's continued revitalization.
Bush moved to accept the letter to Council. Second by Liguori. All were in favor, and the motion
passed unanimously.
Jones announced Transportation & Mobility is creating a geo-fencing requirement for Lime E-Scooters
on The Hill.
Agenda Item 9: Next Commission Meeting
Next Commission Meeting: 4 p.m. Tuesday, May 14, 2024. The public will be remote.
Agenda Item 10: Adjourn
Rockwell adjourned the meeting at 6:21 p.m.
Approved by:
_____________________
Ted Rockwell
UHCAMC Chair
Attested:
___________________
Lauren Kennedy
Board Specialist
Date: __5/8/24_______ Date: _________________
ted rockwell (May 13, 2024 09:32 MDT)
ted rockwell
May 13, 2024
03.05.24 UHCAMC Meeting Minutes
APPROVED
Final Audit Report 2024-05-13
Created:2024-05-08
By:Lauren Kennedy (kennedyl@bouldercolorado.gov)
Status:Signed
Transaction ID:CBJCHBCAABAASmyk8x0Z9G2fva49l9rN7InYKxhZfvy7
"03.05.24 UHCAMC Meeting Minutes APPROVED" History
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