Members present: Chris Berry, City of Lafayette; Don Brown, City of Louisville; Doug Brown, City of Longmont; Clark Griep, City and County of Broomfield; Ken Lenarcic, Town of Jamestown; Andrew Muggle, Town of Superior; Mark Ruzzin, City of Boulder; Ron Stewart, Boulder County; Tom Van Lone, Town of Erie. Others present: Frank Alexander, Boulder County Housing Authority; Heather Balser, City of Louisville; Cindy Brown, Boulder Housing Partners; Dave Clabots, City of Louisville; Kathy Fedler, City of Longmont; Devin Granbery, Town of Superior; Heath Harmon, Boulder County Public Health; Trevor Hughes, Longmont Times-Call; Jennifer Hoffman, City & County of Broomfield; Aaron Miripol, Thistle Housing; Dan Powers, Boulder Chamber of Commerce; Scott Simkus, Boulder County Housing Authority; Valeria Skitt, City of Longmont; Dickey Lee Hullinghorst and Jane Uitti, Boulder County Staff.

Chris Berry, City of Lafayette, reported the start of building a twelve-acre park in South Point. They have not decided on any fall ballot measures, but have police and fire staff needs. They are considering need for a senior and community center.

Andrew Muckle, Town of Superior, stated they are working on funding and timing for the interchange at U.S. 36 and McCaslin Blvd.

Mark Ruzzin, City of Boulder, said the city is unlikely to put measures on the ballot this fall. The city is planning a few charter changes in 2005. The city has adopted Kyoto Protocol standards for Boulder, resulting in lower greenhouse gas emissions. The city continues to improve recycling facilities on 63^rd Street. An open space visitor master plan is being developed, which will go to the city council in fall. The City of Boulder supports FasTracks and is considering a measure to increase transportation funding in 2005. The city is rezoning Mapleton Mobile Home Park to turn it over to Thistle as affordable housing. The city has dedicated the Holiday neighborhood in North Boulder as affordable housing. Boulder is hiring an economic vitality coordinator who will work on economic development issues with the city manager, with a focus on infill redevelopment. The 29^th Street Mall public hearings will start in a month or so, with anticipation of site demolition and construction starting in the fall.

Doug Brown, City of Longmont, said revenues are still strong, permitting employee raises this year. There have been lots of commercial annexations on 119. Longmont has coordinated with Boulder County on an open space purchase in Weld County. They are starting work on a long range multi-modal transportation program.

Don Brown, City of Louisville, announced the planned opening of the new police station at McCaslin and Via Appia in two months. The city is developing plans for a community park between Roosevelt and 96^th Streets near Storage Tek, which will accommodate large community events and an off-leash dog park, next year. The Highway 42 bypass to Northeast Parkway is underway, with an anticipated completion date of early 2005. New library planning is underway for a 2-story building with 1.5 parking levels underground, across the street from the current downtown library. The city is planning on completing a skateboard park by October. The council is concerned about increased traffic on Via Appia, and is a strong supporter of FasTracks. The city has undertaken a yearlong review of their comprehensive plan, with significant community outreach, which is deemed necessary to discuss the future of the city’s undeveloped areas following the Storage Tek residential expansion proposal. Street fairs start downtown on June 18; the Steinbaugh Pavilion, built with all volunteer labor, will host well-known bands this summer. The city has hired Jeff Moline as its new open space coordinator. It has formed a business retention and development committee.

Ken Lenarcic, Town of Jamestown, said that sixteen truckloads of straw have been dropped on last year’s fire area, to prevent erosion and promote re-growth. Numerous Fourth of July events are planned.

Tom Van Lone, Town of Erie, announced volunteer water restrictions every other day. Erie is working on a unified development code that will affect transportation and commercial development. The trustees are developing a new plat built on a grid system, to build a link from new to old town. The town will be considering several comprehensive plan amendments; the population is anticipated to grow in population from 10,000 to 30,000 during the next 8- 9 years. The trustees are studying building a recreation center. Vista Ridge has added lots of revenue to Erie, and the town considers itself financially stable with a good housing market. They are working on development of IGA’s with Dacono and Frederick.

Ron Stewart, Boulder County, announced that twelve new units of senior housing will open in Longmont soon. Coal Creek-Rock Creek trail extensions will be complete in a few years, resulting in 10 miles of trails connecting the southeast communities. Other trails linking Longmont and Boulder, going through Gunbarrel and Niwot, will use an underpass under Highway 52. The county has endorsed FasTracks. The passage of county ballot issue 1A in 2000 will result in the doubling of patient care capacity at Salud Clinic in Longmont and Clinica Campesina in Lafayette. The new transportation and parks & open space facility in Longmont will use a biomass process for heating, which uses forest thinning material to run its operations. Ron reiterated that Boulder County is buying a 74-acre parcel in Weld County with that county’s approval, in conjunction with the City of Longmont through the Federal Farmland Protection Program Act and through Great Outdoors Colorado.

Don Brown moved to approve the April 7, 2004 minutes. The motion was seconded, and passed unanimously.

Frank Alexander from Boulder County Housing Authority joined Cindy Brown from Boulder Housing Partners, Aaron Mirapol from Thistle Housing, and Kathy Fedler from the City of Longmont to highlight and update the consortium on the Boulder County Civic Forum’s proposal to undertake a comprehensive housing survey.

The last Housing Summit was held in 1993. The Affordable Housing Initiative Draft proposes a cooperative housing needs assessment financed by local governments and co-sponsors including foundations and federal/state programs, using existing information and compiling more through the assistance of a consultant.

The draft summarizes the six tasks, which include:

Conducting a housing needs assessment;

Conducting parallel research such as employment and economic data;

Organizing an affordable housing summit;

Appointment of an affordable housing task force to develop a consolidated plan following the summit;

Development of a consolidated plan by key interests; and

Publicity, information, and communication among governments.

Consortium members discussed what "affordability" might mean, how each community would decide how to address identified gaps, which studies have already been done that can be coordinated, and opportunities for coordinated partnerships between communities. Members want more information on the allocation of costs of each of the tasks, how the mix of home ownership and rental needs will be addressed, and the impact of additional affordable housing on the community, including schools. They suggested that the Civic Forum also determine the structure that housing partners use to plan housing programs, regional differences in housing for comparable housing in different communities, and determine what’s creating the demand for affordable housing. They emphasized building affordable housing to withstand the market pressures of economic ups and downs, and the need to obtain permanently affordable housing stock now, due to the unsure nature of future Section 8 voucher programs.

The members suggested the need to expand Task 4 (Affordable housing task force) to include not just the advocates of those who support affordable housing, but other organizations with issues and concerns, such as environmentalists, no-growthers, developers.

Motion: A motion was made by Mark Ruzzin, seconded, and passed to endorse the concepts in the affordable housing initiative draft, with the request that the communities’ staffs expand the ideas so that the local governments’ councils and trustees can give their input, with a report back in two months at the next Consortium meeting.

Heath Harmon, Epidemiologist from the Department of Public Health, handed out information on the Department’s multi-phased approach in addressing West Nile Virus in Boulder County. The handout includes surveillance data from 2003 including Boulder County’s 430 cases reported last year with 85 patients hospitalized, 52 severe cases, and seven deaths. The 2004 season will be difficult to predict, and it is estimated that 97% of Boulder’s residents are still susceptible. The county is promoting public education about the dangers of West Nile, and the use of appropriate dress (long sleeves and pants), DEET, water drainage, and reduced exposure at dusk and dawn. The county is involved in surveillance and control with integrated pest management companies, and anticipates that 95% of mosquito control will be accomplished through larval applications of Bti.

Discussion with consortium members focused on educating private property owners about standing water, and educating leaseholders of city and county agricultural lands. The health department urges residents with concerns about someone’s standing water to contact them at the West Nile Virus Hotline, (303) 441-1460, or at www.bouldercountymosquito.net .

The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, August 4, 2004, 7:00 pm, location to be announced.