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From YouTube: Inside Boulder News - March 23, 2012
Description
The community provides feedback on a proposal to create housing for the chronically homeless in north Boulder; new compost bins make it easy to be environmentally responsible on Pearl Street; and the city invites the public to participate and stay informed as Boulder plans for its Energy Future.
A
Boulders
top
stories
this
week
the
community
provides
feedback
on
a
proposal
to
create
housing
for
the
chronically
homeless
in
North
Boulder.
New
compost
bins
make
it
easy
to
be
environmentally
responsible
on
Pearl
Street
and
the
city
invites
the
public
to
participate
and
stay
informed
as
Boulder
plans
for
its
energy
future
hi
I'm
Mike
banuelos,
a
public
hearing
on
a
controversial
proposal
to
build
31
apartments
in
North
Boulder
for
previously
homeless,
individuals
drew
80
speakers
on
Tuesday,
night
and
emotional
testimony
from
a
variety
of
perspectives.
A
The
two
and
a
half
hour
hearing
centered
on
Boulder
housing
partners
planned
to
use
land
it
owns
on
lee
hill
and
broadway
to
create
housing
first
community.
Some
area
residents
have
expressed
concerns
about
the
proposed
location,
clustering
of
homeless
services
and
affordable
housing
in
their
neighborhood,
and
what
they
see
is
an
unfair
public
process.
North.
B
Polar
community
is
at
a
tipping
point.
Three
of
the
city's
plans
have
clearly
been
violated
with
what
bhp
is
built
in
north
boulder,
which
1175
lee
hill
violates
even
further.
First,
the
boulder
valley
comprehensive
plan
articles,
704
states
for
populations
with
special
needs.
Housing
locations
should
be
in
proximity
to
housing
or
shopping
medical
services,
entertainment
public
transportation
and
every
effort
will
be
made
to
avoid
concentration
of
these
homes.
In
one
area,
no
effort
has
been
made
to
avoid
concentration.
In
fact,
every
effort
has
been
made
to
concentrate
all
public
amenities
require
significant
bus
ride.
B
Second,
the
North
Boulder
sub-community
plan
in
chapter
11
has
future
growth
objectives
to
create
neighborhood
districts
with
varying
character
and
densities,
and
to
retain
5%
of
North
boulders
total
housing
is
permanently
affordable.
What
happened
to
this
wonderful
plan
to
the
village
center,
the
library,
the
civic
center
on
the
man
property,
the
village
green
on
both
sides
of
Four
Mile,
Canyon,
Creek
off
Broadway?
B
A
C
Like
to
urge
all
of
us
to
consider
a
second
language,
a
second
language
of
commune,
that's
about
helping
people,
that's
about
social
justice,
that's
about
considering
having
this
model,
this
housing
first
model,
which
has
been
proven
to
work
in
other
areas
and
giving
this
model
a
chance
in
Boulder.
I,
think
this
is
a
critical
social
justice
issue
for
our
city,
and
I
support
the
lee
hill
project.
C
I
think
part
of
what
social
justice
requires
is.
It
needs
to
be
not
just
a
concept,
but
it
has
to
be
living
has
to
be
in
a
place
and
the
place
selected
by
older
housing
partners
was
an
empty
lot,
and
if
this
project
goes
through,
it
will
be
a
thriving
community
with
support
and
a
model
that
works.
City.
A
Council
has
limited
authority
to
block
the
proposed
development
according
to
city
attorney,
Tom
car
Boulder
code
calls
for
transitional
housing
site
review
to
occur
at
the
staff
level,
and
there
is
little
room
without
changing
the
law
for
discretion.
Council
will
also
need
to
consider
anti-discrimination
guidelines
that
prevent
exclusion
or
unfair
treatment
of
people
with
disabilities.
A
Nonetheless,
many
participants
said
they
believe
the
public
hearing
was
an
important
step
council
plans
to
weigh
in
with
its
thoughts
and
possible
recommendations
at
its
meeting
on
april
third,
being
environmentally
responsible
on
Pearl
Street
Mall
just
got
a
little
bit
easier.
Pedestrians
can
now
compost
items
like
coffee
cups
and
banana
peels,
instead
of
throwing
them
away
on
the
mall,
the
city
of
boulders
local
environmental
action
division
worked
with
the
Parks
and
Recreation
Department
to
launch
a
new
pilot
program
which
installed
compost
bins
at
three
weigh
stations
along
the
heavily
used
pedestrian
mall.
D
We
had
three
collection
stations
on
the
mall
and
they
were
configured
for
crash
paper
and
bottles
and
cans,
but
since
the
city
switched
over
to
single
stream
recycling,
we
didn't
have
a
need
for
two
separate
recycling
bins.
So
we
decided
to
try
and
collect
compostable
materials
with
that
third
bin.
What
will
happen
is
the
crews
that
is
already
empty.
The
containers
on
the
mall
will
bring
those
over
to
our
city
facilities.
D
We
already
have
compost
collection
in
all
city
offices,
and
so
those
materials
will
go
in
with
our
city
materials
and
go
out
to
Western
disposals
compost
facility.
What
should
go
in
these
compost
bins
is
we're
really
targeting
compostable
coffee
cups.
We
did
a
lot
of
audits,
so
the
trash
on
the
mall,
and
that
was
a
number
one
material
that
was
literally
in
the
trash
cans,
and
so
we're
really
trying
to
divert
those.
D
So
if
you're
on
the
mall
and
you're
having
you
know
coffee
or
have
a
takeout
container
that
says
compostable
on
it,
it's
really
important
that
it
says
that
it
should
go
in
that
container.
Now,
there's
a
lot
of
things
on
the
mall
that
aren't
compostable.
So
anything
lined
in
plastics,
such
as
a
fountain
soda
cup
or
an
ice
cream
container
that
you're
eating
from
that
should
still
go
in
the
trash,
but
anything
that
says
compostable
any
food
scraps
any
napkins.
You
know
a
paper-based
product
can
go
in
there.
D
The
goal
of
the
program
is
to
really
get
more
material
out
of
the
landfill.
Boulder
has
a
goal
of
eighty-five
percent
waste
diversion
by
2017,
so
we
have
a
while
to
go
yet
and
we
have
a
lot
of
businesses
that
have
really
been
proactive
about
switching
and
compostable
materials
downtown,
especially,
and
we
really
want
to
support
them.
We
want
to
make
sure
there's
places
in
the
public,
for
you
know
folks,
walking
around
to
properly
dispose
of
their
items
and
and
to
really
support
those
businesses
that
have
made
that
choice,
parks.
A
A
The
city
of
Boulder
has
completed
the
first
capital
improvement
bond
project
along
gillespie
driving
south
boulder.
The
project
involved
the
construction
of
a
missing
sidewalk
link
on
Gillespie
Drive
between
green
bar
Boulevard
and
Juilliard
Street.
This
project
is
one
of
several
new
sidewalk
connections,
termed
missing
links
that
will
be
constructed
as
part
of
the
bond.
By
connecting
these
links,
the
city
is
able
to
fill
the
gaps
in
the
sidewalk
and
multi-use
path
network
and
further
promote
safe,
multimodal
travel
options.
A
Capital
improvement,
bond
projects
like
this
one
were
made
possible
by
voters
in
the
November
2011
election
voters
approved
a
measure
that
allowed
the
city
to
leverage
existing
revenues
to
bond
for
up
to
49
million
dollars
to
fund
projects
to
make
high
priority
infrastructure
improvements.
The
city
was
able
to
leverage
existing
revenues,
so
the
measures
did
not
raise
taxes.
You
can
track
the
progress
of
the
bond
projects
at
the
city
of
Boulder
website
just
visit,
Boulder
Colorado
gov
/
bond
projects
as
Boulder
continues
to
explore
different
possibilities
for
its
energy
future.
A
The
public
is
encouraged
to
receive
information
and
provide
feedback
on
the
process,
the
public's
invited
to
attend
the
city's
environmental
advisory
board
meetings,
which
are
now
taking
place
twice
a
month
in
order
to
provide
direction
on
the
anticipated
changes
to
the
way
the
city
approaches
climate
action.
The
board
now
meets
on
the
second
and
fourth
tuesdays
of
the
month
in
city
council
chambers.
A
The
environmental
advisory
board
has
been
asked
to
take
an
expanded
role
in
order
to
help
guide
the
discussion
about
what
the
future
will
look
like
for
climate
action
work
as
part
of
the
larger
energy
future
project
residents
can
also
sign
up
for
the
boulders
energy
future
today
newsletter
at
the
energy
future
website.
The
first
edition
of
this
newsletter
contains
a
letter
from
city
manager,
Jane
Brautigam,
updates
on
the
city's
municipal,
ization
analysis
and
details
about
how
Boulder
residents
and
businesses
can
get
involved
and
make
an
impact
on
the
environment
today.
A
Lastly,
members
of
the
community
can
get
additional
information
by
meeting
with
city
staff
to
discuss
all
things
related
to
the
boulder
energy
and
climate
future
project.
At
the
next
walk
in
Wednesday
session.
The
April
fourth
event
will
take
place
at
the
West
Senior
Center
staff
members
will
available
to
answer
questions
and
collect
feedback.
A
The
city
is
committed
to
involving
the
community
in
the
ongoing
research
and
analysis
associated
with
the
potential
creation
of
a
city-owned
electric
utility
and
the
public
meetings
and
the
energy
future
newsletter
are
just
a
few
of
several
opportunities
for
the
public
to
get
involved
with
the
project
in
2012.
That's
all
the
time
we
have
for
this
week.
You
can
connect
with
inside
Boulder
news
on
Facebook
by
submitting
news
tips
and
questions
just
search
for
city
of
Boulder
channel
8.
I'm
mike
Ben
Willis
stick
around
for
inside
Boulder.
Next.