Boulder City Council
Council will have a public safety discussion with Xcel Energy at its April 18 meeting, following shutoffs April 6-10 that left 55,000 without power.
At its April 25 study session, council will discuss:
• Updates to quality of life and chronic nuisance laws. The proposed new ordinance redefines “public nuisance” as having one or more violations, previously two or more, and creates a definition for “chronic nuisance” properties.
The number of violations for a property to be classified as a chronic nuisance depends on the number of units at the property — five public nuisance violations in a year for a single dwelling unit, for example, and 23 violations in a year for a parcel with 10 or more dwelling units.
Consequences for public and chronic nuisances — which includes violations like noise, trash and weeds — may include education, fines, or revocation or reduced terms for rental licenses, “based on the nature of the violation,” according to the city’s website. The city estimates that between 10 and 20 properties will be designated as chronic nuisances each year.
• Further changes to zoning rules for affordable housing. Last year, council made changes to the land use code to allow more and smaller housing units and encourage greater diversity of housing types, according to draft materials for the April 18 meeting.
For Phase II of the project, council is considering simplifying the review process for middle-income housing, analyzing low-density areas to see where additional housing may be possible and exploring restrictions in low-density areas that would encourage home ownership.
Lafayette City Council
• On April 16th, council approved the purchase of solar-powered ultrasonic buoys to control algae and monitor water quality in Baseline Reservoir, Goose Haven Reservoir Complex and Waneka Lake. The devices will help control and treat algae and algae-related compounds that impact the taste and smell of drinking water, reducing or eliminating the need for herbicide use. Nine buoys cost the city $458,000.
Karen Norback contributed to this reporting.