By Nicole Speer in Nicole's Notes — 09 Aug 2026

August 10, 2026

Juniper replacement, more micromobility, citywide strategic plan, Civic Area East Bookend, 2026 ballot measures, standardized emergency alerts.

Congratulations to all the parents who made it through BVSD's summer break! I wish everyone a gentle transition into the new school year. Photo by Element5 Digital / Unsplash

What's new?

Construction begins Aug. 11 to replace the deteriorating pedestrian bridge on Arapahoe Ave. just west of Cherryvale. Read more about impacts.
The city is replacing some junipers near Wonderland Lake with safer, low‑flammability plants to model wildfire‑resilient landscaping. Learn more.
Starting this month, look for LimeGlider seated scooters near city limits, more BCycle stations, and larger mandatory Lime scooter parking zones downtown. Click here for details.

Upcoming Topics

This week's study session will update Councilmembers on the citywide strategic planning process, the request for proposals for the Civic Area East Bookend concept plan, and likely 2026 county and statewide ballot measures.

Learn more about this week’s topics + upcoming items

Recent Decisions

At last week's meeting, the Council advanced four measures for the November 2026 ballot and accepted what were hopefully the final changes to the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan major update.

Learn more about recent decisions

Get engaged

Share your experiences with power outages through a 10-minute BeHeardBoulder questionnaire (available in English and Spanish here).
An Aug. 11 Artist Meetup will help working artists identify where their creative energy leaks and develop more tools to protect it. Learn more and register here.
Apply by Aug. 13 for a chance to become Boulder's first-ever Poet Laureate. Find more information and the application here.
Join the Boulder Public Library District on Aug. 20 for an evening of poetry, storytelling, music, and conversation with three Black fathers sharing creative work about grief, joy, and parenting in predominantly white spaces. Find details here.
Boulder voters will elect a mayor and five councilmembers this November. Learn how to get your name on the ballot by Aug. 24.

Community kudos

Thank you to the city's emergency response team for working with dispatch centers across the Front Range to standardize emergency messaging. Click here to learn more about the standardized emergency alert system and how hi/lo sirens will be used to alert individual neighborhoods when Evacuation Orders are issued.

What I'm reading/listening to

The full-time wage needed to spend no more than 30% of income on a 1BR rental in Boulder rises to $34.52/hr. (National Low Income Housing Coalition)
Boulder County is studying whether temporary worker housing on agricultural land could help address a farm labor shortage. (Boulder Reporting Lab)
Colorado regulators push back on Xcel’s claim that rate hikes aren’t burdensome in a high‑income state like ours. (The Colorado Sun)
Front Range ozone levels are soaring past federal limits again this summer, creating major risks to public health. (The Colorado Sun)
The Colorado River hit its lowest flow in at least a decade, critically impacting water supplies for farms, reservoirs and endangered fish. (The Colorado Sun)

Quote for the month

If we want to change the world, it must first come from healing the discord within our own souls.

-Will Bowen, author of A Complaint Free World

Community resources

Click here to find additional financial and social assistance programs, report an issue, contact staff or Councilmembers, learn about grant opportunities, and more.