March 30, 2026
Boulder Arts Week, festival licenses for renters, minimum wage changes, online budget activities, a fire-rescue community academy and a party at KGNU.
In this newsletter
- What's new?
- Upcoming Topics
- Recent Decisions
- Get engaged
- Community Kudos
- What I'm reading/listening to
- Quote for the month
- Community resources
- Weekly Schedule
What's new?
Boulder Arts Week runs April 3–12 with more than 115 events across the city, including mural tours, theater performances, dance workshops, poetry readings, pottery classes and more. Find more information here.
Upcoming Topics
At its meeting this week, the City Council will consider expanding festival rental licenses so renters can rent their homes during large festivals. Councilmembers will also discuss possible changes to Boulder's tipped minimum wage.
(I have significant concerns about that latter topic. You can read a summary here.)
Recent Decisions
Last week, BVSD shared how declining enrollment threatens student learning outcomes and outlined its April community engagement plans. Council and Planning Board talked through areas of strength and concern in the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan draft as the update heads into its final months.
Get engaged
- Tell the city which services matter most to you by joining an upcoming Fund Our Future engagement session on March 31 or April 7, 13, 14, or 19, or doing the online activity before April 19.
- Learn about the updated draft of the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan and provide feedback by April 6.
- Apply for Boulder Fire‑Rescue's 2026 Community Academy by April 8 to get a firsthand look at how our city's firefighters handle emergencies.
- Attend the Boulder Arts Blueprint launch party on April 12 at KGNU’s new space to learn how the city will support local artists and strengthen arts and culture over the next decade.
- Learn about declining enrollment and the tradeoffs BVSD is weighing to prioritize student learning and outcomes at community conversations on April 13 and 16. Click here for additional dates and information.
Community kudos
Art and music are critical to every anti-authoritarian movement. Thanks to Boulder's newly formed chapter of Singing Resistance for their hours of singing at the No Kings protest this weekend (see Boulder Reporting Lab's photos).
What I'm reading/listening to
- Boulder Mayor Aaron Brockett and Planning Engagement Strategist Vivian Castro-Wooldridge discussed the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan. (KGNU)
- Professor Brian Keegan explained why the regents should recognize collective bargaining rights for the CU's 48,000 employees. (Colorado Sun)
- Michael Booth tracked how climate change is already reshaping the state, from record heat and shrinking snowpacks to shifting bird ranges in Boulder. (Colorado Sun)
- The osprey cam at the Boulder County Fairgrounds turned into a soap opera when the nest's longtime matriarch shut down a rival's attempt to steal her mate. (Axios Boulder)
- Colorado’s 27,000‑worker state employees’ union issued a fiery statement about dark‑money's role in state primaries. (COWINS)
Quote for the month
Hope is not prognostication. It is an orientation of the spirit, an orientation of the heart. It transcends the world that is immediately experienced, and is anchored somewhere beyond its horizons.
-Václav Havel, playwright, dissident, president
Community resources
Click here to find local financial and social assistance programs, report an issue, contact staff or Councilmembers, learn about grant opportunities, and more.
Weekly schedule
Schedule office hours or find my weekly schedule and annual meeting tally here.
