My 2026 proposals for Council priorities

With a one‑year Council term and so much uncertainty at the federal, state, and global levels, it’s important to stay focused on work that is realistic and supports the commitments already in motion. The priorities I put forward for consideration at the 2026 retreat are modest, practical additions that would help Boulder plan ahead, use resources responsibly, and support a stable and safe community. Each one builds on existing work and gives future Councils the information they need to make thoughtful, well-grounded decisions.

Jump to:

• Understanding Boulder's Housing Needs
• Renter Protection Tools in Preemption States
• Responsible Technology & Data Protection
• Ranked Choice Voting for Multi-Seat Elections
• Early Conversations on Library District Facilities

Understanding Boulder's Housing Needs

Summary

To prepare for upcoming BVCP implementation and to align with regional housing strategy work, the City will conduct a focused analysis of Boulder's current housing stock, current housing needs, projected 2050 housing needs, and the gaps between what exists today and what will be required to support a stable, inclusive community over time.

Background

1. Current Conditions: Boulder's existing housing stock reflects development patterns and demographic realities of past decades. As a result, the homes available today do not fully meet the needs of many current residents, including older adults, workers, families with children, people with disabilities, and students. This mismatch contributes to displacement pressures, limited mobility within the community, and constrained options for households across income levels.
2. Demographic Shifts: Regional and national projections indicate that by 2050, Boulder will experience significant changes in age distribution, household composition, disability prevalence, and workforce needs. Planning only for today's population risks locking in a housing pattern that will not serve the community we are likely to have in 25 years. Understanding these shifts now will help Boulder make informed, values aligned decisions during BVCP implementation and future policy work.
3. Regional Opportunity: DRCOG is developing a Regional Housing Strategy in 2026 that will help communities understand how to meet their long term housing needs. To participate meaningfully in this regional effort and to benefit from DRCOG's technical support, Boulder needs a clear understanding of its own housing stock, current needs, and projected 2050 needs. This priority provides that foundation.

Scope of Work

The City will analyze the following areas to understand how well Boulder's housing system aligns with both present and future community needs:

1. Current Housing Stock and Characteristics
   1. Distribution of housing types, sizes, ages, and accessibility features
   2. Tenure patterns (rental vs. ownership)
   3. Existing affordability levels and naturally occurring affordable housing
   4. Geographic distribution of housing options (e.g., are certain neighborhoods disproportionately carrying or lacking specific housing types)
2. Current Housing Needs and Gaps
   1. Households currently underserved by the existing stock
   2. Affordability challenges across income levels
   3. Accessibility and aging in place needs
   4. Student housing pressures and their impact on the broader market
   5. Mismatch between available unit types and household composition

(These first two steps identify the mismatch between today's stock and today's needs; DRCOG can assist with these analyses.)

3. 2050 Demographic and Housing Needs Snapshot
   1. Projected changes in age distribution, disability prevalence, household size, and income mix
   2. Anticipated needs for accessible units, smaller units, multigenerational homes, and age friendly housing
   3. Expected student population and workforce housing needs
   4. Implications of regional migration patterns
4. Gap Analysis: Today's Stock vs. Today's Needs and 2050 Needs
   1. Identification of the largest mismatches between existing housing and current community needs
   2. Identification of the largest mismatches between existing housing and projected 2050 needs
   3. Assessment of which housing types will be most critical to support community stability and mobility over time

(Steps 3-4 ensure Boulder does not lock in a housing pattern that will be misaligned with its future population; DRCOG can assist with this analysis.)

Outcome

This analysis will not recommend specific policy or regulatory changes. Instead, it will provide a clear understanding of Boulder's housing system: what exists today, what is needed now, what will be needed in 2050, and where the gaps lie. The findings will outline key considerations for future Council work, including where targeted production (e.g., age friendly housing or student housing) could relieve pressure on the broader market, where subsidies, public investment, or nonprofit development may be necessary to meet community needs, and how future housing decisions can best support long term affordability, accessibility, and demographic realities. By grounding future work in a shared set of facts, future conversations can focus on the range of solutions most likely to address identified gaps. This analysis will provide the foundation for responsible BVCP implementation, strategic public investment, and maximal benefit from DRCOG's Regional Housing Strategy, helping Boulder better meet the housing needs of the community we have today and the community we will be in the decades ahead.

Understanding Renter Protection Tools in Preemption States

Summary

This priority assesses renter protection strategies used in cities that, like Boulder, operate under state level preemption of rent control, including approaches that address lot rent in manufactured home communities. It will clarify which strategies are legally viable, effective in practice, and appropriate for Boulder's local context.

Background

Boulder is home to a growing number of renters, many of whom face instability due to rising housing costs, limited vacancy, and constrained mobility. In recent years, Colorado has enacted several statewide renter protection laws aimed at improving housing stability. At the same time, state law continues to preempt local rent control or rent stabilization, limiting the tools available to cities like Boulder. Across the country, cities in similar preemption environments have adopted strategies such as relocation assistance or rent tracking, as well as tools addressing stability in manufactured home communities (e.g., lot rent). These tools vary widely, and it is not clear which are workable or effective here. An assessment of approaches in peer cities would complement Boulder's ongoing renter stability efforts by clarifying which additional approaches could be effective locally.

Scope of Work

1. Legal Landscape Review
   1. Summarize Colorado's rent control preemption and related limitations
   2. Identify renter protection tools clearly permissible under state law
   3. Identify tools with ambiguous or evolving legal status
2. Peer City Scan (Preemption States)
   1. Review how peer cities structure renter protection tools such as relocation assistance, unit-level rent tracking, and approaches to rising lot rents in manufactured home communities
   2. Explore the purpose, effectiveness, and revenue implications of funding tools peer cities use as part of their housing stability strategies, such as vacancy related fees or taxes
3. Effectiveness and Implementation Review
   1. Identify which approaches have improved renter stability
   2. Identify approaches that have been ineffective, burdensome, or legally challenged
   3. Review implementation impacts of recent Colorado renter protection laws, including feedback from mission driven landlords
   4. Consider administrative capacity and funding needs for any future implementation

Outcome

This analysis will provide a scan of renter protection tools available within Colorado's legal framework, how peer cities in preemption states support renters, and which approaches may be workable or effective in Boulder. The findings will give Council and the community a clearer understanding of what is possible within Colorado law and what has worked elsewhere as conversations about renter protections continue.

Setting a Foundation for Responsible Technology Use and Data Protection

Priority Summary

This priority begins foundational work to understand Boulder's current use of emerging technologies and its digital privacy landscape, identify where stronger protections may be needed, and inform the development of a long-term vision for responsible technology use, digital security, and privacy protection.

Background

Boulder does not yet have a long-term goal for the responsible use of emerging technologies or for digital security and privacy protection. As new technologies emerge and data collection practices expand, the city needs a clear, community informed approach to assessing current practices and identifying gaps or risks. This work will help establish the basis for a long-term vision that addresses both emerging technologies and the city's handling of personal data.

Scope of Work

1. Convene a group of staff and experts in digital security and emerging technologies to discuss current and future use, and inform best practices in data collection, protection, and management of potentially personally identifiable information
2. Identify current and future risks for staff, residents, students, workers, and visitors, and consider the impact of emerging technologies on the city's sustainability, equity, and resilience goals
3. By the end of the year, draft a long-term vision statement or resolution outlining principles and future policy direction for the use of emerging technologies and the storage, sharing, and use of personal data by the city and its partners

Outcome

This work will provide a clearer understanding of how Boulder currently uses emerging technologies, how data is collected and managed, and where stronger privacy protections may be needed. It will support the city's development of a long-term vision for responsible technology use and digital privacy practices as new technologies emerge, inform ongoing operational guidance for staff, and set the stage for more comprehensive policy work in future years.

Exploring Ranked Choice Voting Options for Multi Seat Elections

Priority Summary

This priority identifies viable forms of ranked choice voting (RCV) for Boulder's multi seat Council elections and explains them in clear, community friendly terms. It also outlines the local and state level changes required to adopt multi winner RCV and prepares the groundwork for a future public decision-making process.

Background

Boulder's current multi seat elections use a "vote for up to N" system that does not allow voters to express preferences among candidates. Other jurisdictions use multi winner RCV methods to improve representativeness and voter expression, but Colorado law does not yet permit their use. This work clarifies local options, outlines the state level changes that would be required, and positions Boulder to adopt policy stances that support those changes. It also positions Boulder to move a ballot measure forward in future years that expresses community intent and establishes local authority, using that mandate to advocate for the necessary state level statutory changes.

Scope of Work

Identify viable options for multi winner RCV (e.g., proportional RCV, bloc RCV)

1. Explain each option in clear, accessible terms, including pros and cons related to representational outcomes, voter experience, administrative feasibility, charter or code changes required, and state level statutory changes needed
2. Develop a public engagement process to inform a decision about which multi-winner RCV option to pursue if a future Council wishes to take on this issue

Outcome

This work will give Council and the community a clear understanding of the limited set of viable multi winner RCV options, their tradeoffs, and the legal steps required at both the local and state levels. It will also establish a structured decision-making framework for a future community assembly or public process to pursue a local ballot measure without waiting for state action, using that mandate to support statewide advocacy.

Enabling Early Conversations on Library District Facilities

Priority Summary

This priority ensures that City and Boulder Public Library District staff can enter early, non-binding conversations about the long-term future of city-owned buildings used by the Library District. The District will begin strategic planning in 2026, and enabling initial dialogue, without committing to any timeline or outcome, will support planning, responsible fiscal stewardship, and good governance for both the District and the City.

Background

The Boulder Public Library District will launch its first major strategic planning process in 2026. The intergovernmental agreement created when the District was formed identifies 2027 as the year when formal conversations about facility ownership or long term control are expected to begin, but nothing prevents the City and District from starting earlier if both parties are ready. Early conversations would help the District plan effectively and ensure the City has a voice, and a choice, in the long-term use of these facilities.

Scope of Work

Enable early, non-binding conversations with the Library District in 2026 that support the District's strategic planning needs

1. Ensure the City has the opportunity to evaluate its long-term facility stewardship options
2. Preserve flexibility for the City and the District to make a formal decision earlier than 2027 if mutually desired

Outcome

This work will support alignment between the City and the Library District during the District's 2026 planning process, while preserving Council's full discretion and flexibility regarding any future decisions about library facilities.