[BoulderCouncilHotline] Zan's Thoughts for Tonight's Mtg & Conference Update

[Jones, Suzanne]

Dear all—

I will miss tonight’s special Boulder City Council meeting as I am in Grand Rapids, MI, representing Boulder at the Mayors Innovation Project summer conference. I have found this gathering to be particularly useful forum to exchange new ideas and best practices with other electeds and city policy experts from around the country—and there is a wealth of policy information available on their website at: https://www.mayorsinnovation.org/.  For example, one of the focus areas for this conference is an Equitable Economic Development panel, where we heard about Grand Rapids’ Racial Equity Journey and Portland, OR’s Framework for Equity which includes detailed research on gentrification and displacement. And on a timely note given Tuesday’s Council meeting, a number of cities here at the conference spoke favorably of their work with the Government Alliance on Race & Equity, with which Boulder has contracted.

Regarding tonight’s Council meeting, I wanted to briefly convey my positions on agenda items:


  1.  I strongly support adding a provision to our Human Rights Ordinance to prevent housing discrimination based on source of income (e.g., Section 8 vouchers).
  2.  I am very pleased with the City’s acquisition of the Ponderosa Mobile Home Park, to ensure its affordability and diversity is preserved, and with the proposed plan to upgrade its infrastructure and provide for phased housing redevelopment. A key element of my support is the robust engagement from affected mobile home residents and an assurance that no one will be displaced in this redevelopment process.
  3.  I enthusiastically support the addition of Ramat HaNegev, Israel, and Kathmandu, Nepal, as our 9th and 10th sister cities. I applaud the work of Boulder residents in forging these relationships, which I think are an important element of furthering global cooperation and peace.

Thanks—and sorry to be missing tonight’s meeting.
Cheers,
Zan

Suzanne Jones
Mayor, City of Boulder
(720) 633-7388
joness at bouldercolorado.gov

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