[BoulderCouncilHotline] Comments/questions for tonight's study session

[Morzel, Lisa]

Colleagues 

Tonight I will be unable to join you for our study session due to work obligations out of town but I do want to add some comments or questions regarding the two issues for tonight study session. 

With regard to the broadband and how we should move forward, I would support the following and have some questions. 

I'm interested in perhaps building out the core element or the spine of the system for somewhere between $10-$20 million but I am not interested at this time in asking for an additional tax for runs into the neighborhood (estimated cost $90-$100 million) or the drops (estimated cost $20-$30 million). I am fine starting to build out with the basic core or what will be the spine of the system.  It is apparent many in the community would like to start somewhere in the core makes the most sense at this point in time. 

I do have a question about building out the core and leveraging the current BRAN network that is already in place. My question is would the core only include the BRAN system i.e., along the Broadway Corredor extending from the municipal building to the south to university of Colorado and continuing further south on Broadway to the federal laboratories or would it also entail a broader distribution? How expensive would it be and what is involved in installing it?  

I am still interested in proceeding with the broadband as a municipal entity similar in scope to the system Longmont in Fort Collins have. I am not interested in a public private partnership nor a private system. 

I would move forward with staff recommendations to focus on models 2 and 4 and next steps. I also would request staff to develop the technical design alternatives engage the market to support development of a business plan. And I'd like to know the different financial scenarios that coordinate a broadband fiber backbone for Smart city infrastructure and applications beginning with 1) municipal electricity and 2) Internet access for consumers and businesses

Ballot issues:

Sugary drinks tax. I would move forward to ask from the voters for an approval of the city keeping the excess collection of the tax so it could be used for many of the purposes that the sugary tax was put on the ballot in the first place. I would hope a lot of this would go into education about nutrition as well as exercise and maybe even looking at better quality water in our mobile home parks if that would be possible. I'm sure the community and the people who have worked on this tax have ideas when I would be open to those ideas. 

Regarding fair campaign practices I am in favor of putting that on the ballot as proposed by the committee. 

With respect to increasing the size of two boards:
Ask the voters to approve an increase from 5 to 7 members on our housing advisory board and ccouncil discussed earlier this spring when putting this board together. 
Given that the open space in Mountain Park support has unanimously voted to keep the composition a board to five members I am in favor of keeping it at five so am not in favor of putting that one on the ballot. 

With respect to planning board going from 30 to 60 days time period before it comes to ccouncil I don't have a strong opinion. I only know that sometimes just based on the calendar if we want to call up an action by planning board currently we have to do that within the 30 day limit and sometimes do do ours busy schedules we have to create an additional special council meeting which I would like to avoid    

Regarding board appointments,
Boulder Junction parking I would appoint Kevin Knapp but either would be fine

With regard to BURA, I would appoint Henry Munoz

With regard to landmarks, we have two good candidates. 
 Sheri Belz applied last year and again this year but she also has just recently been appointed to Historic Boulder so maybe it be good for her to get some time on that board and then come to landmarks next year. 
John Decker applied for the arts commission and I think planning board this year so I think my preference may be for John but as I said both are good

With respect to University Hill again two good candidates. 
Cheryl Ligori represents Z2entertainment (May not be the exact name) and has previously served I think two times on this board.    
John Pavelich owns rental property and has on the hill  for 29 years at least. I think I would vote for John. 

Thanks 

Lisa

Lisa Morzel
Boulder City Council Member

303-815-6723 c
303-938-8520 h