NCA Cleans Up Niwot, prepares for MJ dispensary hearing

Despite gray skies for much of the day, the Niwot Cleanup Day sponsored by the Niwot Community Association was a success again this year.

NCA members taking advantage of the free service on May 14 filled eight dumpsters with trash and debris, four dumpsters with yard waste, one dumpster with recyclable scrap metal and three bins of electronics for recycling.

In addition, the collection brought in three bins of latex paint to be properly disposed of, four bins of plastic bags, three sacks of Styrofoam, and one bin each of shoes and cloth.

The “swap meet” area of gently used items also generated interest this year, according to NCA President Dick Piland. “We had a lot of items come and go proving the saying that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure,” he said.

About 138 NCA members took advantage of Cleanup Day, bringing more than 300 car loads of items.

Treasurer Terry Larsen reported at the NCA’s June 1 board meeting that several people joined the NCA on Cleanup Day. An NCA yearly membership costs $30; non-NCA members had to pay $40 a load to use Cleanup Day services. “People saw the value in joining,” commented member David Manting.

The NCA funded more than $3,000 in costs for the event, while Boulder County kicked in to pay for the four dumpsters of yard waste. “We appreciate our good partnership with the county,” Piland said.

The Cleanup Day event was organized by Heidi Storz, who was training her replacements, Tom Sesnic and John Barto. NCA members praised Storz for her several years of leadership for the project.

Marijuana hearing

Boulder County Commissioners gave a “very polite no” to a request from the NCA to allow groups speaking at the upcoming commissioners’ public hearing to provide and use audiovisual materials at the hearing, Piland told NCA board members. Boulder County staff often use audiovisual materials for presentations on the topic at hand prior to a public hearing before commissioners.

In an email response, Deputy to the County Commissioners Michelle Krezek wrote that while she understood the desire to have audiovisual materials for the hearing, county commissioners hearings “are web streamed live and archived, which presents challenges when dealing with material that could be inappropriate or illegal.” In addition, Krezek wrote, commissioners hold many types of hearings and any change in commissioners’ policy would have to be applied equally. “While we may be able to work through the logistical, policy and legal issues associated with this policy at some point in the future, at this time, we are not prepared to make that transition,” Krezek wrote.

However, Krezek suggested that materials can be emailed to the commissioners’ office to be reviewed prior to the meeting.

The hearing on the proposed retail marijuana outlet in Niwot will start at 2 p.m. June 29, in the commissioners’ third floor hearing room, Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl St., Boulder. Public comment sessions will run from 3 to 5 p.m. and from 5:30 p.m. until all speakers are finished or midnight.

Speakers are encouraged to sign up in advance at the county’s website — http://www.bouldercounty.org/property — then click on the “Planning, Building and Zoning” tab on the left side and follow instructions.

July 4 parade

Final logistics are being wrapped up for the July 4 parade sponsored by the NCA, event chair Julie Breyer told NCA members. Parade entrants are confirming, street closure notices are going out and volunteers are signing up, Breyer said, “which is pretty normal for this point in the preparations.”

The traditional pancake breakfast, sponsored by Pat Murphy of Niwot Real Estate and Bert Steele of the Niwot Market will kick off the festivities. There will be music from the Niwot Community Semi-Marching Free Grange Band, balloons, and children’s bike decorating prior to the 11 a.m. parade.

Gardeners Needed

The west entrance to Niwot along Niwot Road needs some gardening maintenance, and NCA members discussed a suggestion from Craig Rahenkamp to make that the 2016 trails and open space project sponsored by the NCA. The area was originally landscaped as part of a Boy Scout Eagle Project but needs some refreshing. NCA members supported the suggestion.