NCA discusses thefts, public improvement districts

Niwot and Gunbarrel residents should be extra cautious about clearing out valuables and locking their vehicles along with making sure their garage doors are down, Boulder County Sheriff’s Department Commander Mike Wagner told Niwot Community Association board members at the board’s April 4 meeting.

“We are seeing an uptick in vehicle thefts, along with crimes of opportunity,” Wagner said. “People are having their cars stolen, along with items from their unlocked vehicles or open garages.”

Wagner said the sheriff’s department believes there are two separate groups operating in the area. “They tend to strike late at night, and they will steal anything they find,” he said. “They will also steal your vehicle if they can.”

Residents of Niwot and Gunbarrel neighborhoods have reported both vehicle thefts and items stolen from vehicles and garages over the past few weeks on the social media site Nextdoor. In February after Niwot residents posted about problems, the NCA sent an email and video to members alerting them to suspicious activity in the neighborhoods and reminding them to take precautions to secure cars and homes.

Wagner said deputies have stepped up patrols in the neighborhoods and are working to remind neighbors to be careful. “We’ll leave door hangers if we see something that should be secured, and if we see that your garage door is open at night we will knock on your door to let you know,” he said.

In response to board member questions, Wagner said the crime map on the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department is currently not working and that the department is aware and has IT efforts underway to fix it.

“We know this is frustrating, and it’s frustrating to us too,” he said. “We are working to get it back up so everyone can be aware of what’s happening.”

In other matter, Wagner said the sheriff’s department again will host the National Night Out event in Niwot on Aug. 7. The NCA also helps coordinate that event.

Burgundy Park roads

Burgundy Park homeowners association members are documenting the process they followed to form the Public Improvement Taxing District (PID) that will fund road reconstruction in the neighborhood.

“We are working up our process and documenting it so that other neighborhoods can follow it and create a PID to fix their roads,” Burgundy Park resident Dick Lentz told NCA members. “We learned a lot during this process and we think it would be helpful to pass it along.”

Burgundy Park homeowners voted to approve the PID last fall. It created a special assessment levy of 16.597 mils paid by homeowners through their property taxes. The funds will be used to reconstruct the subdivision’s roads.

One thing the group learned was that the language in the PID needs to be tightly defined Lentz said. “You really need to learn to not let anyone change a word, because it may change the meaning and interpretation of the PID requirements and agreement,” Lentz said.

Once the documenting process is complete, Lentz said the documents would be provided to the NCA for distribution. “That will be very helpful,” commented NCA President Dick Piland. “We have several subdivisions that seem interested in exploring this process.”

Donation approved

Niwot resident Jonathan Fuller, an Alexander Dawson School sophomore student, asked the board for funding support to attend the Colorado Student Leadership Institute summer program to be held at the University of Denver. The institute is a month-long academic program that prepares high school students for college by fostering leadership, independence, initiative, innovativeness, critical thinking and creativity. Participants earn three college credits.

Fuller volunteers with A Precious Child in Broomfield and the Denver Rescue Mission, and also serves as a Teen Court volunteer. He is affiliated with Jack and Jill and is a teen vice-president.

NCA board members approved donating $200 to support Fuller attending the institute. They also encouraged him to volunteer with the NCA on NCA projects such as Clean Up Day on May 12, or at the July 4 parade and pancake breakfast.

Annual meeting

The NCA annual meeting for members will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, at the Left Hand Grange, 195 Second Street, Niwot. Members will be able to vote on new officers and hear a presentation from a Boulder County Land Use Department representative.