Niwot LID approves funding for parking lot

After taking a short summer break in July, the Niwot LID advisory committee was back in action on Aug. 4 with a full agenda.

Treasurer's Report

LID Treasurer Bruce Rabeler opened the meeting with a financial update, starting with the latest revenue reports from the Colorado Department of Revenue. For now, revenue collections are holding steady in Niwot, despite ongoing restrictions on large events and indoor dining. The Niwot LID earned a combined $29,968 in April ($15,560) and May ($14,408), for a year-to-date total of $75,716, which is about 1.4% higher than the same period in 2019 ($74,658).

Retail continues to be a strong sector for the LID, with revenues exceeding $8,000 for the months of March ($8,400), April ($8,111) and May ($8,148). Earnings in the Accommodation/Food Service sector bounced back after March, increasing by 12% (from $2,688 to $3,000). However, 2020 restaurant revenues were less than half the 2019 total in the same period.

As for expenses, the pace of funding requests has subsided substantially since March, as many of the events that typically use LID funds, such as Rock & Rails, have been canceled, postponed, or substantially scaled back. Through the end of July, the LID board approved $106,168.61, though only one-third has been submitted to the county for reimbursement. This leaves approximately $44,144 in the 2020 budget, though pending August requests exceeded that amount and will mean a supplemental budget allocation from the LID's reserve balance.

"This may be a good year to spend money on the parking lot, because we're spending less money on other things," Rabeler said. "There's no Rock & Rails, there's no jazz fest, so there's more money available, and we're not compromising our ability to fund events. It could work out in our favor."

Funding Requests

Fly Away Home owner Kathy Trauner appeared before the board to request $2,380 for expenses related to Niwot's sidewalk sale. For three hours on Saturday, July 11, merchants and restaurants from 2nd Avenue and Cottonwood Square set up booths and tables in front of their stores, allowing shoppers to browse outdoors while maintaining social distancing. There was also live music and small crafts for young shoppers. According to Trauner, the event was an unqualified success, and attracted hundreds of visitors to Niwot's languishing business district.

"I own a retail shop in Cottonwood Square, and, for me, it was my second best day ever," she said. "And I've heard very good things from the business people around me. ...In fact, people are clamoring for another one."

Other business owners on the LID board agreed, including Bruce Rabeler, who co-owns Little Bird, and NBA President Eric Bergeson, who said he had a "fantastic day" at Niwot Wheel Works.

"It was a huge success, and that's pretty ubiquitous all across the area, and everybody wants to repeat it," Bergeson said. "There's an eagerness to have more of that sort of thing."

The biggest expenses were for the musicians, printing, and advertising. After some discussion about the total amount, the request was approved unanimously.

"I think it's terrific that it was such a success, and wasn't a huge budget breaker," LID chair Laura Skaggs said.

Up next were Linda Klueber and Kristen Alger of the NBA, who requested funding for Enchanted Evening and the Holiday Parade, scheduled for Nov. 27 and Dec. 5, respectively. The popular annual events, now in their 20th year, each bring an estimated 1,500 visitors to Niwot at the height of the holiday shopping season and are highly anticipated by area merchants.

At this point, Klueber is planning for the festivities to proceed as usual, with traditional favorites such as the strolling carolers, Banjo Billy, and, of course, Santa. She requested $6,750, up slightly from last year ($6,500), thanks to increased costs for the carriage that carries Santa to the Grange, and for musicians.

During the ensuing discussion, Skaggs questioned the overall safety of the event given the trajectory of the "COVID-19 environment" and pressed Klueber for more details about social distancing and other guidelines.

"I am concerned that we are having an event of the same size and scope as every other year," she said. "Looking ahead at the NBA events for the rest of the year, it talks about a modified event, and I'm not seeing any modifications. ...As we are a county body, we need to abide by the health regulations of the county."

Klueber and Alger responded that the NBA has incorporated social distance measures into their planning, and are prepared to reconfigure the events if needed. They are also closely monitoring public health conditions, and will decide in October whether to proceed with the event as scheduled.

Skaggs then moved to approve the request, with the condition that the events are in compliance with prevailing Boulder County health regulations later this year. It passed with no opposing votes.

The board also approved a $2,500 request from the Niwot Cultural Arts Association to fund live musicians at upcoming events, including First Friday Art Walks, which are expected to resume in modified form in September. The funds will help support local musicians in the absence of Rock & Rails and other area performances.

"It's music on a different scale," NCAA President and LID member Bruce Warren said. "It's more of an ambience thing in the background of events. It's not a gathering or a concert."

Parking Lot

Most of the evening's attention was devoted to a request from Chuck Klueber of the NBA streetscapes committee to fund construction costs related to Niwot's future public parking lot on the western edge of downtown. A proposal to build the lot, initially consisting of 14 spaces, was scheduled for its final Special Use Review hearing by Boulder Board of County Commissioners on Aug. 6. Anticipating a favorable outcome from the BOCC and wanting to get a head start on the county's contracting process, Klueber requested $101,512 from the LID, his latest estimate for completing the project. (For additional details about the proposal, see "Niwot parking lot gets the go-ahead from BOCC" on page 1.)

The current plans call for a 10,000 square-foot lot near the intersection of 3rd Avenue and Murray Street, with an asphalt and gravel surface, a concrete sidewalk on the south side, bike racks, and a crusher fines pedestrian walkway on the east side. It will be bordered by vegetative screening on the east and split-rail fencing on the west, and lighting will come from "dark sky" compliant lamps installed on short posts. The plans also include two dual-port electric vehicle charging stations.

The bulk of the costs will be in grading and covering the surface, and installing the sidewalks. Nearly $70,000 in expenses related to installing, mounting, and maintaining the EV stations will be offset by grants totaling nearly $63,000 from Xcel Energy's EV Supply Infrastructure Program and Charge Ahead Colorado. Ongoing maintenance of the full parking lot (landscaping, snowplowing, repairs, cleaning) will be the responsibility of the NBA, funded through periodic requests to the LID board. Klueber also included estimated costs of $99,137 for expanding the lot from 14 spaces to 50, and explained that additional phases will be built when there is "consistent use of 75% or more of the available parking spaces," and as LID funds allow.

Klueber was hesitant to give a specific start date, but guessed the county's formal contracting and permitting processes will take at least three months. He anticipates breaking ground in November, with a tentative completion date in May or June 2021.

LID members have been anticipating the large request for some time, and were supportive. However, many were wary of approving a project that requires a dip into the Niwot LID's reserve balance of $220,620. After reassurances from Boulder County liaison Mark Ruzzin about the process, the request was approved with a unanimous vote.

"You may be going over budget, but you have the money there," he said. "It will be a protocol issue more than anything."

The meeting wrapped up after a brief discussion of upcoming events in New Business, including classic car shows and live music at Niwot Market. The LID advisory committee will hold its next monthly meeting in virtual format on Sept. 1.