Niwot LID approves funding for three more summer events

Niwot's summer calendar will look more like its pre-pandemic norm, after the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee voted to provide funding for three familiar events at its monthly meeting on May 4. The board also elected new officers, and discussed its financial priorities for the rest of 2021.

Officer Elections

In the first order of business, the NLIDAC unanimously elected member Scott Firle as chair, replacing Laura Skaggs, who is leaving her seat on the committee in January 2022. Firle was appointed to the NLIDAC as a residential representative in 2018. He will assume chair duties in July.

"I'm just extremely passionate about this town, and having my family grow up here," he said before the vote. "My daughter is in third grade at Niwot Elementary, my son is in preschool, and living within walking distance of everything awesome that we do in Cottonwood Square and along the 2nd Avenue is just great."

The board also elected NBA representative Eric Bergeson as vice-chair, replacing longtime member Jim Eastman who was term limited in February. Bruce Rabeler was also re-elected as the board's treasurer.

Treasurer's Report

District sales tax collections rose substantially in February 2021, Rabeler reported in his monthly financial update, to $20,935 from $15,461 the month before (35%). In the first two months of the year, the Niwot LID earned $36,396, up nearly 10% from the same period in 2020 ($33,109). Again, the largest share (53%) came from sales in the retail sector, while the accommodation/food services sector accounted for just 16% of revenue.

On the expense side, however, Rabeler sounded a cautious note about the board's spending rate for 2021, which is on pace to exhaust the district's 2021 budget of $149,313 in the next few months. Through April, the board has approved $94,516.75 in funding requests, or 63.3% of the budget, much of it on new pandemic-friendly events, such as Sidewalk Sales and the upcoming Around the World in Niwot. After approving May's requests, that total jumped to $117,710.75, leaving the district with just $23,194 to cover the next seven months and anticipated funding requests for fall and winter holiday events and the next six months of NBA marketing, Rabeler noted.

"It strikes me that we are now running up against the agenda of new items that were put in place that were very creative and have served us very well through this very difficult time," he said. "And now we're getting back to some of the traditional events that we have held and hosted in the past in non-COVID days, and that's where there's a stretch on the budget."

Those comments prompted a lengthy discussion by the members about other upcoming expenses for 2021, and whether the district should dip into its $190,000-plus reserve balance to keep the revenue momentum going. There was general agreement to do so, especially after member Biff Warren reminded them that the LID's 2021 allocation of $149,313 is based on 80% of revenue totals from 2018, and does not reflect increases in 2019 and 2020.

"I don't think we're spending more money than we're bringing in," he said.

The group also talked in more detail about the status of upcoming events and projects under discussion before the pandemic.

Funding Requests

Appearing on behalf of the Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), Warren then requested $9,999 to help fund the 2021 edition of Rock & Rails, which opens in Whistle Stop Park on Thursday, June 3 and runs weekly through August 26.

Warren said that Boulder County's planned move to level "clear" on May 16, means the 14-year-old event will proceed much as it did before the pandemic, with an opening act taking the stage at 5 p.m., followed by the headliner at 6:30 p.m. Admission will be free, with food and beverages available from vendors around the park. Masks and social distancing will be strongly encouraged, along with donations to the Tip Jars around the venue, which will go to local non-profit organizations. Profits generated by beer and wine sales will go towards annual upkeep of Whistle Stop and Niwot Children's Parks.

Warren's request was approved unanimously.

Up next were Keith Waters and Gene Hayworth of Inkberry Books, requesting $10,000 on behalf of the NCAA, this time for a day-long jazz festival in Cottonwood Square, as a tribute to the dearly departed Jazz on 2nd Avenue, which ended its eight-year run in Niwot in 2018. They noted that this event is a new event, put on by a different organization, in a different format and in a different venue.

The event is slated for Saturday, Sept. 4, with the main stage in Cottonwood Square, and auxiliary performances on 2nd Avenue. Acts booked so far include Cojunto Colores, Tina Phillips, and Amelie Quartet, plus groups from the CU College of Music. Waters, a professor at the CU College of Music and a former professional performer, said that there will be something for "different constituencies in different types of music."

"Among the different types of music that we're going to be having would be traditional Dixieland jazz bands, blues bands, we have a gypsy jazz and Tango, and....at the end of the evening, Quemando, for salsa dancing."

After some discussion about logistics, potential pitfalls (e.g., scheduling on Labor Day weekend), and potential sponsors, the members voted unanimously to approve the request.

The final request of the night came from Catherine McHale of the Niwot Business Association, who requested $3,195 for Dancing Under the Stars, a free weekly swing and salsa dancing event, held Friday nights in Cottonwood Square. After its debut in 2019, the event attracted up to 200 visitors to town, many of whom visited other Niwot locations after dancing. Like Warren, McHale decided to proceed with the outdoor event in 2021 once the county announced the move to "clear" status.

"I've been thinking long and hard over the last month or two about how we might do this safely." she said. "With us moving hopefully to level clear, in a couple of weeks, that puts us okay with the rules and regulations. But like Biff said, my thought is to encourage people to mask while they're dancing, if they're dancing with somebody who is not a known part of their social group."

The funds will help offset expenses for advertising and marketing, as well as DJ and MC services. After a brief discussion, the request was again approved unanimously.

"There's going to be a lot going on in Niwot this summer and into the fall," Bergeson after voting in favor of the request. "I think it builds on itself, and it multiplies. Hopefully, it gives people the sense that there's always something happening in Niwot. And it will be interesting to see if we have that effect."

The LID will hold it's next monthly meeting virtually on Tuesday, June 1 at 7 p.m.