Niwot dropped from Boulder Library District boundaries

Plans for the Boulder County Library District have taken a new direction, and the proposed district boundaries no longer include Niwot.

Though the Boulder City Council passed a resolution to move ahead with the plan to create an independent library district, the resolution was also contingent on sign off from the Boulder County Commissioners. After listening to more than four hours of public comment on April 7, the Board of County Commissioners tabled a vote on the resolution. Commissioners cited concerns over the potential financial impact on property owners, and the Mayor of Boulder announced that he did not see any path forward to negotiate with the County Commissioners on the proposal.

As the Mayor described it, the two governmental entities could not agree on mill levy rates and levels of ongoing financial commitment to future library funding. An advisory panel wanted voters to approve up to a 3.8-mill property tax to fund the city's libraries. The City Council agreed to a cap of 3.8 mills, which was expected to generate roughly $20 million in revenue each year. Before tabling the vote, County Commissioner Claire Levy, concerned about the impact to residents, suggested 1 mill, or roughly $5.5 million, with the city kicking in the rest through sales tax revenues

Because the city has decided to step back from the resolution process, the Boulder Library Champions, the advocacy group behind the proposed resolution, will now proceed with a petition to put the library district on the ballot so voters can decide.

Although the Champions originally proposed circulating this petition in 2019, they decided, at the city's request, to hold back so that all parties could fully investigate the formation of a library district by resolution. Now, circulating the petition appears to be the best way forward.

The map and proposed mill levy rate will not be confirmed until the Champions make their petition public. The Champions have publicly stated that they want to honor the resolution that the city voted for and the basic terms of the intergovernmental agreement (IGA) that the Library District Advisory Committee, a City-appointed citizen group, developed.

Joni Teter, a member of Library Champions, said that postponing the decision to circulate the petition was the right decision. "It was worth going through this process," Teter said. "Even though the IGA was not completed, the City Council helped lay the groundwork. Having everything spelled out in the process kept the community informed."

According to Chris Barge, Executive Director of the Boulder Library Foundation, Niwot has been removed from the proposed District boundaries. This decision was made given the fact that "...there was resistance from the County Commissioners and no clear consensus from Niwot residents," Barge said. "The district boundaries will still include parts of unincorporated Boulder County, and there are still plans to build a small branch library in Gunbarrel, which, like the current Boulder libraries, will be available to the residents of Niwot."

At a joint meeting between the City Council and the County Commissioners on April 5th, David Limbach, president of the Niwot Community Association, shared results of an informal survey of 111 residents showing that most use Longmont's library and would prefer to join a district there, which is also being considered by that city.

Inclusion in the proposed Longmont district is one of two potential options for bringing library services to Niwot. According to Mark Springfield, the president of the Longmont District Library Committee, including Niwot may not be feasible. His committee's first goal is to garner support from the Longmont City Council and Longmont residents for a District in Longmont. "Including Niwot or any other part of Boulder County would add an extra layer of complication. The Boulder County Commissioners do not appear to be receptive to the funding requirements potentially associated with a library district at this time, and that would make it harder for us to move forward."

Niwot also has the option to propose its own library district. "Niwot would need support from the County Commissioners but starting with a petition would be the best way to go," Teter said. "It would require 100 signatures to get something on the ballot." The process would also involve creating a feasibility study, a budget, and a map showing the proposed boundaries. Although several Niwot residents have been involved in discussions about the possibility of a library in Niwot, no task force has been formed to further the discussion.