LID revenues stable

The July meeting of the Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (LID), delayed a week due to the July 4th holiday, took place on Tuesday, July 11.

The LID approved two funding requests - $2,037 for the Niwot Cultural Arts Association's Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show, which kicked off July 1, and $5,300 for NHS student Montana Heather's Eagle Scout project to install a "Welcome to Niwot" stone sign on Niwot Road near the intersection with the Diagonal Highway.

Anne Postle of Osmosis Gallery works with the NCAA to organize the juried art show, which is now in its 12th year. Artists submit artwork with a Niwot theme, and the art is then displayed in eight businesses throughout Niwot, including Niwot Market, Fly Away Home Decor, Inkberry Books in Cottonwood Square, Few of A Kind, Niwot Wheel Works, Osmosis Gallery, Niwot Jewelry & Gifts and Niwot Inn & Spa on 2nd Avenue.

Customers who visit all eight businesses and submit a ballot with their "People's Choice" award vote are entered into a drawing for a print of the winning artwork. Postle wrote in the application, "Last year 50 voters visited every business and voted. This year we are hoping to increase that number."

A panel of judges selects the winning artwork, and the winning artist receives a stipend of $500, with the second-place winner receiving $250 and the third-place winner receiving $100. The People's Choice Award winner also receives a cash stipend, and the judges have been known to present an additional award at the awards ceremony on Sept. 1, at 6 p.m. in front of Osmosis Gallery on 2nd Avenue.

The judges include Mary Williams of Mary Williams Fine Art, Alyson Bell of the NCAA, and artist Lisa Rivard of the NCAA.

"The winning art is used to create prints, wine labels and cards for sale, which further promotes Niwot and LID businesses," the application stated. "The net revenue from the event helps promote First Friday Art Walks in Niwot 12 months a year."

Entry fees, expected to reach $500, and commissions from the sale of prints and cards are expected to generate another $300 to help offset expenses.

The funding request was unanimously approved.

The welcome sign is designed to clean up the entry to Niwot for vehicles entering the community from Highway 119. Heather spoke to the LID members about being a Life Scout since 2019. For his Eagle Scout project, he proposed the welcome sign.

"I'd like to do a big community project," he said. "I want to do one that will be here a long time. It's barren on the left side (coming into Niwot) and overgrown right now. Putting a sign there would bring more of a sense of home to people."

Heather, who worked extensively with David Limbach of the Niwot Community Association, described the sign as one large boulder, with two small boulders on the sides to give it depth. His project also includes three solar lights to "light it up at night." He is working with Bert Cashman of Cashman Signs in Niwot.

Heather said he had been in touch with Mike Thomas of Boulder County Public Works, and had received approval as long as the sign is at least two feet away from the sidewalk, since the sign will be located on a county right-of-way.

LID members noted that a master planning process was currently underway, with a LID committee working with landscape architectural firm Fletemeyer & Lee Associates of Niwot. Several members mentioned that if a larger entry sign became part of the master plan, the sign might be appropriate for another entry to Niwot, such as 79th Street or 83rd Street.

LID member Cornelia Sawle said, "We're all very excited about this. How would you feel about moving it to another location?" Heather answered, "I'd be fine with that."

A question arose about who would maintain it, but LID member Heidi Storz replied, "It's a rock, so there's not that much maintenance."

LID member Eric Bergeson, who is also president of the Niwot Business Association, said that the NBA is sponsoring the project. He said that the NBA would work with Heather to select a stone that would be a "buff" or sand color, as requested by LID members. Heather has raised $700 in addition to the $5,300 requested from the LID to cover the cost of the project.

The funding request was unanimously approved.

LID sales tax revenues for April were $23,631, which was up by $236 for the same period in 2022. Year-to-date collections are still down by 1.4% over 2022.