What do these initialisms mean and how do they impact Niwot?

First, just in case you were wondering, most of these groups of letters are not acronyms but initialisms, as they cannot be pronounced as a word. For example, FOMO (fear of missing out), FedEx, and NASA are pronounced as words, consequently they are acronyms, whereas ATM is not pronounced “attem,” thus an initialism.

But the initialisms listed above represent organizations in Niwot, including non-profits, a taxing district and its advisory committee, and a business committee, which are all quite important to local Niwot citizens.

The initialisms represent the following organizations in the order listed above: Niwot Business Association (NBA), Niwot Local Improvement District, (LID), Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee (NLIDAC), Niwot Community Association (NCA), Niwot Future League (NFL), Niwot Cultural Arts Association (NCAA), Niwot Historical Society (NHS), and Niwot Community Connection (NCC).

The NBA is a local non-profit that provides support to businesses, including a listing in an online business directory, monthly meetings, ribbon cuttings, networking opportunities, event sponsorship, and many other opportunities. The association also hosts events, performs various maintenance activities throughout the community, champions infrastructure projects, markets Niwot, and promotes economic development. You can find more information from the Niwot News Weekly Blog at niwot.com. This site has wonderful information regarding events, shopping, food and drink, things to do, live music, and more.

This is where the NBA intersects with the LID (the only acronym) and NLIDAC. Between seventy and seventy-five percent of funding for the NBA comes from the LID. The LID charges a 1% sales tax on goods purchased in the LID boundaries, which includes both 2nd Avenue blocks, Cottonwood Square, the Left Hand Animal Hospital property, and Whistle Stop Park. The LID funds are almost exclusively spent within the business district, but can be used in a broader area that is deemed to benefit the business district, such as the Niwot sign on the Diagonal Highway and the concession stand-restroom building at Hangge Fields at Monarch Park constructed by Niwot Youth Sports.

NLIDAC is an advisory committee that serves as an independent board to provide the Boulder County Commissioners with recommendations regarding funding requests submitted to the LID. The committee prioritizes expenditures of the LID sales tax revenue for projects that can include capital improvements, community events and promotion, transportation and transit improvements. The committee receives feedback from the applicants and reports to the County Commissioners, who serve as the Board of Directors for the LID. The NLIDAC board must consist of one NBA representative, one NCA representative, four rate-paying business members, and three Niwot residents.

The NFL is a committee of the NBA, formed at the request of the NLIDAC, to supervise first the Economic Development Director, and now the Town Administrator positions, which are funded by the LID. The NLIDAC also intersects with the NCA, as the NLIDAC requires one NCA representative.

So, what is the NCA? It is a non-profit incorporated in 1988, which serves as a local advocacy group that interfaces with local government to provide input and provide a forum for Niwot citizens to learn about issues and voice their opinions. It also sponsors several community events, such as the 4th of July celebration, and handles road closures for all community events. There are eight residential service areas in the NCA with each having a representative on the NCA board. If you go to niwot.org, click on the “About” tab, at the bottom you will find a map of the NCA service area. The NCA’s website provides information regarding events, meetings, and membership. If you click on “Quick Links,” this will provide hyperlinks to subjects including issues, land use/planning & permitting, grants, membership, profile, and volunteer opportunities.

Next on the list is the NCAA, a non-profit charitable organization formed in 2009 with a goal to provide support, encouragement and funding for Niwot cultural arts and all mediums of artistic expression. The NCAA sponsors events such as Rock & Rails, Let’s Wine About Winter, Why Not Niwot? Juried Art Show, and First Friday Art Walks, and manages Whistle Stop Park, Niwot Children’s Park and the Niwot Sculpture Park. The LID also provides partial funding for many of the NCAA projects and activities. For a copy of the annual report, go to niwotarts.org.

The NHS, in this context, is not Niwot High School, but rather refers to the Niwot Historical Society. The non-profit preserves the history of the Niwot area, and provides local history, walking tours, photo and artifact collections, lectures, and videos. The Fire House Museum is itself an artifact, and houses various displays of NHS artifacts. You can find an abundant amount of information on their website at niwothistoricalsociety.org.

The newest organization, the NCC, is the Niwot Community Connection, a non-profit organization that provides connections for 50-and-over Niwot residents. The NCC sponsors and organizes a wide variety of groups and activities, from hiking groups to writing groups, and hosts monthly gatherings at various locations in Niwot, all designed to bring people together with common interests. The group also provides volunteers to assist with Niwot events and projects.