Heads Up Sept. 8, 2023

City’s five downtown parking garages to transition to gateless operations and touchless payment Oct. 1

The Community Vitality Department is transitioning the city’s five BoulderPark parking garages in downtown Boulder to the Metropolis gateless parking system on Oct. 1, for smoother entry and exit.

Once a driver has registered their license plate and payment information with Metropolis, they can simply drive into the garage and find a parking space. Upon entry, they will receive a text message welcoming them to that location.

If they have not registered with Metropolis before, once safely parked, the driver will need to scan a QR code from one of the many signs throughout the garages to complete their registration with Metropolis prior to their departure. Drivers do not need to download an app, and the registration is short and straightforward.

Finally, as they drive out of the garage, any payment required will be automatically charged to their account and a corresponding receipt will be sent via text.

Parking on weekends and holidays continues to be free after the transition to gateless operations, and registration, although encouraged, is not required when parking is free.

During the first two weeks of the new operating system, a combination of Metropolis and Community Vitality staff will be stationed in every garage to assist users in getting registered and to answer questions about the new system. The new signage will have a phone number monitored 24/7 by Metropolis staff for customers needing additional assistance.

The Community Vitality Department is conducting an education and awareness campaign about this change, which includes a $5 discount for the first parking visit if registered by Oct. 1. The discount QR code will be published in the Daily Camera, through social media posts, on inserts in the September utility bills, in city and partner e-newsletters, on our website, in the Parking and Access office at 1500 Pearl, Suite 302, and will be available at this Sunday’s What’s Up Boulder event along with other community events.

For more information, please contact Cris Jones, director of Community Vitality, at jonesc@bouldercolorado.gov.

Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety Tax grant program capital project funding application opening­­­

As part of the extension of the Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety (CCRS) Tax, 10% of the tax revenue was earmarked for non-profit organization projects serving City of Boulder community members. The Finance Department performed outreach around the utilization of these dollars, and determined that the community could most benefit from:

• Direct financial support for non-profit organization capital projects, “Capital Project Funding,” and;
• Capacity-building consulting for small- to medium-sized non-profit organizations in need of assistance prior to accessing Capital Project Funding, “Capital Investment Capacity Building.”

We are releasing the CCRS Tax Grant Program Capital Project Funding Request for Applications (RFA) today. As noted above, this funding will assist non-profit organizations in completing needed capital projects, which may include property purchase, construction or renovations. We anticipate that between $2 and $4 million dollars will be awarded during this fund round.

Interested non-profit organizations have the opportunity to attend a Q&A session on Sept.19 from 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. The RFA, which includes a link to apply, will be available for download on the CCRS Tax Grant Program webpage.

Applications will be due by 4 p.m. on Oct. 20, 2023, and must be submitted electronically using the Foundant Grant Management System.

For more information, please, contact Annie Scott, Grants Program administrator, by email at scotta@bouldercolorado.gov or visit the city’s website.

City begins drinking water service line inventory

To meet new federal regulations, the city is developing an inventory of all drinking water service lines to determine whether any are made of lead. These regulations apply to all water providers in the country and include both city-owned service lines (from the water main to the curb) and privately-owned service lines (from the curb to the building).

Next week, city staff will begin outreach to encourage property owners to identify what material their service line is made of and submit that information to the city.

Staff are not aware of any city-owned lead service lines and have not found evidence of private lead lines. The 1955 Boulder Revised Code required copper service lines, and service line permits from the 1940s indicate copper was used. Staff will target field investigations and customer outreach to pre-1956 homes and structures, which comprise about 12% of the approximately 27,000 parcels in the city. State guidelines require in-person verification of about 350 service lines that are of unknown material. Verification will include visual inspections of pipes entering buildings or pot-holing (creating a small hole with a vacuum truck) in the street and in yards with the owner’s permission.

While lead in drinking water has been a topic of national attention and significant health concerns in some cities, staff have no evidence that would support such concerns in Boulder. The city has monitored for lead in drinking water for over 30 years, with results consistently well below the federal and state standard. The city also implements corrosion control to reduce lead from home plumbing.

If the city finds any lead service lines, they must be replaced. Staff will notify the property owners and occupants, provide guidance about ways to reduce lead exposure, and note these lines for replacement in the inventory. While the city is not required to conduct or pay for private line replacement, staff are currently evaluating funding assistance options should replacement be needed. The inventory and replacement plan must be completed by October 2024, and all results will be posted on the city’s website.

Staff will launch community outreach for this project at What’s Up Boulder on Sept. 10, and will update City Council as the project progresses. More information is available on the city’s website.

For questions please, contact Meghan Wilson, Water Quality senior manager, at wilsonm@bouldercolorado.gov or 303-441-4033.

Regards,

Nuria