A New Year, A New Hope

Happy New Year to you all!  Welcome back!  

A Help request:

Boulder’s Police Oversight Panel has been a work in process for several years, but it’s now open for applications.  It’s not perfect, but it will be stronger with a diverse membership committed to equity. Check out the application here, and share widely. While we welcome the accountability of this panel it will only be helpful and constructive if it is made up of a diverse set of community members focused on bringing an equitable vision to Boulder's Police Department.  You can find the application for joining the panel here.

Awesome:

In our last newsletter we encouraged members of the Sierra Club to participate in the local chapter and group elections.  We are excited to announce that our friends Becky Dickson, Rhamesh Bhatt, and SarahDawn Haynes have been elected to the SC Indian Peaks Group Executive Committee!  We can't wait to work with them pushing for a more environmentally progressive Boulder!

Not Awesome:

In December, City Council had a first look at Boulder’s draft Racial Equity Plan.  But discussion went sideways when it came to acknowledging Boulder’s history of exclusionary land use and  housing policies. Several members asked for ‘divisive’ language to be removed to build community support. We disagree, and expect our elected leaders to model learning and reconciliation rather than protecting the easily-offended.  Share your thoughts on the matter before or at a public hearing and final vote on February 16th.

For additional coverage of Boulder’s Racial Equity Plan, see write-ups in the Boulder Beat and Daily Camera.

Up Next:

Boulder’s policy year kicks off with appointments to the city’s 20+ advisory Boards and Commissions.  With a few exceptions, any resident is eligible to apply. Check out Boulder Beat’s civics explainer for a run-down of Boards’ rolls, and find specific vacancies and applications on the city’s website. 

Interesting:

By now many of us are familiar with the "in this household we believe in science" yard signs.  Some friends of ours at Bedrooms Are For People are designing a similar sign that calls out the social inequities of Boulder's land use.  We can’t wait to see these out in yards and in windows around town.

Till next time,

BP