2 hours Ago
Members of our Community Editorial Board, a group of community residents who are engaged with and passionate about local issues, respond to the following question: Boulder officials recently set the city’s policy priorities for 2025. Your take? As a member of the Environmental Advisory Board (EAB), I’ve had the pleasure of receiving updates on the City’s priorities and stances on regional, state and federal issues from Carl Castillo, the City’s Chief Policy Advisor, every year for the past four years. Lobbying takes many forms, and the City is no stranger to it.
Each year, the City sets a list of priorities and policy positions on various issues. Carl and his team monitor the bills presented at the state legislative session, and if a bill aligns with the City’s positions, they advocate for it and seek to build support. While our stances are outlined in the City’s 2025 Policy Statement document, we’re ultimately at the mercy of which discussions and bills emerge from the Legislature.
Last session, for example, I heard transportation was a dominant focus. That said, we work closely with representatives like Junie Joseph and Judy Amabile to introduce or support legislation that reflects the City’s interests. Among the City’s initiatives, I’m particularly excited about the proposed On-Bill Repayment (OBR) Program for Accessible Energy Upgrades.
This program would enable residents and business owners to implement energy efficiency improvements, like building weatherization and electric technology upgrades, without facing steep upfront costs that often deter such investments. Through OBR, a third party, like the Colorado Clean Energy Fund (CCEF), would provide the initial funding for these upgrades, while customers repay the costs gradually through a voluntary tariff on their monthly utility bill (similar to financing an iPhone through a mobile carrier). The beauty of this program is that the energy savings from these upgrades typically exceed the repayment amount, allowing customers to save money on their utility bills each month while contributing to Colorado’s climate resilience.
In my opinion, an On-Bill Repayment (OBR) system is better than traditional rebates. Rebates often sound appealing, but in practice, they can come with hidden costs. For example, installing attic insulation might qualify for a $400 rebate , but the utility, like Xcel, requires an inspection to verify the work.
Unfortunately, this inspection can cost almost as much as the rebate itself — say, $350 — leaving little actual savings for the customer. This setup can feel frustrating, as it sometimes seems the market adapts to absorb the rebate rather than truly benefiting the consumer. With OBR, customers avoid these upfront costs and receive direct support for energy upgrades.
That said, OBR isn’t without its flaws. There are legitimate concerns about increased debt, equity issues and the potential for higher utility bills if energy savings don’t fully cover the repayment amount. However, what I appreciate about OBR is that it allows customers to make an informed choice.
This flexibility provides a valuable alternative for people interested in supporting climate initiatives, empowering them to adopt sustainable energy upgrades without the initial financial burden. Hernán Villanueva, [email protected] First, I’d like to thank the City Council and our county commissioners for their service.
As we brace for the circus of incompetence that will take over the federal government in January (I’d use other words but they wouldn’t make it past the editor), I appreciate that, even if many issues confronting Boulder are contentious, our local elected officials appear motivated by a serious desire to put their learning and experience to good use and work hard for the greater community. Boulder’s 2025 Policy Statement on Regional, State and Federal Issues is straightforward. There’s a single, two-pronged regional focus: to collaborate with Boulder County, other area municipalities and nonprofits to progress on goals related to housing and homelessness and also address behavioral health and social safety net needs.
I approve of this policy focus though I have questions about how it will all unfold. A press release this past week from the County Commissioners described how the Affordable and Attainable Housing Tax (AAHT) funds will be distributed. In addition to increasing our supply of affordable housing, a significant portion will go to support services including emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention resources, key to keeping people in homes and preventing homelessness to begin with.
This looks pretty solid to me. Meanwhile, Boulder officials will decide later this month whether to continue exploring development of the Area III Planning Reserve. I’m not convinced this wouldn’t just reinforce the status quo, since “permanently affordable housing units,” as defined by HUDD, are for single-person households making no more than 120% of the area median income (AMI), which currently in Boulder County is $123,460 — i.
e., completely unaffordable to the people who most need housing assistance. I’m not ready to say affordable housing and Boulder are eternally noncompatible.
Some of the AAHT funds will be directed to grants that might jumpstart innovative affordable housing initiatives which seems like a good investment. Back to what’s coming down the pike nationally, an important element of the City Council’s work is coordination with state and federal entities. We talk about the Boulder bubble but, of course, there really is no such thing.
I’m thankful the city has, for example, a “Climate Action Plan Update” priority (a proposed on-bill repayment program for renewable energy upgrades that will make them more affordable). As a city, county and state we must forge ahead with our goals and stand up for the values we articulated through the democratic process of electing officials at all levels. Diane Schwemm, parksidediane@gmail.
com.
