The Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board (PROSAB) met on Thursday, September 19, 2024, to receive an update about the success of their first volunteer event, which focused on mitigating the new Moose Meadows open space.
Board member CT Hutt discussed the results of the first forest mitigation-focused volunteer event, held at Moose Meadows on Saturday, September 14, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Hutt was sure to note that, though only eight people had communicated on the day before the event that they would be there, almost 30 people showed up to work.
“At one point there were 15 chainsaws operating in the area,” Hutt reported excitedly to the Board. “It was a symphony.”
Hutt thanked all those who assisted in the success of the event, including all the volunteers, fellow Board members, the Parks Department and other Town staff, the Boulder Watershed Collective, the organizers of the original Saws and Slaws volunteer effort, and Wildfire Partners, who helped supply equipment and professional sawyers.
“I was really touched to see so many hardworking people take an extra day out and really throw down,” Hutt said. “Some people like to shake their fist and say nothing ever gets done in this town; well, they’re dead wrong and the community really proved that.”
Despite the success of the event, it was noted that there is still mitigation work to be done, not just in more in Moose Meadows, but on other parcels owned by the Town of Nederland.
Parks Department Manager Dunn specified that grants are being sought to tackle mitigation projects around NedRINK and the Old Town neighborhood. The Mile High Youth Corps is scheduled to assist in efforts to clear cut three feet around every fire hydrant in Old Town, and in mitigating some of Town’s smaller parcels.
There was discussion of planning another volunteer event with the focus on the Wingate property, which is between the Town’s cell tower and the Big Springs neighborhood. The property was gifted to Town and has been indicated by the Nederland Fire Protection District as a high priority for mitigation efforts.
Town Administrator Jonathan Cain warned PROSAB that an Authorized Volunteer Program will need to be created before any other volunteer events are planned. The authorized program is required by the Town’s insurance company in order to properly cover volunteers and protect the Town from liability.
Cain admitted that the requirement impedes a lot of Town projects, including a volunteer driver program, and that a solution is being developed which may take months to implement. Cain assured the Board that he will update them as progress is made.
Parks Department Manager Dunn delivered her staff report, which highlighted a busy but successful summer season, and included updates on upcoming projects, as well as projects currently in development, such as the River Walk project.
The River Walk, funded by the Nederland Downtown Development Authority, involves improvements of the trail that leads from the covered bridge to Chipeta Park, running creekside behind the Boulder Creek Lodge.
The improvements will include trail widening, new benches, the creation of access points to the creek including rock features and ADA compliance, and an S-curve ramp from the trail to the bridge for wheelchair access.
Dunn acknowledged the work of the Parks Department over a very busy August, which included more special events than usual, including the Summer Concert Series, Ned 150th, and the Jazz and Wine Festival.
In highlighting the Parks Department’s upcoming projects, Dunn noted that the NedRINK’s conversion from tennis and pickleball season to ice rink season is planned to be completed before Halloween. It was expressed that starting in late November last year resulted in complications with the process.
PROSAB Chair Alex Zabierek led fellow Board members in a presentation about the August 20 Work Session concerning the Big Springs Emergency Egress project.
Trustees, members of the Planning Commission and Nederland’s advisory boards, representatives from engineering consultants JVA, and from the Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD), met to discuss three new proposed egress routes and hiked the Big Springs subdivision in order to fully assess the ecological concerns and geological considerations for each route.
Cain provided an update on discussions that have occurred since the Work Session. JVA, Dunn, and Streets Department Supervisor Joshua Davis, met with Cain in the affected neighborhood to ascertain the engineering concerns regarding the entrances for each proposed route.
It was noted that representatives of the NFPD will provide their input on how the route must provide room for their service vehicles, and then an extended period of public engagement will be needed before a route can be selected.
Outreach to those private property owners who may be affected by the proposed routes will happen first, in order to assess the viability of each route. Cain expressed that he would at that point like the Town to host an engagement meeting with the entire Big Springs neighborhood so a preferred route can be chosen and presented by Christmas for approval by the Board of Trustees.
The Board was tasked with recommending the appointment to the vacant Board Alternate position. Caroline Gezon, James Navratil, and Nellie Mahto were interviewed about their knowledge of the Board’s goals and projects, about maintaining work/life balance, managing volunteer efforts, and about being involved in Nederland’s community.
After Gezon’s interview, during which she described her interests as running, biking, and skiing, and her current career as a public sector consultant, Navratil withdrew his application, stating his belief that Gezon would be perfect for the position.
PROSAB voted unanimously to recommend to the BOT the appointment of Gezon to the position of Board Alternate.
The Nederland Parks, Recreation, and Open Space Advisory Board meets every third Thursday of the month at 5:30 p.m. Their next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, October 17, 2024. Meetings can be attended online via WebEx.
For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/parks-recreation-open-space-advisory-board.
