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Niwot Community Association board members unanimously voted Feb. 4 to publicize the results of additional research they have done on the possibility of incorporating Niwot into a municipality.

“We are a conduit of information and we want to make sure that our members, and the Niwot public, are well-informed on any incorporation issues,” NCA Chair David Limbach said. “We do not advocate for or against any issues or candidates. We work to make sure our members are educated about the issues.”

Limbach told board members that many Niwot residents have asked if the NCA is part of the incorporation effort. “We are not a part of the group promoting incorporation, and we have not endorsed their plan,” he said.

Instead, the NCA formed its own sub-committee in 2019 to gather information about incorporation issues and impacts on Niwot. The NCA reached out by email Sunday to NCA members to explain the incorporation issue and the process it will follow to disseminate the facts and information the sub-committee gathered. That information also will be posted on the NCA website at niwot.org.

Niwot’s incorporation question stems from the work of a small group of Niwot individuals who formed an informal committee in 2019 to explore whether it was feasible to incorporate Niwot. That group, the Niwot Exploratory Incorporation Study Committee, has information on its website at NiwotStudy.com. Members as of December 2019 included Cotton Burden, Tim and Mary Coonce, Bob and Tina DiScipio, Steve Lehan, Anne Postle, Tony Santelli and Cornelia Sawle.

The group hired an intern in summer 2019 to do some preliminary research into the budgets and governance structures of similar population Colorado municipalities. The group also looked at Colorado statutes regarding incorporation, and has drawn up a draft budget. They are currently meeting with business owners, homeowners associations, community groups and property owners to discuss their ideas and gather feedback. According to their website, the group will gather input through March 31.

The NCA also will conduct its own community surveys about incorporation. Survey results will be reported two ways: by results from confirmed NCA members, and then results from the general public. Survey results will be posted on the NCA website and sent to NCA members.

“Incorporation is a pretty complicated issue, and the education of our community about it is vital,” NCA board member John Barto said.