Niwot LID considers NBA's revised 2021 budget

The Niwot Local Improvement District Advisory Committee held its latest monthly meeting virtually on June 1. The meeting was chaired by newly elected vice-chair Eric Bergeson in the absence of new chair Scott Firle.

Treasurer's Report

LID treasurer Bruce Rabeler was also not present, but submitted a written report of the district's current finances to board members in advance. In March, the Niwot LID earned $19,348, down from February ($20,935), but up 22% from March 2020 (12,639), and 18% from 2019 ($16,406). Retail was once again the strongest sector, accounting for 53% of revenues. Through the first three months of 2021, the district has earned $55,744, up 22% compared with the same period in 2020 ($45,748).

As of May 31, the LID board has approved $117,710.75 in funding requests, or 79% of its 2021 allocation from the county of $149,313, which is based on 80% of the 2019 total revenues.. With pending June requests totaling $20,875, that total will jump to $138,586 (93%), leaving less than $11,000 in the budget for the remainder of the year.

Substituting for Rabeler during the meeting, Boulder County Liaison Mark Ruzzin briefly discussed the LID reserve fund of approximately $200,000, and also noted that reimbursement of approved expenses has been lagging so far this year, due to a reorganization in the county's finance office, among other things.

Funding Requests

Members unanimously approved a request of $1,500 from Chuck Klueber of the Niwot Business Association's streetscapes committee for "as-required" mowing services for the vacant lot west of Murray Street, which includes the site of Niwot's LID-funded public parking lot, now under construction.

The board also approved a request from Niwot Economic Development Director Catherine McHale for $19,375.25 to fund the remainder of the NBA's 2021 marketing budget. In support, she presented a revised version of the budget that eliminates several proposed events or campaigns, and reduces overall expenses by nearly $10,000. That will bring the LID's expected annual share down to $28,917 from the $38,167 she proposed in December 2020, a portion of which ($9,541.75) has already been approved.

"I think that we're at the stage now where we can see with a little more clarity what things would look like for the rest of the year," McHale said. "I was conscious of the discussions that we had last time about potentially trying to limit the spending on some of the marketing activities."

Last month, committee members discussed the increased number of local events so far in 2021, and whether it would be able to continue funding them at such a rapid pace in the future. The NBA is currently surveying members to determine which events have been most effective.

New Business

After approving requests, members addressed the LID's strategic plan, which is due for a refresh in 2021. Updated every five years, the strategic plan provides an outline of the "objectives and goals" that underlie the LID's funding priorities. Ruzzin estimated that the entire process will take approximately three months, so September is the latest date to start and still complete the update in 2021. All agreed to start gathering information and thinking about potential meeting dates, and return to the topic at July's monthly meeting.

Old Business

Ruzzin said that the permitting process for Niwot's public parking lot is in the "final, final" stages, allowing construction to go ahead, after several months' delay. That then prompted a discussion, led by member Biff Warren, about how the county permitting process might be improved to become more user-friendly.

The LID will hold it's next monthly meeting virtually on Tuesday, July 6 at 7 p.m.