Spotlight on our boards and commissions accomplishments!

2024 and 2025

Photo by Howie R on Unsplash

One of the agenda items for the April 22nd City Council workshop is a report on the accomplishments of our boards and commissions in 2024, and their plans for 2025. The volunteers on these boards work hard on our behalf, often in rooms with no members of the public in attendance. It seems only fitting to use this report to council to give some well-deserved recognition to these fellow community members, so here’s a copy, paste, and screenshot account of the work they do to help make Lafayette the special place we love.

2025 Priorities and 2024 Accomplishments

Lafayette Cultural Arts Board

In 2024, the Cultural Arts Board proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Awarded over $24,000 to 17 Arts in Community Grants to support art and culture in Lafayette.

2. Awarded over $18,000 to 23 Arts in Education Grants to support art and culture in Lafayette schools.

3. Community outreach through volunteering at Art Night Out.

4. Provided information and networking opportunities to local artists and arts organizations at a networking event

5. Funded and volunteered at diverse cultural experiences including Indigenous People’s Day events and cultural films.

6. Supported Arts and Cultural Resources (“ACRD”) and community arts events through volunteerism.

7. Planned and hosted 6 Arts Outside Workshops for the community

2025 Priorities

In 2025, the Cultural Arts Board is proposing to focus on the following priorities/workplan items.

Historic Preservation Commission

2024 Accomplishments

In 2024, the Historic Preservation Commission proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Reviewed and recommended two applications to the Lafayette Historic Register.

2. Reviewed one application for a Certificate of Appropriateness (for alterations to a structure on the Lafayette Historic Register).

3. Awarded four Building Restoration grants and two large-sum grants.

4. Reviewed nine applications for partial or total demolition of structures age 50 years or greater.

5. Awarded four property owners awards for stewardship of their historic homes.

6. Supported a booth at Art Night Out and hosted HPC’s annual Trivia Night at Odd 13 and developed an informational Welcome Packet on the City’s historic preservation program for new residents in Old Town.

7. Five HPC members attended the annual Saving Places Conference, the state-wide historic preservation conference.

8. Completed the annual fiscal report and a quadrennial review for as required to maintain the City’s Certified Local Government status through the State Historic Preservation Office.

Human Rights Board

In 2023, as part of the 2024 budget process, the Human Rights Board advanced a recommendation to the City Council for the creation of an IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Access) Strategic Plan to support the board’s responsibility of preparing and recommending to the City Council a plan of long- and short-range priorities related to diversity and inclusiveness. This request was approved, and the board was pleased to see this important planning process kickoff in 2024.

This recommendation was made during a period when the board had very low membership and had been experiencing challenges in fulfilling their complex responsibilities as a volunteer board that meets only once per month and has no support staff outside of their liaison, who is a department director with limited capacity to support their work. The Chair had conversations with the staff liaison and City Manager in 2023 about some of the challenges facing the board. As a result, a component of the IDEA Strategic Plan is to explore the scope and purpose of the board following adoption of the plan.

In 2024, the Human Right Board proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Discussed the board mission, purpose, scope, and name. Recommended to City Council changes to the HRB ordinance eliminating alternate board members and increasing the number of regular members.

2. Discussed recruiting for diversity and participated in the new board recruitment process, tabling at the August Open House event, and interviewing and recommending the appointment of new members. After several years of low membership, the board was very pleased to participate in the new recruitment process and have a fully seated board on December 1, 2024.

3. Reviewed and provided feedback on the draft Climate Action Plan.

4. Received a presentation on the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) Transition Plan.

Library Board

In 2024, the Library proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Shifted the meeting schedule from meeting monthly to meeting on alternate months and as needed so that agendas are more robust and to ensure that meetings are a productive use of volunteer and staff time.

2. Participated in an interactive training workshop on library advocacy for trustees presented by Sharon Morris, Public Library Leadership Principal Consultant with the Colorado State Library.

3. Reviewed the responsibility of Library Boards established in a new Colorado Library Law, SB24-216, which addresses requirements for public libraries to develop written policies for acquiring, retaining, displaying and using library resources and governing how to handle any requests to remove or censor access to books or other resources. (The Lafayette Public Library’s existing policies were already in compliance with this legislation).

4. Recommended to City Council changes to the Library Board ordinance, eliminating alternate board members and increasing the number of regular members.

5. Participated in the new board recruitment process, tabling at the August Open House event, and interviewing and recommending the appointment of three members.

Mental Health and Human Services Grant Program Advisory Committee

In 2024, the Mental Health and Human Services Grant Program Advisory Committee proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Revised the 2025 grant cycle evaluation criteria.

2. Reviewed 45 grant funding applications and collaboratively agreed on funding recommendations for City Council.

3. Onboarded two new Committee members.

4. Formalized and codified the Committee with a revised ordinance and update bylaws.

Open Space Advisory Board

1. In 2024, the Open Space Advisory Board accomplished or supported the following items:

2. Wildlife Plan development and implementation plan

3. Coal Creek Connections design review

4. Migratory Bird Festival

5. Cross-collaboration with neighboring agency Open Space boards

6. Represented Open Space for the Chapter 26 Code Rewrite

7. Provided recommendations on Pollinator District Designation, World Migratory Bird Day, Arbor Day, Mayor’s Monarch Pledge

Planning Commission

In 2024, the Planning Commission accomplished the following items:

1. Convened three times with the Land Use Code Update working group.

2. Reviewed and recommended approval on five development review proposals.

3. Reviewed and recommended approval on five targeted code updates.

4. Convened once as Board of Adjustment to review and approve a lot line adjustment and setback variance.

5. Held a joint workshop with the Historic Preservation Board on the Lafayette Urban Renewal Authority Old Town Tomorrow transition project.

Public Art Committee

In 2024, the PAC proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Granted $13,500 in Public Art Grants for six projects in Lafayette: Old Town, Waneka Lake Park, and south of South Boulder Road.

2. Activated the Public Art Pathways initiative by commissioning Greeley-based muralist, Armando Silva, aka ARTmando, to paint an original mural on the north facing wall of the Señor Gomez restaurant.

3. Purchased The Pollinator, a small sculpture from Art on the Street 2023. Public Art Coordinator collaborated with Sustainability to install the work at the Waterwise Garden at Fire Station #1.

4. Selected 21 sculptures for Art on the Street 2025.

Senior Advisory Board

In 2024, the Senior Advisory Board proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Designed and laser printed names tags with collaboration of the Library’s Makerspace.

2. Adopted three strategic goals and appointed committees:

   1. Evaluated the Denver Regional Council of Government’s (“DRCOG's”) Boomer

      Bond and took action to participate in Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Access

      (“IDEA”) Strategic Plan request for proposals.

   2. Reviewed the 2024 Senior Services budget requests.

   3. Reviewed and approved four proclamations for City Council consideration:

      1. Older Americans Month, with evergreen banner on Public Rd

      2. Elder Abuse

      3. Ageism Awareness

      4. Fall Prevention

3. Discussed age-inclusive language.

4. Updated bylaws.

5. Attended Future of Aging State Conference.

6. Attended Boulder County Senior Law Day.

7. Attended various Senior Services programs.

8. Participated in Boulder County Aging Advisory Council.

9. Participated in City of Lafayette Land Development Code Working Group.

10. Presented to American Planning Association Colorado Chapter annual conference.

11. Recruited full board with all seven members seated.

12. Hosted guest speakers from:

    1. Boulder County District Attorney's office

    2. Lafayette Fire Department

    3. Lafayette Police Department

    4. Lafayette Sustainability Department

    5. City Manager’s Office with update on IDEA project

13. Spoke during public input at City Council meetings.

14. Tabled at events, including the Senior Resource Fair, City Boards & Commissions Recruitment, Senior Services Art Night Out

Sustainability and Resilience Advisory Board

In 2024, the Sustainability and Resilience Advisory Board proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Advised on and endorsed the Climate Action Plan.

2. Supported the Universal Recycling Ordinance implementation.

3. Supported the creation of Homeowner Association Water Conservation Workshops in partnership with the City of Louisville and Town of Superior.

4. Educated residents through several community events, including Earth Day, Every Day, Art Night Out, Electrification Expo, and Ecotoberfest.

5. Provided grant support for the Colorado Water Conservation Board for Turf Replacement grant.

Lafayette Youth Advisory Board

In 2024, the Lafayette Youth Advisory Board proudly accomplished the following items:

1. Participated in a Board Member Orientation provided by Board Liaisons Melissa Hisel and Renée Jacobsen and City Attorney Mary Lynn Macsalka.

2. Elected Co-Chairs.

3. Created and recruited for a non-voting subsect called the “Service Squad”.

4. Established 2024/2025 priorities in a Work Planning Session facilitated by Nikki McCord of McCord Consulting, including:

   1. Plan the January 20, 2025, MLK Rally for Peace (fall and winter)

   2. Conduct outreach with schools (spring and summer)

5. Executed the annual MLK Rally for Peace on January 20, 2025

Want to offer more support? Awesome!