Broomfield Taxpayer Matters

February 3, 2025

This newsletter contains the following stories and information:

Thank you for attending our Budget 101 meeting
Turns out, there is corruption in the Broomfield Council's Travel Expenses
Do the California Fires Raise Concerns About Local Public Safety?
Broomfield Council 2025 Focus Session is Coming up
Colorado Legislature - What to Watch - Bag Fee Repeal Bill
Upcoming Council Agendas
February 8, 2025, Focus Session
February 11, 2025, Regular Meeting
February 18, 2025, Study Session
February 25, 2025, Regular Meeting
City Council member contact information

Pay Attention to these upcoming items in the Broomfield Council Agendas:

February 8 - City Council Focus Session

The specific topics to be discussed at this year’s focus session are Broomfield’s economic and fiscal status, anticipated future development, and an overview of key programs, initiatives and projects anticipated in 2025.

February 11 - Regular Meeting

5B. Broomfield Town Square - Update on Land Transfer
6C. Redesignation of Certifying Officer and Environmental Office for HUD

February 18 - Study Session

2A. Residential Waste Services Reimbursement of Cancellation Fees
2B. Broomfield Minimum/Livable Wage Analysis and Considerations
This was a topic from last year's focus session brought forward by Mayor Pro-Tem Deven Shaff
2C. Best Value Contracting
This was a topic from last year's focus session brought forward by Councilmember James Marsh-Holschen

Please let us know if you plan to attend by registering here.

Thank you for attending the Budget 101 session on Saturday, February 1st, 2025

We had a great turnout for our first Make Your Voice Heard event. Over 40 citizens attended to learn more about Broomfield's 2025 budget, from a taxpayer's point of view.

The high-level budget information along with our takeaways and observations are available on our "Broomfield and Your Money" webpage. The information provided includes references and sources available from the City and County of Broomfield. The information we provided is based on months of our own research into the 2025 proposed Annual Budget and Capital Improvement Project Plan which were submitted by the Broomfield staff and approved by the Broomfield Council in October 2024.

We have also posted our correspondence with Broomfield City Staff regarding our 50 questions on the 2025 budget on our website. You can read our detailed questions and the city's responses. You be the judge on how they are planning and spending your tax dollars.

Local News

Turns out, there is corruption in the Broomfield Council's Travel Expenses.

It's been quite a January for Broomfield Council. We pointed out at the start of the year that three Broomfield Councilmembers (Ward, Henkel, Marsh-Holschen) all exceeded their individual budgets, and by huge amounts.

Their reaction? Change their own policy so that they could share expenses...isn't that nice. Further, Councilmembers criticized and minimized comments of citizen who spoke up and questioned what was happening. Councilmember Bruce Leslie

stated that the public needed to "trust their representatives." Councilmember Todd Cohen stated Broomfield Taxpayer Matters Call To Action was "misleading," - there was no abuse, and this was standard practice. Basically, you don't know what you're talking about, and you should just sit down and shut up.

Well, it's interesting what happened when the public continued to question what was going on. A citizen's CORA request to the City Of Broomfield regarding the Councils' travel expense overspending uncovered that there was abuse and misuse by Councilmember Marsh-Holshen, with multiple violations of the P-Card policy. At the January 28, 2024 Council Meeting, Councilmember Marsh-Holschen made a public apology full of excuses and blaming others for his actions. Mayor Castriotta shared her disappointment and anger over the incident. She said "You know better, Do Better." Councilmember Marsh-Holschen also stated that he will have to re-build public trust.

“I misunderstood a communication from our former Finance Director that it was acceptable to use the p-card for amounts above the per diem as long as those additional charges were reimbursed in full,” Marsh-Holschen said in his statement during the council meeting. “On January 8th of this year, the city and county manager reached out to me to make me aware that this procedure was incorrect. This was the first instance of anyone on staff bringing this to my attention.”

Councilmember James Marsh-Holschen

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The issue comes down to integrity, and that the misuse of the card shouldn’t be explained away as a mistake or a misstep. “Integrity is doing the right thing when no one is watching, this should be a case where you treat it like it’s your own money, your own bank account,” he said. “It’s discouraging and upsetting that we have an elected official who’s responsible for $580 million of a budget not properly managing what should or shouldn’t be charged back to the city and then trying to explain it away as a mistake or a misunderstanding.”

Broomfield Taxpayer Matters founding member Rick Fernandez

Councilmember Marsh-Holschen's Council Bio says that he is an "Anti-Money Laundering Analyst for a financial services corporation that contracts with financial institutions to monitor client accounts for fraud and money laundering." Seems like he should be an expert with these types of policies, yet couldn't distinguish between the right and wrong use of his PCard. Several citizens have suggested through social media that he should resign.

Broomfield Taxpayer Matters will continue to ask questions about the budget, point out when policy is changing and why we believe it may not benefit you. We are taxpayers too and it affects everyone's wallet when council extends its governmental authority.

Thank you to the citizens who stood up, spoke up, and asked for accountability from the Broomfield Council. It is hard, but it is your money and you need to know where it is being spent. You are their employer, you deserve absolute transparency.

Do the California Fires Raise Concerns About Local Public Safety?

The recent fires in Los Angeles County are absolutely devastating. As details began to emerge, it's been reported that the Los Angeles Mayor slashed the fire budget last year and prioritized spending on the city's homeless population. This policy decision put the community at risk, and cost many citizens everything. We remember the destructive fires in Superior and Lafayette at the end of 2021. As a community, we never want to see that happen again.

Is there a similar risk brewing in Broomfield? Policy decisions by the Broomfield Council enacting local building regulations are adding costs and jeopardizing the ability to build an maintain the city's infrastructure. Delaying critical projects like the North Water Tanks at higher and higher cost putting our community at risk. Below are a handful of the local policies that the Broomfield Council has passed that have adverse consequences.

Property Tax Refund program (subsidy)
Down Payment Assistance Program (subsidy)
EV Chargers in required in new homes (builders pass these costs onto you)
Landscaping Codes (builders pass these costs onto you)
Water Sprinklers required in homes (builders pass these costs onto you)
Water and Tap Fee Increases (lost income and lost development)
Three water rate increases (takes more money from taxpayers)
Water Tank Delays (low-water pressure in Ward 4)

There are more, but remember every time a regulation is passed it is the taxpayer who pays the cost because governments and businesses pass those costs onto you.

Broomfield Council 2025 Focus Session is Coming up

This year's City Council Focus Session will be held in the Crawford Room at the Broomfield Community Center (BCC) on Saturday, February 8th from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

This is a session where councilmembers will be discussing this year's focus, public comment will not be allowed. Nothing will be voted on in this meeting, but citizens are welcome to attend to listen to what will be brought to public meetings this year.

The specific topics to be discussed at this year’s focus session are Broomfield’s economic and fiscal status, anticipated future development, and an overview of key programs, initiatives and projects anticipated in 2025.

Please let us know here if you are planning to attend. As always, we will keep you informed through our newsletters.

State News

Colorado Legislature - What to Watch - Repeal Recycled Paper Bag Fee

Remember the bag fee that was officially enacted on January 1, 2023? Our website also describes how much would be collected, and where the fees theoretically would go.

Well, this week, the Repeal Recycled Paper Bag Fee (HB25-1051). will be heard in the House Energy and Environment Committee in the Old State Library (second floor of the State Capitol, Room 271). on Thursday, February 6, 2025 starting at 1:30pm. Currently this bill is in the number 2 position out of 3 bills.

This bill would simply REMOVE the ten cent bag fee that retail establishments were required to add on January 1, 2023 (HB21-1162).

HB25-1051 is a COMMON-SENSE bill that would continue to address those fees that keep adding up for Coloradans! As Former US Senator Everett Dirksen once said, “A billion here, a billion there, and pretty soon you're talking real money."

Make Your Voice Heard and tell the Energy and Environment Committee to help reduce costs for families by voting YES on this bill. You can testify in three ways: 1) Written, 2) Virtual (via Zoom), or 3) In-person. Click here to sign up. Here is a template with sample testimony that you can use to when you provide your public comment.

Please visit broomfieldtaxpayermatters.com for more information on the bill.

Upcoming City Council Meetings - Please let us know if you plan to attend by registering here.

February 8, 2025

20225 City Council Focus Session - 9:30 AM - 4:00PM

Broomfield Community Center, Crawford Room (2nd Floor), 280 Spader Way, Broomfield, CO 80020

Agenda

The upcoming annual City Council focus session is an important step in aligning the community’s goals with city and county operations, particularly as we continue addressing the top priority identified in the recent Community Survey: Financial Sustainability and Resilience.

The focus session will take place at the Broomfield Community Center on Feb. 8 from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., with executive session 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m., which is closed to the public. The specific topics to be discussed at this year’s focus session are Broomfield’s economic and fiscal status, anticipated future development, and an overview of key programs, initiatives and projects anticipated in 2025.

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February 11, 2025

Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Meeting Commencement (1)

1A. Pledge of Allegiance

1B. Review and Approval of Agenda

Petitions and Communications (2)

Councilmember Reports (3)

Public Comment (4)

Public is allowed to comment on items other than those listed in the current agenda

Reports (5)

5A. Colorado General Assembly Legislative Update

5B. Broomfield Town Square - Update on Land Transfer

Consent Items (6)

6A. Approval of Minutes

6B. Authorizing Collection of Uncollectible Debts

-- Resolution 2025-34

6C. Redesignation of Certifying Officer and Environmental Office for HUD

-- Resolution 2025-40

Action Items (7)

7A. Rank-Choice Voting - 2nd Reading

-- Ordinance 2254

Mayor and Councilmember Requests for Future Action (8)

Adjournment (9)

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February 18, 2025

Study Session - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Concept Review (1)

Study Session (2)

2A. Residential Waste Services Reimbursement of Cancellation Fees

2B. Broomfield Minimum/Livable Wage Analysis and Considerations

2C. Best Value Contracting

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February 25, 2025

Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Meeting Commencement (1)

1A. Pledge of Allegiance

1B. Review and Approval of Agenda

Petitions and Communications (2)

Councilmember Reports (3)

Public Comment (4)

Public is allowed to comment on items other than those listed in the current agenda

Reports (5)

5A. Semi-Annual Performance and Internal Audit Update Semi-Annual Performance and Internal Audit Update

Consent Items (6)

6A. Minutes for Approval

6B. Proposed Resolution Approving a Construction Agreement for the 2025 ADA Curb Ramp Program Project

-- Resolution No. 2025-39 approving the Construction Agreement by and between the City and County of Broomfield and Denver Dirt Works, Inc. for the 2025 ADA Curb Ramp Program Project

6C. DOLA Energy and Mineral Impact Grant Funds to go to Ulysses for Harvest Hill Affordable Housing Development

6D. Proposed Resolutions for 112th and Uptown Widening Construction Agreements

-- Proposed Resolution No. 2025-46 approving a construction agreement with American West Construction, LLC.

-- Proposed Resolution No. 2025-47 approving an agreement with Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU) for construction management services

-- Proposed Resolution No. 2025-48 approving an amendment to the agreement with Felsburg Holt & Ullevig (FHU) for construction administration services

6E. Proposed Resolutions for Norman Smith Service Center Consulting Amendment and Construction Amendment

-- Resolution No. 2025-50 approving construction Amendment #1 with AD Miller Services, Inc. for additional construction work related to the Norman Smith Service Center Remodel, including the addition of Fuel Site Upgrades

-- Resolution No. 2025-18 approving Amendment #2 to the consulting agreement with Short Elliot Hendrickson, Inc. (SEH) for additional design services related to the Norman Smith Service Center Remodel.

6F. Proposed Resolution Approving a Trash, Rubbish, and Garbage Hauling License for Northwest Cascade Inc. DBA Honey Bucket

-- Resolution 2025-43 Approving a Trash, Rubbish, and Garbage Hauling License for Northwest Cascade Inc. DBA Honey Bucket

6G. BOE Proposed Resolution for Actions on Abatement Petitions

-- Resolution No. 2025-38-BOE denying certain abatement petitions

6H. Proposed Resolution Almost Home Third Amendment for 2025 Services

-- Resolution No. 2025-51 approving a Third Amendment to the Agreement for Severe Weather Activation Program Services with Almost Home, Inc.

Action Items (7)

7A. Proposed Resolution for 2025 Waterline Replacement Construction Contract Award

-- Resolution No. 2025-05 Approving the Construction Agreement by and between Broomfield and Diamond Contracting Corp., for the 2025 Waterline Replacement Project

7B. Business Improvement District Formation for Broomfield Town Square - First Reading

7C. Broomfield Town Square (BTS) URA Amendment - First Reading

7D. Broomfield Town Square (BTS) URA Amendments and Agreements - First Reading

Mayor and Councilmember Requests for Future Action (8)

Adjournment (9)