Citizens Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) Regular Meeting - May 13, 2026

The Citizens Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) met on May 13, 2026, at 7:30 a.m. in City Council Chambers, Golden, CO. The meeting covered finance department updates, a comprehensive creek management presentation, city updates on capital projects and police chief selection, community conversations on wildfire preparedness, and coordination of the remainder of the 2026 calendar. All routine agenda items were approved unanimously.

Consent Calendar

• Approval of the Agenda: Unanimously approved.
• Approval of April 15, 2026 Regular Meeting Minutes: Unanimously approved.

Discussion Items

Finance Department Updates (Joe Allaire, Director of Finance)

• The city’s senior/low-income/disabled property tax refund program saw 791 submissions in 2024 and 926 in 2025, an increase attributed to enhanced marketing efforts.
• Sales tax reports for the first three months of 2026 will be presented at the June meeting; the department expects to be fully caught up by July.
• The 2025 audit continues without significant issues; a trial balance is expected by mid-May.
• The finance department is nearly fully staffed after hiring two new accountants and promoting a part-time sales tax clerk to an AP role.
• Discussion on short-term rentals: Staff collects license data and uses a contractor to scrub listing websites; enforcement is complaint-driven. CBAC requested a follow-up from Community Development on short-term rental trends.
• The long-range debt policy review was considered closed for the year without additional questions.

Creek Management (Carly Lorentz, Deputy City Manager)

• The city aims to balance resident and visitor experiences on Clear Creek through data-driven, incremental strategies.
• Key data: Overall tubing traffic decreased 5.7% in 2025 vs. 2024; weekday tubing fell 23.5%, weekend tubing fell 6.1%; the peak day was 10% lower than the previous year.
• Data is collected via cameras with tube-counting technology; RFID tagging has been phased out.
• New policies for 2026 include lowering the safety flag threshold from 700 to 600 CFS (unlikely to be used due to low flows) and continuing the Saturday outfitter rental restriction during Buffalo Bill Days.
• Outfitter fees generate about $50,000 annually toward creek management; a $5 fee is also charged on tube sales at Golden Goods.
• Concerns for 2026: Very low water levels (peak so far ~80 CFS versus typical 800 CFS in June/July; worse than 2002’s drought). Potential issues include a shorter, more crowded tube run, increased safety risks (scrapes from rocks, bacteria in stagnant water), reduced sales tax revenue, and heightened fire danger. The city is working with Visit Golden to offer alternative activities.
• Staffing: Four seasonal code enforcement officers (plus full-time) are expected to be in place; creek ambassador return rate is 80%.
• Water quality monitoring and fish health are ongoing; fire chief participates in weekly creek coordination meetings.
• Community feedback included suggestions for a first‑aid tent at Vanover Park and a public relations video highlighting management efforts.

City Updates (Scott Vargo, City Manager)

• Police and Municipal Building: The “topping out” ceremony occurred—final wood beam placed. Exterior work continues; occupancy expected in over a year.
• Police Chief Selection: A meet‑and‑greet with finalists will be held May 20 from 5:00–6:30 p.m. at the Golden Community Center (GCC), followed by final interviews.
• A new wildfire preparedness website consolidates city initiatives and property owner guidance; details will be in the weekly city highlights.
• A regional homelessness forum (second annual) focused on renewing IGAs for cold-weather sheltering and navigation services; the regionally coordinated point‑in‑time count showed an increase in Jefferson County but a slight decrease in Denver.
• Sidewalk projects from 8th to 10th Street are unfunded for 2026; a DOLA grant application has been submitted for possible 2027 construction.

Community Conversations

• Committee members shared personal experiences with wildfire mitigation efforts, including a meeting with the fire marshal who conducts home assessments. Members discussed defensible space, building materials (e.g., HardiePlank siding), and landscaping.
• Kathy Smith announced a Golden United community wellness series starting May 20 (Breath, Sound, and Stillness) and shared a link to a recording of the Jefferson Unitarian homelessness forum.

2026 Calendar Review

• June: Changed to Public Works (from Funding Sources) to provide a CIP and capital projects overview.
• July: New Police Chief presentation.
• August: Funding Sources overview (moved from June), paired with CBAC Bylaws review.
• September: Special Events presentation (instead of Parks and Rec) to recap summer events and discuss sales tax impacts.
• October: Fire Department update.
• November: Budget final recommendation and election of Chair/Vice Chair.
• Future request: Planning & Zoning housing-related discussion early 2027.

Key Outcomes

• Unanimous approval of the agenda and April minutes.
• Long-range debt policy review closed for the year.
• Calendar adjustments adopted by consensus: Public Works (June), New Police Chief (July), Funding Sources (August), Special Events (September), Fire Department (October).
• Finance staff committed to delivering first-quarter sales tax reports by the June meeting and catching up on financial portal updates after the audit closes.
• No formal motions or votes were taken on other items.