Citizens Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) Regular Meeting Summary - August 19, 2026

The Citizens Budget Advisory Committee (CBAC) met at Golden City Hall, 911 10th Street, Golden, CO, on Wednesday, August 19, 2026. The committee unanimously approved the agenda and the July 15, 2026 minutes, discussed possible bylaw revisions, received the May 2026 tax and finance update from Finance Director Joe Allaire, heard an IT Department presentation from Giles McCoy, received city updates from Deputy City Manager Carly Lorentz, and held community conversations on e-bikes and bear activity.

Consent Calendar

• The August 19, 2026 agenda was approved unanimously.
• The July 15, 2026 regular meeting minutes were approved unanimously after correcting the attendance record to show a member initially marked absent as present. The committee also asked staff to explore adding a link to minutes and financial materials in the CBAC email notification.

Discussion Items

CBAC Bylaw Discussion

• Kathy Smith proposed revisiting virtual or hybrid participation as a way to improve inclusivity and attract younger members.
• Members raised logistical, cost, and governance concerns, including the ad hoc nature of CBAC, the possible need to cap participation, difficulty controlling hybrid meetings, and whether virtual participation should affect voting eligibility.
• Jim Dale said he had served on the committee for 24-25 years and would oppose virtual participation if it cost money. Peter Luptovic cautioned against changes that could make CBAC a more formal committee, and Dolly Kelly said bylaw changes should not be made to address a current non-issue.
• No bylaw change was adopted. A small group involving Kathy Smith and another member will discuss pros and cons and report before the September meeting. Joe Allaire also agreed to look up CBAC video-viewing data.
• Joe Allaire noted he is researching whether smaller Colorado cities are moving toward higher reserve-level guidelines; he said Golden's current reserve levels are not a concern but the topic is worth revisiting.

Finance Update - May 2026 Tax Report and Department Update

• Joe Allaire described May 2026 tax results as generally stable and positive.
• Sales tax: Year-to-date collections through May were approximately $9.48 million, roughly $98,000 below the seasonally adjusted budget (the written May report cites $89,688), and about 2.87% above the same period in 2025. May collections were approximately $2.05 million, an increase of $98,934 over May 2025. General merchandise sales tax rose almost 12%, while grocery, manufacturing, business services, and accommodations were below prior-year levels.
• Use tax: Year-to-date collections were $1,975,037, 22.97% below the same period in 2025; May was one of the lowest May totals in recent years. The city recovered $466,013 in use tax through audit and compliance efforts, including from an energy and utilities company that had remitted software use tax to Minnesota instead of Golden.
• Lodging tax: Year-to-date collections were $880,746, approximately $62,993 below the seasonally adjusted budget and about $57,000 below the same 2025 period. May lodging tax declined by $45,267 from May 2025. Allaire said the city is not projecting a final shortfall yet, but lodging is the revenue source he is watching most closely as the summer continues.
• Marijuana tax: Year-to-date collections were $280,525, $87,466 above budget and 16.9% above the same period in 2025. Allaire said he will likely recommend conservative, level revenue projections for 2027-28 rather than assuming continued growth.
• Welcome Center data: Staff said walk-in visits are roughly half of 2024 levels; June visitors were about 8,000 in 2024, 5,000 in 2025, and 4,500 in 2026. Several members suggested connecting this data with Visit Golden, community marketing, and lodging trends.
• Audit: The first draft of the 2025 annual audit was expected to be delivered to Allaire that day. He said no issues had been flagged and he hoped to complete it in one to two weeks; the delay was attributed to finance department staffing challenges.
• Finance staffing and budget: Allaire said the finance department is shorthanded, with one resignation the prior Friday, a private-sector accountant starting Monday, and another new hire starting in October. The city plans to issue an RFP for an outside accounting firm, such as CliftonLarsonAllen or Baker Tilly, to help close out 2026, train staff, and create exception logs. The cost was estimated at about $100,000 and would likely be covered by salary savings.
• 2027-28 budget: Departments are entering revenues and expenses. The proposed budget is scheduled to go to City Council on October 12, 2026. CBAC will receive a preliminary but mostly complete draft at its September meeting.

IT Department Update

• Giles McCoy, Director of IT and Chief Innovation and Technology Officer, described IT as a shared-services cost center using an IT lease or chargeback model to allocate costs across departments. IT produces no revenue.
• New City Hall: IT costs are largely within the project budget; existing equipment will be reused and moved. The move is expected around summer 2026, possibly over a weekend.
• Security: The city uses edge firewalls, endpoint controls, tested patching, backups, disaster recovery, cloud and software-as-a-service risk distribution, and Arctic Wolf as its primary security operations partner. Phishing simulations are conducted to train staff.
• Fiber: The city is building a fiber network connecting core facilities. Connections to 311 and the shops are underway, but a full redundancy loop remains aspirational with no current funding or timeline. Excess fiber could potentially be leased in the future.

City Updates and Community Conversations

• Deputy City Manager Carly Lorentz said the organization is focused on budget completion, staff support, and organizational stability after recent challenges. One staff resignation was reported; efforts include mental health resources, direct support, and encouraging self-care.
• Creek management: Trash has improved, but erosion, in-water picnicking, and escalating behavior issues have required occasional police presence. The city is considering whether to include a police officer assigned to the creek in the upcoming budget.
• Public safety: The recent officer-involved shooting was difficult, and the officer is recovering. New Police Chief Michelle Wagner is doing a great job. There is no set timeline yet for hiring a new fire chief; the deputy fire chief is filling in.
• Community-service officers and code enforcement: They wear gray uniforms, are not POST-certified, cannot arrest, and can write administrative tickets. Some interactions at the creek have required police authority.
• E-bikes and e-motos: Members discussed whether electric motorcycles and throttle-equipped e-bikes belong on trails. Some favored restricting throttle bikes to roads; others noted class ratings and speed differences. No action was taken.
• Bears: One member shared guidance that hazing wildlife is illegal but making bears uncomfortable, such as with sprinklers, is acceptable. Many bears have been euthanized after becoming comfortable with residences and breaching structures. Residents were urged to secure trash.

Key Outcomes

• The agenda and July 15, 2026 minutes were approved unanimously.
• No formal bylaw changes were made; a small subgroup will study hybrid or virtual participation and report in September.
• The May tax and finance report was received; the city will issue an RFP for temporary accounting support.
• CBAC will review a preliminary draft of the 2027-28 budget at its September 16 meeting; the proposed budget goes to City Council on October 12.
• Future meetings: September 16 (budget, audit, bylaws), October 21 (Police Chief Michelle Wagner, continuing budget review), and November 4 (final proposed budget, CBAC recommendation letter, election of chair and vice-chair). The November meeting will be at an alternate location, likely the Golden Community Center or the Fire Department training room, because City Council chambers will be used for voting machines.
• The meeting was adjourned by unanimous vote.