CML Newsletter

In this issue:

• CML’s legislative preview for the upcoming session of the Colorado General Assembly
• Town of Superior becomes state’s 108th home rule municipality
• Register now for NLC Congressional Cities Conference in DC 
• Legal Corner: The constitutional independence of home rule ethics standards

In this issue:

• CML travels to Sterling for Effective Government training
• Colorado’s Independent Ethics Board to fill vacancy
• Research Corner: Snapshot of November’s Municipal Elections
• Legal Corner: The question of the competing ballot measures

In this issue:

• CML invites newly elected officials to workshop
• Member Spotlight: Northglenn and Colorado Springs
• Research Corner: Utilizing vacant building ordinances
• Legal Corner: Municipal liability for an employee’s criminal act

In this issue:

• Fall municipal election results
• CML Newly Elected Officials workshop set for Dec. 12
• The Faces of Public Service
• Legal Corner: Holiday displays and the First Amendment

In this issue:

• Interim committees finalize 2025 legislation
• Member spotlights
• Research Corner: Members evaluate CML services
• Legal Corner: What powers do municipalities have to regulate noise?

In this issue:

• A preview of fall municipal elections
• October issue of Colorado Municipalities magazine explores state's natural resources
• State awards money for affordable housing in three municipalities
• Legal Corner: Unknown ghosts in the municipal graveyard

• CML is accepting proposals for sessions at Annual Conference
• Snapshots from Fall District Meetings
• Research Corner: Travel spending grows across state
• Legal Corner: Using the new rights of first refusal and first offer

In this issue: 

• CML Effective Governance workshops empower local leaders 
• Municipal grants and funding opportunities
• Research Corner: State policies protect mobile home park residents
• Legal Corner: Protections for personal goods left on public property

In this issue: 

• How BIDs, DDAs, and URAs shape Denver’s key corridors 
• Refurbished gymnasium to reopen in Buena Vista
• Research Corner: Municipalities experiment with nontraditional workweek
• Legal Corner: Colorado’s property tax battles

In this issue: 

• Plan now to attend CML Fall District Meetings
• How cities and towns are protecting residents from extreme heat
• Research Corner: Mayors across U.S. prioritize economic development, infrastructure
• Legal Corner: “Natural medicine” rules leave broad room for local regulation

• CML assembles Policy Committee for next legislative session
• Erie breaks ground on affordable housing community
• Research Corner: Draft population estimates released
• Legal Corner: Navigating land use issues involving religion

• CML expands Effective Governance workshops
• Plumbing Board adopts temporary enforcement policy
• Research Corner: Federal infrastructure funds awarded to municipalities
• Legal Corner: What does the Loper Bright ruling mean for Colorado?

• Colorado Municipal League’s Annual Report
• Community Violence Intervention
• Research Corner: Municipalities rated for wildfire risk
• Legal Corner: Camping bans following City of Grants Pass v. Johnson

• CML elects new members to Executive Board
• RSVP for State Revolving Fund workshops
• Member Spotlight: Grand Junction
• Clerk’s Corner: On the road

• Governor signs CML-initiated State Support for Affordable Housing bill into law
• Spring District Meetings connect and empower Colorado municipalities
• Research Corner: Municipalities respond to unfunded state mandates
• Legal Corner: Rethinking ‘rights of nature’

• Member Spotlight: Woodland Park acquires land for Avenger Open Space
• The Faces of Public Service: Lone Tree & Walden
• Research Corner: Legal actions impact municipalities
• Legal Corner: The future of local lodging tax

• Newly passed laws affecting cities and towns
• Renewable energy and sustainability resources for local governments
• The Faces of Public Service: Fraser & La Jara
• Clerks’ Corner: Maintaining accurate records is hard work — and important

• Register now for the 2024 CML Annual Conference in Loveland
• CML Spring District Meetings are about to get underway
• Research Corner: The role of property tax in municipal budgets
• Legal Corner: Impact fee challenges — coming soon?

• CML unveils Civility Starts Here campaign
• Local severance tax project dollars to again backfill state budget
• Research Corner: Snapshot of spring municipal elections
• Legal Corner: Court clarifies permissible scope of inquiry for service animals

• Application period for CML Executive Board opens April 8
• Colorado municipalities represented on EPA advisory committee
• Research Corner: Public transit use and funding in Colorado
• Legal Corner: Addressing homelessness through municipal courts

• New rules for public employee speech
• A preview of upcoming spring elections
• Research Corner: The rising cost of insuring municipal operations
• Legal Corner: Supreme Court clarifies rules for public officials on social media

• CML unveils new district map
• Severance celebrates water tank, design for new police building
• Updates on municipal law
• Legal Corner: Appeals court rules of rubber stamping under the Open Meetings Law

• CML hosts 2024 Legislative Workshop
• Registration opens for 2024 CML Annual Conference
• Research Corner: Tracking Municipal revenue
• Legal Corner: Supreme Court weighing in on governmental immunity

• U.S. Sen Michael Bennett meets with CML Executive Board
• Grand Junction reaches out to non-English speaking community
• Research Corner: A municipal guide to Colorado plastic regulations
• Legal Corner: Legal challenges to municipal penalties

• Results of CML's 2024 State of Our Cities & Towns survey
• Two new faces on the CML Executive Board
• Research Corner: Colorado sees growth in homelessness
• Legal Corner: Harnessing the benefits and managing the risks of artificial intelligence

• DOLA offers grant writing assistance program
• Municipal grants & funding opportunities
• Research Corner: A survey of local government employees under age 35
• Legal Corner: New boundaries for executive sessions for legal advice 

• CML accepting applications for vacancies on Executive Board 
• Cities & towns receive Strong Communities grants
• Research Corner: 2023 was the Year of the Cookie
• Legal Corner: Amenities for all genders required in public buildings 

• Leaders from all across Colorado attend CML Mayors' Summit 
• CML publishes updated edition of Election Book
• Research Corner: Municipalities maintain positive fiscal outlook
• Legal Corner: Understanding the basics of executive sessions

• Legislative special session produces property tax relief package 
• Town of Kersey unveils department of community experience
• Research Corner: A numerical snapshot of November's municipal election
• Legal Corner: Is it time to abandon remote public comment?

• Statewide election results 
• Governor appoints new head of the Department of Local Affairs
• Research Corner: Coloradans and the cities and towns where they live
• Legal Corner: State and local solutions to provide property tax relief

• CML celebrates anniversaries of League, Ken Bueche Municipal Building 
• The faces of Public Service
• Election webinar series for clerks
• Legal Corner: Updated requirements under the Equal Pay for Equal Work Act

• Fall election preview 
• Local Planning Capacity grant program opening soon
• Record Attendance at CML Seminar on Municipal Law
• Legal Corner: The legal landscape on camping bans

• Deadline for affordable housing funding commitments 
• Keystone adopts home rule charter
• Colorado Springs, Monte Vista awarded grants to plant trees
• Legal Corner: Scrutiny of public officials' social media use continues

• CML building in Denver turns 25
• 10-year anniversary of devastating floods
• DOLA awards $47 million to reduce homelessness
• Legal Corner: Pickleball highlights the challenges of regulating noise

• A tour of redevelopment projects in Englewood and Parker
• 2023 Highway Users Tax Fund revenue forecast
• CML Fall District Meetings are underway
• Legal Corner: "Clear expression" challenges after Prop HH litigation

• CML, CCI host collaborative meeting on affordable housing
• Register now for Metro Mobile Tour
• Municipal grant opportunities
• Legal Corner: Governing without a governing body?

• CML Annual Conference: 100 years of unity
• Upcoming state rulemakings that affect municipalities
• CML Fall District Meetings
• Legal Corner: Changes to Open Records laws

• Legislative interim committees commence work
• Billions in transportation grants available
• Keep up to date on web accessibility guidelines
• Legal Corner: Increased AVIS availability for municipalities

• CML elects Executive Board
  
• Monte Vista police detective receives award from U.S. attorney general
  
• Winners of the Sam Mamet Good Governance and Legislative Hero awards
• Legal Corner: Anti-"anti-growth" law takes effect in August

• CML publishes new edition of Colorado Laws Enacted
  
• Communications infrastructure preemption bill advances
  
• Legal Corner: Accessibility requirements for public meetings
  

• CML Spring Outreach
  
• DOLA awards $17 million for affordable housing
• Legal Corner: Legislative intrusion into municipal courts
  

• CML's history of keeping municipalities informed
  
• State Revolving Loan Fund Eligibility Survey now open
• New campaign finance laws that affect municipalities
  

• New legislation affecting municipalities
  
• Save big by registering early for CML Annual Conference
• Grants & funding opportunities for cities & towns
  

• CML celebrates 100th anniversary
  
• Constitutional questions for "private" social media use
• EPA offers grants for wastewater infrastructure
  

• CML's history of advocating for cities and towns
  
• Spring municipal election results
• Recent developments on ranked choice voting

• Essential information about Senate Bill 213, Land Use
  
• State makes fixes to housing recovery program
• Legal Corner: Disenfranchising voters with statewide zoning

• Spring municipal election preview
  
• CML Executive Board application period opens soon
• Rezoning by popular (local) opinion

• A history of home rule
  
• Register now for CML 2023 Annual Conference in Aurora
• Nominate a municipal hero for the Sam Mamet Award

• Gov. Polis speaks at CML Legislative Workshop
  
• Grants available for municipal transit
• FAMLI Program opt-out deadline extended
  

• Legislative session off to a flying start
• CML100th anniversary tour gets underway
• 2023 Sam Mamet Awards open for applications

• Inflation poses challenge for cities & towns
• CML champions local zoning rights
• How to utilize state funds to build affordable housing in your community

• CML celebrates 100 years
• New matching grant program for infrastructure projects
• EPA defines Waters of the United States

• Louisville rebuilds first house after wildfire
• State Supreme Court clarifies term limits
• White House unveils plan to end homelessness

• Key issues for upcoming legislative session
• CML to host webinars on psychedelics, crisis communications
• What Proposition 122 means for local governments
  

• FAMLI opens for early registration
• A primer on plastic bag fees & bans
• Webinar explains EV infrastructure funding
  

• Fall municipal elections
• Statehouse interim committees 
• Year-end housekeeping for municipalities
  

• Energy Code Board gets down to work
• Waterwise planning
• Municipalities optimistic about finances
  

• Fall municipal election preview
• Colorado broadband roadmap
• Marijuana industry thrives
  

• CML takes position on ballot measures
• Public Power Week
• Municipal responsibility for tree maintenance
  

• Stimulus funds benefit small towns
• Survey finds strong interest in infrastructure spending
• Interstate commerce & municipal authority
  

• CML webinar on kratom
• Highway Tax Fund revenues rebound
• Navigating municipal background checks
• More

In this issue we cover:

• $1 billion available through Safe Streets and Roads for All grant program
• Colorado receives $45.8 million for transportation projects
• Bootcamp program teaches municipalities how to compete for grants
• Research Corner: Local elections officials are worried about their safety
• More

• Downtown Development Authority projects
• CML Annual Seminar on Municipal Law
• Supreme Court term preview
• More

• Opioid settlement deadline
• Limits on drug testing for public employees
• State of the Cities 2022
• More

• Inflation 
  
• Energy performance
• Colorado water plan
• More

• CML Executive Board
• Infrastructure resources
• Mamet Award Recipients
• More

• Securing funds for water
• Clarifying legislation
• Pandemic recovery grants
• EPA loan

• 2022 Best Places in Local Government award
• Colorado is growing older
• $4.5 million in EPA funds to advance environmental cleanups
• More
  

• Legislative Session wrap-up
• $18 million in affordable housing grants 
• Colorado moves forward with zero-emission Clean Truck Strategy
• More

• Bills aim to provide money for municipalities to fight homelessness
• Safety stop law
• Colorado’s FAMLI program 
• More

After weeks of political wrangling between the various factions of Congressional Democrats, the U.S. House of Representatives on Nov. 19 passed the budget reconciliation bill commonly known as the Build Back Better Act (BBBA). In the end, the vote was party line, except for one Democrat who sided with the Republican opposition.

Registration is now open for CML's Special Conference, Sept. 22–24 in Westminster, and CML's Virtual Special Conference, Sept. 30–Oct. 1. Space at the in–person conference is limited, so register early to ensure your spot at the premiere training event for municipal officials in Colorado!

Act guidance for the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CSLFR) program, a clearer picture exists for both "metropolitan cities" that are receiving a direct allocation from Treasury, as well as non-entitlement units of local government (NEUs), which are local governments typically serving a population under 50,000.

Letters of application are being accepted to fill a position on the Colorado Municipal League (CML) Executive Board in the medium category.

Downtown Colorado, Inc., is pleased to announce the winners of the 2020 Governor's Awards for Downtown Excellence! Since 2003, the Governor's Awards for Downtown Excellence have recognized outstanding projects and people in Colorado that demostrate creativity in the face of challenges, unlikely and enduring partnerships, and dedication to community to further downtown initiatives.

As part of his budget proposal to the Joint Budget Committee on Nov. 12, Gov. Jared Polis announced his intentions to direct $160 million to stimulate economic growth, create jobs, and establish rural broadband connectivity around the state. 

On Oct. 16, the CML Board met virtually for the primary purpose of reviewing recommendations from the CML Policy Committee on member proposals and positions on legislation or policy.

The Community and Economic Development work system within the City of Arvada is continuing to innovate by creating a more streamlined and transparent process to update the public about upcoming public hearings and all development projects going on in the city.

Over CML's history, the Annual Conference has been the premiere training event for Colorado municipal officials. It is an opportunity to learn from experts and each other, as well as to network with your colleagues from around the state. Since 1923, as near as we can tell, CML's ability to hold the conference has never been threatened until this year. 

Applications for members interested in the CML Executive Board will be accepted through 5 p.m. on Wednesday, June 10. In anticipation of the CML Annual Conference that is still scheduled for June 23–26, members interested in running for one of the 10 positions up for election on the CML Executive Board are encouraged to submit their applications as soon as possible.

On behalf of the entire staff at CML, I want to convey to you our thanks and appreciation for your dedication and commitment to your community. This is an unprecedented time, filled with uncertainty, fear, and confusion, as the COVID-19 virus (coronavirus) continues to impact every aspect of our lives.

As more cases of Coronavirus (COVID-19) are identified throughout the United States, municipal leaders and residents are increasingly asking how to prepare.

In 2019, CML announced the creation of the Sam Mamet Good Governance Award in honor of retired CML Executive Director Sam Mamet.

The municipal courtroom at Cortez City Hall has a new name: the “Roy Lane Courtroom,” in honor of the retiring police chief of 38 years.

Letters of application are being accepted to fill positions on the Colorado Municipal League (CML) Executive Board in both the medium and largest municipality categories. 

On Nov. 5, voters in nearly 80 cities and towns across Colorado voted on a combined total of more than 100 municipal tax issues and other questions. 

In 2018, the Fire and Police Pension Association (FPPA) Board of Directors voted to direct staff to prepare a legislative request for an increase in employer contributions by 4 percent.