October 2022

Hey everyone – Here’s my update for things going on in Superior for October 2022.  Read on for updates about the .16% Sales Tax Ballot Question, the November election, the Life Sciences proposal in Downtown Superior, and more…

Sales Tax Ballot Issue 2M

This November, Superior voters will be asked to approve a .16% sales tax (which will generate approximately $800,000 per year).  Here are the reasons why I’m supporting this ballot measure and why I encourage Superior voters to do so as well:

1. The proposed sales tax is replacing an expiring .16% sales tax.  So, if the ballot measure passes, our sales tax rate will stay exactly the same as it is today. 
2. This sales tax extension will automatically sunset and EXPIRE in 10 years — on December 31, 2032.
3. Superior has the lowest sales tax rate (8.445%) in the area right now AND will continue to have the lowest sales tax rate if the ballot measure passes. 
   
4. Over 60% of our Town’s revenues come from sales tax and 70% of our sales tax revenues come from people residing OUTSIDE of the Town of Superior.  Lots of people from surrounding communities shop in our stores and their sales tax dollars help us pay to maintain our roads/bridges/infrastructure.
5. The Marshall Fire 3-year economic impact on the Town is projected at $16 Million. That figure is made up of lost revenues and unreimbursed expenses.  Lost Revenues are projected at $4,000,000 — lost sales tax collections (Target, Tesla, Element Hotel combined with 8% of the Town’s population displaced); no utility bills to 400 customers, and a property tax revenue drop (Boulder County Assessor has temporarily reduced certain 2023 property values by (11.5%).  In addition, we’ve incurred $12,000,000 in unreimbursed expenses.
6. While FEMA and the State agreed to cover 95% of the debris removal from the Marshall Fire, 5% of the cost ($2.5MM) has been borne by the Town.
7. The ONLY use of these monies is to help cover some of the Town expenses relating to the Marshall Fire recovery efforts. Over $12 million in expenses have been identified.  Some of these projects include: the Granular Activated Carbon filtration system at our Water Treatment Plant; damage to parks (Big & Little Sagamore Parks; Founders Park; Children’s Park; damage to streets & sidewalks). Here’s a link to the projects that could be funded out of the sales tax. 
8. While the Town Board has the power to increase our mill levies from 7.93 mills to 12.127 mills (a 4.197 mill or 54% increase), the Town Board has elected not to do so. Approving this sales tax increase allows us to avoid the need to raise property taxes for Superior residents.
9. We can’t cut our way out of this problem.  We have cut/delayed over $2.3 million in 2022 operating/capital programs, delayed reconstruction of north and south pools by several years, and used $4 million of the Town’s General Fund reserve and $5 million of water fund reserves.  And while we’re working with our partners at the Federal, State and County levels, we have no commitments of any additional funding. 
10. Passing this sales tax measure to fund Marshall Fire recovery efforts allows the town to use its General Fund to fund other necessary capital projects, such as: reconstruction of Rock Creek Parkway, completion of an enhanced ultraviolet treatment water disinfection system, and unfunded mandates from the State to make improvements to our Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP).

I hope Superior voters will join me in voting YES on Ballot Issue 2M this November.

Trustee Election

This November, Superior voters will be electing a new Mayor and four Trustees. Here are the candidates the will be on the ballot (in the following order):

Mayor:

• Mark Lacis
• (write-in candidate Gladys Forshee)

Trustee:

• Stephanie Miller
• Jason Serbu
• Jenn Kaaoush
• Stephanie Schader
• Mike Foster
• Bob McCool
• Michael Neustedter
• Neal S. Shah

To learn more about the candidates, please visit the following resources:

• Boulder Daily Camera Voter Guide
• League of Women Voters Candidate Forum
• League of Women Voters Candidate Questionnaire (digested here in a previous post)
• Face the Formers Candidate Forum

The Superior Chamber of Commerce is hosting a “Face the Chamber!” event on October 26, 2022 at the Superior Community Center from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.  For more information, please visit the Chamber’s website here.

Please get to know the candidates. They will be the ones making decisions that will affect our town’s future. Thank you to all the candidates who are stepping up to serve our community and don’t forget to vote!

Life Sciences Campus Update

I wrote about the Life Sciences Campus approval in my September update.  As a reminder, on August 22, the Superior Town Board approved a development application for a Life Sciences Campus in Downtown Superior by a vote of 3-2. Mayor Folsom, Trustee Howard, and Trustee Lish voted “YES” to approve; Trustee Shah and I both voted “NO” against.  I wrote more details about my thoughts for how that meeting was handled in this post.

Since the approval, a petition has been circulated by residents who are asking the Town Board to reconsider the approval of the Life Sciences Campus, or alternatively, to send the question to the voters through a Special Election.  Although the Town has not yet completed the signature verification process, assuming the petition is sufficient, the Town Board should be considering repeal of the Life Sciences Campus approval on November 14 or at a special meeting TBD.  Stay tuned for more info.

Superior Rising – Rock Creek Milestone

Come Celebrate a Rock Creek Milestone on Sunday, October 23 from 3pm-6pm at Community Park. You can expect food, beverages, and community. Thank you to Superior Rising for hosting these milestone parties!

Water Award

The Colorado Water Quality Control Division has recently recognized the Town of Superior with the Commitment Award.  This award, given under the Pursuing Excellence Program, recognizes water systems that have either taken impressive steps to overcome a difficult challenge or have shown an exceptional commitment to the culture of health.  In our case, the award was given as a result of the “exemplary work during the Marshall fire,” namely the installation of the Granular Activated Carbon filtration system as well as the work done to clean and remove ash from the Terminal Reservoir near the Town’s Water Treatment Plant.  This is a well-deserved award for our town staff.  Congratulations!

Colorado Municipal League

At the October 7 meeting of the Colorado Municipal League Policy Committee, Mayor Stolzmann from Louisville and I proposed a modification to CML’s policy statement as well as proposed legislation that addresses underinsurance issues.  As many of our residents who lost their homes in the Marshall Fire were underinsured, there is a need for policy solutions to be implemented in the State Legislature that will ensure that future disasters are not accompanied by similar underinsurance problems as were seen by the victims of the Marshall Fire.  Thanks to Mayor Stolzmann for working with me on this solution and many thanks to the CML Policy Committee for adopting this policy change and for supporting proposed legislation on this topic.

AT&T Tower in Community Park

At the Town Board meeting on October 10, the Board approved AT&T’s request to install a 100′ cellular array in Community Park (similar to the array currently installed there by Verizon).  Based on the materials included in AT&T’s application, this tower should make a substantial improvement cellphone coverage in the greater Superior area.  See coverage areas (before/after) below… where Dark Green shows good coverage and Gray shows no coverage:

Let’s Connect

Please follow my new Facebook page and sign up for blog updates from my website: www.marklacis.com.   You can also send me an email at markl@superiorcolorado.gov.  The next “First Fridays” will be on November 4.