City of Boulder 302 - Prioritize Removal of Prohibited Items on Specified City Properties

Question 302 would add subsection (c) to Section 8-3-21 of the Boulder Revised Code (B.R.C.):
“(c) Prohibited items located on city property within a radius of five-hundred feet from any point on a school property line or within fifty feet on both sides of any multi- use path or sidewalk are subject to prioritized removal. Signage or other notification methods may be used to identify these boundaries.”

In other words, Question 302 would prioritize removal of prohibited items (as already defined in B.R.C.) on city property near schools, sidewalks and multi-use paths. The main prohibited items in 8-3-21 are temporary structures, such as tents, and propane tanks -- items frequently found at illegal encampments. Parents collected signatures and got this citizen initiative on the ballot following a propane tank explosion near Boulder High School, but their concerns also include other dangers, such as discarded needles and harassment of their children.

Both sides in this debate agree that there are already laws that protect areas around schools. However, members of Safe Zones 4 Kids felt that their concerns were not being addressed by the city. Their recourse was to put Question 302 on the ballot. Because this is a code change and not a charter change, even if 302 passes, the city council could override it.

Recommendation: Leaning for the measure

This ballot question is an example of direct democracy in action. A successful grassroots effort put this measure on the ballot to hold the city accountable to the rule of law. The opponents of this measure say, “What about treating drug addiction and mental health for the unhoused?” These issues should be front and center, but these issues don’t preclude enforcing or even prioritizing current laws and policies.

Interestingly, the opponents are not saying that the prohibited items should be allowed.

The 2021 Question 300 Bedrooms Are For People effort failed at the ballot box. This year the city council passed a version of Bedrooms Are for People on their own, effectively overriding the will of the electorate. Depending on who is elected to city council, passage or failure of 302 could also be moot if city council decides that it, rather than the electorate, knows what is best.

Website for the Yes Side – Safe Zones 4 Kids
https://www.safezones4kids.org/

Website for the No Side – Solutions Not Safe Zones
https://www.solutionsnotsafezones.org/


Approved Ballot Language
City of Boulder Ballot Question 302
Safe Zones 4 Kids

Shall Section 8-3-21, B.R.C. 1981, be amended to add a provision to prioritize removal of prohibited items, such as tents, temporary structures, or propane tanks, within five hundred feet of a school or fifty feet of any multi-use path or sidewalk pursuant to Ordinance 8586?

For the Measure ___
Against the Measure ___

Ordinance 8586 to place Question 302 on the ballot
https://documents.bouldercolorado.gov/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=182521&dbid=0&repo=LF8PROD2&_ga=2.230518492.1348057877.1697325494-181246305.1661276300&cr=1