Commissioners' Initiatives

In addition to their daily leadership of the County, the individual County Commissioners spearhead special initiatives to improve public service and the quality of life in Boulder County.

As part of their commitment to fulfilling the Boulder County Mission to provide "the Best in Public Service," the Commissioners are leading the following initiatives:

	Public Service Chair: Ben Pearlman Purpose: To enhance the quality of communication between County employees and the public.
	Environmental Sustainability Chair: Will Toor Purpose: To implement environmentally sustainable operations and policies in County government and to foster sustainable practices in the wider community.
	Communication & Collaboration Chair: Cindy Domenico Purpose: To improve the quality of county government by fostering interdisciplinary work, standardizing policies and public data, and  coordinating project management between departments and offices.

Public Service

Headed by Commissioner Ben Pearlman, this committee is working to ensure that Boulder County employees truly do provide the Best in Public Service. The committee is examining and implementing ways to improve employees' communications and interactions with the public. Committee members are also focused on ensuring that residents have a positive interaction with their Boulder County government, whether in person, online or on the phone.

This initiative is divided into three sub-committees:

• Service delivery and experience: assesses the quality of existing Boulder County service and develops policies and procedures to ensure delivery of the Best in Public Service. Sets guidelines regarding expectations for personal contact with the public, phone and e-mail, hours of operation, referrals and more.
• Technology: Assesses Boulder County's current use of technology to serve the public and recommends policies, procedures and changes to make the best use of technology to serve our residents. This includes Web resources as well as other resources such as Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and accessibility for disabled individuals.
• "DESK": Short for Development of Employee Standards and Knowledge, this subcommittee focuses on getting employees the training, experience and information they need to serve the public in the best manner possible.

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Environmental Sustainability

Among Colorado governments, Boulder County is taking a leadership role in sustainability. Sustainability is a long-term goal that seeks to balance environmental, economic and societal needs. This involves the wise use of natural and economic resources and includes energy, fuel and resource efficiency; waste reduction; reuse and recycling; changes to building and land use; and a coordinated effort to educate and encourage the broader community to follow our example.

The County has long embraced sustainable practices such as recycling and minimizing the impacts of development. In 2005 the Board of County Commissioners strengthened and broadened this environmental commitment by adopting a zero waste resolution and an energy resolution. Both resolutions set the County on a long-term path towards true sustainability, with a vision for both short-term and long-term actions to achieve those goals.

The Sustainability Initiative has fomented many different programs and projects. For a more detailed overview of the Initiative, visit the Boulder County Sustainability site.

These are just a small sampling of the efforts associated with the Sustainability Initiative:

• Land Use Code Update: The Boulder County Planning Commission and the Commissioners have adopted changes to the County Land Use Code and Building Code to encourage and enable sustainable building, including BuildSmart - a green building code.

• Sustainable Energy Plan: In conjunction with the member governments of the Boulder County Consortium of Cities, Boulder County has adopted a Sustainable Energy Plan that sets out recommendations for concrete actions to take in order to reduce the County's "carbon footprint."

• Zero Waste County Offices: All Boulder County offices will be "zero waste" equipped by first quarter 2009. This means that employees will be able to easily recycle and compost at their offices. Compost/recycling stations are also provided in certain public areas.

• Purchasing Policies: The county’s purchasing policies have been adapted to reduce waste generated both by external bidders and internal purchases. Examples include a required minimum recycled content on ALL County paper purchases; policies discouraging the purchase of bottled water; and "take back" requirements for vendors selling certain products.

• Zero Waste County Fair: for the first time in its history, the Boulder County Fair became a zero-waste event in 2006, with programs to compost waste and reduce, reuse and recycle materials.

• Energy efficient “retrofits:” to increase energy efficiency, Boulder County has replaced retrofitted various buildings to increase efficiency. For example, staff replaced heat-leaking windows in the downtown Courthouse building and replaced lights at the County Fairgrounds with brighter, more energy-efficient lights.

• Alternative energy: Boulder County uses wind-energy to provide power for approximately 50 percent of the County’s buildings; solar panels have been installed on the West Wing of the County Courthouse, and more solar power systems are being added countywide.

• Fuel efficiency: Boulder County purchases hybrid fleet vehicles that are fuel efficient replacements for older vehicles; at the same time, employees are being educated about ways to increase fuel efficiency and reduce pollution by reducing idling and other actions.

• Alternative transit: to reduce pollution and fuel consumption, Boulder County has dedicated staff working to promote alternative transportation among employees and the general public.

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Communication & Collaboration

Members of the public don’t often see the hundreds of daily interactions among staff members that make a government work. But those interactions - along with a strong atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration - have an enormous effect on the ultimate level of service enjoyed by the public. Commissioner Cindy Domenico is heading an initiative to improve inter-departmental collaboration and ensure that internal government operations run smoothly.

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