Remarks by Matt Benjamin
33 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 1 of 2
- Play at 1:17:55
“Yeah, I'm interested in calling this up. Mostly because normally we'll get to those details in site review, which is totally appropriate. But given that this is one of the first big projects that are coming through our new comprehensive plan that has made really substantive changes to our land use, I think it's good governance and appropriate for us to give a little extra scrutiny and a deeper look at some of these first projects that are coming through our new comp plan just to make sure that there aren't any conflicts or any challenges that then become repeatable with other big projects. So…”
City Council · Oct 15, 2026
- Play at 2:08:48
“Matt? For the sake of public record, I'll sort of repeat a little bit of what I said last time. So it's there because this is the second meeting. I thank you guys for coming to testify. Appreciate that. Appreciate those concerns. But there's certain things we're going to move forward on because we have mandate from the voters twice to do so. So we will follow that mandate. But specifically with budget, I just want to be very clear. There's been concerns brought by communities and our boards and commissions that our process is simply just not right. And I would just have to fully agree. Our…”
City Council · Oct 15, 2026
- Play at 2:56:15
“All right. I make a motion to adopt ordinance eight seven seven four rezoning approximately three point seven two acres of land located at two one zero six and two one three zero Arapahoe Avenue and adjacent 0.03 acre portion of Marine Street and a portion of adjacent Arapahoe Avenue right-of-way from the public to the residential RH5 zoning district, a portion of adjacent Arapahoe Avenue right-of-way from the residential high two RH2 to the residential high five RH5 zoning district and a portion of adjacent Arapahoe Avenue right-of-way from the residential mixed one RMX1 to the residential…”
City Council · Oct 15, 2026
- Play at 2:57:04
“I'll just speak to it real quick. I just appreciate the thoughtfulness in a very complex environment that that is given the surrounding partners and what's been developed and what may be developed and I appreciate you working to fit within what's around you, but recognizing there needs to be some transition and there's tensions between RH five and some of the lower density residential and other areas. So just, I just appreciate the thoughtfulness and thinking through that. Um, that makes our job easy when an applicant is doing that level of due diligence and thoughtfulness. So thank you so…”
City Council · Oct 15, 2026
- Play at 54:28
“Real quick regarding CU South. This has been one of the most long-term and publicly accessible and participated projects in the city's history going back well over a decade. Two community votes have been taken on it to further support the building of flood mitigation along South Boulder Creek. We couldn't have a more clear mandate from community to move forward with this project and commend staff for working cleverly with the conditions that they've been given to meet that community mandate and do so with the minimal financial cost to our community. So good job staff, but also communities to…”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 1:40:31
“Matt and then Tara. Thank you. Thanks for the reminder presentation. It's a lot of information to compress in just a few minutes, so I appreciate that. My question has to do with Um, kind of front running our October 22nd meeting because we're a little out of phase and out of sequence. And I know that that's just a scheduling thing that has occurred, but nonetheless, it's consequential. that we're talking about the budget, yet in three weeks we'll be debating whether we spend more or less money on wildfire. So my real question is, knowing that's three weeks away, I'd like to know, we must…”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 1:42:57
“Great. I appreciate that. So six and a half to about ten and a half would be the sort of full Monty more or less of what that enhanced is. Are you prepared for conversations of anything in between or is it kind of an all or nothing? I'm just sort of again setting up what tonight's conversation might be about where council might be comfortable somewhere in that stage or not if there was a desire to sort of commit some resources to that.”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 1:44:01
“So that's perfect, Dan. I appreciate that. So it seems that anywhere from status quo to anywhere between six and a half to 10 million is kind of the spectrum that we're looking at for where we would enhance and we'll have those metrics and performance and sort of take our experts, you know, perspective on how to sort of maximize cost-benefit there. But it's really between those two bookends. That's right. Okay, great. Thank you for the update. Appreciate it.”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 1:58:35
“Is that level of reallocation detail necessary for a decision we're making in three weeks? And so that's really, I think, maybe that's part of where Rob's going is we're in the budget conversation now. And therefore, if we were to put a hold on the money, determining exactly what bucket it comes from, is that really relevant to a decision we're going to make in three weeks? What it is trying to say is rather than make that decision in May of next year, we could be putting a hold on some of that money now. And if on the 22nd, we decide some variety of that a la carte of enhanced, at that…”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 2:44:09
“I appreciate that, Aaron. And so I'm going to circle back to my proposal and one, maybe offer a few changes to it as presented based on some feedback I've received. So for context, given wildfire is a top priority the community has told us about in Fund Our Future, and we've done, as Dan has mentioned, we've been accelerating our funding over the last few years. This year we hear from community that it is a top priority and our additional investment is just 300K one time. It's not to say we're not doing great work. It's just that we have a long road to go. And as has been pointed out, there's…”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 2:53:14
“Well, it would be improper for me to commit beyond one year, so this is just the start. So this would be just for next year. Obviously, we've got a big number ahead of us in ongoing work, and it will take subsequent councils and or funding mechanisms to look at ongoing work. But this is for next year to get that work going in earnest.”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 3:02:22
“So Dan, this is exactly why we're out of phase on this is our budget. And yet in three weeks, we're talking about the wildfire stuff because that's exactly the context that informs this conversation right here. So I appreciate you bringing that up. I'm just glad that we were able to extricate those details So what I'm hearing is of that 6.5 to 10 million of enhancements that is forecasted at the October 22nd meeting, you're saying about 1 to maybe 2 million? 1.5 to 2.2. 1.5 to 2.2. Is there draft numbers? Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, again, but we're trying to set a ballpark here. It would be more…”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 3:03:15
“So we're narrowing it in here, which is great. That first reading should have done that maybe six months ago. We don't need the side commentary on what staff could have done. But here we are, and that's why this is going to take a while tonight, because we're trying to zero in on these core pieces. This is what tonight's going to have to be. So again, now that we're getting more details live, we're going to adjust the recommendation live. If that is an open space contribution, then the $4 million is not a necessary number for next year. It looks like it is in more the $1 to $2.5 million rough…”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 3:16:08
“That doesn't make any sense. That doesn't make any sense. OK. All right. I want to make. We just straw polled my proposal, and that just got rejected. It's off the table. You straw polled a $600,000, and it's a separate proposal. If it lives or dies, it goes .”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 3:29:20
“I want to commend staff for the hard work, the tremendous complexity that our budget has. As Ryan mentioned, the headwinds we face. And what I also want to say and it is not a reflection on staff in any way is our budget process is fully busted. The fact that it is October 1st and we are by request of counsel in an amendments to first reading finally having a conversation of trade-offs is beyond frustrating and impossible for us as a body of eight to confidently say we own this budget. These conversations have to happen months ago. If we want to move things around or tweak, the budget that we…”
City Council · Oct 1, 2026
- Play at 1:05:10
“Um, well, I'm gonna make a motion and then I'll say something about it. Um, I'd like to go ahead and make a motion to adopt ordinance 8772, authorizing and approving acquisition of property interest for the South 30th Street improvements project by negotiation and purchase or through the power of eminent domain and setting forth related details.”
City Council · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:05:29
“Just continuance of great work. It's good to see CAN continue to do its thing in the city. And, you know, it's evolved beyond what its sort of initial projects were. And it's now become kind of the ethos of a department. So it's just great to continue to see this working. So great job.”
City Council · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 2:04:02
“Matt. One follow-up question is for Mark. There's been a question about kind of the sequencing of process. And I think in particular one of them is regarding, you know, a site plan or a site review. And I want to sort of maybe have you sort of answer the typical way things work, or a better way to say, has anybody who doesn't actually own a property ever embarked on a discretionary site review process?”
City Council · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 2:04:55
“And so just to sort of follow up, all of the development projects that people are looking towards as sort of the process in which we follow are all predicated on the individual submitting that process actually owning the property at the front end. Is that correct?”
City Council · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 2:05:22
“The same as any other property in our city?”
City Council · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 2:13:14
“first thank you all for coming here tonight. It is an absolute privilege and honor for us. I would say to see so many new faces, uh, embark in the public process. Uh, it's just great. And so we hope that regardless of how this particular outcome plays, that you continue to engage in the process in the city. Uh, it's important for us to see and hear from as many people as possible, whether or not the, anything we're doing directly impacts you. We want to hear your opinions and perspectives. So just want to honor and say, thank you for being here. Um, Tonight, we are not approving the size, the…”
City Council · Aug 20, 2026
- Play at 1:38:18
“You said one or two, so I'm going to use two. A question about the bond. I noticed in the bond language and in the presentation, much to my happiness, I see South Boulder Rec Center listed as the number one item. I guess, does that mean anything to the voters, that if they see the South Boulder Rec Center listed as one of six items and number one at the top of the list, Does that mean that that is the top prioritized facility to be replaced? Certainly maybe with regards to rec centers. Is it now ahead of North Boulder Rec Center in terms of the queue? So I think voters want to kind of know…”
City Council · Aug 6, 2026
- Play at 1:41:03
“Okay. I appreciate that. My next question kind of circles back to the DDA. I'm kind of curious, has any city ever declined to put a DDA on the ballot following a process like this? I know there's a bunch of DDAs around Colorado, and I'm wondering if that's ever happened.”
City Council · Aug 6, 2026
- Play at 1:55:10
“Isn't it preceding? Isn't it the preceding year from the formation? Right, I think you said 2027, June 30, 2027. Wouldn't it be 2026 to June 30, 2025? Or 27 to 26?”
City Council · Aug 6, 2026
- Play at 1:55:24
“Yes, okay, so I think we have the order. Yeah, just checking. Great, okay. Did you have something else, Tara?”
City Council · Aug 6, 2026