Commissioners reaffirm commitment to protecting residents and the environment
Resolution 2017-26 was approved unanimously by the Board
Boulder County, Colo. - Boulder County Commissioners along with heads of
county departments and other county elected officials put forward language for an
official resolution to reaffirm Boulder County government’s commitment to being
a welcoming community. Leadership within the organization had been discussing
the merit of putting forth a public message of inclusivity and a reaffirmation
of the county’s dedication to protecting residents and the environment and
determined that the timing was apt for bringing forth this new resolution.
“Concerns brought to us from our constituents about the current political climate and the potential
risk to many of our core values inspired us to be vocal about our commitments
as a county,” said Commissioner Deb Gardner. “We believe it is important to be
clear about how we intend to govern our community, particularly while there is
a potential for many changes to federal regulations and priorities that may not
align with our guiding values.”
The resolution was
approved unanimously by the Board of County Commissioners on January 19 at the
regular Business Meeting. The full text of Resolution 2017-26 can be viewed
below.
RESOLUTION
2017-26
A
RESOLUTION REAFFIRMING
BOULDER COUNTY’S COMMITMENT TO A WELCOMING COMMUNITY THAT IS PROTECTIVE OF OUR
RESIDENTS AND ENVIRONMENT
WHEREAS, the Boulder County is dedicated
to providing a safe and welcoming community to all, a place where all people
are able to reach their potential and live healthy happy lives, where there is
continued economic opportunity and the environment is protected; and
WHEREAS,
we are committed to fostering and ensuring equity and social justice through protection
of the human rights of all persons regardless of race, socioeconomic status,
gender, ethnic heritage, religious belief, LGBTQ identification, ability, or
immigration status; and
WHEREAS,
Boulder
County works to build a diverse and inclusive community that does not tolerate
any act of racism, oppression, intimidation, harassment, or racial, ethnic or religious
profiling toward another individual, and reaffirms our continued support for
the civil rights of our population, including immigrants, and the distinction
and separation between local law enforcement authority and federal immigration
authority; and
WHEREAS,
a healthy community requires access to affordable health care, which is necessary
to address health disparities across the community; without access to health
care there is a likelihood that only the
wealthy will have ready access to quality care; and
WHEREAS,
our community is built on access to a thriving system of public education, open
to all regardless of ability to pay and providing educational opportunities,
including early childhood education, which gives all students the tools
necessary to achieve their educational goals; and
WHEREAS,
Boulder County believes in the protection of our environment; we will continue
to support policies and programs at the local, state and federal level to conserve
natural resources and combat the impacts of climate change; and
WHEREAS,
Boulder County has dealt with increases in extreme temperature and
precipitation events, leading to more severe wildfires and floods, and a
growing body of scientific work links these events to climate change and
projects even greater impacts in the future; and
WHEREAS,
Boulder County is a strong thriving community because we embrace diversity and
are welcoming and inclusive, and is a community where the basic human rights
and dignity of every person in our community is affirmed and protected.
NOW,
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED BY THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS:
That in order to continue
as a flourishing community, it is imperative that programs which build a healthy, connected community, including
access to education and health care, are protected and continued so that all
have the ability to thrive and contribute, and
It is important to
continue and expand work and partnership by and between government agencies, scientific
and non-profit organizations and individuals to work collaboratively to curb
greenhouse gas emissions and promote environmental protection, and
All individuals in
Boulder County will be treated equally and be provided the same protection of
law, and our local authorities have actively committed not to seek out and persecute
individuals because of their immigration status, and
Finally, the Boulder
County Commissioners and our staff will proactively fight against any rollback
of the current protections afforded our environment and our people, and will continue
to safeguard civil rights and equal opportunity, and continue to work to make
Boulder County a welcoming and inclusive community.
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