Newly elected councilwoman recommends sustaining status quo
Students are calling for new city ordinances to address problems on the Hill.
Newly elected city councilwoman Susan Osborne is happy with current laws and ordinances and recommends sustaining the status quo.
CU Professor Susan Osborne recently won election to Boulder City Council on Nov. 6.
“I was thrilled,” Osborne said. “I’m happy that I was elected but the real joy is being able to work on a council full of people that I know well.”
Osborne has been an adjunct professor with CU’s College of Environmental Design since 2000. She is currently teaching American Housing Policy and Programs, Energy and Design and Studio practicum.
Osborne received the most votes of any candidate who was not an incumbent. She will serve a four-year term on the council.
The council meets every Tuesday to discuss issues related to the city and community of Boulder.
Osborne said that the council is not planning on addressing the proposed smoking ban at CU, but said that she would support a ban.
“We haven’t talked about it much at all,” she said. “(Smoking) is so dangerous and deadly; the cost is born by all of us through taxes and healthcare.”
Boulder was the first city in the state to pass an ordinance to ban smoking in public places.
“It’s a tough call to make,” Osborne said. “It really is pretty much the regents who will decide that.”
One issue that council members have had to deal with on a consistent basis has been the issue of rowdy students living on the Hill.
As a resident of the Hill, Osborne says she thinks that the recent Nuisance Abatement Ordinance, has been able to reduce many of the disruptions on the Hill.
According to the law that was passed in May of this year, landlords are held responsible when houses consistently have violations. Osborne describes it as a “three strikes and you’re out” type of law.
“I’m a big supporter of it,” Osborne said. “I think it was a great thing to do.”
However, many students still say that the Hill is a poor environment in which to live.
“It’s not good,” senior English major Laura Daugherty said. “I definitely think there is a lot of animosity directed toward students who live on the Hill.”
Daugherty, who has lived on the Hill, said that many students trash yards and vandalize cars and houses.
“People on the Hill latch onto that crazy college environment,” Daugherty said. “The dichotomy of students and families makes for an interesting combination. I feel like people have to fight to survive on the Hill.”
Osborne says the ordinances that are currently in place have been successful.
“I think we have a lot of good ordinances,” Osborne said. “It’s all about finding a balance between students having fun and allowing families to enjoy their homes.”
Other students say they agree with Daugherty about conditions on the Hill.
“I will live anywhere in Boulder except the Hill,” senior theatre major Ben Whitehair said. “The houses are run-down, the landlords don’t care, and everything is falling apart. It’s a completely different environment.”
Daugherty said she thinks that City Council needs to better address the problems on the Hill.
“They’ve implemented a lot of changes, but it’s hard because the noise and vandalism is so rampant that it’s hard to control it,” Daugherty said. “I don’t think they’re come up with any over-arching changes yet.”
Osborne said that she is not planning to work toward enacting any new laws or ordinances.
“I think people feel pretty comfortable on the Hill,” Osborne said.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Katherine Spencer at Katherine.a.spencer@thecampuspress.com
