CogniLocal Your Community, More Completely.
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CogniLocal

Berthoud

Your Community, More Completely.
Monday, October 26, 2026 · Permanent link to this edition
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Tuesday, October 27: Town Board meeting, 6:30 p.m.Thursday, October 29: Overnight I-25 on-ramp closure at WCR 34, 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.Saturday, October 31: Scarecrow Contest People's Choice winner announcedMonday, November 2: No school in Thompson School District (staff professional day)
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Today in Berthoud

CDOT lists an overnight closure of the northbound I-25 on-ramp at WCR 34 Thursday, October 29, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m.
Trustees meet Tuesday, October 27, at 6:30 p.m., with the continued Heron Lakes Marina hearing and next steps on data-center rules on the agenda.
Berthoud Elementary has a one-hour late start Wednesday, October 28, and a Halloween parade Friday, October 30, at 8:15 a.m.
The Berthoud Civic Academy graduation is Thursday, October 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. at TPC Colorado.
Scarecrow Contest voting runs through Friday, October 30; the People's Choice winner is announced Saturday, October 31.
The Berthoud Life Center at Grace Place is open Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

NEW: newly reported developments or upcoming opportunities. UPDATE: later substantive information on a covered story. ONGOING: continuing useful information. RESOLVED: the reported issue has ended. BACKGROUND: dated historical context, not a new development or confirmation of current availability. UNCONFIRMED: a story, continuing story or detail that could not be confirmed against its cited source on the edition date; the note under the headline says what is not confirmed. Today and countdown lines carry "(unconfirmed)" for the same reason. All local times are Mountain Daylight Time.

City, Roads & Planning

UPDATE

Northbound I-25 on-ramp at WCR 34 closes overnight Thursday, October 29

CDOT's North I-25 schedule for the week of October 25 lists the northbound I-25 on-ramp at Weld County Road 34 for an overnight closure Thursday, October 29, from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. so crews can move barriers and stripe lanes for a traffic switch. WCR 34 traffic headed north will travel south to Colorado Highway 66 (exit 243), turn around and enter northbound I-25. A northbound right lane closure at WCR 34 is listed the same night from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Monday through Friday this week, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., the I-25 east frontage road between WCR 36 and the Great Western railroad crossing is reduced to one alternating lane controlled by flaggers.

The I-25 east frontage road remains closed to through traffic between WCR 32 and Colorado Highway 56, and frontage road access to WCR 34 is fully closed while crews extend the North Creek box culvert. CDOT notes that all work is weather dependent and will be rescheduled if it cannot be completed.

ONGOING

Trustees adopt public art master plan and state wildfire code

Berthoud trustees on Tuesday, October 13, adopted the Town's Public Art Master Plan (Resolution 2026-28) and Ordinance 1389, which amends Chapter 11 of the municipal code to adopt the 2025 Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code. Draft minutes, included in the packet for the October 27 meeting, record both votes as 6-0, with Trustee Sean Murphy absent.

Trustees also approved a cooperative agreement with the Berthoud Fire Protection District to administer and enforce the wildfire code, a Habitat for Humanity request to waive certain development fees for a new home on Remuda Road (5-0, with Trustee Anderson recused because she serves on Habitat's board), a water dedication agreement with Legacy Park Investors, and a $179,448 contract with Burns & McDonnell Engineering for a preliminary engineering study of the water treatment plant.

The Board also adopted a notice of concern about proposed federal revisions to Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act and a supplies and equipment purchasing policy. A public hearing on the 2027 budget is scheduled for Tuesday, December 8, at 6:30 p.m. Trustees are scheduled to consider approving the minutes Tuesday, October 27.

The October 27 agenda also lists a step toward putting the art plan to work: establishing an interview committee to interview applicants for the new Public Art Advisory Committee, which trustees created by ordinance August 11. A staff memo recommends that two trustees serve on the committee and says interviews are tentatively scheduled for December 7.

ONGOING

Trustees meet October 27 on Heron Lakes, a mosquito report and a lawsuit briefing

Berthoud trustees meet Tuesday, October 27, at 6:30 p.m. at 807 Mountain Avenue. The agenda lists the continued public hearing on the Heron Lakes Marina neighborhood master plan, a consent-agenda summary of next steps on data-center rules and an item to set up interviews for the new Public Art Advisory Committee. The meeting will be streamed at berthoud.org/stream.

The consent agenda also includes the 2026 mosquito report from Vector Disease Control International, the Town's contractor for 16 years. A staff memo says mosquito numbers and West Nile virus detections stayed historically low this summer compared with the five-year average.

The agenda closes with an executive session for legal advice regarding Babcock Land Corp. v. Berthoud, Larimer County District Court case No. 2026CV30925. The agenda does not describe the case.

ONGOING

CDOT to begin design on Berthoud Parkway and Highway 287 intersection, Town memo says

CDOT has told the Town it will soon begin preliminary design work to convert the Berthoud Parkway and Highway 287 intersection to a partial continuous flow intersection, Town Administrator Chris Kirk wrote in an October 20 update memo to trustees. The memo says design work alone will take multiple years.

The memo also says the Town's recommended Berthoud Arboretum contractor, GTC, will submit new project costs by the end of October after cost-reduction design changes, with the project returning to the Board in November. Additional school zone signage under Liam's Law was installed the week of October 5.

The memo says Flock cameras have recently been damaged and that the Town is working to set a meeting date with the Sheriff's Office on the topic. The 2026 Berthoud Civic Academy graduation is Thursday, October 29, from 6 to 9 p.m. at TPC Colorado, 2375 TPC Parkway, and the Town's notice says trustees may attend.

Schools & Youth

ONGOING

Berthoud Elementary's next late start is Wednesday, October 28; Halloween parade is Friday

Berthoud Elementary's next one-hour late start is Wednesday, October 28, and a PTA meeting is that day at 3:30 p.m. in the library. The school's family calendar also lists a Halloween parade Friday, October 30, from 8:15 to 8:45 a.m.

Thompson School District's second quarter began October 19 and runs to December 18. The district calendar's next no-school days are Monday, November 2, a staff professional day with no students, and Tuesday, November 3, with no K-5 students.

Thompson School District's homepage features Berthoud Elementary's April Frietag and her work helping young students build safe digital habits, as part of Digital Citizenship Week. The district's Kindergarten Open House is Thursday, November 12, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at Thompson Valley High School.

AI in Your Community

CogniLocal tracks where artificial intelligence and related automated systems are already entering the institutions that serve this community, who is deploying them, what they are being used for and what changes next.

BACKGROUNDBerthoud

Thompson School District's AI guidance began with a task-force draft

Thompson School District, which serves Berthoud, has posted AI guidance for educators, students and families. The district says the guidance began with a draft created by the TSD AI Task Force, which used Gwinnett County Public Schools' guidance as a mentor text for structure and content.

The guidance sets four principles: a human-centered approach, student and staff agency, ethical and responsible use, and safety and security. It says AI should not replace any educational experience or the role educators play.

BACKGROUNDBerthoud

Berthoud has already fielded data-center siting requests

Berthoud has answered requests about possible data-center sites, the Berthoud Weekly Surveyor reported May 20. Town Administrator Chris Kirk wrote that the Turion site, which straddles Berthoud and Mead east of Interstate 25, is the most realistic location in town for a large data center.

Kirk also told the Surveyor that a large data center would require major power infrastructure upgrades from Xcel. The report described siting inquiries, not a proposed or approved project.

Trustees adopted an emergency ordinance temporarily suspending applications for large data centers on September 22 in a 5-2 vote, according to the meeting minutes. That issue is followed in Still Developing.

BACKGROUNDLarimer County / Berthoud area

Larimer County shares its generative-AI policy with grant applicants

Larimer County offers its Generative Artificial Intelligence Policy to applicants for its Behavioral Health grant program, saying it may serve as a starting framework for an organization's own policy.

The county's guidance warns that AI tools can generate convincing but inaccurate statistics, tells applicants never to put confidential client information into an AI tool, and says any mistakes generated by AI will be treated as the organization's responsibility. Berthoud is among the municipalities in Larimer County.

Community & Culture

ONGOING

Scarecrow Contest voting runs through Friday, October 30

Berthoud Main Street's Scarecrow Contest runs through Saturday, October 31. A Scarecrow Map shows participating businesses and organizations, and community members can vote online for a favorite through Friday, October 30, one vote per person. The People's Choice winner will be announced October 31 and receive a 2026 A Very Merry Berthoud community sponsorship.

ONGOING

Recreation Center marks its 5th anniversary November 20

Berthoud Recreation will celebrate the Recreation Center's 5th anniversary Friday, November 20, from 4 to 8 p.m. with free, family-friendly activities, including bounce houses, face painting, aquatic games, sports challenges and a time capsule.

A free Step Challenge, open to everyone, runs from November 15 to December 15. Registration is online, at 970-532-1600 or at the Recreation Center front desk.

Libraries & Community Access

ONGOING

Library offers Senior Yoga October 31 and weekday tech help

The Berthoud Community Library hosts Senior Yoga, gentle stretching for seniors and families with mats provided, Saturday, October 31, at 10:30 a.m. Registration is required at 970-532-2757.

AmeriCorps Digital Navigators offer 15-minute drop-in help with computers and mobile devices Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., with no appointment needed. Longer tutoring sessions are available by appointment at 970-532-2757.

BACKGROUND

Berthoud Life Center at Grace Place is open Tuesdays and Thursdays

House of Neighborly Service's Berthoud Life Center, hosted at Grace Place church, 375 Meadowlark Drive, is open Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The next open day is Tuesday, October 27. The phone number is 970-532-0161.

Partners listed at the center include HNS Family Navigators, the Food Bank for Larimer County and its Mobile Food Pantry, SNAP outreach assistance, Parents As Teachers, BridgePoint Counseling, Disabled Resource Services and the Larimer County Office on Aging. Berthoud HNS was established in 1989, and the Life Center was formed in 2017.

Still Developing

The latest confirmed movement, the open question and the next checkpoint.

OPEN

County Road 1 / Farmstead infrastructure

The Town says LGI Homes is in default of its development agreement over delayed infrastructure work.

Still unresolved: Completion and reopening of County Road 1 and the roundabout, plus any additional Town enforcement or legal action.

Next checkpoint: A Town notice of reopening, completion or further action.

Town update September 16.

Source: Town road update
OPEN

Berthoud Main Street strategic planning

The Town committed $50,000 to the partnership and Berthoud Main Street plans a DOLA-supported strategic workshop this fall. Town Administrator Chris Kirk's October 20 memo lists a Berthoud Main Street annual report among tentative items for the trustees' November 10 meeting.

Still unresolved: The resulting 3-to-5-year downtown strategic plan, annual work plan and priorities for the program area.

Next checkpoint: The Main Street annual report to trustees, tentatively November 10, the strategic workshop and an adopted downtown work plan.

The Town's October 20 memo lists the annual report as a tentative November 10 item.

Sources: Berthoud Main Street; Town of Berthoud, Board update memo (October 20)
OPEN

Ursa Major Colorado expansion

The Berthoud-headquartered aerospace company opened a Longmont site in August for its avionics and in-space propulsion teams and some corporate staff, and says it is clearing floor space at its Berthoud headquarters for more manufacturing. The Berthoud Weekly Surveyor reported August 28 that Ursa Major announced on August 25 that it plans to become a publicly traded company through a merger with Bleichroeder Acquisition Corp. III, a deal the Surveyor said values the combined company at $2.3 billion and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027.

Still unresolved: How many of the up to 1,800 new jobs the expansion may add will be at the Berthoud headquarters.

Next checkpoint: A company or Town update identifying Berthoud jobs and investment.

The Surveyor reported the planned public listing August 28.

Sources: Berthoud Weekly Surveyor; Berthoud Weekly Surveyor, Berthoud-based Ursa Major going public
OPEN

2026 Town strategic plan implementation

The approved strategic plan identifies Economic Development, Communications & Transparency, and Financial Stability as high-level objectives through March 2028.

Still unresolved: The specific actions, measures and public results that will demonstrate progress on each objective.

Next checkpoint: Published implementation measures and Board progress reports.

Plan approved September 8.

Source: Town strategic plan
OPEN

Large data centers

Trustees adopted Ordinance 1391, which temporarily suspends the acceptance, processing and approval of applications for large data centers, on September 22 in a 5-2 roll call vote, with Trustees Wing and Olbricht dissenting, according to the meeting minutes. A staff memo on the October 27 consent agenda summarizes the September 29 study session: trustees want a Chapter 30 code amendment or a data-center technical guide to address the definition and size of a data center, water, noise, power costs, design, setbacks, traffic, air quality, heat and LEED Platinum standards. Staff plans to request 2027 budget money for a noise consultant and Town Attorney review, and says it will follow Larimer County's work on the same issue.

Still unresolved: Permanent siting, infrastructure and process rules.

Next checkpoint: Draft code amendment or technical guide, and 2027 budget requests for the work.

The October 27 packet, posted October 20, outlines next steps after the September 29 study session.

Sources: Town Board meeting recap, September 22; Town of Berthoud, September 22 Board of Trustees minutes; September 29 study session agenda; Town of Berthoud, October 27 Board of Trustees packet
OPEN

Welch Avenue drainage redesign

Proposals for engineering and construction-document services were due October 23, and the Town's bid listing shows the solicitation has closed. No consultant selection has been announced.

Still unresolved: Firm selection, final design, cost and construction schedule.

Next checkpoint: A consultant award for the design work.

Proposals were due October 23.

Source: Welch Avenue RFP
OPENUNCONFIRMED

Jaskowski Open Space

Not confirmed against the source as of October 26, 2026: that the Town's project page says trustees will be asked in November to award the construction contract. Check the source before relying on it.

Six companies submitted bids for the Jaskowski Open Space improvements project, and the Town's project page says trustees will be asked in November to award the construction contract. Town Administrator Chris Kirk's October 20 memo to trustees says staff is evaluating the bids and lists Jaskowski Open Space among tentative items for the Board's November 10 meeting.

Still unresolved: The selected bidder, contract amount and construction timing.

Next checkpoint: Board consideration of a contract award, tentatively November 10.

Sources: Town project page; Town of Berthoud, Board update memo (October 20)
OPENUNCONFIRMED

Water-efficiency plan

Not confirmed against the source as of October 26, 2026: all details. Check the source before relying on it.

Public feedback is open through today, October 26. The town's draft goal is to reduce use from 109 to 105 gallons per person per day by 2032. The Town's project page says the plan is scheduled for final adoption in November.

Still unresolved: Final revisions and formal adoption.

Next checkpoint: Close of comments October 26, then final adoption, scheduled for November.

Source: Town water-efficiency project
OPEN

Heron Lakes Marina / 22nd Filing

Trustees continued the public hearing on Resolution 2026-25, the neighborhood master plan for Heron Lakes Marina (22nd Filing), to October 27 in a 5-1 roll call vote, with Mayor Pro-Tem Soricelli-Albrecht dissenting and Trustee Murphy abstaining. The continued hearing is on the October 27 agenda. A staff memo in the packet says public testimony has closed, that the Board should discuss only the metro district questions and decide the application, and that no new information about the plan is being presented. The Planning Commission recommended approval.

Still unresolved: Approval, denial or conditions for the neighborhood master plan.

Next checkpoint: The continued public hearing Tuesday, October 27.

The October 27 agenda and packet were posted October 20.

Sources: Town Board meeting recap, September 22; Town of Berthoud, September 22 Board of Trustees minutes; Town of Berthoud, October 27 Board of Trustees packet
OPEN

Berthoud Veterans Club funding request

Trustees approved $11,500 for the Berthoud Veterans Club on September 22 in a 7-0 roll call vote. The minutes say representatives of the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign Wars sought the money to help with rent for the organization's building, and trustees encouraged the group to pursue fundraising.

Still unresolved: Whether the $11,500 covers the club's rent for the full year, a question trustees raised at the meeting.

Next checkpoint: Any further funding request from the club.

The September 22 minutes record the 7-0 vote.

Sources: Town Board meeting recap, September 22; Town of Berthoud, September 22 Board of Trustees minutes
OPEN

McCarty property matter

The September 22 minutes record a 7-0 vote to go into executive session on the potential acquisition of the McCarty property. The minutes record no public action on the matter.

Still unresolved: Any later public action or disclosed disposition.

Next checkpoint: Public minutes or subsequent Board action.

The September 22 minutes record the executive session and no public action.

Sources: September 22 Board of Trustees agenda; Town of Berthoud, September 22 Board of Trustees minutes
OPENUNCONFIRMED

Engineering Supervisor hiring

Not confirmed against the source as of October 26, 2026: the position's title and the October 14, 5 p.m. application closing time. Check the source before relying on it.

Applications for the development-review supervisor position closed October 14 at 5 p.m. The position no longer appears among the Town's open full-time jobs, and no hire has been announced.

Still unresolved: The hiring outcome.

Next checkpoint: A Town announcement of the hire.

Applications closed October 14.

Source: Town jobs
AWAITING RECORDS

September 29 Board study session

The Town streamed the September 29 study session live on its YouTube channel, where the recording remains available. The agenda listed four discussion topics: land-use considerations for data centers, a capital improvements program manual, proposed purchasing-policy updates and Board meeting procedures. A written summary of the data-center discussion and its next steps is on the October 27 consent agenda. Town Administrator Chris Kirk's October 20 memo says work is underway to update the Board's Rules of Order and Procedure Manual to incorporate the procedures discussed at the Board's recent study session, including use of study sessions, standard time allocations for agenda items and Robert's Rules of Order. No minutes of the full session have been posted in the Town's agenda portal.

Still unresolved: Written minutes or summaries of the capital improvements and purchasing-policy discussions, and the updated Board procedures manual.

Next checkpoint: Minutes, the updated procedures manual or a future action agenda.

The October 27 packet and the Town's October 20 memo describe follow-up from the session.

Sources: September 29 study session agenda; Town of Berthoud YouTube, September 29 study session recording; Town of Berthoud, October 27 Board of Trustees agenda; Town of Berthoud, Board update memo (October 20)

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