Happy hump day, Longmont! In a stunning development, Longmont City Council finished its meeting last night in less than five hours. It’s a stark contrast from the session just two weeks ago when the meeting didn’t adjourn until just before 1:30 a.m. We haven’t been this surprised about a night ending early since our staff trip to Las Vegas. A word to the wise: Don’t put all your money on red.
Today — A hostage situation leaves one person dead, Longmont City Council finalizes some ballot questions, and a new pizza restaurant nears an opening.
Let’s dive in.
TOP STORY
🌎 One dead after officer-involved shooting in Longmont
A 20-year-old man is dead after a Longmont Police officer fired his weapon during an incident Monday afternoon, according to Longmont Public Safety.
What happened?
Just before 3 p.m. on Monday, Longmont Police responded to a home near the Front Range Community College campus next to the intersection of Creekside Drive and Eagle View Circle where the suspect had taken another individual hostage.
Three officers arrived on scene and made contact with the suspect who said several times he had a gun.
After refusing to comply with multiple commands from officers, an officer fired his weapon.
The 20-year-old was taken to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.
LPS added that the suspect is believed to have been a defendant in an ongoing case in Boulder County involving the same victim.
Moving forward:
The officer who fired his weapon has been placed on paid administrative leave.
The investigation is in its early stages and could take several weeks to complete, but more information will be provided when available.
Headlines
3 Big Things
Longmont City Council moves forward with compost subsidy: In a 5-2 vote, council members voted to develop a new ordinance that subsidizes the cost of curbside composting service by raising solid waste rates. This year, the City of Longmont increased the cost of composting service by 50% but is concerned the hike will prevent residents from keeping, or opting in to, the service. Currently, 28% of Longmont residents use composting service. That number has remained stable since the price increase, but most of city council believes it’s only a matter of time before it drops. The city is working to increase the amount of waste diverted from the landfill and believes residents buying into composting service plays a big role. Longmont diverted 39% of waste in 2025 and hopes to reach 75% by 2030.
Longmont house appears on HGTV show: A house belonging to a Longmont couple, named David and Nikki, appeared on the TV show, Crashers. The home renovation show is hosted by Jonathan Knight, who is most famous for being a member of the boy band, New Kids on the Block. Knight offers to renovate their kitchen for free and incorporate the whimsical spirit (Nikki refers to herself as a “swamp witch”) the couple hopes to embody. David and Nikki are also the owners of Longmont coffee shop, Sandy’s. Check out the transformation by viewing the 10th episode of Season 1 of Crashers on HBO Max, among several other streaming services.
New pizza restaurant opening in September: The newest restaurant adding to the barrage of development surrounding Costco has nearly opened. Slice House by Tony Gemignani announced on social media it’s planning to open its doors in mid-September. Originating in San Francisco, Slice House has dozens of locations across the country, and this is its third in Colorado. It can already be found in Loveland and Boulder.
Check this out
Longmont City Council finalizes ballot questions on ranked choice voting, open spaces
A surprisingly efficient Longmont City Council meeting moved forward on several different initiatives, including getting one step closer to finalizing major questions on Longmont’s November ballot.
Heading to the ballot…
An impassioned crowd showed up in full force once again as an ordinance on ranked choice voting returned to city council for its second reading. The topic always sees many supporters, as well as opponents, anytime it meets the city council agenda.
City council voted to send a question to the ballot asking voters whether they want to use ranked choice voting to elect future mayors and councilmembers — with one important change…
The timeline has been accelerated. While ranked choice voting still won’t be used until 2029, councilmembers’ election cycles will be realigned sooner than planned.
City council wants Longmont’s at-large council members to be elected in one election cycle, and ward council members to be elected in another cycle. Right now, the Wards One and Three councilmembers are elected with one at-large councilmember during one election. The Ward Two councilmember and the other two at-large councilmembers are elected in another election. The idea is to make elections simpler and more complimentary to ranked choice voting.
Still with us?
To accomplish this, the Ward Two seat and an at-large seat will need to serve two-year terms, rather than the usual four-year terms. Therefore, the at-large councilmember elected in 2027 will only serve until 2029. The Ward Two councilmember elected in 2029 will only serve until 2031.
Some notable quotes from city council…
Councilmember Jake Marsing: “I trust voters to effectively execute this.”
Councilmember Crystal Prieto: “I’m not in favor of ranked choice voting. I’m in favor of letting the voters decide.”
Mayor Susie Hidalgo-Fahring: “Taking this route would really demonstrate the will of the people.”
Raising taxes for public safety jobs:
Another potential ballot question asks voters to raise taxes to fund 86 new positions at Longmont Public Safety over 10 years. This ordinance arrived at city council last night for its first reading.
If passed, the funds will come from a split of property taxes and sales taxes. Under the plan passed last night, sales taxes would rise by 0.33% while property taxes would rise about $75 on a $500,000 home.
The ordinance passed 6-1 with Councilmember Diane Crist in opposition, who argues raising sales taxes will drive too many residents to neighboring areas like Firestone.
Open spaces:
City council also agreed to add to the ballot an ordinance that increases protections for open spaces. Voters will be asked whether selling or transferring land designated as “open space” should require a citywide vote. It was approved 6-1, with Crist in opposition.
In other news…
Unrelated to the ballot, city council voted to approve loosening restrictions on short-term rental licenses to allow more people to rent out their houses and apartments during major regional events, namely, the approaching Sundance Film Festival.
Last Call
Today’s weather forecast shows a high of 92 degrees, patchy smoke before 4 p.m. and a 50% chance of showers and thunderstorms after noon, per the National Weather Service. Rain is likely throughout the week, as well.
Gas prices spiked again amid complications in Iran. The average price for a gallon of gas in Longmont-Boulder is $4.31 a gallon, up 29 cents from Monday, according to AAA.
Construction alert: Paving work on Nelson Road between Ken Pratt Blvd and Hover St has begun.
Ribbon-cutting for Longmont’s new e-bike share program is today at 10 a.m. Attendees can try out the bikes for free.
Want to make donuts for a living? Amazin’ Glaze donuts is hiring.
The City of Longmont is looking for input on its community solar program. Complete the survey here.
Want to go for a hike while giving back to your community? The City of Longmont is looking for volunteers to help with trail work at Button Rock Preserve.
Until Friday,
The Longmont Brief
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