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Happy hump day, Longmont! Today, we salute procrastinators. On this day in 1787, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart pulls an all-nighter to complete the overture for his long-delayed opera Don Giovanni the night before it’s set to premiere. The orchestra was left with almost no time to prepare, being forced to sight-read the piece in the concert hall. What became of it remains among the most famous and dramatic openings in opera history. Keep in mind, leaving tasks to the last minute only works for procrastinators. It spells nothing but doom for amateurcrastinators.
Today — Your trash rates may be on the rise, a new brewery is nearing its opening and an effort that removed thousands of pounds of trash from Longmont.
Let’s dive in.
TOP STORY
🌎 Longmont on path to raise trash rates to subsidize composting
You may not know exactly what it is or how to do it, but composting was a major topic at last night’s city council meeting.
In a narrow 4-3 vote, Longmont City Council directed city staff to draft an ordinance that subsidizes the price of composting by raising some solid waste rates. Councilmembers Crystal Prieto, Jake Marsing and Diane Crist were in opposition.
The motion would effectively lower composting rates by 40%.
Let’s rewind:
City council has made it a major priority to divert 75% of citywide waste from the landfill by 2030. By 2050, it wants to be at 95%. The seven-member team sees residents’ embrace of composting as a significant part of accomplishing that goal.
But, following a sanitation rate study in 2025, the City of Longmont felt it necessary to raise the price of composting by 50%.
Fearing the price hike would deter too many customers, the city began exploring the prospect of subsidies in August.
Fast forward to last night, city staff provided a presentation outlining the impacts of a 20%, 40% and 60% subsidy.
‘Trash’ course:
If the 40% subsidy is ultimately approved later this year, here’s how monthly prices would change:
Composting: 48-gallon: $4.95 (Down from $12.40). 96-gallon: $7.43 (Down from $12.40).
Solid waste: 48-gallon: $15.55 (Up from $15.40). 96-gallon: $34.55 (Up from $28.80).
Important caveat: Residents who use the 24-gallon option would see their prices decrease from $7.70 to $6.91.
Per city council direction to motivate residents to reduce total waste, the plan disproportionately raises prices for the 96-gallon option, while also lowering the 24-gallon route.
Other facts revealed last night:
Despite the 50% increase in composting rates this year, 75 new customers opted into the service.
Using the 40% subsidy, city staff projected that a household which uses a 48-gallon compost bin along with a 48-gallon trash bin would save nearly $15 more every month than the household who only uses a 96-gallon trash bin.
City staff, along with hired consultants, project the 40% subsidy would translate to a 10% increase in compost participation. Although, Longmont Director of Business Enablement Lance Smith admitted they don’t currently have historical data to support that projection.
Keep your ‘composture’
On the part of councilmembers who voted against the idea, motives varied:
Marsing is unconvinced a subsidy would achieve higher composting in Longmont. He preferred the city take action to educate locals on the importance of composting.
Prieto is simply reluctant to raise prices on anything.
Crist was a proponent of subsidizing composting even more, suggesting the city implement a 60% subsidy. Mayor Pro Tem Sean McCoy was a staunch supporter of the same idea. He says the landfill exceeding capacity is a major concern, describing the situation as “desperate.”
The proposal still needs to return to city council for its first and second reading before adoption.
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Headlines
3 Big Things
Longmont’s Westbound & Down nears its opening: Westbound & Down Brewing Company teased locals with a first look at the new brewery’s space in the former Bootstrap Brewing location. Westbound & Down is slated to open in November, according to the company’s website. A specific date is yet to be announced. Westbound & Down began in Idaho Springs in 2015 and has become one of Colorado’s fastest-rising stars ever since. It’s expanded into four active Colorado locations and has two more sites on the way (the other is in Wheat Ridge). It’s won 15 Great American Beer Festival awards since 2019 (six were gold), it was named a GABF Brewery of the Year in 2025, and its Colorado Pale Ale won a Silver Award at the 2024 World Beer Cup — an event largely considered the most prestigious beer competition in the world.
Silver Creek soccer begins state tournament tomorrow: Silver Creek High School became Longmont’s only qualifier for the CHSAA boys soccer state tournament this year, when they locked in the ninth overall seed. The Raptors begin their journey tomorrow when they host 24th-ranked Discovery Canyon at home at 5 pm. Silver Creek tallied a 9-4-2 overall record during the 2026 season, and they were undefeated in conference play. Skyline High School narrowly missed out on a place in the state tournament. The 7-4-4 Falcons finished the season ranked 33rd in 4A Colorado. Only 32 spots were available in the penultimate tournament.
Nearly 3,800 pounds of trash removed from Longmont: Year two of the Longmont Cleanup Cup brought big results. The annual competition, hosted by Sustainable Resilient Longmont, challenges locals to clean as much garbage, plastic and waste from Longmont streets, fields and rivers as they can over the span of about a month. This year, 143 people contributed to removing 3,579 pounds of trash. That’s a stark improvement from the event’s inaugural year, when just 27 people participated in clearing 300 pounds of trash.
Check this out
20-acre development on the way for Sandstone Ranch
Your preteen isn’t the only one getting ready for a major development.
Plans for the final phase of the Sandstone Ranch project will be revealed at a November 10 open house, the City of Longmont announced yesterday. The 90-minute open house will detail the planned improvements for the more than 300-acre park and nature area.
Upgrades include:
Four-field ballfield complex with lighting.
Restroom building with storage.
Two shade shelters.
Warm-up areas.
An additional parking lot.
Replacing the existing “Adventure Playground” surfacing.
Construction is expected to begin in the third quarter of 2027 and finish in June of 2028.
The open house takes place on November 10 from 5:30 - 7 pm at the Longmont Recreation Center in the Quail Room. Community members are also invited to complete a survey about the way they use the facility currently, and will use it in the future.
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Last Call
Today’s Longmont weather forecast predicts patchy fog before 8 am and a mostly cloudy day, which gradually becomes sunny. Temperatures will peak around 70 degrees and fall to a low of about 37 degrees, per the National Weather Service.
Gas prices held steady since its most recent spike. The average cost for a gallon of unleaded gas in Longmont-Boulder is $4.40, unchanged since Monday, per AAA.
Longmont recorded about 0.20 inches of rain between Sunday and Monday, per NWS data.
Quiet Zone construction at the 21st Avenue railroad resumes today. The work will fully close the intersection for about three weeks. Find info about detours and more here.
City crews have begun repaving Pace Street between 9th Avenue and Mountain View Avenue. The street remains open, but will be reduced to one-lane traffic in each direction. Drivers should expect significant delays. Work continues through Friday.
Need a gun safe? Want it for free? The Boulder County DA’s Office is hosting a giveaway from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm on November 11 at Roosevelt Park.
Want more Longmont City Council coverage? The locals-hosted podcast Longmont City Council Recap released its latest episode.
Fall leaf collection has begun for homes north of 9th Avenue. If you haven’t yet, be sure to bag your leaves and set them at the curb. Collection for homes south of 9th Avenue begins Monday.
Until next time,
The Longmont Brief
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