Nederland trustees approve interim town-manager agreement, weigh law-enforcement analysis
Miranda Gordon is scheduled to begin Sept. 25 as interim town manager while trustees consider changes involving law enforcement, Big Springs access and wildfire preparedness.
Nederland trustees approved an interim employment agreement for Miranda Gordon and discussed adding a high-level analysis of alternatives to the town’s Boulder County Sheriff’s Office law-enforcement contract to the strategic plan.
Gordon is scheduled to begin Sept. 25, according to the Sept. 15 Board of Trustees meeting record. She will work part time through Oct. 25 and full time through the end of February 2027. Her pay will match outgoing Town Manager John Cain’s, though the record does not state the dollar amount.
Resolution 2026-26 establishes Gordon’s interim employment agreement. The agreement may be extended beyond February and includes a limited severance provision if she is terminated without cause, officials said during the meeting.
The proposed law-enforcement analysis would examine the costs and steps involved in creating a town-operated model, including staffing, coverage, equipment, facilities, grants and potential efficiencies involving code enforcement and community services. Trustees said the current sheriff’s office contract represents a significant and potentially growing budget pressure, while officials cautioned that studying alternatives could take about a year and require a consultant or other subject-matter expert.
Trustees also discussed draft milestones for emergency access and wildfire preparedness. For Big Springs, the draft strategic plan called for an updated implementation path by the end of 2027, including a recommended route, cost assessment, funding status and next milestone. Cain suggested identifying a preferred alternative route by Jan. 31, but said that date was tentative.
The wildfire discussion included a plan for home preparation, emergency alerts and evacuation information, along with coordination with Wildfire Partners, neighborhood leaders and landowners. Officials also discussed possibly creating a temporary task force.
The board changed the target for completing an intergovernmental agreement with the Nederland Fire Protection District from 2027 to the end of 2026. Officials said the remaining work involves legal steps and coordination with the fire district.
The meeting record describes the law-enforcement and preparedness items as strategic-plan discussions and draft milestones, rather than a separate final approval of completed plan language.