Editorial: Critical issues face Boulder Valley, NoCo in 2018 and beyond

2018 has arrived, and with it have come many challenges for the Boulder Valley, Northern Colorado, the state and nation.

November will bring both a gubernatorial election and mid-term elections for the U.S. House of Representatives. Despite that political environment, we hope that legislators, governmental officials, civic leaders and private industry will accomplish some key tasks during the year ahead. Here are a few issues that we’ll be following:

• Health-care reform. Yes, this is a perennial topic, and the recent end of the individual mandate for health insurance has tossed more uncertainty into the mix. Clearly, however, skyrocketing prices for prescription drugs, higher insurance premiums and increases in the uninsured must be tackled.

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• Energy development. Municipalities are demanding greater control over what oil and gas drilling occurs within their borders, even as energy companies increase drilling and work to address safety concerns. We’ll follow closely whether these two forces can achieve compromise, or whether confrontation is inevitable.

• Transportation. Billions of dollars are needed to repair, maintain and build roads, bridges, and mass transit. Key among those needs are north Interstate 25. Progress has been made on incremental projects, but we’re looking for a longer-term solution to the state’s transportation-funding shortfall.

• Municipal broadband. Voters have spoken loudly and clearly that they want and need high-speed Internet. Successful projects such as NextLight in Longmont could be duplicated in cities throughout the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado. We’ll measure progress in these efforts, from Boulder to Fort Collins and other communities.

• Affordable housing. This problem perhaps is most acute in Boulder, where the median housing price topped $1 million during a couple of months in 2017, but it’s a widespread issue all along the Front Range. More housing is needed not only to serve the current population but also to meet the needs of future residents, as population growth continues.

• Aging population. The Colorado State Demographer predicts that the state’s population will age in the years ahead. Efforts should be made now to plan for that demographic shift, with more services and housing for aging Baby Boomers.

• Growth. Weld and Adams counties will be among the fastest-growing in the coming decades, spurring demand for more housing, health care, retail, office space, roads, water and other infrastructure. What planning is occurring now for growth that’s already begun?

• Legal marijuana. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has announced a more-aggressive approach to enforcement of federal laws on marijuana, challenging states such as Colorado that have legalized recreational pot. We’ll track efforts to limit Sessions’ enforcement powers.

It should be an interesting year.