Inside Boulder City Government with Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer | Podcast #123

Boulder Mayor Pro Tem Tara Winer joins Osman for a candid conversation about her Brooklyn upbringing, business career, path to City Council and experience inside Boulder government. They discuss housing, growth, taxes, the Comprehensive Plan, public trust and the assault that unexpectedly led to her lung cancer diagnosis.

This podcast is supported by the House Einstein real estate brokerage, founded and based in Boulder, Colorado. House Einstein’s mission is to help you make a smarter real estate decision. Visit at https://houseeinstein.com/

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Timecodes:

• 00:00 Introduction: Tara Winer, Boulder Mayor Pro Tem
• 04:05 Growing Up in Brooklyn
• 07:30 College, Economics and Leaving New York
• 11:28 Building a Career in Promotional Products
• 15:42 American Flag Pins, China and Manufacturing
• 18:16 Family, Raising Three Daughters and Passing Down the Business
• 23:03 Moving from Philadelphia to Boulder
• 37:12 How Boulder City Government Actually Works
• 46:19 Why Tara Ran for City Council
• 53:13 From Working Groups to the Parks and Recreation Board
• 59:27 Snowplowing, Equity and Practical Policymaking
• 1:03:30 Political Ambition and the Role of Mayor Pro Tem
• 1:11:43 The Hill Assault That Led to a Cancer Diagnosis
• 1:18:26 Public Scrutiny, Criticism and Serving on Council
• 1:23:07 Boulder’s Comprehensive Plan and Future Growth
• 1:27:32 Is Boulder Already Full?
• 1:31:42 Open Space, Development and Community Factions
• 1:37:04 Transit, Boulder Junction and Densification
• 1:40:57 The Planning Reserve and Middle-Income Housing
• 1:43:00 Vacancy Taxes, Enforcement and City Bureaucracy
• 1:47:56 Micro-Apartments, Form-Based Code and Urban Design
• 1:53:41 Deferred Maintenance, Taxes and Public Trust
• 1:56:49 Building Codes, Regulation and Climate Policy
• 1:59:09 Governing Through Tradeoffs and Unintended Consequences
• 2:00:31 Homelessness, Public Safety and Mental Health Services
• 2:09:14 Boulder’s Thursday Cruiser Ride
• 2:09:59 Closing Thoughts