May 5, 2023
Marshall Fire Recovery Newsletter – May 5, 2023
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Notice of Valuations sent May 1
On May 1, the Boulder County Assessor’s office sent a Notice of Valuation to all property owners in Boulder County.
For properties where a home was destroyed by the 2021 Marshall Fire and Straight-line Wind Event, the home value was removed in 2021 (for the purposes of property tax calculations), and the land value was reduced by 50% (for the purposes of property tax calculations).
For 2023, the land value is back at 100% due to remediation. If a property owner has not begun to rebuild a home, the home value will remain removed. Partial built homes will be valued based on how they stood on Jan. 1, 2023. Homes that were completely built on Jan. 1, 2023, will have a 100% value. If there are any circumstances that a property owner feels may impact their property value that the Assessor’s Office might not know about, property owners may appeal the valuation by the June 8 deadline.
Get more information about valuations for homes affected by the Marshall Fire.
Homes being rebuilt twice as fast as national post-disaster average
On average, it takes five years for just 25% of homes to be rebuilt after they are destroyed in a natural disaster. That’s according to the American Institute of Architects National Disaster Recovery Committee, and Scott Rodwin, president of Boulder-based Rodwin Architecture and director of the AIA for Northern Colorado.
Rodwin, who has five clients in various stages of rebuilding, recently co-presented to the AIA Colorado board on the Marshall Fire progress, followed by a driving tour of the burn area. He estimates that, by the two-year mark, some 250 homes will be complete — hitting that 5-year average three years early. Read more.
Latest Marshall Fire Unified Survey Report available
The Marshall Fire Recovery & Resilience Working Group recently released their Wave 2 Technical Report from their latest survey conducted this past winter. The report presents a snapshot of results from the secondwave of the Marshall Fire Unified Survey, which was designed in collaboration with 30+ national and international researchers with input from local governments and community groups in the affected areas. This collaborative approach to survey design seeks to balance community needs and concerns with those of the research community, and to track the recovery process and its impacts on residents as it unfolds over time. View the report.
What is the status of the Wildfire Funds?
The Boulder County Wildfire Fund has raised over $43 million from more than 82,000 donors. The Community Foundation Boulder County (CFBC) has disbursed over $20 million or 47% of the funds raised. Over $34 million has been allocated including $20 million for the Rebuild Fund, of which over $7 million has been approved. All Community Foundation Boulder County Funds, including the Wildfire Fund, are audited annually and publicly available at www.commfound.org/wildfirefund. CFBC held a town hall last month to provide survivors with an update on the fund. View the town hall.
Find financial assistance
Financial assistance is available for Marshall Fire survivors through many different resources including the Boulder County Wildfire Fund, Use Tax rebates, reduced building permit fees, and many grants, rebates, and incentives. Learn more.
Free support sessions
Mental Health Partners, in partnership with Colorado Spirit, offers free, drop-in group support sessions for those impacted by the Marshall Fire. Sessions are available on Mondays from 1:30-2:30 p.m. for seniors, on Thursdays from noon to 1 p.m. for parents (including childcare), and on Fridays, from 1-2 p.m. for all community members. All sessions will take place at the Marshall ROC Recovery Center, 357 McCaslin Blvd., Suite 115-B, Louisville. No need to register.
Improvements made to county-wide alert and warning systems since the Marshall Fire
Multiple improvements have been made to the alert and warning systems used by the four Public Safety Answering Points, or PSAP’s (911 dispatch centers) in Boulder County in the aftermath of the Marshall Fire. Some of these changes were already being worked on prior to the fire, and some of the updates have been made since the fire. Read more.
Upcoming Meetings
Ethan Allen Marshall Fire Furniture EventSunday, May 7, noon to 4 p.m.Giveaways, refreshments and complimentary design advise500 Marshall Road, SuperiorQuestions: 303-460-0694
2023 Disaster Education & Outreach Series: Protecting the Watershed & Water SourcesWednesday, May 10 – 6-8 p.m.Superior Community Center, 1500 Coalton Road, or virtually via ZoomLearn more about the 2023 Disaster Education & Outreach Series
Survivor to Survivor ForumTuesday, May 16, 20238 p.m.Zoom – registration required
2023 Disaster Education & Outreach Series: Wildfire Risk Assessment Next StepsWednesday, May 24 – 6-10 p.m.Louisville City Hall, 749 Main St., or virtually via ZoomLearn more about the 2023 Disaster Education & Outreach Series
Train-the-Trainer Disaster Strong Preparedness SeriesFriday, June 2, 6-8:30 p.m.Lefthand Fire Protection District 900 Lefthand Canyon Drive, BoulderRegister
Information/Resources
Rebates, Discounts, and Incentives
Boulder County Rebuilding Better
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The latest information and resources are located on the Boulder County Marshall Fire Recovery website or contact Katie Arrington, Assistant Recovery Manager for Boulder County, karrington@bouldercounty.org