NEDERLAND — As the Nederland Board of Trustees (BOT) face a change in roster in just a few weeks, the current iteration has been discussing the potential of increasing the amount of compensation for the Mayor and Trustee positions, with the matter being emergent in order for the change to benefit the newcomers. 

The current compensation levels—which have not been adjusted since 2014–are $250 a month for Mayor, and $150 a month for Trustee, for what amounts to 26 regular meetings a year, plus all the work, budget, and executive sessions, and the time reviewing materials and engaging with residents. 

Comparatively, neighborhood municipalities such as Idaho Springs pay their Mayor $1,500 and its Council Members $480 a month. Lyons pays its Mayor $700 and its Council Members $400 a month; and Boulder pays its Mayor and Council Members $1,286 a month. 

During previous discussion on this issue earlier in March, the Board directed Town staff to draft an ordinance on the matter and look into health insurance and retirement benefits for Board or Commission members, stipends for the Town’s advisory boards, and potential non-cash compensation options, such as discounts on “recreational opportunities.” 

The Town’s current retirement program offers up to a five percent match from the Town on employee contributions. As for medical benefits, Trustees would be eligible to participate by being classified as employees, and such inclusion elicits the potential of instituting specific policy options regarding employer contribution levels.  

Compensation levels for those serving on Nederland’s six advisory boards, including the Planning Commission and Downtown Development Authority (NDDA), were also considered, with recommendations from Town staff ranging from $25, $50, or $75 a meeting, for 12 meetings a year. 

It was noted by Town Manager Jonathan Cain that the NDDA “may require separate consideration because it functions as a quasi-governmental entity.”

As for those benefits involving “recreational opportunities,” Board members could be provided either a stipend for such benefits, a partial subsidy toward membership to the Nederland Community Center, or a Community Center pass directly. Cain also stated that season passes to Eldora Mountain Resort could also be a considered benefit, dependent on “further analysis” and whether the Town acquires the ski area.  

Regarding the Town’s potential acquisition of Eldora, there was some discussion about how the acquisition would push Nederland into a new category as employer, which would force them to meet new requirements under state law associated with what constitutes full and part time hours and how that affects the regulations for benefit eligibility. 

Essentially, the Town will have to start offering health insurance and possibly retirement benefits to all their part-time employees. Mayor Pro Tem Sterling believes this presents the opportunity of including Trustees into that metric. To do so now, before the next election, might attract interest to public service before the Eldora acquisition puts a lot more weight on those positions.

However, due to the sheer cost of paying all the Town’s advisory board members as part time staff, some Trustees, and Town Treasurer Rita Six, were apprehensive about creating a compensation increase at this time based on the current budget, rather than based on the future projections and financial implications of acquiring Eldora.

Trustees and Town staff seemed to find common ground with the potential of classifying the Mayor, Trustees, and other board members as different from traditional employees, in that their compensation would be able to be used to pay into benefits, relieving the Town from having to pay an employer contribution for them. 

Trustee Tierney Maris asked for clarification from the Town’s health insurance provider in writing that the specific reclassifying strategy that they wanted to implement was actually permissible. 

The Board also directed Town staff to research whether community center passes or Eldora season passes would be considered compensation or fringe benefits—as they are, or potentially will become, Town-owned assets—and whether or not they would be taxable. 

Ultimately, the BOT decided to consider increasing compensation based either on inflation—resulting in $377 a month for Mayor and $202 for Trustee—or to the first range recommended by Town staff, which would be $600 a month for Mayor and $400 for Trustee. 

As for compensation for the members of Nederland’s other six boards, Trustees agreed that the Planning Commission should be the only board considered at this time, starting with Commissioners earning $25 a meeting. 

Additionally, the BOT hopes to institute automatic Consumer Price Index increases to compensation, with the percentage amount assessed and adjusted yearly. Cain and Town Attorney Jennifer Madsen will work to draft all of the BOT’s recommendations into an ordinance to bring to Trustees on March 31, for their final meeting before the April election.    

The Nederland Board of Trustees meets on the first and third Tuesday of every month. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 31, 2026, at 7 p.m. and can be attended either online or in person at the Nederland Community Center. 

For more information go to: https://townofnederland.colorado.gov/board-of-trustees.