A challenge to the land grant authority of Colorado State University is dead at the Capitol.
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State lawmakers voted last week to kill a proposal by Sen. Cathy Kipp of Fort Collins to force CSU to comply with local rules around noise and billboards. The bill died in committee on Thursday after hearing testimony from supporters and those opposed.
"The substance of this legislation would render unprecedented upheaval in our jurisdictional landscape, inhibit the growth and prosperity of the Colorado State University System and diminish the economic vibrancy of the cultural hub of the Fort Collins community," said Joe Rowan, Advocacy Subcontractor of the Fort Collins Chamber of Commerce. Rowan was reading a letter from Ann Hutchison, President & CEO, Fort Collins Area Chamber of Commerce.
Representatives from CSU also spoke on the subject.
"A statewide statutory mandate is not necessary for achieving what we already accomplished through collaboration," said James Pritchett, Vice President for Engagement and Extension. "If each extension office or research station were required to comply with locally determined noise or sign ordinance, it could force changes in long-standing agricultural practices, outreach events or research activities that increase costs for CSU and for the partners that rely on our shared services."
The proposal came about after Kipp heard from residents fed up with loud stadium events and new electronic billboards popping up on campus.
Those billboards were part of a deal CSU got with local ad company Street Media Group. The university initially touted them as a way to improve communication and alert students to emergencies. But some students pushed back on the billboards, wondering what they were doing on a campus that prides itself on sustainability. And students already have a text message alert system.
Fort Collins has a local ordinance in place banning electronic billboards. But CSU doesn't have to follow that rule because it's on state land.
Kipp said that even though the bill failed, she hopes it will start a conversation between the university and the surrounding community.
"This must be a reciprocal relationship built on respect and consideration," Kipp said. "It is my sincere hope that CSU will listen to residents and seriously consider their concerns about disruptive signage and noise that erode the quality of life in Fort Collins – our shared home. I trust that, together, we can find a path forward with our communities’ best interest at heart."
Following the hearing with members of the state senate, a vote was held where all lawmakers voted against moving the measure forward.
