Larimer County to launch public survey on Article 7 special events code

Larimer County Community Development told commissioners at a Sept. 15 work session that it will soon launch public outreach and an online survey on proposed updates to Article 7 of the Larimer County Land Use Code, which governs special events.

Rebecca Everett, Community Development director, said the county has been working on an outreach plan and a survey to gather input from “members of the general public, event organizers, reviewing agencies, event participants, neighbors, really anyone who has an interest in special events in Larimer County.”

Why it matters: Article 7 regulates special events on county land and in unincorporated areas; changes could affect how events are permitted, managed and enforced. Everett said the county plans to target residents and organizations that commonly interact with special events, including event organizers and recent commenters.

How outreach will work: Everett described multiple distribution channels: QR codes at trailheads and open-space parking lots (including areas around Horsetooth), a public-input website, a QR code in the county lobby, posts on Nextdoor, bulletin boards and direct contact with known event organizers. She said staff are finalizing survey questions and encouraged commissioners to share the survey with their constituents once it goes live.

Discussion vs. action: The item was presented as an update; no policy change or vote occurred at the meeting. Commissioners offered suggestions for additional outreach to boards, commissions and municipalities; staff said they will consider those suggestions when the survey is published.

Next steps: Staff will finalize survey questions, publish the survey online, begin outreach using the channels described, and notify commissioners when the survey is live so they can distribute it.

Ending: Everett asked commissioners for any additional outreach suggestions and asked them to share the survey when it is available.