🛝Will you pay for the Gaylord’s new water park?

🥊 Boulder vs. Big Oil

Yesterday, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in Boulder’s climate lawsuit against Suncor Energy and ExxonMobil. The lawsuit, initially filed in 2018, seeks monetary damages “for the substantial role (the companies) played and continue to play in causing, contributing to and exacerbating climate change.” [Colorado Newsline]

• What do the fossil fuel companies say? They want the case thrown out. Exxon and Suncor argue that federal law preempts the city’s ability to bring this case to state court. But so far, they have been unsuccessful in attempts to have the case dismissed or sent to federal court. [Colorado Newsline]
• What if Boulder wins? Legal experts say the case could set important precedents for how greenhouse-gas emissions are regulated across state borders and who pays the costs of the impacts of climate change – taxpayers or fossil fuel companies. SCOTUS' ruling will likely play a role in the outcome of the 30+ similar lawsuits around the country. [Colorado Newsline]
• Suncor’s role in Colorado: The Canadian company operates the only oil refinery in Colorado, in Commerce City, and has received its fair share of environment complaints over the years, from air pollution violations to PFAS runoff. Suncor says the refinery creates over 5,000 jobs, directly or indirectly, and adds $2.5 billion to the state’s economy each year. [Colorado Sun, Suncor]

🛝 Are You Paying For a New Waterpark at the Gaylord?

The developer behind Gaylord Rockies, the resort and convention center out in western Kansas by the Denver International Airport, is in talks with state officials about a subsidy to grow the resort. The “self-contained attraction” already nabbed $81 million in tax incentives in 2013, prior to opening, from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Now, multiple industry groups are insisting that the mega-resort doesn’t need more tax incentives to add 450 rooms, and a giant indoor waterpark (Gaylord’s revenue from last year, for example, was $313 million, up from $290 million in 2024). [Denver Gazette, The Denver Post 🔒]

🚰 Will Denver Shut Off Your Water?

Over the summer, Denver Water received over 7,500 complaints of watering violations, resulting in 2,000 warnings and 110 fines, which added up to around $30,000. But still, by the end of September, Denver fell short of the goal to reduce water usage by 20%, squeaking in at 9%. Denver Water expects the new watering ban that went into effect last week to help the city meet that goal, and is threatening bigger fines and even water shutoff to those that violate the ban. [The Denver Post 🔒]

• Meanwhile, in Westminster: The drinking water stinks and tastes bad, but the city maintains it's still safe to drink. Standley Lake is going through “turnover,” aka when cool surface water mixes into deep water and increases algae, thus making the city’s drinking water taste and smell funky. Officials recommend using a water filter or refrigerating your water to reduce the stank. Stay hydrated! [9News]

🗳️ Dark Money in November’s Election

One conservative group, Advance Colorado, is behind over half of the ballot measures Coloradans are voting on in the upcoming election. Colorado Times Recorder reporter Logan Davis joins host Bree Davies to break down who this group is, where they’re putting their money, and what it means for November. [City Cast Denver 🎧]

🔊 The JunkYard Wants to Host More Shows

Local music venue JunkYard Denver is working to get city approval to host more than eight shows a year. Live Nation, which operates the venue, recently submitted plans to the city including updates to the greenroom space and work that needs to be done to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act and the city’s codes. Noise mitigation has been a cause of concern surrounding the venue, but Live Nation says the venue has gone a year without a complaint, even enacting a 10 p.m. curfew for shows. The venue sits adjacent to I-25, which creates continuous noise at around 70-75 decibels. [Denver Business Journal 🔒]