Downtown Development Authority

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority (DDA) consists of a seven-member Board of Directors and a Board of Trustees Liaison, appointed by the Board of Trustees. Members serve for a term of four years. By statute, the DDA Board must be comprised of residents, land owners or business lessees from within the boundaries of the DDA and at least one must be a member of the Board of Trustees. The DDA has the authority to study, prioritize and propose development projects which must then be reviewed by the Planning Commission, PROSAB (when applicable) and approved by the Board of Trustees.

Creation of the DDA
The DDA was created in 2005 by a majority of voters within the DDA boundaries to promote economic development and improve the infrastructure of downtown Nederland. Projects are established and prioritized that meet the needs of commercial property owners, businesses, and the community at large. Ordinance 599 recognized the need for a DDA and put the question to the voters.

The Downtown Development Authority meets on the second Wednesday of the Month. A list of upcoming DDA meetings can be found in the calendar below. To join a meeting, simply click the date of the meeting you wish to join, and then click the Website link to join the meeting remotely. You can also call in by using the phone number.

For most up to date information please visit the DDA's website directly.

All current and past DDA agendas and minutes can be found on the Town of Nederland CivicWeb page. To access the DDA page, click the button below. Past DDA Meetings can be found on the Town of Nederland YouTube page. *NOTE* Not all DDA meetings are recorded.

  Go to the DDA CivicWeb Page   Go to the DDA YouTube Playlist

599 Establishing the DDA 

In Colorado, DDAs are created and empowered through State statute. Typical reasons for the creation of a DDA in Colorado include improvement of public facilities, streets, sidewalks curbs and gutters, lighting, and landscape and general beautification as well as mitigation of blight. Colorado law provides for the creation of a downtown development authority to halt or prevent deterioration of property values or structures in central business districts, or to halt or prevent the growth of blighted areas within these business districts. The DDA also is granted the power to develop or redevelop these areas. Other municipalities that have formed DDAs include Mt. Crested Butte, Grand Junction, Golden, Denver, Greeley, Fort Collins, and Woodland Park.

Funding and Projects

The DDA is funded through two methods: a mill levy for operating purposes and Tax Increment Financing. The mill levy is a self-imposed tax, approved by voters within the DDA district, which is voted on every seven years. Tax Increment Financing (TIF) is a unique tool, allowed by state law, for communities to capture a portion of property tax from a designated area so that the money can be reinvested in that area. The Nederland DDA is funded solely from property tax on properties within the DDA’s boundaries. This ensures that the dollars spent in this area will be used to improve development and infrastructure for the benefit of the public. Projects undertaken by the DDA must also be approved by the Nederland Board of Trustees, but the funds come from only the DDA property tax payers (not all Nederland residents).

To learn more about how the DDA is funded, and to see what projects are currently in the works, go to the DDA's Projects Page.