Boulder runs more tests after finding high meth levels in library bathrooms

Dec. 22—Days after the Boulder Public Library closed when tests found high methamphetamine levels in restrooms, the city is now awaiting additional test results to determine whether the contamination spread to surface areas.

On Monday, the library announced its closure after testing that morning found "higher than acceptable" methamphetamine levels in restroom exhaust vents. Since then, it has hired a contractor who on Tuesday conducted tests of surface areas where the residue could have spread most easily, said Sarah Huntley, spokesperson for the city. The contractor on Wednesday conducted another set of tests on farther away surfaces inside the restrooms.

The city hopes to get the initial results back on Friday and the results from Wednesday's testing by Monday. From there, the city will decide if it needs to test sections of the library outside the restrooms before determining when it will reopen, Huntley said.

Leading up to the closure, the city received about 15 reports regarding people smoking in the library restrooms in the past month. In response, it developed an extensive cleaning protocol and mandated that all cleaning staff wear personal protective equipment, Huntley said. The city next contacted a contractor to conduct testing.

"The step to do the testing was really an extra precautionary test," Huntley said.

Huntley was not sure what the library's initial test results were, but said the city based the closure off an understanding that any level above 0.2 ug/100cm2 is concerning. According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, if any composite sample results are above 0.2 ug/100cm2 , the property owner must choose between the following two courses of action: Assume the property is a methamphetamine-affected property and have it assessed and decontaminated; or have a full clearance sampling conducted on the property by a state-certified consultant.

Boulder City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde consulted with Boulder County Public Health after the city received the results on Monday, and the county health department agreed the library should shutter until additional testing was completed, Huntley said.

Even before the decision to close was announced, two city library security guards resigned for reasons related to individuals using drugs in the library restrooms, Huntley said. A third security guard resigned about a month ago due to a dispute with Denver Metro Protective Services — the company the city uses to employ security guards.

Huntley said the city has requested additional security guards, but it has not heard back from Denver Metro Protective Services regarding its request.

"We've had difficulty staffing security for some time now," she added.

Even then, the question of what the remediation process will look like is being asked by city officials.

What can be done to prevent drug use in the library and what can the city do to make sure that private spaces remain private are two questions city administrators are pondering, Huntley said.

Boulder elected officials have also begun asking similar questions.

"Despite having had a recent update on crime, I would ask (the Council Agenda Committee) to consider if it might be useful for us to have some dedicated time (study session, maybe?) to discuss the meth epidemic and the ripple effects it is having on community members suffering from addiction, on the broader community, on businesses, on our staff members, etc," wrote City Councilmember Rachel Friend in an email to the committee on Monday.

"I think it may be helpful for us to have a dedicated conversation about the realities, obstacles, and possible paths through this difficult issue (which hasn't happened during my years on Council)."

Mayor Pro Tem Mark Wallach added that the meth issue is a huge problem without an obvious solution.

"This is going to be a major issue when (City Council members) return from our winter break and may well be a major issue for the new library district moving forward," he said. "No one wants to be uncaring about the unhoused community or restrict access to the library, but when it comes to the safety of children, the main consideration is clear: What has happened cannot continue to happen."

City Councilmember Nicole Speer echoed her fellow council members saying there is no simple fix to the issue of meth addiction in Boulder but added that the problem is not unique to the unhoused community.

"This is something many housed members of our city struggle with, including our youth," she said. "There are innovative, evidence-based treatment programs like contingency management that are showing a lot of success in other communities that are dealing with meth addiction. I am hopeful we can try those solutions here in Boulder County before too long because as the failed war on drugs showed us, criminalizing drug use does not stop addiction."

BCPH and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment did not respond to questions before publication Wednesday night.