Mile High Flood District

Researcher's note: Created by statute as the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District (C.R.S. 32-11-201); this file is its Board of Directors.

Legal basis

• C.R.S. 32-11-201 (1969) · creates · Creation of district source source
• C.R.S. 32-11-203 · governs · Board of directors source
• C.R.S. 32-11-204 · governs · Regular appointments source

Appointed by

City Council, Boulder County Board of County Commissioners. Mixed by statute: Denver's mayor (or deputy mayor) ex officio and three Denver council members; one commissioner from each of five counties (Boulder County's named by its commissioners) and one appointee of Broomfield's council; five governor's appointees, each an executive officer of a municipality of 100,000 or fewer in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas or Jefferson County; the mayor or mayor pro tem of each city over 100,000 ex officio (Boulder's seat); and two professional engineers chosen by the board. For Boulder, council's annual committee assignments name which of the mayor and mayor pro tem sits. source source source source

How

Boulder's seat is ex officio for the mayor or the mayor pro tem; council chooses which in its annual committee assignments (2026: Mayor Pro Tem Winer, approved on the consent agenda January 22, 2026, 9:0). Other directors are appointed in January by their appointing authority; the board then appoints the engineer directors between January 21 and 31. If an appointing authority fails to appoint, the governor does. · annual (council assignments); statutory appointments each January · city-council source source source source

Seats

24 source source as of 2026-10-30

another source differs

25 source

The city page's description is internally inconsistent (23 members, 21 elected officials, plus two engineers) and older text; the district's own roster lists 22 elected officials and 2 engineers.

Seat types

• Mayor or deputy mayor of Denver (ex officio) ×1 ex-officio
• Denver City Council members appointed by that council ×3 designated
• County commissioner from each of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas and Jefferson counties, and a Broomfield council appointee ×6 designated
• Governor's appointee from each of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Douglas and Jefferson counties: an executive officer of a municipality of 100,000 or fewer ×5 designated
• Mayor or mayor pro tem of each city over 100,000 (ex officio; includes the City of Boulder) ex-officio
• Licensed professional engineer appointed by the board ×2 qualified

source source source source source

Term

2 years, from February 1 (appointed directors); ex officio directors (including Boulder's mayor or mayor pro tem) serve while they hold that office source

Term limit

None in the statute: any incumbent may be reappointed source

Staggering

Staggered by statute: some appointing authorities appoint in odd-numbered years (two Denver council seats, Adams, Boulder and Broomfield commissioner seats, governor's Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson seats), others in even-numbered years (one Denver council seat, Arapahoe, Douglas and Jefferson commissioner seats, governor's Adams and Boulder seats). source source

Powers

decision-making. Decides: all powers of the district (drainage and flood control across the Denver metropolitan area, including Boulder), exercised by the board as its local legislative body; it may delegate to an executive committee. To council: nothing binding on council; Boulder's mayor or mayor pro tem votes on the board source source

Council liaison

not applicable: A regional special district outside the city; the city holds a voting seat (see members) rather than sending a council liaison.

Staff liaison

not applicable: MHFD has its own staff; no city department staffs its board.

Relations

• Boulder County Board of County Commissioners appoints Mile High Flood District · one Boulder County commissioner seat source
• City Council member of Mile High Flood District · council appoints a member to this outside body (2026 assignments): Winer (must be the mayor or mayor pro tem) Boulder's mayor or mayor pro tem sits ex officio; council's 2026 assignment: Winer source source

History

• 1969 · created · Established by the Colorado legislature as the Urban Drainage and Flood Control District; now known as the Mile High Flood District. source