Pub. 11 2021-2022 Issue 1

O V E R A C E N T U R Y : B U I L D I N G B E T T E R B A N K S — H E L P I N G C O L O R A D A N S R E A L I Z E D R E A M S www.coloradobankers.org 2 A WORD FROM CBA Proposed Air Pollution Rules Could Detour Economic Recovery BY JENIFER WALLER, PRESIDENT, COLORADO BANKERS ASSOCIATION I f your bank or your customer’s business is in a high-ozone area and employs 100 people or more, you soon might have to find a new way to get to work, other than commuting alone in your car. A new rule proposed by the state’s air pollution control division is seeking to force larger employers to reduce the number of employees commuting solo to 75% by 2022 and 60% by 2024. Those employers would also be required to hire an “official transportation coordinator.” Additionally, they must do away with parking subsidies and begin charging for parking (if they do not currently charge a fee.) Commuters who can afford electric vehicles would be exempt from the rules. The new suggested rule, while well intended, is fraught with problems. Business decisions (such as remote working, how an employee gets to and from work, whether employee benefits include parking subsidies, or if the company has resources to hire an employees’ transportation coordinator) should be determined by individual companies. The new rule is nothing short of the government seeking to mandate employers’ policies. Furthermore, it is imperative that any undertaking is not punitive or unfairly burdensome for one group of people over another.