Sarah Haas, Central City.  The Central City Council kicked off 2018 with a State of the City address by Mayor Kathryn Heider. She offered gratitude for the work of City staff and its volunteer commission members, most of whom were in attendance, happily munching on a buffet of home cooked chili, beans and other down-home comfort foods.

Once the festivities subsided, Council commenced its first regularly scheduled meeting of the year with the first task to vote on annual appointments. Each of the appointments for 2018 were approved unanimously. In 2018, Shirley Voorhies will serve again as Mayor Pro-Tem; The Weekly Register Call is again, the City’s legal publication; Voorhies will remain as the representative to the Denver Regional Council of Governments with City Manager Daniel Miera as alternate; Mayor Heider is continuing as representative to the Gilpin Ambulance Authority with Miera as alternate; Voorhies is, once again, representative to the I-70 Coalition with Miera as alternate; Judy Laratta is continuing as representative to the Local Emergency Planning Committee with Jeff Aiken newly elected as her alternate.

Council also voted on citizen appointments to fill two commission vacancies. From a pool of four applicants, Bob Spain was unanimously voted to the Historic Preservation Commission, with Mayor Heider noting that his background in architecture and current residency in one of Central City’s historic homes made him uniquely qualified for the role. Kara Tinucci was elected as alternate to the Planning Commission.

The rest of the meeting was largely clerical in nature, as Council ticked off their beginning-of- the-year logistical boxes. First up, Council voted to continue to post public notices at City Hall and the post office, as well as on the City’s website, www.colorado.gov/pacific/centralcity/public-notices.

Next, David R. Gloss was, once again, unanimously appointed to serve as the municipal judge for Central City, effective February 1, 2018 and set to expire January 31, 2020, with compensation the same as the previous term at $8,400 annually.

Council considered the fire department’s funding request for $130,000 to complete the purchase of 2018 tactical tender — a new fire truck. As the expense was already included in the 2018 budget, off-set by a $287,000 grant and came with recommendation from City staff, Council unanimously approved the expense.

In order to accelerate the construction of the Membrane Building, a.k.a. the “Bubble Building,” Council voted to delegate authority to City Manager Daniel Miera, including granting him authority to execute certain consultant contracts on behalf of the City.

Council concluded the meeting by making a few comments with Jeff Aiken asking about next steps in working with the consultants for the City’s rebranding efforts and Shirley Voorhies requesting a new street light be put in on the corner of Lake Mulch Rd. and Virginia Canyon Rd.

(Originally published in the January 25, 2018 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)