The Black Hawk City Council approved acquiring more land during a regular meeting on January 10, 2024. The Council also approved the Pickle Gulch Reservoir Site Evaluation Study, the mill rate for 2024, and professional agreements for the year.

The meeting began with a tour of the newly renovated police department. Mayor David Spellman complimented the Police and Public Works with Project Manager Matt Reed for work well done.

City Manager Steve Cole introduced a resolution approving the acquisition of certain real property known as portions of the Fay Lode, the Marks Lode and the Dale Lode. The parcels are needed for the improvement of Lake Gulch Road and the roundabout connecting Lake Gulch Road and Miners Road. These mining claims, owned by Jeffery L.Claycomb, Gene A. Claycomb, Julianne G.Claycomb- McCrary, Patrick E. Claycomb, and the Clarence E. Henke Estate, are costing the City $4,485 plus any applicable closing costs.

The Council approved the resolution.

The Council approved the professional service agreement with W.W. Wheeler and Associates, Inc. for engineering services related to the Pickle Gulch Reservoir Site Evaluation Study in an amount not to exceed $ 48,300.00.

The City has received approval from the Corps of Engineers to conduct an Alternative Analysis with selected reservoir sites for the Water System Improvement Project. The three options were selected without engineering analysis, which was appropriate given the uncertainty of the alternative selection process. The proposal is to conduct a “fatal flaw” analysis on the preferred site. This will implement basic design guidelines to ensure that the site will meet the City’s needs, establish limits of disturbance and potential property acquisition, as well as meet the State’s minimum geological requirements.

The intent is, if Black Hawk is pleased with Wheeler’s work on site evaluation, they would be retained to perform dam design once the site is approved by all jurisdictional authorities.

The Council approved the resolution.

Five of the Tramway buses have long exceeded their “useful life” based on the criteria of the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). According to records, the fleet department has been doing an excellent job in keeping the current buses operational. But by now they have had to take one out of service and use it for parts. They have replaced the engine in another.

The City was successful in being awarded a 2022 FTA 5311 grant for two Body on Chassis (BOC) “Cutaway” replacement buses. This grant is administered by CDOT.

The ongoing personnel issues at CDOT have caused this grant to languish now for nearly two years. Black Hawk was granted pre-award authority from CDOT and the units have been designed and ordered. The most recent estimate of their completion is June of 2024. The formal grant document has only been recently provided.

This grant is for $334,350, for which the City needs to provide a 20% match. Therefore, the net cost to the City is $66,870 for two new buses. The City has also been awarded a 2023 FTA 5311 grant for three additional BOC replacement buses that have also been granted pre-award authority and have been ordered. These are also due around the same time. The City is still awaiting the formal CDOT document.

The Council passed an Ordinance levying the General Property Tax for the Year 2023. This Ordinance sets the City’s property tax mill levy at .036 mills for 2023, to be collected in 2024.

The next meeting of the City of Black Hawk City Council will be on January 24 at 3 p.m. at 211 Church Street. For more information, go to https://www.cityofblackhawk.org/.