Jacqueline Hart Gibson, Black Hawk. The Black Hawk City Council was called to order at 3 p.m. on August 12, 2020, in a virtual meeting via Zoom. All city council members and Mayor Spellman were in attendance. The Pledge of Allegiance was observed, and no conflicts of interest were reported. The approval of the minutes from the regular meeting held July 22, 2020, carried unanimously. 

After leading the council in the Pledge of Allegiance, the council moved on to public hearings and an ordinance approving the exclusion of property from the Black Hawk Business Improvement District and changing the boundaries of the district, carried unanimously. 

In action items a resolution rebating the city use tax on construction and building materials for residential projects within the city’s National Historic Landmark District, and a resolution rebating city sales tax on retail items delivered to city residential properties for personal consumption and use, carried unanimously. 

City Attorney Hoffman spoke to the action items explaining, “these items are re-upping previous authorizations for rebates for property in our residential areas. The most conservative approach is to reauthorize these every time a new council is seated because technically this council cannot bind future councils.” Hoffman went on to explain the item has been redrafted at the Mayor’s request so that the item will not require a new vote every two years but can instead be repealed by future councils. He continued to explain this draft served not to bind future councils and to not require a new vote every two years. 

City Manager Cole did not have a report. City Attorney Hoffman requested, following the special meeting of the Black Hawk Urban Renewal Authority, an executive session to discuss legal issues related to contracts the city is considering entering into. 

The council meeting was then recessed, and the Black Hawk Urban Renewal Authority meeting was opened. One action item, a resolution approving the conveyance of property from the Black Hawk Urban Renewal Authority to the city of Black Hawk to confirm the minor subdivision of property located on Gregory Street, was discussed and approved unanimously. The property includes 221 Gregory Street and a portion of the City Hall property next door, essentially redrawing lot lines. 

Additionally, the City of Black Hawk City Council voted to cancel the rescheduled Boom Town fireworks celebration for 2020. The two day show was originally postponed from a single show on the Fourth of July to Labor Day Weekend. Gilpin county continues to have one of the lowest rates for positive Covid results in the state. However, restrictions remain too strict to accommodate the expected number of tourists the show has historically attracted. 

The meeting was adjourned for an executive session at 3:25 p.m. 

(Originally published in the August 20, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)