The Black Hawk City Council met at 211 Church Street on May 12, 2021, at 3 p.m. It was the first in-person meeting for several months after virtual meetings because of Covid-19 restrictions.

The Council approved an ordinance repealing and reenacting sections of the Black Hawk Municipal Code and adopting by reference the 2020 Model Traffic Code. Currently, the City of Black Hawk uses the 2018 Model Traffic Code. The adoption of the 2020 Code will bring the City of Black Hawk’s traffic code in line with the current State traffic laws. The introduction of this ordinance was approved by Council on April 14, 2021. City Attorney Corey Hoffmann said that every couple of years the model traffic code is updated, and this will bring city codes up to date.

Finance Director Lance Hillis presented a resolution amending the city budget. Included in the 2019 Adopted Annual Budget was $13,750,000 for the Gregory Street Plaza project. On September 25, 2019, the city council approved a resolution awarding the project to Roche Construction with a guaranteed maximum price of $12,605,752. As of the end of 2019, only about $600,000 had been completed. This amendment to the 2020 Budget simply moves a portion of the 2019 funding forward to 2020 to cover the costs incurred during the year. The council approved the resolution.

Hoffmann introduced a resolution approving the agreement regarding cost sharing for sanitary sewer line construction between the city and Proximo Distillers, LLC. The city has awarded the contract for a public infrastructure project that includes construction of a new sanitary sewer main line to JBS Pipeline. The total cost of the Sewer Project is $2,036,879.19, with a ten percent contingency. By previous agreement with the Black Hawk-Central City Sanitation District, the city is obligated to pay 55 percent of the Sewer Project, while the district pays 45 percent.

Proximo desires to contribute to the Sewer Project to provide public sanitary sewer infrastructure to that property owned by Proximo located in the City of Black Hawk. The city is amenable to Proximo satisfying its public sanitary sewer construction obligation before obtaining subdivision and site development plan approval, so long as Proximo contributes one quarter of its contribution to the Sewer Project, plus a ten percent contingency, before May 31, 2021. Hoffmann said Proximo met today and had approved the agreement at their end. The council approved the agreement.

Public Works Water Manager Jim Ford introduced a resolution approving the construction contract with Naranjo Civil Constructors and the Construction Management Contract with Merrick Company for the Green Lake Intake Project.

The city intends to construct a new intake structure for the Green Lake pipeline. Ford said they have been working on this project for the past eight years. They have a good design and have a pretty good team. They will start when they have a green light. Staff received bids from two prequalified contractors for the project; Naranjo Civil Constructors is the apparent low bidder. Merrick Engineers, the design consultant for the project, has past experience with Naranjo and found them to be a good fit. Merrick will be able to successfully perform the Construction Management.

Black Hawk is partnered with Clear Creek County on this project and the cost will be split with Black Hawk at 63 percent and Clear Creek County with 37 percent. Naranjo Civil Constructors bid at $228,621, and Merrick Company at $40,334.80 for a total of $268,955.80. The council approved the resolution.

City Manager Stephen Cole told the council that the city wanted to give a 1.5 percent increase in salaries to employees but decided to hold that until revenue was projected. Revenues are now higher than budgeted, so he would like to move forward with the 1.5 percent increase retroactive to January 1. It is already in budget, and the council agreed.

The next Black Hawk Council meeting will be at 211 Church Street in Black Hawk, Colorado, on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, at 3 p.m. For more information go to https://site.cityofblackhawk.org/.