Jacqueline Hart Gibson, Black Hawk. The Black Hawk City Council was called to order at 3 p.m. on June 10, 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. Two members of the community signed up to speak in public hearings, Pat Quin and Lawrence James. The approval of the minutes from the meeting held May 27, 2020, were carried unanimously. 

In public hearings, at the previous regular meeting, there was only one new item on the agenda. An ordinance amending chapter 16 of the Black Hawk municipal code to amend the uses by right in the commercial/business services (C/BS) zoning district, carried unanimously. 

The first public hearing item on June 10, 2020, an ordinance ratifying and approving the grant agreement between the Colorado Department of Transportation, division of Transit and Rail and the city of Black Hawk, carried unanimously.  

 An ordinance stating the intent of the city of Black Hawk to acquire certain property for the construction, expansion and improvement of city streets and roadways, pursuant to C.R.S. § 38-6-101, C.R.S. § 31-25-201, Article XX, § 1 of the Colorado Constitution, and Article 8, Section 4 of the city of Black Hawk home rule charter, carried unanimously. The ordinance is related to the Tin Cup Resort build. 

 A resolution conditionally approving the special review use permit for the Golden Gilpin Mill, approved unanimously. The rehabilitation of the mill is part of the long-term plan to transition Black Hawk from a destination exclusively attracting gaming, to a general tourist destination. Lawrence B. James, a mineral specialist and member of the Black Hawk community spoke to this resolution. James stated a concern regarding Black Hawk excluding future mining opportunities in favor of exclusively serving tourism and gambling in the area. James stated great wealth may still exist for Black Hawk in mining, rather than tourism, especially in light of travel and tourism concerns related to Covid-19. 

 A resolution denying a variance to allow a height variance which would allow a structure 103 feet in height, 58 feet higher than the existing variance allows, for a T-Mobile tower atop Miner’s Mesa Road, was continued until June 24, 2020, to allow T-Mobile time to discuss potential benefits and conflicts with Proximo. 

Proximo, the company involved in the Tin Cup Distillery/Lake Gulch Resort, submitted a letter speaking to the issue stating they hoped city council would leave the current height variance of 45 feet in place, and the request to extend the variance to allow for 103 feet of tower would be denied. A representative from T-Mobile spoke to the versatility of a larger tower, as additional carriers can be added for every additional ten feet of tower height. The cell tower in question has been designed to look like a water tower, to keep with the aesthetic design of the location. A resolution conditionally approving a certificate of architectural compatibility and a site development plan for the T-Mobile facility located at 821 Miners Mesa Road, was continued until June 24, 2020, as well. 

 In action items, a resolution approving the city of Black Hawk fee schedule, as amended, carried unanimously. 

  A resolution forgiving certain device taxes for the month of May 2020, payable in June of 2020 and deferring certain water fees, carried unanimously. Mayor Spellman noted that all city council members were on board with this decision, as evidenced by the unanimous approval of the resolution. 

A resolution added to the agenda at the start of the meeting in support of proposed initiative No. 257, “Local Voter Approval of Gaming Limits in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek,” on the 2020 general election ballot, approved unanimously. 

City Manager Stephen Cole had nothing to report. City Attorney Cory Hoffman requested an executive session. The council approved the request unanimously, and the regular meeting adjourned at 4:17 p.m. 

(Originally published in the June 18, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)