The Black Hawk City Council offered $1 million to Gilpin County for the Community Center during a regular meeting on March 28, 2024. The Council also heard a presentation for ongoing work on the Bobtail mine.

Mayor David Spellman announced an Intergovernmental Agreement Term Sheet with Gilpin County. He added that they have had an IGA with the Gilpin County School District that has worked well for a number of years.

Their offer is to provide $1 million to Gilpin County’s Department of Parks and Recreation for the Community Center. There will be a Black Hawk ballot measure in November to fund the $1 million by an increase in the City’s lodging tax. Their offer is non-negotiable.

After the meeting, Gilpin County posted on Facebook that they appreciate the offer but the Commissioners look forward to further negotiations.

The Council said to take the offer off the table, but Mayor Spellman said they should “let it lie” and see what might come up by the election in November.

The offer proposes, under the following terms and conditions, beginning in January 2025, that Black Hawk would remit $1,000,000 to Gilpin County annually, including a yearly increase equal to the most recently published Actual Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Consumer Price Index.

The funds would be divided into twelve monthly installments. Gilpin County must dedicate the received funds solely to the Gilpin County Parks and Recreation Department, using the funds exclusively for the operating expenses of the Gilpin County Community Center.

Other terms and conditions are as follows:

• The total Gilpin County mill levy, including the mill levy for the Gilpin County Library District, shall not exceed 10.695 mills.

• The funding formula in the Second Amendment to the Establishing Contract for the Gilpin Ambulance Authority shall remain the same.

• No Gilpin County Sales Tax, Use Tax, Lodging Tax, or any other tax or fee shall be imposed within Black Hawk.

• No governmental or quasigovernmental entity within Gilpin County shall impose a mill levy within Black Hawk.

• No governmental or quasi-governmental entity within Gilpin County shall impose a Sales Tax, Use Tax, or any other tax or fee within Black Hawk.

• No constitutional amendment or other mechanism applicable to the City shall be adopted that amends the constitutional allocation on gaming funds to the City received and results in a decrease in the funds allocated to the City as a result of limited gaming.

• Black Hawk residents and City employees shall receive a no-cost annual individual or household membership to the Gilpin County Community Center.

• Children of Black Hawk residents shall be provided access at no cost.

• The Gilpin County Community Center shall be open seven days a week for a minimum of 84 hours.

This IGA is contingent upon the City of Black Hawk securing an affirmative vote from Black Hawk voters in November 2024 to increase its Lodging Tax.

Moving on to other business, Mat Collins, President of Black Fox Mining, LLC, delivered a presentation to the Council. He said they are preparing work on the Bobcat tunnel. Their engineers have investigated the mine, and are thinking they would like to go from the main tunnel to Shaft 5.

One of their aims would running a train into the mine. Another would be making it possible to walk the tunnel.

Spellman said the mine entrance is right off Gregory Street, and reopening it for tours will be great for Black Hawk. This will be submitted for a contract at the next meeting.

The next meeting of the City of Black Hawk City Council will be on April 10 at 3 p.m. at 211 Church Street. For more information, go to https://www.cityofblackhawk.org/.