Anne Scarffe, Central City. On June 4, 2019, in a regular Council meeting, Mike Keeler, Barbara Thielemann, and Jeremy Kaiser were appointed to the Main Street Commission unanimously. Presented in an action item: a resolution of the City Council of the City of Central, Colorado, supporting the City’s Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Grant Application for the Central City Trails Master Plan which would capitalize on heritage and cultural assets to attract visitors and enrich the visitor experience, according to the minutes. The motion carried unanimously.

On April 9, 2019, a public forum on Open Space and Trail Planning efforts received community interest for outdoor recreational planning. Priorities included developing a trail network within the City including trails, stairways to the high streets, improved directional signage and connecting the downtown corridor to Chase Gulch Reservoir and the high streets, according to the minutes. On May 7, Council directed staff to move forward and pursue planning opportunities.

Great Outdoors Colorado offers planning grants for outdoor recreation master plans. These grants require a 25 percent match and a supporting resolution from City Council. This particular planning grant has an estimated total project cost of $63,800 with Central City funds contributing $16,000 and an additional $3,000 of in-kind support for staff GIS services. The budget includes a site analysis, community engagement events and a preliminary trail plan.

  The Council approved a resolution that awards for the City’s 2019 Parkway Slurry Seal Project to A-1 Chipseal Company for resurfacing of Central City Parkway. The project would use 66,897 square yards of slurry seal plus related mobilization, traffic control and pavement striping costs not to exceed $146,625.63.  Slurry seal consists of a mixture of an approved emulsified asphalt, mineral aggregate, water and other specified additives.

Mayor Jeremy Fey thanked the residents, staff and businesses for participation in the clean-up event on May 24. 

At a regular Council meeting on July 2, 2019, the Central City Promise Program was reviewed by the Council with City Manager Daniel Miera. The program encourages high school graduates and G.E.D. recipients of Central City to make post-secondary education a priority. 

The Promise Program helps make it possible for Central City residents to attend a university, community college or trade school. Austin Boulter addressed Council, thanking them for the scholarship and explaining that having these funds has allowed him to have time for volunteering and participating in sports clubs. 

Mr. Boulter is a second-time applicant of the Promise Program. He has submitted all the required paperwork and would like Promise Program funds in the amount of $5,000 in 2019. Mr. Boulter is continuing his post-secondary education at the University of Colorado in Boulder and has received previous Promise Program disbursements in 2018 for a total of $5,000. 

The Promise Program Guidelines limit the amount that an individual can receive to a total of $20,000 or four years of funding. The 2019 Budget has $20,000 allocated for the Promise Program. This is the first formal request received to date for Fiscal Year 2019. Granting the above request will leave a remaining balance of $15,000.

Jeff Hentschel, event organizer for “A Good Night of Fortune” Event on Main Street on August 10, requested and was granted an extension for time to allow music until 11 p.m. in case of a delay due to weather.

     A resolution passed supporting the agreement with CU Denver through the Hometown Colorado Initiative for two separate classes that will be focused on Central City to be conducted in the fall of 2019.

The students enrolling in these courses are at the end of their academic engineering education and must complete this capstone course in order to graduate. The cost to the City for this agreement is $10,000. These funds had not been budgeted for the 2019 fiscal year.

Council discussion covered various property options, the value of the program to the City, encouraging the property owners to move forward with recommendations based on the results, and budgeted funds to pay for the program.

The next regular meeting of the Central City Council will on Tuesday, July 23, at 7 p.m. at the Central City Hall at the 141 Nevada Street.

Originally published in the July 11, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear. You can buy a low resolution, downloadable pdf of this paper at https://themtnear.com/product/2019-07-11/