John Scarffe, Gilpin County. Gilpin County Board of County Commissioner Gail Watson will retire from the Commission at the end of her second term on December 31, 2020.  She served two terms on the Board for a total of eight years. 

Before coming to Gilpin County, she lived in Denver from 1979 to 2000, New Paltz, New York from 1974 to 1979 and Queens in New York City from 1958 to 1974. She was born in California.

Watson attended high school in Queens and earned a bachelor of science degree in visual arts at State University in New Paltz. She took graduate coursework at the University of Colorado at Denver. She also earned her Colorado license as an insurance broker in 1980 and was a project manager for 18 years.

Watson discussed her accomplishments and disappointments while serving on the Board. “First, I’d like to make it clear to all that a commissioner has no individual power. The Board of three commissioners has to have a majority vote in a public meeting before money can be allocated or policy set, but individual commissioners do work on issues of interest to them and then bring any action required to the Board, hoping for consensus.” 

During her eight years, Watson worked on a number of issues, including Sport Shooting in the Arapaho Roosevelt Forest. In an effort to manage noise complaints and safety concerns, she represented Gilpin County as they worked with the United States Forest Service, CPW, Boulder, Larimer and Clear Creek County on closing inappropriate areas of the forest to recreation shooting. 

After 6.5 years, the Forest Service identified areas that will be closed, once a range has been built, and they are now working with Clear Creek County on a possible regional range in Dumont. This partnership led to the formation of NoCo Place 2050, which is the same partners plus Jefferson County working on the issues of overcrowded trails. 

“This group has been in the research phase for 1.5 years, but soon I suspect we will see public meetings and time for input as they move to a solutions phase. I dearly hope we are able to manage the recreation we have without increasing it,” Watson said. 

Watson also worked on a number of grants and wrote successful grants for the 2013 flood recovery grant from the United Way for $100,000, and worked with the extension agent and state forester on a county-matched mitigation grant for homeowners. When the Mtn. Family Health Clinic closed, she wrote a Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) grant request for a four-wheel drive, hybrid vehicle for the newly created Gilpin Connect transportation program. 

The purpose of the program was to transport residents to healthcare in neighboring counties. In 2016, Watson wrote a grant for $20,000 to support the Gilpin Connect Operations, and in 2018 she applied for Census grant funds to support outreach in the county and suggested the County purchase the commercial building in mid-county as a cost-effective way to expand space for Human Services and Public Health. 

The estimate from architects studying the Justice Center was for a new Human Services building at a cost of $6.5 million. The County purchased the building for $500,000 and then applied for an Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance grant from DOLA, which was awarded in the amount of $900,000. 

“This summer I worked with staff and our extension agent on the successful $109,000 Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) grant for the Community Center campus. Since moving to Gilpin County 21 years ago, I have been concerned about noise pollution,” Watson said. 

Watson has have worked with the two Sheriffs and the State Patrol but is always told they can’t do anything about the speeding and the illegal mufflers. “I asked the Sheriff’s Office to put up signs which the Board paid for and I designed, but this summer they never appeared. I will continue to ask the Sheriff, the State Patrol and our new District Attorney to help us with this quality of life and safety issue.” 

“We all moved up here for peace and quiet which is shattered on the heavily trafficked weekends. There must be more we can do if we make our voices heard. 

“I have pushed for increased responsibility for the County’s carbon footprint and the attendant climate change which we can see very clearly with the increased fire danger and a fire season that is almost year around. In 2019 we ensured that all County buildings are now using wind-generated electricity.” 

The County also purchased three hybrid vehicles for department and elected officials use, and Watson has worked on historic preservation issues on the East Portal Cabins for seven years and last year it was named one of Colorado’s Most Endangered places. 

“The Covid-19 pandemic and the financial disaster for the County will set us back here, but I dearly hope that the County and our wonderful Historic Preservation Commission can find the money to preserve the East Portal Work Camp, the Thorn Lake School and the Red Tail Cabins someday,” Watson said.

Watson now lives near Fritz Peak Observatory south of Rollinsville. She is a letterpress printer and artist who has lived in the county for 21 years. She has also been running a bed and breakfast, Birdwood Lodge, since 2012. 

Watson said it’s time to retire, and it has been very difficult, especially this year. “It’s been a challenge and an education, and I am ready to move on and be an artist for the first time in my life. Eight years is enough. I did what I could and tried my best.”

(Originally published in the December 17, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)