John Scarffe, Nederland. The Nederland Downtown Development Authority Board approved funds for an electrical meter at the Barker Meadows Park performance space and downtown port-a-potties during a regular online meeting on June 10, 2020. The board also agreed to amend the Covid-19 stop gap fund ordinance.

At the DDA’s February 13, 2019, meeting, town staff asked for financial support to construct an electrical meter at the performance space in Barker Meadows Park, according to the agenda information memorandum. At this meeting, the NDDA also appointed board members Mark Stringfellow and Mandy Kneer to work with the Nederland Parks, Recreation and Open Spaces Advisory Board (PROSAB) to come up with a plan to develop the performance space.

Board member Claudia Schauffler attended the July PROSAB meeting to inform the board that the NDDA has decided to approve funding the construction of electrical at the performance space. In August, PROSAB appointed member Paul Mooney to join the task force to gather input on the electrical needs for the performance space to identify location and specifications.

In September 2019, staff met with Task force members Paul Mooney, Mark Stringfellow and Hope Jordan at the site to discuss the necessary requirements for the electrical needs for the performance space. At the September 11 budget meeting, the board approved a $15,000 budget to fund the development of electric at the performance space.

At the November Meeting, staff presented the NDDA with an update on construction of power that included all the details and specifications of where, what and when. At the regularly scheduled December meeting, staff presented the NDDA with the final electrical design, which will be the basis for quoting construction costs.

At the February 2020 meeting, staff presented and discussed the completed electrical design, and an oversight committee was appointed consisting of members of the NDDA board. At the February PROSAB meeting, the board discussed and approved the proposed structure for electrical at the performance space. 

On June 10, 2020, Stringfellow told the board that funds have been spent for materials, but it doesn’t cover the cost of the utility shed. Executive Director Hope Jordan believes that in general the board should pass a resolution before money is spent, but the Nederland Board of Trustees just wants to see the budget. 

She suggested approving the resolution at the next meeting. The NDDA Board recommended that the Board of Trustees approve the budget for the electrical box completion.

Town Administrator Karen Gerrity requested funds for port-a-potties, which they described as pretty straightforward. Town businesses requested port-a-potties, and the town set them up, but requested that the NDDA fund them. 

B&F Mountain Market has had a huge line for restrooms, so staff decided to work on this. Town Clerk Miranda Fisher said that until the end of September, the funds are coming out of the parks budget. Jordan said these monies could be reimbursed, because this is a business service which is supporting the town. 

In March 2020, the Town of Nederland made a decision to close all public restroom facilities at both Chipeta Park and the Visitor Center due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

Studies have shown that Coronavirus has been found in human waste up to a month after a person with a positive Covid-19 test has recovered. Studies also show that droplets from normal human speaking can hang in the air for at least eight minutes and that the virus can stay on surfaces for up to five days. To ensure that public restrooms are properly sanitized, they would need to be cleaned at least hourly, as recommended by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. 

“The town’s Public Works Department is operating with limited staffing at this time, and does not have the capability to be cleaning the public restroom facilities every hour while they are open,” states the memo. To address the restroom concerns, two port-a-potties were dropped at Chipeta Park in March, which were serviced one time per week. 

On a Friday in May 2020, the town dropped a port-a-potty at the Visitor Center. Within 24 hours, it was full and could no longer be used, so the town dropped an additional ADA port-a-potty at the Visitor Center and increased servicing for both. Town staff requested that the NDDA provide financial assistance through the end of September to allow the town to keep and maintain them, which is a safer alternative than opening up the public restroom facilities.

Staff requested $3,280 for June through September 2020. The town does plan to seek reimbursement through the CARES Act funding for the port-a-potties. Town is asking the NDDA to help with the immediate need, with the goal of being able to reimburse the NDDA through grant funding.

Town staff requested that the NDDA approve $3,280 to come out of the TIF funds to cover the cost of four port-a-potties being rented from Air-O-Pure for June through September 2020. The board approved a motion to fund the full amount up to $4,120 if an additional one is needed for the Visitor Center. 

Town Clerk Fisher presented an amendment to stop gap funding. While finalizing the “Covid-19 Stop Gap Funding Guidelines and Application,” the NDDA decided on funding criteria: “Any business who receives funding through this program, must provide proof that the funds were used in accordance to the funding criteria of utilities, property taxes, mortgages, rent and government required personal protective equipment (PPE). Receipts must be for expenses paid between February 29, 2020, and May 18, 2020.”

Applications were due on May 18, 2020, and 46 businesses were deemed eligible for the funding and were notified that they would be receiving up to $2,173.91 on May 20, 2020. To ensure that businesses adhered to the timeframe for receipts for expenses paid, the Covid-19 Stop Gap Funding committee included the information with the reporting form instructions. To receive the full funding amount of $2,173.91, the business must provide receipts covering at least that expense amount. 

If the business did not have $2,173.91 in eligible expenses between February 29, 2020, and May 18, 2020, the business will receive funding based on the total amount of eligible receipts provided. The receipts and reporting form were to be due on June 19, 2020. 

As of Friday, June 5, 2020, 26 businesses had submitted their receipts and reporting form and 24 checks had been cut for the full award amount. Some of the remaining businesses who have yet to submit their receipts and reporting form have requested that the NDDA reconsider the timeframe for the expenses of February 29, 2020, and May 18, 2020. 

These businesses have shared that they could not afford to make any purchases or financial transactions during that time frame because they did not have any revenue. Businesses requested that the NDDA consider awarding the remaining eligible businesses the full amount so that they can use the funds for future utilities, property taxes, mortgages, rent and government required personal protective equipment (PPE) expenses. 

If the NDDA approves the funds to be used for future expenses, businesses will still be expected to provide receipts adding up to the full award amount given. Fisher asked if the NDDA will approve the remaining businesses who have yet to receive their Covid-19 Stop Gap Funding to use the full award amount of $2,173.91 for future utilities, property taxes, mortgages, rent and government required personal protective equipment (PPE) expenses. 

The Board approved a motion to extend the applications to August 31 and contacting businesses to let them know the new plans.

Vice Chair Stringfellow said this was his last meeting. He filled a vacancy that opened in February 2018 and was set to expire in June 2020. The Board requested that the Town Clerk pursue one new Board member for the NDDA. 

The Board received one application and decided to repost the vacancy and extend the deadline for applications for a vote at the next meeting. 

The Nederland Downtown Development Authority Board will meet again on July 8, 2020.  

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