On March 10, 2022, U.S. Congressman Joe Neguse, a Democratic member of the House Rules Committee, secured funding for community projects across his district. They include funding for an Emergency Operations Center in Gilpin County and the Emergency Egress for Big Springs in Nederland.

According to a news release, funds include investments for Fiscal Year 2022 in science, wildfire resilience and recovery, special education, and public lands. The bill includes more than $5 billion for wildfire management, $18.8 billion for disaster response and recovery efforts, millions for local firefighting crews, and an increase for the Community Development Block Grant program.

Locally, funds included $525,000 for the Town of Nederland to build an emergency egress in the Big Springs subdivision and $138,557 for the Gilpin County Emergency Operations Center.

Nederland Mayor Kristopher Larsen received an email from Neguse’s office that said, “I wanted to share the good news that the omnibus filed included the Community Project Funding for your project and hopefully soon be signed into law for the Big Springs Emergency Egress at $525,000.

“Congressman Neguse is so grateful for your and your staff’s hard work on this application, and we are so glad to see it almost across the finish line.”

Town Administrator Miranda Fisher said the Town participated in community project funding, and Neguse selected the Big Springs Egress project as one of his top-five projects. Mayor Kristopher Larsen then met with Neguse to help secure the funds.

The funds will help complete the project, but the total cost will be about $702,000, according to JVA, the Town’s engineering firm, so the Town will seek additional funding sources.

Fisher said she will be meeting with the Town’s proposal writer, Jennifer Waltz, and she has 20 options including federal funding through a FEMA grant. The Doe Trail route, originally proposed as the best route, is still preferred by the Nederland Fire Department, the Nederland Parks, Recreation and Opens Spaces Board, and the Nederland Planning Commission, although the Wildwood Route is still being considered and may become a second egress from Big Springs.

A subcommittee has been meeting, and they want to go before the Nederland Board of Trustees in May to get the green light for the Doe Trail alignment and to pursue funding for the additional amount.

Neguse also secured $138,557 in federal funding to support the Gilpin County Emergency Operations Center. Gilpin County is defined in the news release as “a small rural community with limited resources.”

Currently they are using an EOCin a-box concept, the setup of which takes valuable time and energy away from response efforts. Having a permanent location for emergency support coordination will save time, allow for more effective responses, and, ultimately, produce better postdisaster outcomes for the community.

“For 517 days during the height of the pandemic, Gilpin County ran an emergency COVID-19 operation out of one room. The federal funding will allow them to expand their space, upgrade communication services, and ensure proper COVID-19 precautions that can be utilized,” said Neguse. “With all that our emergency personnel are doing amidst historic wildfires and a pandemic, it’s crucial they are equipped with the space and resources to keep our communities safe.”

Sandy Hollingsworth, Chair of the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners, said this is a valuable step forward to create Gilpin County’s first dedicated Emergency Operation Center space. It will benefit residents and local businesses through a multiagency response coordinated from a central location.

Emergency Manager Nate Whittington visualized this concept and pursued this grant, Hollingsworth said. It is to his team’s credit that the County has made great strides in coordinated emergency and disaster planning and response, she added.

“Gilpin County is very appreciative to be one of the ten projects in Representative Neguse’s district receiving Community Projects Funding. Thanks for this opportunity.

“Gilpin County is on the edge of being ready to support our community in our greatest hour,” Hollingsworth said. Having a centralized facility that can support emergency response is critical, and the recovery efforts may take months to years to complete.

Whittington said this room will serve as a critical coordination center during emergencies and allow planning meetings, training, and support for local volunteer groups. “We have seen what devastating disasters can do to our communities across the front range.”

The County applied through the Gilpin County Office of Emergency Management (OEM), which fortunately hosted Neguse, who then carried the proposal forward as one of his projects for community funding. “The next step is to sit down and determine the best layout and design, and then go out for the equipment to get it up and running,” Whittington said.

OEM will receive residual funds through a match with the County, but the funds should pay for the entire project. The room will be on the ground floor of the Justice Center. The current space will have everything pulled apart and then modernized.

As soon as funds become available, the County will start immediately. “We’re ready to rock and roll,” Whittington said. They have found 10 to 15 vendors so far, and they said that a lot of the work can be done in-house, such as painting. They just need to do as much internally as they can and then purchase equipment.

Whittington said he appreciated Neguse taking this through to Washington. “Thank you so much, Congressman Neguse, for your proactive approach and foresight in need of this project and to secure the funding,” he said.

Neguse said: “As Russia continues to wage a brutal, unprovoked war against Ukraine, instigating a massive refugee crisis throughout the region, the U.S. must stand with our allies, with the people of Ukraine and on the side of democracy. Today, we’re advancing critical security, humanitarian, and economic support to equip Ukrainians and hold Russia accountable.

“Additionally, I’m incredibly pleased that this funding legislation delivers for Colorado, funding critical community projects through our district; from search and rescue operations in Summit County and emergency management in Gilpin County to support for the Clear Creek Collaborative Care Center, funding to build an Emergency Egress in Nederland and much more.

“The bill invests in science and our federal labs, specifically designating funds for programs housed in the 2nd district to advance Colorado’s leadership in climate science and STEM engagement. The plan supports our communities in recovery with robust investments in wildfire management, disaster response and local firefighting operations and expands opportunities for our students with an increase in special education funding, something we’ve long advocated for.”

Community Projects in the 2nd District to Be Funded:

$2 million to provide critical services for domestic violence victims in Adams County;

$1 million for the Clear Creek County Community Care Center;

$1 million to renovate the Pulliam Community Building in Loveland for community events and disaster sheltering;

$1 million for the Colorado State- Adams State Mechanical Engineering Partnership;

$525,000 for the Town of Nederland to build an emergency egress in the Big Springs subdivision;

$500,000 to build a search and rescue training and vehicle storage facility in Frisco;

$358,000 for Jefferson County wildfire risk reduction efforts;

$275,000 for the University of Colorado Boulder Rural Outreach Partnership Program;

$275,000 to expand mental health services offered by the Boulder Strong Resource Center; and

$138,557 for the Gilpin County Emergency Operations Center.