John Scarffe, Gilpin County. The Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office presented an emergency preparedness guide and a proposal for communicating it to County residents during a regular meeting of the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners on Tuesday, April 12, 2016, at the Gilpin County Courthouse. The Board also discussed signage to decrease motorcycle speed and noise.

Sgt. Kevin Armstrong handed out a new guide for County emergency preparations and told the Board that he had just gotten copies yesterday and found some errors. The basic guide came from Jefferson County, Armstrong said. He took the original piece and made it appropriate for Gilpin County.

Armstrong also gave the Board a PowerPoint presentation for County residents which explained what residents need to do to sustain themselves in the event of an emergency.

He hopes to get started with the presentations in the next couple of weeks once the guide is completely finished. He plans to give the presentations at the Community Recreation Center, the library, as well as in Central City and Black Hawk. He plans to approach local homeowner’s associations in addition.

Armstrong will also post a copy on the website, and Fire Chief Glenn Levy will have some available. He said producing 1,000 of the guides will cost $2,800, and he is looking at getting that funded.

Commissioner Gail Watson said, “You’re asking us for funding?” Armstrong replied that he has applied for grants and has prepared a list of priority emergency projects for the grants.

Each one of commissioners was involved in drafting the priorities, Armstrong said. Hazardous materials mitigation is the number one project, and community outreach is number two.

The hazardous materials priority allows the County to apply for a grant, which will make 2017 monies available to pay for the guides in the future, but he still needs funds for this year.

Watson moved to pay for the printing, and County Manager Roger Baker said the cost could come from the administration budget. The Board approved the motion.

Sheriff’s Officers reported that a Wildland fire table exercise was conducted on April 11. It included forest service, ambulance and police personnel. They mapped out a good matrix of how they would handle a fire, such as who to call to get assistance from the state to fight a fire.

Sheriff Bruce Hartman said it had been an excellent exercise. “What we used to do, we can’t use that model anymore.” He suggested that Board members should sit down and have a similar exercise, and he would like to see Finance Director Clorinda Smith involved because rules for reimbursement are complex, and all of a sudden you’re out $5 million dollars.

Armstrong said they can rely on the state during a fire, and they found out about resources and the entire process to follow in the event of a fire or other type of emergency. County Manager Baker said they needed to be in FEMA compliance and need to have a group that reviews compliance issues.

Armstrong replied they would set up policies within the community that would be FEMA compliant. They are trying to avoid being out of compliance by having a policy group that includes the Commissioners and the finance director, which would help the County be FEMA compliant. He plans to get the committee started in the first part of May.

Baker said he has talked to Smith, and from limited experience with the flood, it can be very cumbersome. “This would be a lot of work, and you can’t just show up once a month. This will have implications on work load.”

Armstrong said he planned on eight to nine months to get the planning done. He has reached out to other counties to get previous contracts that would help with FEMA compliance.

Commission Chair Linda Isenhart said she would be glad to sit on the committee. “Let’s continue to look at this. Please get back to us with your ideas.”

Commissioner Watson brought some sign ideas to the meeting to help address speeding and very loud motorcycles in County neighborhoods. The signs, a diamond shape with black letters on a red background, read “Ride Quiet, Ride Safe,” and “We Enforce,” with a picture of a motorcycle.

“This was a suggestion,” Watson said. “If we purchase these types of roll up signs and move them around the County, we’re trying to alert cyclists to the problem and let them know you can’t speed through our communities with excessive noise.” They would cost $400 for two sets.

Under Sherriff Jon Bayne said they could put them out Friday night and pick them up on Saturday morning and put them out again on Sunday morning. They could be placed in different locations each time on the shoulders of roads and highways.

Bayne said the noise is caused by excessive speed when motorcycles get running 80 or 90 miles per hour. Commissioner Buddy Schmalz asked how often the Sheriff’s Office writes tickets, and Bayne said they don’t usually write them for noise but do for speed.

“They’re not that loud at 40 miles per hour,” Bayne said. “Ten years ago it was really bad. We went after it and slowed them up some. A guy at mile marker 17 was going 90 and we gave him a four-point ticket.”

Chair Isenhart said, “Our roads are not made for that kind of speed. Jon, you wouldn’t have a big problem if everybody went the speed limit.” Watson added that motorcyclists should respect our neighborhoods. “People live here. We have to step up.”

Bayne said they would have a car not too far away. Tickets are hundreds and hundreds of dollars. Baker said funds could come from the County’s operating supplies budget, and the Board approved the expense.