The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) called their regular meeting to order at 9 a.m. on September 26, 2023. In attendance were Commissioner Marie A. Mornis, Commissioner Susan Berumen, Commissioner Sandy Hollingsworth, County Manager Ray Rears, and County Attorney Brad Benning.

Chanda Johnson, Human Resources Director, presented Resolution 23-85, Creating a Gilpin County Community Engagement Officer position. Mornis said she would like the function of this position to be clarified in that it is additional support to the Sheriff’s Public Information Officer (PIO) and specifically deals with non-crisis events.

Mornis asked Sheriff Armstrong to weigh in on the new position. Armstrong said that in a county event like a wildland fire, there would be interdepartmental communication and this person would work with the Sheriff’s Office to ensure accuracy.

Hollingsworth said this new position was discussed during the last work session. This person would work for the entire County and push positive messaging, as well as working with the Sheriff’s Office to make sure crisis communications are consistent. Rears said this position would improve communication with the public by working proactively instead of reactively, for example, by publishing information on the website and quarterly newsletters.

Mornis said she thinks the Board should wait until the Staffing and Compensation Study is done before adding a new position.

Hollingsworth proposed some minor edits, Rears added some wording clarifying the purpose of the position. Hollingsworth moved to approve the resolution. Berumen seconded. Mornis was opposed and motion passed 2-1.

Johnson also presented Resolution 23-79, Approving the Colorado Employer Benefit Trust (CEBT) Rate Renewal for 2024. Terry Rook from CEBT explained the different plans available to the County. If the Board votes to renew it would be a one-year commitment. Hollingsworth said CEBT has lower rate increases than private companies.

Berumen moved to accept the resolution, keeping the benefits the same with an overall rate renewal of 6.5 percent for 2024. Hollingsworth seconded and all were in favor.

Johnson introduced Resolution 23-88, Approving the Colorado Employer Benefit Trust to move to The Standard for Life Insurance.

At staff’s request CEBT has sourced additional provider options for Voluntary Life Insurance, Short-Term Disability, and Long-Term Disability benefit plans.

Under the CEBT Standard plan, life insurance rates would be provided at a similar cost to the existing voluntary life plan under the Hartford, with an option to expand benefits by offering employees a guaranteed issue at a higher rate. The Standard voluntary plan offers a higher guaranteed issue amount than the Hartford, with an additional $50,000 for employee coverage, $10,000 for spouse and $10,000 for a child. Short-Term Disability and Long-Term Disability options have also been sourced by the Standard. Short-Term Disability options and plan costs would remain the same. Long-Term Disability options would be expanded to offer full coverage to Elected Officials who are currently limited in benefits under the Hartford plan. The annual cost difference to elect Long-Term Disability changes through the Standard is an additional $4,807.88.

Hollingsworth moved to approve the resolution, Berumen seconded, and all were in favor.

Ryan Keenan, Facilities Director, introduced Resolution 23-82, Awarding a Contract to SGLC Consulting for the Gilpin County Community Center Flooring Replacement.

The repairs would take place during the Center’s maintenance week. The Board allocated funds on July 18, 2023, through Resolution 23-55, for the Gilpin County Community Center flooring and roofing projects. Berumen moved to approve the resolution, Hollingsworth seconded, and all were in favor.

The board recessed and convened as the Board of Equalization. Sahari McCormick, Clerk & Recorder, presented Resolution 23-83, Approving the Designation of Arbitrators for Arbitration of Property Valuation Appeals.

Property Owners have requested an arbitrator for property valuation appeal. The Board approved Jennifer Stompor and JoAnn Apostol to serve as arbitrators for the 2023 arbitration hearings. All were in favor.

The Board adjourned as the Board of Equalization and reconvened as the Board of County Commissioners.

Sam Bower, Administrative Analyst, introduced Resolution 23-84, Awarding a Contract to SWCA, Inc. for a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). SWCA has developed more than 50 CWPPs throughout the United States.

Using the Evaluation Tabulation Form, Bower determined the average scores for each proposal in order to identify a top-scoring firm. The top scoring firm was SWCA, with a financial proposal quoting the cost of their services for this project at $146,169.14. This project will be completed by December 31, 2024.

All were in favor of accepting the resolution.

Rob Gutierrez, Community Development Director, presented Resolution 23-89, Strong Communities Grant, saying that it is an exciting opportunity for the County.

The Department of Community Development is seeking to apply for Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) “Strong Communities Planning Grant” program to help fund an update to the Gilpin County Land Use Code, a Housing Needs Assessment, and new policies for the installation of infrastructure on public roadways.

The grant requires the legislative body of the local government to commit to adopting at least one of the land use best practices as outlined by DOLA. Resolution 23-89 outlines the proposed policies that Gilpin County is committing to as part of this grant application. The Resolution also commits the county to a minimum 10 percent local cash match to an awarded grant. Awarded grants are not to exceed $200,000 as part of the grant program.

All were in favor of approving the resolution.

Rears presented Designating a Voting Commissioner and Alternate for Colorado Counties, Inc. (CCI) Legislative Committee & Discussing Priorities. Mornis said they would like a particular commissioner assigned to vote at the October 6 meeting. Hollingsworth recommended Berumen since she has attended all the relevant meetings and herself as the alternate. All were in favor.

Rears also presented Resolution 23-86, Lobbyist Contract Proposal. Mornis said she believes that the County does need a lobbyist for gaming but not for other duties.

The Resolution sought to award the contract to Bowditch & Cassel Public Affairs for legislative lobbying and tracking services for the 2024 Colorado General Assembly Legislative Session. The Board would authorize the County Manager to execute the contract with Bowditch & Cassel Public Affairs, provided the County’s contribution for the project will not exceed the amount of $30,000, following review by the County Attorney.

Mornis said she thinks it is a redundancy and would rather go with a different group, CCAT (Counties and Commissioners Acting Together). Hollingsworth responded that CCAT would not focus on Gilpin County. Berumen said that there is a value in having a lobbyist and to see if it helps the County speak to legislators about their unique gaming interests.

Motion passed 2-1 with Mornis opposed.

Benning introduced the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Northern Colorado People, Land, Access, Conservation, Ecosystem, and Sustainability (NoCo PLACES).

Public lands in Colorado’s Front Range are experiencing a significant increase in demand for outdoor recreation and planning for this increased demand requires a systemic change in the way public lands are managed.

The purpose of this MOU is to provide a framework for collaborating on cross-boundary communication, information sharing, and a long-term recreation and conservation strategy. It would include regional partners: Boulder County, Clear Creek County, Gilpin County, Jefferson County, Larimer County, the National Parks Service, the Forest Service, Rocky Mountain National Park, and National Grasslands.

The Parties’ initiative to accomplish the shared goal of adopting a long-term recreational management strategy to address demands as outlined in the MOU shall be called the Collaborative. The focus of the Parties related to the Collaborative will be on public lands in north-central Colorado, but it is hoped that the model and approach that is developed by the Parties will be replicable to other areas in Colorado that are facing similar issues.

Hollingsworth remarked that this is an updated version of the more generic original in 2019. All were in favor.

Benning and Rears delivered the County Attorney’s report and County Manager’s report, respectively.

Rears announced there will be a work session on October 3 to discuss the Public Health Department, the Employee Handbook, legislative updates, and the CCI priority at the courthouse. On October 17 there will be a broadband update. On October 31 there will be a work session on Heritage Tour signage. On November 7 there will be a discussion on dispatch funding and a Black Hawk dispatch tour.

Hollingsworth made it known that FEMA will be doing a device alert on October 4. Rears reminded everyone that County offices will be closed on Monday, October 2 for Mother Cabrini Day (previously Columbus Day).

Berumen moved to recess into Executive Session at noon. Holingsworth seconded and the board recessed.

The board reconvened at 2:29 p.m. Rears explained that during the Executive Session, the Board discussed Eagles’ Nest Early Learning Center’s request for emergency funding. In exchange for awarding emergency funding in the amount of $45,000 in ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, Eagles’ Nest shall report to the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office prior to receiving funding, solicit funding from area businesses and other government agencies, reduce costs and raise fees while increasing enrollment, accept Berumen’s recommendation to change bylaws and budget, and regularly report progress during BoCC meetings starting at the next meeting.

Hollingsworth moved to approve the application of funding, with all the conditions listed, in the amount of $45,000 in ARPA funds. Berumen seconded and the motion passed 3-0.

Meeting adjourned at 2:31 p.m.

The next regular meeting of the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners is scheduled for October 10 at 9 a.m. and will be held in person at 203 Eureka Street in Central City and online via Zoom.