John Scarffe, Gilpin County.

January

The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners witnessed the swearing in of six County officials during the Board’s regular meeting on Tuesday, January 13. Judge Dennis Hall administered the oath of office to Sheriff Bruce Hartman, Treasurer Alynn Huffman, Coroner Zane Laubhan, County Assessor Anne Schaefer, Clerk and Recorder Coleen Stewart, and Linda Isenhart, Gilpin County Commissioner for District Two.

The Board approved waiving the non-alcohol policy for County Facilities to host a wine event at Gilpin County Community Center in honor of former Senator Jeanne Nicholson from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on January 31.

On Tuesday, January 27, Human Services Director Betty Donovan presented the County’s annual request for a $15,000 food bank grant. Donovan said the County has been receiving the grant annually to help fund the food bank. The County spends $1,000 per month on food and serves 60 families, or 120 individuals, per month on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons for those below the poverty level. The Board approved the grant request.

A new hotline office assistant position and filling a vacancy as an assistant coordinator in the Recreation Services Department were approved. The new temporary position as the hotline worker is a 40-hour-per-week position paying $14.43 per hour, and the vacant assistant coordinator position has been restructured for 30 hours per week as an office coordinator and ten hours per week as an office assistant at a lower pay grade.

February

The Board approved new goals on Tuesday, February 10.  Goals include working on a shooting range with the U.S. Forest Service to find sites and potential closure areas, pursuing solar and alternative energy resources, exploring cell phone and broadband services, developing replacement plans to maintain buildings and equipment, working on a subdivision evacuation plan and conducting economic development research.

The Board also wants to encourage fire mitigation activities on public and private land, consider a free road base program for non-county maintained roads, explore affordable senior housing, pursue historic preservation throughout the County, apply for grants and continue identifying county-owned lands that can be sold if they are greater than two acres.

The Board conducted a special meeting to discuss administering a gaming grant the County received on Wednesday, February 18. The grant will fund a hybrid vehicle to be used to transport County residents to health care centers in other counties.

The grant application to the Colorado Department of Local Affairs will create a transportation program to reduce emergency needs for the Gilpin County Ambulance Authority.

This grant, which was approved, totals $87,400 with a $5,000 match from the County.

On Tuesday, February 24, Undersheriff Jon Bayne told the Board that the Sheriff’s Communications division is facing a critical staffing issue and proposed restructuring the Sheriff’s office. The division is having trouble getting applications for vacant positions and retaining the staff they train.

Bayne proposed eliminating the vacant ninth dispatcher position, increasing the Communications Supervisor pay, and increasing the salary of current dispatchers to $21.59 per hour. The Board approved the restructuring to go into effect at pay day.

March

The Board tabled a request to apply for a historic preservation grant on behalf of a local business owner twice during regular meetings on Tuesday, March 10, and Tuesday, March 24. Owner Larry Krug at 127 Main Street in Central City would like the County to apply for a Historic Preservation Grant from History Colorado, and neither Krug nor Central City can apply for the grant to rehabilitate the outside of the business.

Krug owns the building and is employing local people at his real estate company in Central City, Pharmastrategies. He wants to restore the building in which it is located back to its original façade from1868. Krug has to submit the application by April 1.

Commissioners expressed concerns about the number of other corporations that will want to apply for such a grant and whether this would preclude the County from applying for grants that are more inclusive. The Board asked staff to work with the Historic Preservation Advisory Committee to come up with some priorities and recommendations of how such requests should be handled, and tabled the request until the March 24 meeting.

At the March 24 meeting, County Planner Ray Rears said it is taking some time to put a policy together but anticipates having something by summer. Rears said applying for this grant could impact winning grants later on down the road, and the next deadline after April 1 will be October 1. The Board agreed to table this until a policy is in place to meet the October deadline.

County Treasurer Alynn Huffman requested the Board’s approval to take steps toward issuing a Tax Deed, entitling a Treasurer’s Deed to the land at Block 001, Lot 019-021. The assessed valuation is $185,030. The Board approved issuing the Deed, and the annual Water Rights Lease for four inches of Church Ditch to be purchased by Gary Gambino for $540.

April

On Tuesday, April 7, Clerk and Recorder Colleen Stewart told the Commissioners she had attended a conference and grant presentation as a result of a grant the County received from the Statewide Internet Portal Authority (SIPA) for $6,500. The Secretary of State presented the grant on March 31. The grant was for anything to help modernize the office, so Stewart decided to digitize the County’s microfiche. If she digitizes them they can be sent to the State archives in case anything should happen to them in Gilpin County.

The Board heard a presentation on policies and procedures to ensure continuity of government. County Emergency Manager Steve Watson said the idea of continuity of government began in the late 1700s when the federal government needed guidelines for rules of ascension.

At the County level, each department and the County as a whole should determine their essential functions, figure out what has to get accomplished within a 30-day period for the government to keep functioning and determine their orders of succession in the absence of the leader. Watson said five pages per division and spending 15 minutes a month is all that is needed. The Commissioners thought it was a great idea to talk to Jefferson County Public Health, with whom they have an emergency preparedness contract, and get all of the department heads and elected officials on board.

The Board sold four portions of County lands on Tuesday, April 21. County Manager Roger Baker said the County has hundreds of parcels of land, mainly mining claims, which the County received through tax liens. These were all mining claims and most just a percentage of the ownership.

They are all valued at $6,500 per acre, which is standard. The first three altogether, Kansas, Monroe and Northrop, sold immediately for $25,890 to Darrell Knudsen, president of Bonanza Land, LLC., who then purchased American Flag for $4,510.

The Board approved an application for a new retail liquor store at the Stage Stop Market and Café in Rollinsville, an existing business that would like to add a small liquor store. There was no liquor-based business at that location before this application, and the applicant, Meagan Riley, has met all of the legal requirements.

May

On Tuesday, May 5, the Board entered into an agreement with County Surveyor Corey Diekman for additional surveying services. He receives $3,300 per year, and the agreement raises compensation to $75 per hour on a flat fee basis up to $8,500. Projects will include surveying along the line of the community center, the Dakota Mountain Lease area and a Gilpin Senior Living area.

The Board approved a resolution to place a ballot question on the November 3, 2015,  regarding exempting the County surveyor from term limits. The term limits were imposed by the Colorado Constitution and limit the number of terms that may be served by County elected officials. By placing the issue on the ballot, voters would determine whether he should be exempted from the term limits.

Sgt. Steve Watson presented a resolution to create an Emergency Management office. The Colorado Disaster Emergency Act requires counties to establish agencies responsible for disaster preparedness and coordination of response.

The Board passed the resolution and appointed Watson as the emergency management director.

June

The Board approved a grant application request for a Historic Structure Assessment Grant for the Belvidere Theatre at 139 Nevada Street, north of the Central City Hall, on Tuesday, June 9. County Historic Advisory Liaison Ray Rears told the Board he has lined up a consultant for the structural assessment for the Belvidere Theatre, which will cost $15,000. The match from the County is 25 percent, or $3,750.

The County is applying for the grant through the History Colorado State Historical Fund. Central City will make that contribution and provide the match. After the assessment the County will know how much it will cost to restore the structure.

The Board approved a request for a Special Event Liquor Permit for the Gilpin County Fair from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on August 15 and from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on August 16. The Mardi Gras Casino is sponsoring a beer and wine booth and will give the County back 10 percent of the net profit. They usually get about $200 or less from the booth.

August

The Department of Public works requested funding of $37,000 to recap bridge number three on the Toland Road on Tuesday, August 25. This work will help prevent damage to the bridge and minimize corrosion of the metal components of the bridge.

The County has three bridges on Toland Road, all in somewhat of a state of disrepair. Public Works would like to do all three of the bridges and replace the surface with recycled asphalt. The County proposes doing number three this year and the next two next year.

Commissioners pointed out that the Board is going into budget discussions, and this should be put on the list for funding. Staff will look into generating enough money from within the Department and bring it back to the Board.

October

The Board imposed a temporary fire ban on Gilpin County and then rescinded the order during a regular meeting on Tuesday, October 6. County Sheriff Bruce Hartman said his office felt it was necessary to impose fire restrictions along with Jefferson, Boulder and Clear Creek counties due to extremely dry fire conditions that have prevailed during the past month.

“Now, the next resolution is to rescind the restrictions,” Hartman said. He would like to lift the restrictions at 3 p.m. that day.

Human Resources Director Susie Allen presented a proposal for partially self-funding insurance for the County’s employees. Monthly premiums will increase but it will save money over time. Board members were concerned about the impact this would have on staff time and asked staff members to come back with a proposal for hiring the person with the right experience or look at some consulting services. With that condition, the Board approved the partially self-funded plan.

At the October 20 meeting, the Board approved two personnel requests resulting from the Board’s decision to partially self-fund employee insurance. Finance Director Clorinda Smith asked the Board to increase the hours of the County’s Finance Clerk and Office Assistant from 16 hours to 40 hours.

The position was originally budgeted for $12,713 annually, and with the addition of hours could increase to $31,800 annually. Additional duties the assistant will assume include additional data entry, data review, report filing and tracking employee hours for benefit purposes to support the new partially self-funded insurance plan.

The second position request consisted of a pay grade increase for the Human Resources Assistant, who has been in the job for two years. Smith requested a change in pay grade from 70 to 75 because the duties are now more complex than an office type position.