Mindy Leary, Gilpin County. On April 6, 2020 at 6 p.m. Gilpin County held a virtual town hall meeting using the Zoom application. Commissioner Chair Gail Watson opened the meeting, speaking for Commissioners Ron Engels and Linda Isenhart. More than 110 people participated.

Also present were the county manager, elected officials, department heads, the U.S. Census and the sheriff and emergency manager to conclude the meeting with important updates. 

First, Watson gave an update on federal economic support. Stimulus direct deposits will be sent by the IRS to those who gave bank information for their 2018 or 2019 taxes and social security beneficiaries will receive it the following week. Paper checks will go out the week of May 4, 2020, with the lowest-income recipients being first.  

The clerk and recorder, Sahari McCormick, let everyone know that they are not closed and are accepting documents through mail and drop-off. Title searches will soon be available by appointment. Also, the department has been granted the ability to issue marriage licenses remotely with an online application. Many motor vehicle transactions can be accepted at the website, mydmv.colorado.gov, which also includes renewals, registrations and driver’s licenses. Late fees are being waived if they expire during this time.

“On June 30 there is a voting primary and there may not be in-person voting so it’s important that your voter information is correct for your mail-in ballot,” said McCormick. You can check your registration at govotecolorado.gov.

County Treasurer Mary Lorenz said, “Your full-payment taxes are due by April 30. Per Governor Polis’ order, you can pay the first half by April 20 and then pay the second half by June 15 without any interest. In order to do this, you must mail a check or drop it off in the ballot box.” If you have questions, contact Mary Lorenz through the county website.

 County Manager Abel Montoya reminded everyone that there is a tremendous amount of information on Gilpin County’s website such as state information, Sheriff’s Office, Coroner, etc. and to stay updated with current information. Public Works is accepting trash free of charge as long as its household waste and only up to 3 bags. They are now accepting cardboard as well.

Bonnie Albrecht, Public Health representative, gave an overview of Covid-19 response and timeline events. Fortunately, Gilpin County still has zero known cases. “The governor asked last week that we all wear face masks when we go out in public,” said Albrecht. The stay-at-home order needs to be observed to flatten the curve. The CDC website has a symptom checker to see if your symptoms line up with Covid-19 and whether you should see your health care provider. If you have any public health questions or if you need a water test or radon kit, you can reach Bonnie at balbrech@jeffco.us.

 Human Services representative, Laura Solomon, gave a report of available services like community benefits. If you need benefits like food or childcare, you can reach out to Gilpin County Human Services. April is Child Welfare and Neglect Awareness Month. This also applies for older adults in need of protective services. Senior and veteran services are available like Meals on Wheels and senior lunches and can be accessed through Leon Bowles and Mary Ellen. The Food Bank will now only be on Thursdays instead of Tuesdays.

Kyle Benedict, from Parks and Recreation, gave an update that the county fair is looking to be rescheduled for a weekend in August. There are virtual events planned, like an Easter Egg Coloring Contest, on their Facebook site. 

Emergency Operations Center representative Nathan Whittington reminded everyone to get cloth masks if you need them through the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Facebook page. 

Sheriff Kevin Armstrong was warned by the FBI about scams to sell illegal at-home Covid-19 test kits as well as fake CDC emails that contain malware. 

Christian Blessington, Gilpin County’s U.S. Census Bureau liaison, reminds everyone that the census is now live and encourages responses online, by phone or through the mail because they’ve currently suspended operations until April 30 when they might start physical doorstep deliveries. About 40% of the state of Colorado has responded online with 29% having responded from Gilpin. The Census is open until August 14, 2020. 

The next Gilpin County Town Hall will be held on Monday, April 20, 2020 at 6 p.m virtually and can be accessed by following the instructions on Gilpin County’s website.

(Originally published in the April 9, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)