Barbara Hardt, Gilpin County. On Wednesday, February 17, 2021, several community members gathered to honor the dedication of the new Gilpin County Human Services and Public Health building. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, attendance was limited to a few members of the press, county employees and representatives from the agencies that made the purchase and redesign possible. 

In 2018, Commissioner Gail Watson noticed that the building was standing idle and she thought that the county could make use of it as a House and Human Services and Public Health Departments building. Commissioners Ron Engels and Linda Isenhart agreed. The county purchased the building in December 2018 for $462,758. One of the motivating factors other than consolidating services was that by moving Human Services to this new location, Gilpin County would free up space at the Justice Center that would accommodate the Sheriff’s Office for needed expansion. It also saved the county $12 million by not needing to build a new jail.

This building was funded in partnership with the Department of Local Affairs with an Energy Impact Assistance Grant received in December 2019 in the amount of $936,000. The county’s match for this grant was the purchase price of the building and much in-kind work done by the Public Works and Community Development departments, among others. 

County Commissioner Linda Isenhart stated in her introductory speech, “Today I would like to thank former Commissioners Gail Watson and Ron Engels for their foresight in purchasing this building and moving it towards what it is today. I would like to also thank Abel Montoya, our county manager, for managing this project and working with the contractor, Sky Blue Builders. Thanks also goes to Dave Rich, our Infrastructure Deputy Director and his crews for the excavation work and so much more. Thanks to Stephen Strohminger, our Senior Planner who helped to guide this project from soliciting RFP’s to sharing his planning expertise.”

Isenhart further stated, “As for the future tenants of this building, we are grateful for Laura Solomon’s directorship of Human Services and her involvement in how to configure the offices for her staff to continue the good work they do. Our Public Health Coordinator, Bonnie Albrecht, has also been very helpful in the planning and implementation of this office space. Bonnie has worked with Jefferson Center for Mental Health as they, too, will be tenants of this great building. We have Jen Kinsey, the school-based clinician, from Jefferson Center here with us today. Mary Ellen Makosky will continue to supervise our Senior Services from this new facility and Leon Pohl will continue to serve our veterans from these new offices. Also, with us today is Kacey Keith, Congressman Joe Neguse’s constituent advocate. Congressman Neguse has always been a friend to Gilpin County and has been at our side in good times and bad.” 

Isenhart then turned the ceremony over to County Manager Abel Montoya for comments and more introductions. 

Former Commissioner Ron Engels was unable to attend, but sent his congratulations.

Commissioner Isenhart closed with a heartfelt “Thank you” to everyone that helped this project reach completion. 

The building is located at 15193 Highway 119, Black Hawk. The County has not set a date of when the building will open. We will share that information in The Mountain-Ear when it is available.

(Originally published in the February 25, 2021, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)