Mindy Leary, Gilpin County. On April 20, 2020, at 6 p.m. Gilpin County held a virtual town hall using the Zoom application. Commissioner Chair Gail Watson opened the meeting, speaking for commissioners Ron Engels and Linda Isenhart. Some major guests were present including Congressman Joe Neguse, Senator Michael Bennet, Steven Emmen, speaker for Senator Cory Gardner, Representative KC Becker, District 13 and Speaker of the House, and State Senator Tammy Story, District 16.

Watson introduced Congressman Neguse who spoke about Gilpin County’s unique position to suffer economically from the current crisis. Casinos are not included in the PPP (paycheck protection program) from the SBA and they have not been able to access those funds. The economic challenges facing Gilpin County are unlike other counties in the state.

Neguse has been working hard to secure additional funding at the federal level for counties that have a population of less than 500,000 and is doing everything he can to make sure small counties like Gilpin can receive relief for local government. 

Colorado Senior Senator Michael Bennet echoed Neguse when he quoted the Wall Street Journal article that said Gilpin County would be one of the most financially impacted counties in the country. Bennet’s been pushing for state and local governments to get more stimulus from the federal government. 

Regional Representative Steven Emmen spoke next and talked about how “Senator Gardner has been using his position on the foreign relations committee overseeing East Asia to leverage relationships, introducing individuals to Governor Polis to bring both testing and PPE gear. Just recently South Korea donated tens of thousands of tests to Colorado.” Polis would like tests to be available everywhere, even at your local gas station. 

Representative KC Becker praised Bennet and Neguse for striving to bring more money into the state which is facing a 25% decline in the state budget. “There will be huge impacts for K-12 education, universities, the health care system, human services, transportation funding, how we support our prisons and courts. Everything is facing huge and significant cuts.” 

She mentioned Congressman Neguse’s current bill in front of Congress that would help state and local governments and how Colorado’s other congressmen are supporting it.

She praised Polis for striving to reopen the state as quickly as he can safely do so. Polis is looking at a phased reopening. 

Senator Story, who represents Gilpin County, spoke next and stated that rate of infection has slowed due to stay-at-home orders and social distancing including wearing masks while outside the home. Additionally, Governor Polis signed an order requiring all essential workers to wear masks. Even though the stay-at-home order may end on April 26, Story stressed the need to continue these safe practices. 

Story has been working hard to insure that Colorado’s response to the pandemic has been protecting everyone especially the most vulnerable communities.

“Over the past several weeks, I’ve advocated to allocate more resources to people experiencing homelessness, prohibit late fees and evictions for renters and homeowners, create support systems for individuals experiencing violence at home, veteran social distancing practices at long-term care facilities like nursing homes, and address the public health inequities that leave people of color and minorities to being more vulnerable to Covid-19.”

Story concluded with sharing information on how the governor has distributed money to over 200 organizations on the front lines of this crisis. She encourages everyone to visit helpcoloradonow.com to find the best way to contribute, whether it be time, money or expertise. 

County Manager Montoya handled the Q & A with the first question which concerned the timing and availability of testing. Bennet responded, “This whole nation is desperate for tests and Colorado is no different. We’re doing everything we can to make testing universal.” He cited places around the world that thought they could reopen and now have closed again. He regrets the President’s attitude that this is not a national priority. 

A question was posed on when casinos might be able to open up again and Story responded, “The governor’s looking at a phased-in approach, and casinos which draw large amounts of people, may have a delayed start as with other restaurants and bars and other big events, which is why at the federal level, our delegation is looking to help the most economically impacted counties like Gilpin.”

Another question, “Are the SBA funds really gone and how they may impact inflation in the future?” Bennet responded, “I never thought there should be a cap. We need to make sure the benefits are fairly distributed and reserve access to the smallest businesses.” The funds were gone over the course of a weekend and Bennet said businesses should have longer to spend the loans.

A question about the FAA Metroplex was answered by Story who commented how the air traffic is down 90% so it’s hard to gauge the impact on Gilpin County. Watson said, “We are moving forward but courts are moving slowly.”

Nate Whittington presented the online Symptom Tracker on and Covid-19 hotline at 303-515-4342. 

Human Services Director Laura Solomon said the food bank is open on Thursdays 1:30-4 p.m. at the Justice Center. Senior Services and Community Benefits continue to operate. April is Child Abuse Prevention Month.

Community Development Director Stephen Strohminger presented information on the first community workshop which will be held via Zoom meeting on May 5, 2020.  

(Originally published in the April 23, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)