The Black Hawk City Council approved moving a building and making improvements on Gregory Street during a regular meeting on November 11, 2021, at 211 Church Street. The Council also approved a contract for the Elkhorn Water Tank and approved the 2022 budget.

Matt Reed with Public Works introduced a resolution approving the professional services agreement between the City and PEH Architects for conceptual design services at 271 Gregory Street in an amount not to exceed $53,500.

The Gregory Street Plaza is now complete, except for a vacant lot that remains between the McAfee House and Church Street, at the old Lilly Belle’s site. Conceptual plans of the Plaza contemplated an anchor retail building at this location called the Excelsior Brewery, which was expected to be new construction, but a proposal has been put forth to relocate the existing structure at 271 Gregory Street to this vacant area and redevelop it into a small brewery with a tasting room.

This professional services agreement would authorize PEH Architects to perform an analysis of the existing structure at 271 Gregory Street to determine historic elements and to establish an architectural site plan, floor plans, and building elevations of the entire structure, including a substantial addition. Upon completion of this phase, the proposed design would come before City Council for approval before developing the full set of construction plans.

PEH will complete the design and will present that to the Council, which should be completed in a couple of months, by late January or February.

Mayor David Spellman said only the historic portions of the building will be moved.

The Council approved the resolution.

Jim Ford, Gilpin County water resource engineer, introduced a resolution approving the design services contract with Baseline Engineering Consultants for the Elkhorn Water Tank for an amount not to exceed $330,700. When the Hidden Valley water treatment plant and pipeline were designed, a future potable storage tank was conceived to provide additional storage for the City’s water system.

The request states “The location for the tank along the Hidden Valley Pipeline was chosen and an easement was secured from the property owner. With the current development of Artisan’s Point Beverage Community and the Proximo Distillery, the one-million-gallon tank is needed.”

They will get started right away with construction in the next season, so that the project will provide water on top of the mesa. Alderman Paul Bennett said, “Let’s get it built,” and the Council approved the resolution.

Finance Director Lance Hillis introduced the 2022 budget adoption summarizing expenditures and revenues for each fund and adopting a budget for the City for January 2022 to December 2022. The budget appropriates sums of money to various funds and spending agencies in the amount, and for the purposes listed. It also includes an ordinance levying general property taxes for the year 2021 to help defray the costs of government.

Hillis said the 2022 budget is similar to what the Council has discussed. The 2022 Proposed Budget is as presented at the October 27 work session, with a few exceptions. The amount of revenue from the Silver Dollar Metro District has been increased by $23,805 to agree with the recent IGA amendment.

“The principal and interest payments related to the 2021 Debt Issue have been updated to agree with the final numbers. This also required a $5,000 increase in the transfer from the general fund to the debt service fund. In the Transportation Fund, the Contracted Bus Service expense was reduced by $88,000 and two more grant funded bus acquisitions were added.”

The Council approved the budget.

Vince Harris with Baseline Corporation said the City must approve adopting the City’s Three-Mile Annexation Plan. It requires that the City has in place a Three- Mile Plan for purposes of considering an annexation proposal. This resolution adopts the updated 2021 Three-Mile Plan map which includes the revised growth area in the 2020 Intergovernmental Agreement between the City of Central, the City of Black Hawk, Gilpin County, and the Black Hawk-Central City Sanitation District.

The 2021 Black Hawk Three-Mile Plan includes the approved 2020 Black Hawk Comprehensive Plan. The Council approved the plan.

The Council approved a resolution for a license agreement between the City and Joshua G. Jerome and Deedra R. Bingham for the use of city-owned property. Rocky Mountain Evangelical Free Church applied for a wedding reception on the Plaza on December 18, 2021.

The next Black Hawk Council meeting will be at 211 Church Street in Black Hawk on Wednesday, December 8, 2021, at 3 p.m. For more information go to https://site.cityofblackhawk.org/.