John Scarffe, Gilpin County.   A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the State of Colorado and Gilpin County for shared communications site and systems includes the Dory Hill Tower as a site for new equipment. The Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners approved the MOU during a regular meeting at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, January 22, 2019, at the Gilpin County Courthouse.

Sheriff Kevin Armstrong introduced the MOU between the State of Colorado and Gilpin County to allow the state to co-locate communications equipment at one or more tower sites owned and operated by the county, as identified in Exhibit A of the MOU. Exhibit A lists only the Dory Hill Communications Site, 2960, Dory Hill Road, Black Hawk.

At that site, the county will provide space on the county owned tower for installation of one microwave dish antenna, which will be mounted to provide network connectivity to the state Squaw Mountain site. The county also will provide space for the installation of two linear antennae at or as near the top of the tower as is possible to provide State Digital Trunked Radio (DTR) System coverage, according to the MOU.

The state will remove the existing county microwave dish antenna and radios and replace them with new state microwave antenna and equipment, according to the MOU. The state also will install, operate, monitor, maintain and manage all state-owned radios and associated equipment.

“The MOU is designed to continue the established cooperative relationship between the county and the state, through the co-location of state equipment installed on towers owned and operated by the county,” according to the MOU. “This cooperative relationship may enhance public safety radio communications for agencies supported by the parties.”

The state will not be required to pay any cash payment for the tower space and building provided by the county, according to the MOU. The county will not be required make a cash payment for the use of the DTR and microwave network, and the state will allow the county to share in the use of the microwave system for its operational needs. The MOU becomes effective as soon as it is signed.

Sheriff’s Office Division Chief Tom Ihme requested a budget adjustment to receive Central City funds for a patrol vehicle through an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA). He wants to transfer $45,000 for the purchase of a patrol vehicle for Central City, and Central City will transfer the money, so it’s essentially a wash.

Central City has budgeted $45,000 in 2019 for a vehicle. That money was not included in the Sheriff’s Office budget, according to the agenda request form. Exhibit B shows the list of vehicles.

Commissioner Ron Engels asked that they wait. Commissioner Gail Watson said it looks like we’re giving you three vehicles in one year. Finance Director Clorinda Smith said that the vehicle is the county’s asset.

Ihme said they could have the vehicle in a week or two. “Our Dodge trucks get bigger, and we have a hard time parking, so this is smaller and more efficient.”

Watson said if the county manager is okay with it, she is okay with it. She made a motion to approve, and Engels seconded the motion but then voted against it, with Watson and Board Chair Linda Isenhart voting to approve it. The motion passed.

County Planner Dan Horn introduced a transfer of development rights from the Iron Cross mining claim to Parcel D in the Roosevelt Ridge Subdivision. Parcel D will be known as Lot 25 and will be eligible for residential development.

Roosevelt Ridge was first developed with a final build out of 20 lots with the option to increase to a maximum of seven additional lots for a total of 27 by transferring development rights from other alienated lands, according to background. “This will increase the number of developable lots to 25 with two lots remaining.”

Horn said he is just asking for approval on the resolution and survey. Iron Cross has a stipulation of one acre. Two mining claims were divided out to be used for TDRs. The board approved the transfer.

County Attorney Jim Petrock updated the board on the We the People case. Petrock, County Coroner Zane Laubhan, Retired County Treasure Alynn Huffman and Retired Sheriff Bruce Hartman had all just testified in the trial of Laurence Goodman, who was involved in the We the People group.

Petrock just received an email, and Goodman was convicted on 25 felony counts. He didn’t show up for the second week of the trial.

On January 9, 2018, Petrock told the board that the day before was the third trial of the We the People group. Laurence Goodman, defendant, was one of the foremost members of this group.

Goodman had multiple litigations and was one of the main leaders, and he actually retained legal counsel because he has seen the results of not having representation and receiving 30 year sentences, as several other group members have, Petrock said. The trial was continued.

Previously, six people were indicted for harassing and intimidating officials, and two trials were set for September. Denver County resident Stephen-John Nalty presented a Consensual Commercial Lien and Ledger and bill of exchange for $254,708,582.24 to the Gilpin Commissioners at the June 28, 2016, Gilpin Commission meeting.

Materials presented to the commissioners and County Attorney Petrock claim that Gilpin County officials, including the sheriff and a judge, had not paid and filed a personal recognizance bond required by the law and the Constitution. The filing charged Gilpin County Sheriff Bruce W. Hartman, Judge David R. Gloss and Petrock with wrongful dishonor to the bill of exchange, dated July 10, 2015. Most of the materials presented to the Commissioners comprise an alleged indictment of Hartman and Gloss by the People’s Grand Jury in Colorado.

Counts five through eight allege that on May 21, 2013, Hartman, with force of arms, trespassed and entered the private property of Laurence Goodman.

Hartman conspired in the theft of money, art works, rare books, family heirlooms, photo albums and research work of priceless value.

The FBI investigated those who filed this lawsuit and has been following these people for years. A statute makes it criminal to try to influence public officials with threat of violence or economic retaliation, and they tried to collect from public officials in 20 other counties, Petrock said.

By March 13, 2018, members of the We the People group had been convicted on 34 counts. At the January 22, 2019, meeting, Petrock concluded: “That ended well, and I hope that will deter similar organizations out there.” Watson said that closes the chapter on that book.

(Originally published in the January 31, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)