The Gilpin County Commissioners (BoCC) opened a work session on Monday, April 22, exclusively online via Microsoft Teams. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the County’s legislative priorities, which were addressed by lobbyists Ed Bowditch and Jennifer Cassell. This will be the last scheduled meeting with the lobbyists before the close of the legislative session.

Commissioners Susan Berumen and Sandy Hollingsworth were present, along with County Manager Ray Rears, Community Engagement Officer Melanie Bleyler, and other County staff. Commissioner Marie Mornis was absent.

Bowditch presented the relevant Colorado House Bills. He said, “Happy Day 104. Two weeks from Wednesday will be our last day.” He said they will know more about property taxes later this week, since this is an outstanding issue.

He said no legislation will be happening concerning short-term rentals.

Bowditch mentioned the following bills:

SB 111, concerning senior primary residence property tax reduction, has passed the Senate and its first committee in the House.

HB 1411 was a budget balancing measure to save several hundred thousand dollars, but, he believes, will not impact Gilpin.

SB 17 contains a change in the state share of district programs and will affect the schools in the county.

“Under current law, the state distributes its share of a school district's total program funding in 12 approximately equal monthly payments during the budget year. The bill changes this distribution schedule so that unless a school district opts out, the state distributes its share of a school district's total program funds in a pattern over the course of the budget year. It considers the projected timing of when the district will receive the property tax component of its local share of its total program funding and is as equal as possible each month when combined with the property tax component of its local share.” (https://www.leg.colorado. gov/bills/sb24-017)

Cassell discussed the following:

SB 197, concerning measures for the conservation of water in the state, and implementing the proposals of the Colorado river drought task force. Cassell said they might see something on conservation easement tax credits.

SB 1454, concerning a oneyear extension of the deadline for public agencies to comply with digital accessibility standards if the public agency demonstrates a good faith effort toward compliance. The commissioners took a support position, considering the need for more time to bring the website into compliance.

Cassell said a lot of other local governments were having trouble meeting compliance by the original deadline. The bill provides a oneyear extension to July 1, 2025.

SB 72, concerning provisions to ensure that confined eligible electors at a county jail or detention center may vote, has progressed despite smaller counties voicing hardship. She said it might boil down to having the jail open one day for six hours, to allow for voting.

Hollingsworth asked for updates on SB 184, HB 1030, and SB 190, all of which pertain to the railway. Cassell said all these bills are moving along; an amendment has been added to SB 184 to include mountain corridors.

She believes that HB 1030 will succeed since it had a lengthy period in the Senate.

Cassell also relayed that there was an attempt to expand SB 190 to additional communities, but it was shot down, and will proceed as written.

Bowditch said both SB 184 and SB 190 have passed the Senate and are now starting over in the House.

Hollingsworth asked if there were any updates on HB 1349, HB 1371, and HB 1436.

Cassell said that HB 1349 has passed the full House and will proceed to the Senate. Hollingsworth said the Victim Services Director in Gilpin asked about it since it would bring funding to victim services providers.

HB 1371, concerning massage parlors, is sitting in the appropriations committee, according to Cassell, and she does not understand why it is not moving given its small fiscal note.

HB 1436, concerning sports betting tax revenue, has very strong sponsors and passed the House last week. Cassell predicts no issues with the bill and voters will most likely see the issue on the ballot this year.

The bill would permit voters to “allow the state to keep and spend all sports betting tax revenue in excess of the twenty-nine million dollar estimated increase in state tax revenue approved by voters in 2019 for the purpose of funding water conservation and protection projects rather than refunding such excess revenue to casinos.” (https://www.leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1436)

Cassell asked if their “monitor” position should be changed at all. Berumen said maintaining their position is fine.

Hollingsworth asked if the staff had any questions. Rears replied that no questions or concerns were added by the staff to the list.

Rears said that there are 16 days left in the session and asked the lobbyists what the next steps are for the commissioners.

Bowditch said, in the next two weeks, there will be long sessions with a great deal of property tax discussion. If anything critical happens, they will contact Rears.

Cassell said they will want a meeting in June to discuss the results of the session.

Berumen said they are really looking for what Senator Chris Hansen is doing with property tax legislation. Hansen is the Chair of the Commission on Property Tax, which was created to study and make recommendations for a property tax structure that protects property owners and residential tenants from rising property taxes while meeting the needs of governments that rely on property tax to pay for local services.

Hollingsworth shared that on May 20 there will be a town hall with Senator Dylan Roberts; time and location will be posted on the County website.

Rears said he looks forward to hearing everyone’s opinion on Gilpin’s first experience working with lobbyists.

The lobbyists thanked the commissioners for their time, and the work session concluded at 4:30 p.m.