BLACK HAWK — The January 14 meeting was not just the first meeting of the year for the Black Hawk City Council. It was also the first meeting for two new aldermen who stepped into their roles following the deaths of Greg Moates and Linda Armbright late last year.

At the previous meeting, Mayor David Spellman said he had never lost two council members so close together in his 37 years of service. 

Thoughts on the upcoming election

The next regular election is scheduled for Tuesday, April 7, but will it happen?

During the last meeting of 2025, City Attorney Corey Hoffman recommended they enter 2026 with a full council. 

City Manager Stephen Cole explained that the City had received three letters of interest to fill Gregory Moates’s vacancy in November. And since Armbright’s seat was also declared vacant in December, the council decided to fill the two seats based on the three letters of interest. 

After reviewing the letters of interest, Spellman recommended that recently retired Community Development Director Cynthia Linker be appointed to fill Moates’s seat and Lorraine (René) Wiley to fill Armbright’s seat. He noted that all the candidates, including Tyrone Nagle, “care deeply for the city.”

The council agreed to move forward with the appointments so the new aldermen could be sworn in at the January 14 meeting, allowing the City to begin the year with a full council.

Because the seats were filled by appointment, both positions will be on the ballot at the next regular municipal election. 

According to the City’s website, Black Hawk holds elections every two years in even-numbered years, with voting on the first Tuesday in April, given “the number of qualified candidates exceeds the number of open seats.”

The April 2, 2024, election did not occur due to lack of interest (there were no contested positions), and the City canceled the process as a cost-saving measure. This practice is common for small municipalities and is legal under Colorado Revised Statutes §31-4-302(3).

The incumbents, including four council members — Bennett, Torres, and Moates, and the mayor — were officially declared re-elected to four-year terms. 

Because Black Hawk staggers its four-year council terms, only half of the seats are up for election every two years. This prevents the entire council from turning over at once.

When a vacancy occurs, council appoints someone to fill the seat, but that appointment is temporary. The seat must go back to the voters at the next regular election. Whether that election is for a two- or four-year term depends on where that seat falls in its normal cycle.

Wiley’s seat will be on the 2026 ballot for a full four-year term, while Linker’s seat will be on the ballot for a two-year term in order to realign with its original election cycle.

Accounting for the term limits and beginnings, there will be two seats up for re-election in 2026, held by Jim Johnson and Hal Midcap. Along with these, the two recently appointed seats will also be on the ballot.

In 2026, if there is an election, Black Hawk voters will decide on four seats: those currently held by Jim Johnson and Hal Midcap; the alderman seat formerly held by Linda Armbright (Wiley), and the Moates (Linker) seat for a two-year term.

Some questions are brought to the forefront. Given Nagle’s interest, will he run for council in April? If there are four open seats, then at least five qualified candidates must run. Will the City have an election in 2026 or cancel it like they did in 2024?

To be qualified, the candidate must be a U.S. citizen, a registered elector, 18 years of age, a City resident (primary residence in Black Hawk) for at least 12 months, and submit a nomination petition.

With a population of 127 (2020 Census data), what are the chances of five people showing interest and meeting the requirements?

Anyone meeting the qualifications can now pick up candidate nomination petitions and informational packets from the City Clerk's office.

First meeting of 2026

The meeting marked the official start of the council’s 2026 work, with new members at the table and the city moving forward after a difficult end to last year.

Spellman called the meeting to order at 3 p.m. after new Alderman René Wiley rang the bell.

Judge Ronald Carlson administered the oath of office to Linker and Wiley. Each responded with “I do” before signing their oaths and posing for photos with the council.

Spellman then presented Carlson with a service award recognizing his 15 years on the bench.

Carlson thanked the City, saying, “It’s been great to serve, and I hope to keep doing that for a little while.”

New staff welcomed

City Manager Steve Cole reintroduced Brook Svoboda as the city’s new Community Planning and Development director. Svoboda previously worked for Black Hawk from 1998 to 2003 and later served in Central City and Northglenn.

“We ran a process, and he was our number one candidate," Cole said. "Luckily, he accepted the job.”

Police Chief Michelle Moriarty then introduced six new police officers: Sean Webb, Jacob Steerman, Falcon Luke, Brandy Williams, Richard Grasser, and Nickolas Miller. Moriarty shared brief backgrounds on each and thanked them for joining the department.

“You’re coming to a city that deeply appreciates law enforcement and backs the blue,” she said.

After the introductions, the council took a short break for refreshments. Spellman joked about the sweets, saying, “This is the third meeting in a row that we’ve had sweets to eat.”

Newly hired Black Hawk police officers line up to shake hands with council members after being formally introduced at the January 14 City Council meeting.

Photo by Mindy Leary

Resolutions pass unanimously

Council approved Resolution 1-2026, designating the City website as the official location for posting meeting notices. As a backup, notices will also be posted at City Hall, 201 Selak Street, if needed.

Council then approved Resolution 2-2026, a boundary line agreement between the City and Kings, Queens, and Jacks LLC. The agreement cleans up property lines between the Saratoga Casino and Crook’s Palace as part of the Gregory Street re-plat.

“Saratoga owned a sliver of property that crosses into the property we would know as Crooks, and then we have a piece of sliver that goes into the driveway of Saratoga,” Cole explained. “It didn’t cost us anything. It was just a process.”

Resolution 3-2026 reappointed Fire Chief Christopher Woolley and Police Chief Michelle Moriarty (alternate) to the Gilpin Ambulance Authority board.

Council approved Resolution 4-2026, covering professional service agreements for 2026. Discussion focused on the exterior paint program, with staff noting that three homes are currently signed up.

Resolution 5-2026 approved a contract with Grapes and Sons Excavating for on-call services up to $50,000.

“This would be used for any number of small earthwork projects and would be especially useful for something like an emergency water line repair,” Public Works Director Matt Reed said.

Fresh start to the year

The meeting marked the first council session of 2026 and reflected a mix of new faces and familiar ones, with new council members, new staff, and a fresh set of officers officially joining the City.

Spellman adjourned the meeting at 3:32 p.m.

 The next regular Black Hawk City Council meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, January 28, at City Hall.