John Scarffe, Black Hawk.  The Black Hawk City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and the City of Black Hawk for fire services to the North Clear Creek Water Treatment Plant during a regular meeting at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, August 23, 2017, at 211 Church Street. Fire Chief Don Taylor recommended the MOU.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment is operating the North Clear Creek Water Treatment Plant located on the east end of the City on Highway 119, according to the request for Council action. The fire department was determined to be the Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) during the construction of the water treatment plant.

This agreement provides fire services to the plant by the City of Black Hawk Fire Department. The Council approved the MOU and a resolution authorizing the City to execute the second addendum to the professional services agreement with WL to include maintenance and repair of 11 city owned highway lights.

When the highway was widened below lower Main Street, the project included the installation of 11 highway lights, according to the request for council action. These lights are all fed from a meter and the City pays the electricity.

The City has determined it owns the poles. The City has utilized WL for on-call traffic signal work and has the equipment and ability to maintain and repair these poles as well. They also have 24/7 on call capability.

This addendum adds the 11 poles to the list of other traffic signals that WL maintains so that when they get a call, they know that they are to respond. Currently two poles are down.

(Originally published in the August 31, 2017 print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)