John Scarffe, Nederland.   The problem of noxious weeds grew up before the Nederland Downtown Development Authority Board during a regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9, 2018, at the Nederland Community Center. The Board also received updates on current activities.

During public comment, Nederland resident Rea Orthner Wrobel told the Board that noxious weeds are an increasing concern to area biologists. For example, the Town has thistle behind the Nederland sign by the Visitor Center.

They spread to the national forest land. “It’s gotten to a point we need to think of a more integrated approach,” she said. She has a treatise of how weed control fits into the master plan and the Town’s comprehensive plan.

”There’s a good fit there. Elizabeth [Allen, in charge of Town beautifications] does a wonderful job of planting, and no way would we do anything to harm that,” she said. She advocates the use of a pesticide applicator with a mild pesticide.

They will reach out to the public by writing articles in The Mountain-Ear and printing flyers. She has been in touch with Teens, Inc., and for $250 they would help organize a volunteer community-wide weed pull.

They would pull weeds for 20 hours which would reduce their rate to $50 and Public Works Employee Nicki Dunn would help. Those 20 hours can have a tremendous impact.

Board Chair Susan Schneider said that more seeds will come in and asked if 20 hours is enough, and if we did this over multiple years, would the hours be reduced?

Rea said they should use native seed grass as part of the solution. She wants to focus on areas where people park and hike. Schneider said they could do a fund raiser selling seed packets.

Rea pointed out that the Colorado Department of Agriculture has given grants in the past, but they don’t like to fund communities in perpetuity -- maybe next year.

Town Administrator Karen Gerrity told the Board that the Colorado Department of Transportation agreed to help pave the road on the last weekend of May. Regarding improvements at the Visitor Center, a new garage door has been installed in front of the restrooms to decrease vandalism, and a new curb has been cut for ADA compliance.

Improvements at Chipeta Park also are moving fast with work on the trail. Schneider asked if it would be appropriate for the NDDA to send a letter to CDOT about the condition of the highway.

Gerrity said that our part of the highway is not in the current plans for improvements. Schneider asked Masingale to draft a letter for the next meeting.

Masingale then gave his report to the Board on his activities. He said that everything is going well on the monthly required staffing report. He wanted to address committee language and structure to facilitate action between meetings.

For next month’s meeting, he will have documents reviewed by an attorney declaring conflict of interests for board members.

It is pretty common in most organizations. The board will then implement a policy in the new bylaws for recusing yourself from action in the event of a conflict of interest.

For Board positions, Peter Marshal’s term ends in June, so the Board is looking for candidates and will run an advertisement in The Mountain-Ear. Applications are available at Town Hall and on the Town website. Office elections will be in July.

Masingale would like to make sure that no committee has more than two Board members, and that will allow them to work in between meetings. The Board has purview to direct committees and give them as much or little power as they like.

Masingale has been meeting with Downtown Owner Ron Mitchell, NDDA Board Member Mark Stringfellow and Public Works Employee Monica LaSalle to discuss a long-term vision for the roundabout. They talked about an outside layer that discourages traffic from entering it.

In the short term, the group discussed repurposing the vast majority of what is in there to improve its appearance. They would like to have 34 feet of diameter by the end of next winter. They also intend to make the traffic signs look nicer.

The scope of work would include labor in-kind, thanks to Stringfellow. Materials, labor, landscaping and planting would cost about $2,000. They don’t have to request that $2,000 from the Nederland Board of Trustees. From the $3,700 total budget, they will make a request for $1,700 in the third week of June.

Mitchell offered to donate land for approximately 2,000 square feet. Masingale pointed out that could be part of the letter to CDOT.

A committee will start to hammer out what it will look like, Masingale said. A set of old light poles is available from Central City.

They also are looking at the river walk, which could include a retaining wall for various benefits such as more color, an area for landscaping and a cement pedestal in the middle for public art, a statue or flag pole. Elizabeth Allen, with Color Colorado, Inc., told the Board she chose Dwarf Pinon Pine, which is native, for a standard tree. She chose them because they are three feet in stock and can even out the slope based on what was planned.

She plans to move the planter in front of the Pioneer Inn, which gets the most abuse for litter and will be moved to the circle surrounded by pinon pines and groups of grasses. Trees and grass are available.

The trees will be repurposed throughout town. Ponderosas are desirable. “We want it to look good for our town,” Allen said.

Flower baskets could be a common theme across the downtown businesses, with purple, yellow and gold flowers, with baskets for each business, Allen said. The businesses will water the baskets themselves and then return to re-use.

They will be 12 inches, lined with coconut and filled with Petunias from City Floral. The businesses will hang them and provide the hardware. The baskets will cost $1,800 on the high end but can hit 40 businesses.

Masingale said they will be delivered the week of June 4. Allen said they are looking at about $46 each. The NDDA Board approved going before the Trustees with a request for $1,800 baskets.

One of the official ways to get involved with the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) is through the Main Street Program, Masingale said. The NDDA Board members could dip their toes in the affiliate program.

Benefits include resources for training and technical assistance, a relationship with DOLA staff and expertise for technical projects, Masingale said. “It takes a little staff time but opens up a ton of opportunities at no cost. We will need a letter of support from the Town.”

Gerrity said it seems like it’s a no brainer, and Stringfellow said it sounds great. The Board approved joining the Main Street affiliates program.

An infrastructure group has identified 60 parking spots around Lakeview and Big Springs drives, where the B&F Supermarket piles snow, and on Big Springs Drive, three areas, covering the culvert that runs through there, for paving and creating diagonal parking spaces.

They are looking at it from the first entrance for the old Black Forest Restaurant, all the way down Conger Street. Informal responses have been pretty positive, Masingale said. He will finalize the work requirements with Public Works and will be ready to move ahead.

The next meeting of the Nederland Downtown Development Authority will be on Monday, June 11, 2018, in the multi-purpose room at the Nederland Community Center.