Jacqueline Hart Gibson, Black Hawk. The Black Hawk City Council met April 24, 2019, at 211 Church Street to review and decide on three agenda items supporting the ongoing Gregory Street Project. An executive session was added to the agenda to discuss sports betting in Black Hawk because house bill 1347 passed the Colorado House of Representatives finance committee on April 22, 2019.

The meeting was called to order at 3 p.m., followed by roll call, all city council members were in attendance. After determining there were no conflicts of interest between board members and items scheduled for discussion on the agenda, Black Hawk dispatch new hire Ellie Younger was introduced to the board, and the meeting minutes from the April 10, 2019 city council meeting were approved unanimously.

The first resolution, 22-2019, amending the 2018 city of Black Hawk budget, passed unanimously. Funds approved in 2017 for the St. Charles parking structure were stretched into 2018 because the construction wasn’t completed until then. The 2018 budget was amended to accurately reflect the change.

The second resolution 23-2019 awarding the bid and approving the design build contract between the city of Black Hawk and Concrete Express Inc., in an amount not to exceed $108,500 for pre-construction services pertaining to the Bobtail Street Rail Slab Project, passed unanimously. This project will extend the rock wall that begins on Bobtail Street, where Black Forest Inn used to be, to Gregory Street.

The third resolution 24-2019, awarding the bid and approving the contract between Grapes and Sons Excavating in an amount not to exceed $58,300 for construction of the Gregory Street Phase 2 Excavation Project passed unanimously. This money will be used to remove non-historic building features, debris and trees as necessary to re-develop Gregory Street.

The city attorney then called an executive session to discuss the possibility of sports betting in Colorado. The license allowing casinos to participate in sports betting will include both space in the casino and an app allowing participants in Colorado to bet away from the casino.

The bill in question must be approved by the Senate and signed by the governor. If this happens, in accordance with TABOR, sports gambling will be added to the ballot in the upcoming November elections, for voter approval. Sports gambling proceeds are likely to be taxed at a 10 percent rate.

(Originally published in the May 2, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)