John Scarffe, Black Hawk. Stained glass windows in the historic Methodist Church in Black Hawk will be restored after the Black Hawk City Council approved a change order during a virtual, regular meeting on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, at 3 p.m. The Council also approved agreements for transit services, the 2021 budget and fee schedule and annual contracts for services.

Public Works Employee Matt Reed introduced the resolution approving Change Order #2 in the total amount of $64,858 to restore stained glass windows in the historic Methodist Church Building at 331 Gregory Street and accepting the increase of $64,858.84. 

Work on the Gregory Street Plaza project encompasses some exterior work at the Methodist Church, including rehabilitation of the brick and construction of a new deck, according to the request. Change Order #2 would authorize Roche Constructors to enter into an agreement with Watkins Stained Glass to fully restore the stained glass windows in this building. 

The windows are generally in fair condition, with several cracked glass pieces, several mismatched glass pieces and bowing of a few windows. Restoration would repair these imperfections, replace lead came and cement where necessary and perform a thorough cleaning of the windows. 

Approval of Change Order #2 would bring the overall project up to $13,600,910.84. Reed told the Council that the change order would authorize full restoration of the stained glass windows and authorize Watkins Stained Glass to rehabilitate the windows. 

Watkins has more than 50 years of experience working with stained glass and is the best in the area, Reed said. They might start the work this month and plan completion by the end of May. 

Mayor David Spellman said the windows are collapsing under their own weight, and if they don’t do this now, it will be more expensive later on. “They are fantastic windows.” The Council approved the change order.

Public Works Director Tom Isbester introduced an ordinance approving the amendment to the intergovernmental grant agreement between the State of Colorado Department of Transportation, Division of Transit and Rail and the City of Black Hawk and Central City Tramway. The ordinance ratifies the authorization for the City Manager to execute the CARES Act Grant Amendment in an amount not to exceed $190,093. 

The City was successful in receiving a grant from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, according to the request. Distribution from the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) was based on previously awarded grant funding. 

“This grant allows reimbursement of transit related expenses related to the coronavirus and requires no local match,” according to the request. The grant allows reimbursement retroactive to January 20, 2020. 

This amendment adds the phase II grant award of $81,740 and extends the time to utilize the funds until December 31, 2021. “We will be able to submit reimbursement requests for all cleaning, maintenance and fuel for the transit service as well as any startup costs once the service resumes.” The Council approved the ordinance.

Isbester also introduced a resolution approving the Fifth Addendum to the Agreement for Transit Related Services for the Black Hawk & Central City Tramway for 2021 between MV Transportation, Inc., and the City of Black Hawk for providing the management and operation of the Driver Team Services for the Black Hawk and Central City Tramway for 2021. 

The Black Hawk and Central City Tramway has been suspended since last March, according to the request. “We are cautiously optimistic that it will start back up on January 1.

“The intent is to resume the schedule that was in place when the system was suspended. The shuttle bus will continue to circulate through both cities on a specific route with specific stops.” 

The route takes about 20 to 30 minutes to complete. A single bus will continue to operate Monday through Thursday, and two buses will continue to operate Friday through Sunday. The City is in receipt of grants under the CAREs and 5311 that will help defray the costs for operations for 2021. 

The costs associated with this addendum include a 2.5 percent increase over last year. The Council approved the resolution.

The Council approved an ordinance approving the city’s participation in the intergovernmental agreement in the Colorado Information Sharing Consortium. The Black Hawk Police Department has applied and received grant funding to join the Colorado Information Sharing Consortium, a Colorado local government entity and Numerica Corporation, a Colorado corporation.

The Police Department has become a member user of Lumen, which is a joint law enforcement data sharing system that helps Colorado Law Enforcement and the Criminal Justice members share their information. The Black Hawk Police Department regularly contacts subjects related to the metro area during their call for service. The information obtained from the Lumen system will benefit detectives and officers who investigate cases.

The Council approved a resolution summarizing expenditures and revenues for each fund and adopting a budget beginning on January 1, 2021, and ending on the last day of December 2021, and appropriating sums of money to various funds and spending agencies in the amount, and for the purposes set forth within the 2021 budget. The Council also approved an ordinance levying general property taxes for the year 2020 to help defray the costs of government for the 2021 Budget Year and a mill levy ordinance.

The Council approved annual agreements including the intergovernmental agreement between Black Hawk and the Gilpin Ambulance Authority regarding maintenance of the authority’s ambulances, the Ninth Addendum to Personal Services Agreement with 5280 Strategies, LLC, the Third Addendum to Personal Services Agreement with M & C Communications, LLC., with decreased services just doing social media and other news releases on an ala carte basis, the 2021 contract with Pinnacol Assurance for Workers’ Compensation Insurance, a resolution adopting the 2021 City Council regular meeting schedule with only one meeting for November and December, a resolution adopting the 2021 Holiday Schedule with Thursday and Friday off for Christmas and New Year’s, and a resolution adopting the 2021 Historic Preservation Commission regular meeting schedule.

Mayor Spellman said this has been the last Council meeting of the year. It has been a challenging year for Black Hawk, Colorado and the Country. 

He said he missed having staff at the meeting, selecting someone to ring the bell at the beginning of the meetings and having cookies after the meeting. “I hope by the second quarter of 2021 we’re back to as close as possible. Our staff and team members have done an excellent job. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.”

The next meeting of the Black Hawk City Council will be on Wednesday, January 13, 2021, at 3 p.m. For more information go to https://site.cityofblackhawk.org/.

(Originally published in the December 24, 2020, edition of The Mountain-Ear.)