Mindy Leary, Gilpin County. On September 3, 2019, the Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners met at the Gilpin County Courthouse for their regular meeting and discussed two hotly contested variance requests and Stage One fire restrictions.

Madam Chair Linda Isenhart opened up the meeting promptly at 9:06 a.m. with Commissioners Ron Engels and Gail Watson. Also present County Attorney Bradford (Brad) Benning and Deputy Clerk to the Board, Sharon Cate. County Manager Abel Montoya was absent. 

Gilpin County Community Development Director Stephen Strohminger presented two variance applications to the Board of Adjustments (BOA). BOA 19-02 is request for a variance that would permit a subdivision exemption that would divide property located at 432 North County Road into two lots.

Applicant Florian Freymuth requests that his property be divided citing undue hardships that stems from the fact that North County Road bisects the property. Parcel B is divided into north and south unofficial sub properties with the north sub property being developed and the south side being vacant. 

The division will produce Parcel B1 on the north side and B2 on the south side of North County Road. Neighbors Rick and Mary Waddell, Tom Lambrecht and Irene Sholnle, and Sandy Hollingsworth all opposed the request. With the unsubstantiated hardship and the amount of opposition to this request, the Gilpin County Board of Adjustments denied the request.

BOA 19-03 is request for a variance that would permit a subdivision exemption with a vacant lot smaller than 5 acres for property located at 19411 Hwy 19. Applicant Gail Watson excused herself from ruling on this decision because she is the applicant. 

From the other side of the table, Ms. Watson explained that in a decision in 2017 under SBE 17-02, Lot 22B was subdivided into Parcel 1 and Parcel 2. Upon further review it is revealed that the septic system for the residence on Parcel 1 is located on Parcel 2. The request is to adjust the property line to include the septic system on the Parcel 1 Plat. 

Opponents to the application included neighbors, Jim Bynum and Jason Williams. Gilpin County BOA approved the application on the basis that septic systems should be included within the property’s building envelope. 

Human Services Director Sherrin Ashcroft and Gilpin County Caseworker Supervisor Taletha Pettis presented first of a three year plan for child welfare Core Services in Gilpin County. The CORE services Program was established within the Colorado State Department of Human Services (CDHS) in 1984 and is statutorily required to provide strength-based resources and support to families when children/youth are in imminent risk of out-of-home placement, in need of services to return home, or to maintain placement in the least restrictive setting possible.

Responding to the complexity and variability in the needs of children, youth and families across the diverse regions of Colorado, the Core Services Program combines the consistency of a centralized state administrative oversight with the flexibility and accountability of a county-run system. 

Gilpin County will receive an allocation from the State and Federal Government and when services are provided and paid for by the county, Gilpin County will be reimbursed either 80% or 100% of the total spent based on the type of services provided. Gilpin County Commissioners approved the Core services plan unanimously.

Gilpin County Sherriff Kevin Armstrong presented Resolution 19-08 which will implement Temporary Stage one Fire Restrictions.

Gilpin County Commissioners approved the Stage One Temporary restrictions unanimously.

(Originally published in the September 12, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)