John Scarffe, Central City.  

January

The Central City Council kicked off 2018 with a State of the City address by Mayor Kathryn Heider. She offered gratitude for the work of city staff and its volunteer commission members.

The council voted on annual appointments for 2018, which were approved unanimously. Shirley Voorhies will serve again as mayor pro-tem; The Weekly Register Call is again, the city’s legal publication.

Council also voted on citizen appointments to fill two commission vacancies. From a pool of four applicants, Bob Spain was unanimously voted to the Historic Preservation Commission.

Kara Tinucci was elected as alternate to the Planning Commission. Council voted to continue to post public notices at City Hall and the post office, as well as on the city’s website, www.colorado.gov/pacific/central.

David R. Gloss was, once again, unanimously appointed to serve as the municipal judge for Central City with compensation the same as the previous term at $8,400 annually.

Council approved the fire department’s funding request for $130,000 to complete the purchase of a new fire truck. The expense was already included in the 2018 budget, off-set by a $287,000 grant.

In order to accelerate the construction of the Membrane Building, a.k.a. the “Bubble Building,” council voted to delegate authority to City Manager Daniel Miera, including granting him authority to execute certain consultant contracts on behalf of the city.

February

Funding for the construction of the Central City membrane building, a spatial structure built with tensioned membranes, like Denver International Airport’s roof, is close to being secured. It is to be built just south of the sand shed on the Central City parkway. It will belong to the Public Works Department, which will lease space to the Fire Department.

With a narrow 3-2 vote, Central City has become the 54th community in Colorado to confirm a commitment to obesity prevention and the promotion of healthy and active lifestyles. In partnership with Live Well Colorado, the city will work to remove barriers that inequitably and disproportionately affect low-income communities and people of color.

Council went into a closed Executive Session to discuss the potential donation of a property to the city, the potential lease of said city-owned property and legal questions related to the Notice of Claim submitted on January 26.

March

Central City’s Council voted to allow Denver Adventures, LLC, to lease up to three acres of city-owned property around Chase Gulch Reservoir on March 20, 2018. The company plans to use the land to build adventure activities, like zip-lines and rope courses.

Discussions about the agreement had been ongoing for several months. At a public hearing prior to the vote, community members vocalized their support of the company’s proposal.

The initial lease will have a 15-year term, with the potential for two 10-year renewals. Construction on the property is slated to begin late this summer.

April

At a meeting on April 3, the council approved an agreement between the city and Whispering Pines, LLC, for the purchase of 1.54 acres of city-owned land between the Central City KOA campground and Lost Gulch Road. The Business Improvement District welcomes new businesses in town but would like to ensure that properties that are commercial in nature do get included in the district.

The council deliberated the approval of an event application for the Wild Bunch group, which stages gunfights on Central City’s Main Street. The council was concerned that gunfights might startle unassuming visitors, particularly in light of recent gun violence awareness. The council will hold a special meeting with members of the Wild Bunch to discuss the issue.

At a council meeting on April 17, Central City Council awarded A-1 Chip Seal Company a bid for construction on parts of the Central City Parkway.

The bid was for $246,895 and was chosen out of three possible alternatives.

May

At a meeting on May 1, the council voted to amend the municipal code regarding election rules. The council unanimously agreed to change the amount of time needed for a write-in candidate affidavit from 20 days to 64 days before the date of the election.

The council appointed Tim Casey as an alternate on the City’s Planning Commission.

On May 15, the council voted to clarify the city’s code regarding audits and other tax-related provisions. This modification was done at the suggestion of the auditing company, Revenue Recovery Group, who was recently contracted to do a sales tax audit for the city.

Manager Miera also reported that the prices that were proposed by Xcel Energy for new light poles at Spruce Street and at Lake Gulch and Virginia Canyon were amended. Originally, Xcel appraised the poles at $30,000.

After staff requested a reappraisal, the lights were priced at $10,268.33 in total.

The city entered a lease agreement with South Park Rail Society (SPRS), which will allow the organization to move a railcar currently on display at William C. Russell Park to its museum in Como, Colorado. While at the museum, the railcar, which is likely one-of-a-kind, will be restored and on display.

Design and construction plans for an adventure park at Chase Reservoir were underway with Adventure’s plans for the site. Manager Miera reported that gaming revenue in Central City is on the upshot. Revenue was up over 32 percent month-to-month.

After a public hearing on May 29, the council voted to adopt an ordinance that furthered the effort to replace various water diversion structures. The city received a loan from the Colorado Water Resources and Power Development Authority (CWRPDA) to pay for the projects, which include the replacement of the Miner’s Gulch and Peck’s Gulch diversion structures and the rehabilitation of the Broomfield Gulch diversion structure. The loan includes a 30-year payment period, with a zero percent interest rate.

Construction on the project was slated to start on June 18 and to be fully completed by October 31, 2018.

The Council granted resident and recent Gilpin High School graduate Austin Boulter $5,000 to facilitate his attendance of the University of Colorado for Business Administration, and Adria Bleske, a 2014 graduate of Gilpin High School, was granted $5,000 in funds from the promise program to attend Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver. The funds were granted through Central City’s promise program, which was created to encourage high school graduates and GED recipients to pursue higher education.

June

The City invited the public to a special event at the Belvidere Theater on the south end of Main Street in Central City in the Belvidere Beer Garden, the open space between the Belvidere and City Hall, on Sunday June 3, from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The once-beautiful historic theater dates back to the 1870s.

It has been two years since Central City took ownership of the Belvidere, thanks to the Gilpin County Commissioners who acquired the building from a negligent owner for back taxes and then transferred it to the city. Work has been done to stabilize the façade, assess the cost of renovation and begin to clear out the debris.

Central City dignitaries interested in renovating the building attended the event despite intermittent rain, and small groups of people were guided into the dark interior of the Belvidere. In 1874, a raging fire destroyed much of downtown Central City, including the Montana Theatre.

City leaders and business owners rebuilt the business district, which included the two-story theater, opening in August of 1875. The first floor contained retail business. The second floor held the ballroom with galleries, a carved bar and a center stage for 450 people.

In 1970, the Belvidere claimed national fame when 20th Century Fox filmed “The Duchess and the Dirt Water Fox,” staring Goldie Hawn and George Segal along with many locals. Two years ago, after the last owner failed to pay the taxes, the Gilpin County Commissioners took over ownership and received a grant for a structural assessment plan.

During the last weekend in June, the historic Colorado & Southern Railway gondola #4319 leased by the South Park Rail Society from Central City was moved by steam engine #4 on to the roundhouse turntable and moved into the roundhouse at the South Park Rail Society facility at Como, Colorado. 8.

On June 5, the council voted to name an existing unnamed roadway “McCool Road,” after the city’s first mayor, John S. McCool. The roadway was previously referred to as “Dam Road,” which caused confusion, as there are multiple Dam Roads in the city.

The council approved a contract between the city and Dietzler Construction, which will green-light construction on water diversion structures at Miner’s Gulch, Peck’s Gulch and Broomfield Gulch. The bid, which was chosen out of three, is for $438,396.88. The work should be completed by September 30.

On a June 27, another bid totaling $313,275.50 was awarded to Avery Asphalt, Inc. for the Central City Spring Street Rehabilitation Project.

July

Multiple community members spoke out against a proposed ordinance that would allow off-highway vehicles on specific routes in Central City on July 17. Off-highway vehicles include snowmobiles, golf carts, military vehicles and vehicles commonly used for transport over water or snow.

The proposal would allow vehicles on Eureka, H, Prosser, Bourion, Bridge, Main and Lawrence Streets. The ordinance was ultimately rejected by a vote of 4-1.

At a previous meeting Judge Gloss resigned, effective July 31.

The deadline for registration for candidates for the November 6 election was on August 27, at 5 p.m. Two aldermen seats and one mayor seat, all with four-year terms, were open. Steve Boulter and John Zimpel had both been elected to Central City’s Business Improvement District Board until 2022, and Jeff Hentschel was also been elected to serve until 2020.

City Attorney Marcus McAskin introduced an ordinance that authorizes the city manager to include 16 properties in the Business Improvement District (BID) that have been excluded, and to then re-exclude them. The purpose of this ordinance is to ensure that properties not included in the BID will not be subject to the operating mill levy nor any other taxes imposed on the BID.

The resolution was unanimously approved. The council also approved a resolution to ensure the annual Hot Rod Hill Climb Event can continue for the next three years. The event is a two-day hot rod streetcar event and will take place September 14-16 on Main Street and Spring Street.

A portion of the Virginia Canyon Road project was postponed until after the winter, due to concerns from both the contractor and the city about weather interference.

August

The council approved a resolution ratifying the submission of a Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) Energy and Mineral Impact Assistance Program Tier I Application for the Belvidere Theatre Rehabilitation Project grant application on August 7.

The project aims to fully rehabilitate the building as a combination community and cultural arts center and commercial property in accordance with the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties. The city filed a Tier I application with DOLA by the August 1 deadline seeking grant funding of costs in the amount of $179,350 to finalize architectural and engineering plans for the project.

The council approved a resolution calling for the November 2018 General Municipal Election to be held as a Mail Ballot Election in accordance with the Municipal Election Code.

The council approved the first reading of an ordinance for a long-term lease between the city and the Central City Building Authority for the Belvidere Theatre on August 21 and set the second reading and public hearing for September 18.

In this case, the lease agreement proposes an initial term exceeding one year. Approving the lease agreement will permit the Building Authority to apply for grants and tax credits to assist the city in its goal of rehabilitating the historic Theatre, including but not limited to tax credits for qualified costs incurred in the preservation of historic structures pursuant to the Colorado Job Creation and Main Street Revitalization Act.

The council approved a resolution appointing Jack W. Berryhill as the Municipal Judge and setting the term and compensation for service.

The council considered an ordinance conditionally approving the inclusion of property into the boundaries of the BID, and an ordinance excluding property from the boundaries of the BID. These two ordinances concern the same city property that was previously excluded from the boundaries of the BID.

The court entered its Judgment and Decree on Monday, August 13. Given that the court entered its Judgment and Decree of record, the city attorney recommended that City Council proceed with consideration of the two ordinances, and the council approved the ordinances.

September

The council approved two ballot questions for the November 6, 2018, election on September 4. A resolution to submit a ballot issue to the voters would determine if the citizens of Central City desire to fund fire protection and public safety services, programs and facilities, through a 2 percent increase in the city’s sales and use tax.

Ballot content is required to be certified to the designated election official for the mail ballot election by September 7, 2018. Based on a review of sales and use tax collected during the past five years, staff has projected that increasing the rate from 4 percent to 6 percent will generate about $400,000 to $475,000, annually.

The second resolution would refer a proposed charter amendment regarding the method of filling vacancies on the council to the electorate for the November 6 election. Currently, the charter requires council to call a special election to fill a vacancy if that vacancy occurs more than 180 days before the end of the term of the person leaving office.

The proposed amendment would give council the option of appointing a qualified person to fill the vacancy by majority vote while retaining the option of ordering a special election. If the ballot question is approved, council will then consider an ordinance to amend the charter. If invoked, this option could save the city the cost of holding a special election.

The proposed resolution reviews governing regulations to hold a Special Mail Ballot Election and designates the city clerk as the election official responsible for conducting the election, appointing election judges and supervising the distributing, handling, counting of ballots and the survey of returns. The Nomination Petition period will be from September 11 to October 1, and ballots will be mailed November 19 to 26 at a cost estimated at $2,000 to $2,500, which is not currently budgeted.

The council approved an ordinance for a license fee rebate agreement with 321 Gregory Street, LLC, and Gregory Gaming, LLC.
The council approved a long-term lease between the city and the Central City Building Authority concerning the Belvidere Theatre and authorized emergency work on the theatre’s roof on September 18. The ordinance approves a one-year lease agreement (exceeding one year) with the Central City Building Authority, a Colorado nonprofit corporation, for the theatre property.

The property is owned by the city and is located at 139 Nevada Street immediately adjacent to City Hall. Following the city’s acquisition of the property in 2016, it was listed as one of Colorado’s “Endangered Places” by Colorado Preservation, Inc.

The council approved a resolution authorizing an emergency purchase for repairs to the Belvidere Theater Shoofly roof and authorizing the city manager to execute a contract for the repair work to be completed. The Shoofly roof is in poor condition and continues to permit water infiltration within the interior of the space, which jeopardizes the building’s structural stability.

The council approved Change Order No. 2 for the Central City Spring Street Rehabilitation Project. The council previously awarded the Spring Street project to Avery Asphalt, Inc., in the amount not to exceed $313,275 and then approved Change Order No. 1, increasing the not-to-exceed amount to $353,219.25.

The city desired the contractor to undertake additional work related to the project, specifically adding conduit for USA Communications and CenturyLink in a common trench with Xcel, installation of pull boxes and related work. Authorization for the additional work increases the NTE Contract amount to $420,579.25 and increases the number of calendar days for completion of the work by 24 calendar days.

The council authorized execution of the easement for undergrounding Spring Street utilities. As part of the City Spring Street Capital Improvements, which include undergrounding the electric utilities in and around Spring Street, Xcel has requested a 20 foot by 30-foot-wide easement, totaling 600 square feet, in the Big-T lot, along the west side of Spring Street.

This easement is critical to the overall undergrounding project, which included three private land owners who have already provided easements on the east side of Spring Street to facilitate this project. This easement will replace, in part, an existing overhead line, which crosses the parking lot in that area.

October

The council authorized the city manager to execute a contract for the Central City Belvidere Theatre Rehabilitation with Form+Works Design Group LLC on October 2. The city applied for an Energy/Mineral Impact Assistance Fund Grant (EIAF) to offset half the cost of this contract.

In August, the city released an RFP to obtain architectural and construction drawings for the full restoration of the building, and the review committee selected Form+Works Design Group LLC. Estimated completion will be by mid-summer 2019, which can then be released for full restoration by the end of 2019. The city will learn within the next 30 to 60 days if awarded the grant.

On October 16,2018, the council conducted a public hearing on the second reading of an ordinance amending rules of procedure regarding holiday meeting dates during a regular meeting, following approval of the first reading at the previous meeting. The ordinance makes it clear that any regular meeting that falls on a holiday will be held on the immediately following business day at 7 p.m.

The council unanimously approved a resolution opposing “Amendment 74,” an attempt to amend the Colorado Constitution to drastically limit state and local government services at a high cost to taxpayers. Amendment 74 will limit core functions of the city, and the high costs of the adverse impacts will be borne by Central City taxpayers.

The council discussed a resolution supporting Proposition 110, a Statewide Transportation Sales Tax Solution. Proposition 110, a statutory change, seeks to increase the state sales tax rate by .62 percent as a dedicated funding stream for state, municipal, county and multimodal transportation infrastructure.

This proposition will distribute 45 percent of the revenue to the State Highway Fund for bond repayments for state projects and, after required payments have been made each year, maintenance and pay-as-you-go projects. The next 40 percent of the revenue would be allocated to the newly created Local Transportation Priorities Fund. This revenue would be divided 50 percent between cities and counties.

Mayor Pro Tem Shirley Voorhies moved to approve the resolution and Alderman Judy Laratta seconded, and without discussion, the motion failed with Alderman Laratta and Alderman Aiken opposed.

November

At a mail ballot election in Central City, Colorado, on November 6, 2018, residents elected a new mayor. Out of 494 votes, Jeremy Fey received 127 votes to unseat incumbent Kathy Heider with 107 votes, according to Town Clerk Reba Bechtel.

Jackie Mitchell received 165 votes to unseat incumbent Judy Laratta with 163 votes. Voters approved a 2 percent sales tax increase for public safety services by two votes, 117 yes, and 115 no.

Voters also authorized the City Council to appoint a vacancy on the council by a 150 to 77 vote. The November 6 meeting of the council was canceled due to the elections.

(Originally published in the January 10, 2019, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)