County employees get a raise

Lynn Volkens

Gilpin County Commissioners meeting

2/03/2005 - Sand/Salt Storage Building Planned for Mid-County - Public Works Director for the city of Black Hawk, Philo Shelton, appeared before Gilpin County Commissioners this week with colleague Michael Morlock, seeking final approval for a PUD. Black Hawk received prior approval to construct a sand/salt storage facility for the Colorado Department of Transportation. The facility will be located at the former site of the Ad Hoc Hardware store on Jankowski Drive, adjacent to Taggert’s on Highway 119. Final approval had been postponed pending staff review of the final site plan and building elevations. Although the storage facility height is six feet higher than the previously approved plans, County staff estimated the visual impact to be minimal. Berms and additional tree plantings should block views of the building from most angles along Jankowski Drive. Commissioners approved the PUD.

Water Symposium Scheduled - Commissioner Forrest Whitman provided the update (tabled at last week’s meeting) on the Water Conference scheduled for April 2, 2005, at the Community Center. Speakers will cover topics of water sources, septic systems and homeowner water rights. A panel of experts will provide information on legislative affairs pertaining to water, water laws, water resources and rights. The public is invited to attend, free of charge, for part or all of the day-long activities. Lunch will be provided for the first 75 who make reservations before March 31^st, by calling 582-5214.

County Employees Get A Raise - Last week Commissioners heard two suggested plans for bringing County pay ranges up to a competitive level with the pay ranges of other jurisdictions. A salary/benefits survey, completed by Lee and Burgess Associates of Colorado, LLC, had found that, while Gilpin’s benefits exceed, sometimes substantially, those of other market areas, salaries for some Gilpin employees are below market. In order to remedy that, Commissioners voted to implement a new pay policy that bumps annual pay for 32 positions up by 3.90%. The increase will bring salary ranges for those full-time regular County employees up to the market range of like positions in other jurisdictions. According to Human Resources Director Susie Allen, employees surveyed last year were happy with benefits. Commissioners expressed hope that the salary adjustment/benefits package would aid in recruiting and keeping qualified help. Employees will see that raise beginning with their February 12, 2005 paychecks.

Seniors Get Free Ride – On Exercise Bikes - Commissioner Jeanne Nicholson would like to see use of the Recreation Center provided to Gilpin’s senior citizens at no cost. To that end, she asked Recreation Director Penny Kipley to determine how many seniors are using the Center on a regular basis and how much revenue to the Center their use generates. Kipley’s report states that there are 26 Gilpin seniors who have purchased memberships, resulting in revenue of $2,812.00. This is down from $5,282.00 from memberships purchased in the past. Some of those memberships expired and were not renewed. Kipley numbered the population of senior citizens in Gilpin County at 412. The loss of revenue, should Commissioners eliminate the use fee for seniors, would be far out-weighed by the benefit to the senior population in increased participation and activity at the Recreation Center, she said. Commissioners agreed to eliminate the fee starting February 1, 2005. There will be no refunds on memberships purchased prior to that date, but Gilpin’s seniors will no longer need to purchase memberships or pay drop-in fees after that date. The new brochures, due out in May, will reflect that change.

Junior Rodeo Proposed for Fair - Gilpin County’s annual fair is scheduled for August 20-21, 2005. Plans are already in the works to add or change some of the events. Events Coordinator Vicki Nemec is exploring the possibility of bringing in a Junior Rodeo as an event that will allow local kids to participate the way they did in the Gymkhanas of the past. Gilpin County has an active Junior Rodeo Club. All three Commissioners support bringing in Junior Rodeo and asked Nemec to pursue it. Commissioner Al Price suggested she contact the Elks for additional sponsorship. A local group is interested in doing a carnival games midway in 2005. She needed to know if they could be allowed to charge 25-50 cents for kids to play the games. That would help them provide decent prizes. Commissioners said they’d like to keep the events free and told Nemec to come back if her budget wasn’t adequate for midway games and rides. Discussion on other events being considered for the Fair were postponed, but Nemec is exploring the addition of a “Family Fun Day” organized by the local 4-H groups. Events like Tug-O-War, Pie Eating, Pet Agility and Wheelbarrow Races, etc., with the option of people competing as families or as individuals, is the idea behind it. Commissioners will need to decide if the Fair will be allowed to sell beer in 2005. Without it, there may not be a good turn-out for the Saturday night dance. Nemec’s also looking to change the Friday night Teen Dance to a different event. Attendance at that event has been low, she said, and the cost of a band ($850.00) might be better used for another attraction. And finally, acting on complaints from last year, Commissioners will look at providing an infrastructure in the Community Room of the Recreation Center so that works of art entered in the Art Show can be safely displayed. Other complaints came from vendors displaying their wares in the Exhibit Building where the dust kicked up from the dirt floor covered their displays and caused respiratory difficulties for some. Commissioner Price said he’d like to obtain bids to put a floor in the Exhibit Building.

Building Use Policy Adopted - Commissioners officially adopted the new “Policy Statement for Use of Gilpin County Facilities for Non-County Sponsored Activities.”  The policy covers use of the meeting rooms in the Justice Center, County Courthouse, Library, and Exhibit Building, plus the Indoor and Outdoor Arenas, the Ball Fields and the Gilpin County Emergency Services Training Room. Reservations for the facilities are required and a damage deposit (refundable after 30 days) schedule for use has been established. Under this policy the Community Room at the Recreation Center has a use fee of $15.00 per a one-third section of the room or $50.00 for the whole room. This allows groups to use that facility for up to one and a half hours. The Indoor Arena carries a fee of $75.00 per day. Temporary use of a Gilpin County public road for events such as special races, have a non-refundable $50.00 permit fee that may be waived at the discretion of the County Commissioners. Copies of the policy will soon be available at the Courthouse and Recreation Center.

Zoning Regulations Spelled Out - County staff, represented by Community Development Specialist Ray Rears, requested that Commissioners adopt Resolution 05 -1, a clarification of terminology used in the County’s zoning regulations. The current definitions are inadequate to meet the three Master Plan goals of the County, said Rears. (1. Preserving and enhancing the unique fragile rural and mountain character of the County. 2. Encouraging a stable and broad economic base. 3. Minimizing the impact of new development on existing activities, neighborhoods and resources.) Rears presented a 20-page list encompassing more than 200 proposed definitions used by Gilpin’s Community Development Department, that had been compiled form Federal, State and various Colorado county and Planning Commission sources. They address a multitude of categories including activities, animals, automobiles, businesses, environment, industry, impact, organizations, safety, structures, use, vegetation, etc. Commissioners approved the new definitions. They will be incorporated, following amendments to some of the language, as part of Section I of the Gilpin County Zoning Regulations.

Flu Shots Still Available - Commissioner Nicholson reported that there is still some vaccine left for Gilpin residents to have flu shots. Nicholson holds a professional nursing license and had recently completed one clinic. She has scheduled one more for 9-11 A.M. on Saturday, February 5, 2005 at the Justice Center. Milton Saffry of Gilpin Ambulance provides his services to assist with any emergency CPR needs, (in case of allergic reaction to the serum) and Nicholson asked that he be paid $100.00 ($50.00 per clinic) for his time and travel expenses. Her request was approved.

Wolf Quarry Update - County Attorney Jim Petrock told Commissioners that a hearing previously scheduled for February, regarding the proposed Douglas Mountain Quarry, has been postponed until mid-June. The reason for the delay was not specified.

Highway 46 – More Attention, Please - During Public Comment, a citizen asked Commissioners if they could influence CDOT to give more attention to Highway 46 during bad weather. The difference between snow removal and sand application on the Jefferson County portion of the state highway is better than on the Gilpin portion, thus traffic coming up from the metro area comes over the hill at the county line and runs into a slick surface on the long slope down. Commissioner Nicholson said the County meets regularly with CDOT and would convey his concerns.