Black Hawk City Council begins 2007

Lynn Volkens

01/18/2007 - All Black Hawk City Aldermen were present when Mayor David Spellman gaveled Wednesday evening’s meeting to order at 6:00 p.m. January 10^th.

Fitzgerald’s/Rohling Inn Expansion Issues

  As work progresses on the Fitzgerald’s (Casino) extension, the construction company needs electrical power to their construction trailers. The Aldermen approved a license for them to run temporary electrical lines via a trench across Bobtail Road to the lot where the trailers have been placed. County Attorney Corey Hoffmann explained the license is necessary when such lines cross public property. He reassured the Aldermen that the casino has liability insurance in place. The line is to be removed upon project completion, currently scheduled for December 31^st, 2008.

  Fitzgerald’s (Barden Colorado Gaming) also received Council permission to place or hang signs over portions of City-owned property used for sidewalk and/or street purposes. The signs (governed by the Council’s standard agreement) are needed due to the casino expansion incorporating the Rohling Inn structure.

  It cost Barden $10 for an easement to place building footings and micro-piles (explained by the construction contractor as “small cylindrical piers”) under sidewalk areas at the Rohling Inn expansion site.

Holiday Lighting Contest

  Spellman distributed winner’s plaques for the 2006 Holiday Lighting Contest. Residential prizes went to John Blake (First Place - $1,000), Diane Cales (Second - $900), Leon Pohl (Third - $800), Don and Kathy Doles (Fourth - $700) and Antoinette Clark (Fifth - $600). In the Commercial category, Gilpin Hotel and Black Hawk Station were winners of the Large Casino and Small Casino categories respectively. They each receive three days’ worth of device fees. City Manager Rick Lessner asked the Council to review the procedures and rules for next year’s contest at their next meeting so that any changes can be made ahead of time.

Warm Enough?

  The Mayor opened the meeting for a public hearing regarding a council bill held over from last year. CB28-2006 is an ordinance that amends the Municipal Code for building design. The bill sets the outdoor design temperature at 0 degrees Fahrenheit (Winter Design Dry-bulb) as the most efficient amount of insulation or type of building wrap for use in Black Hawk. The bill was held over for further research after Alderman Tom Kerr questioned the adequacy of the specified insulation for the Black Hawk area. To determine the regulation, staff used data collected by the National Weather Service (compiled by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers) obtained from the nearby (though 500 feet lower in altitude) Idaho Springs area. No one from the public spoke either for or against the bill and the Aldermen approved it unanimously.

Check City Hall for Postings

  The Council unanimously approved their first resolution for 2007 (Resolution 1-2007), establishing Black Hawk City Hall as the designated public place for posting meeting notices. Per the Colorado Open meetings (Sunshine) Law, the notice is to be posted at least 24 hours prior to holding the meeting. Black Hawk Post Office has been an additional site for the postings, but City Hall is the “must post” site.

Bobtail Area Subdivision Re-plat

  The Council approved, with conditions, a Minor Subdivision plat to Dakota Blackhawk for 245 Main Street, an area extending south from Main Street to the Bobtail Street right-of-way. It includes a portion of vacated Backus Street. The plat is actually a re-subdivision needed to depict and describe the two lots (Lot 1 and Lot 2) that it creates. The original plat had expired and the land reverted back to the individual mining claims that comprised it. Conditions of Council’s approval, as recommended by City staff, were to add the filing number under the Surveyor’s Certificate and to provide an existing subdivision plat showing the boundaries of the original plat compared to those of the re-plat. Dakota Black Hawk has indicated the primary focus is to consolidate the existing mining claims to make future development of the property easier to attain. However, there is a note contained within this plat that prohibits future development without first acquiring a series of land use approvals. Sidewalk easements along Bobtail Street are not included in this plat but can be addressed later according to the City Attorney.

Historic Grant Payment

  John Thilmont, owner of property at 191 Clear Creek Street, was reimbursed $1,998 by the City for preservation work completed on his property last month. The grant period covering the work had expired on December 6^th, while Thilmont had been on vacation and was unavailable to sign the request made that day for final payment. He therefore paid the contractor himself. That payment was the last of Thilmont’s $271,000 grant originally approved in November 2004. A request from Mary Kay Dalsaso (321 High Street) to extend the grant for that property to April 9^th, 2007 (original expiration date is February 9, 2007), was tabled for the City Council meeting on January 24^th.

Employee Cell Phone Use Curtailed

  Noting that the City’s provision of cell phones to its employees doesn’t “attract or keep talent,” City Manager Rick Lessner asked the Aldermen to limit the discounted service. Costs of the program continually rise, he said, because employees are adding lines for more family members and “exotic” features. The expanded services are increasing administrative costs as staff tries to handle disputes and track unauthorized usage. Some employee bills, noted Lessner, are higher than the employee’s paycheck. Staff is not always able to collect from the employee, he said, noting the City’s total bill for the services is averaging $1,400 every two weeks. Via consensus, the Council instructed Lessner to rescind the expanded phone privileges, limit the phones/service to employees and spouses only and make abuse or inappropriate use of the benefit a violation of the personnel manual regulations.

Motherlode Vendors, Please Ante Up

  Last year the Council’s consensus had been to pay the $100 per vendor insurance fee for the booth operators at the City’s Motherlode rodeo event held annually at the end of August. The original intent had been to initially pay for the insurance (required by the County to use fairground facilities), to attract vendors to the event. The City planned to phase out paying the insurance by first asking vendors to pay half. However, rather than pay the fee, vendors in 2006 began bowing out. The City has done more marketing each year, attracting more outside vendors and visitors to the event, the Aldermen noted. Their consensus for this year: 2007 vendors will pay for their own insurance in its entirety.

Audit Housekeeping Matters

  Lessner also distributed a Letter of Engagement confirming prices and banks to be used in the City’s next audit. The Aldermen declined his offer to provide bound copies of the recently completed 2005 audit report.

Too Slick for Comfort

  Philo Shelton, Public Works Director, addressed concerns brought forward by Alderman Cales regarding snowy, slippery conditions at some of the City’s bus stops. Shelton is also Director of the Black Hawk Transportation Authority (BHTA) that operates the buses. One of the stops specifically named by Cales had been cleared and sanded earlier that day, he said, but the problem was caused by snowmelt draining from private property above, then turning to ice during the continuous freeze/thaw cycle caused by temperature fluctuations. Despite comments that this storm was an anomaly, Cales stood her ground, saying the plowing done that day had been the first time it was plowed and she had walked there herself and had seen people slipping. “Someone could be hurt,” she cautioned.

Biodiesel Plan Gets Go-Ahead

  Also under Shelton’s BHTA auspices—a presentation of a biodiesel feasibility study for the Black Hawk buses with potential inclusion to provide service to Central City and Gilpin County. The biodiesel uses vegetable oils (collected from the casinos) to fuel the City’s buses and other diesel equipment. He asked for the Council’s permission to proceed with the project and received enthusiastic support. Shelton said he hopes to coordinate the biodiesel project with the City’s 2007 bus barn project.

Executive Session/Adjournment

  Following their regular meeting, the Aldermen entered Executive Session to consult their attorney about pending litigation and legal issues. The executive session topics included the Lace House and water matters. After reconvening to public session, the Aldermen adjourned, taking no further action. They meet again at 3:00 p.m. on January 24^th.