Water cases spawn joint agreement

Lynn Volkens

02/01/2007 - Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman called the January 24^th meeting of the Board of Aldermen to order at 3:00 p.m. with all members in attendance.

New Police Officer

  Police Chief Steven Cole introduced the newest addition to the City’s police force, Officer Andrew Reps. Reps, a University of Northern Colorado graduate, was welcomed by the Council.

Firefighter Lauded

  Black Hawk Firefighter Lee Nida was mentioned by the Aldermen and lauded for his assistance at an accident that occurred in Clear Creek Canyon last week. Nida was traveling the canyon when he came upon the accident and stopped to help. An elderly couple had gone off the road, ending upside down in the frigid waters. They survived.

Grant Extension Removed from Agenda

  A request from Black Hawk resident Mary Kay Dalsaso (321 High Street) to extend the deadline on her $338,000 historic preservation grant, was removed from the agenda as it looked like the work would be completed on time.

Subdivision Re-Plat Approved

  The Aldermen voted unanimously to approve Filing Number 3 for Miners Mesa Subdivision. The original plat of the subdivision had expired and the land reverted back to individual mining claims. Council’s approval created two lots (Lot 1, Block 1 and Lot 2, Block 1) located on the plateau above the City (Miners Mesa) and descending to include a portion of the right-of-way along Bobtail Street. According to City staff, the plat contains a note that prohibits future development without a series of land use approvals. The applicant requested the plat to consolidate the existing mining claims to ease future development but no such development is under review at this time.

Mountain City Lease Renewed

  The lease at 436 Gregory Street in the Mountain City commercial area was renewed for Black Hawk resident and businessman, Al Price. Rent for the property is set at $1 per month plus utilities. The City-owned properties will continue to be leased at the introductory rate, though Alderman Dick Cottrell asked his peers if they hadn’t agreed to a rent increase on the second year of occupation. Other Aldermen recalled a discussion that the rents would go up once the commercial area is established. City Attorney Hoffmann advised Council members that one reason for the current lease arrangement is to allow the City to “get out of it quicker” should the properties be needed for City use. Meanwhile, the rental rate remains the same.

Deere Wins Starring Role

  Seems nothing runs like a Deere, and nothing endures like a Gator. Put them together and you have the 2007 John Deere Gator Utility vehicle needed by the City to haul water for landscape and flower boxes in the summer, and snowplowing in the winter. After a bit of good-natured quibbling, Public Works Director Philo Shelton received the Council’s approval to purchase the new all-terrain vehicle. It replaces a 1999 Polaris Utility vehicle that was not heavy-duty enough for driving up and down the City’s hills, nor over the curbs. From Shelton’s comments, it could be construed that staff operating the Polaris would appreciate a vehicle with adequate brakes. The 1999 vehicle will be kept as a backup vehicle. The Gator ($17,695) costs more than a Polaris ($17,042), but less than a Bobcat ($37,210). However, the Gator was also preferred by the Public Works Director because it burns diesel fuel. A grinning Mayor Spellman cautioned Shelton, “You better buy a Polaris to get the Deere out when it gets stuck.”

A Cool Police Department

  The City’s dispatchers have been cool for a long time. Now the personnel in the other areas of the two-story Police Department can be cool, too. Currently, only the area of the department containing the radio equipment is air conditioned. The Aldermen approved the purchase of a Trane air conditioning system ($28,730) and installation ($1,820) for a total project cost of $33,615 (including the 10% contingency). The system consists of a 12.5-ton condensing unit, refrigerant lines and controls, complete duct modifications and a damper. With the new system, the building can be zoned for different degrees of cooling. “Are the windows painted shut?” wondered one sardonic Alderman, drawing grins all around.

Water Cases Spawn Joint Agreement

  The Aldermen voted to join the Black Hawk/Central City Sanitation District and the City of Central in a joint Defense and Confidentiality Agreement concerning water issues. The three entities are also partnered by an Intergovernmental Agreement with the County of Gilpin regarding water quality issues that are now in dispute with the other side of the equation, the Standley Lakes Parties. The joint agreement here provides for sharing information, defense planning and discussions about the dispute and/or litigation among the local parties and stipulates that information be kept confidential to them. The agreement specifically covers Water Court Cases 92-CW-059, 92-CW-168, 94-CW-036 and 94-CW-277.

Lighting Contest Cancelled

  The City’s holiday lighting contest has been discontinued due to lack of interest. The Aldermen all agreed that residents were no longer putting much effort into decorating their homes and the prizes for the casino category (waiving a month’s worth of device fees) was more money than decorating efforts warranted.

Bus Stop Concerns

  In a continuation of a discussion from their last meeting, the Council directed staff to further review the bus stop situation at the Wild Card Casino, where the stopped buses partially block the exit of the parking lot. There is concern, also, about the buses turning left from the right-hand turn lane near that same location, but no resolution was reached at this meeting.

Timely Posting Required

  Attorney Hoffmann called the Council’s attention to a court case involving the town of Marble, Colorado. He warned that action items for their meetings need 24-hour posting. An addition to their agenda for this meeting might have come under question, he noted, as it did not meet the posting requirement.

Executive Session

  The Council entered Executive Session to discuss pending litigation, the historic preservation grant program, and legal issues regarding water. They adjourned following the executive session, taking no further action.

Upcoming Meeting

  Black Hawk City Council meets again on February 14^th. Prior to that, they are scheduled to meet with Central City officials on February 1^st, 6:00 p.m. at Central’s City Hall to discuss casino device fees.