MMRR Quarry hearing “penciled in” for June

Lynn Volkens

04/17/2008 - Gilpin County Commissioners had planned to conduct a public hearing for the MMRR Quarry applicant, Brannan Sand and Gravel, at this week’s meeting. That hearing was postponed at the applicant’s request.

MMRR Quarry Hearing

  With half a dozen MMRR quarry representatives in the gallery observing, attorney Gene Reardon apologized for their request to delay the hearing. The land sale between Philip Wolf and Brannan had not been completed but, he said, the final contract was being circulated. Reardon expressed concern over a remark he’d read in a Central City newspaper in which a Commissioner had allegedly said it would be political suicide to vote against the Planning Commission. Reardon said he didn’t know if the remark had been made, if it was reported accurately or out of context, but he found it “troubling” as the quarry party doesn’t believe the Planning Commission had correctly applied the County’s Master Plan in their consideration. “Does the board of County Commissioners feel the Planning Commission’s decision is binding?” he asked. Commissioner Jeanne Nicholson responded, “No, we’re not bound by their recommendations but certainly respect their efforts.” With that assurance, Reardon asked to proceed with scheduling the hearing. As several of the parties involved had scheduled their vacation plans around the April 15^th date, the public hearing for the Douglas Mountain quarry has been moved back several weeks and is “penciled in” for June 17^th.

ISDS Approved

  Joel Champagne requested and received approval of an enhanced (pretreatment) Individual Sewage Disposal System for his 1.13-acre property at 611 Meadowlake Drive.

Nursing Services

  Gilpin County’s Department of Public and Environmental Health has contracted with their Colorado counterpart to provide nursing service, as needed, for Gilpin children who are enrolled in the Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Trust Fund Program. Commissioners approved an amendment to the main contract that includes a lengthy list of task orders covering services provided under the agreement. Public Health Director Jennifer Lavely, said the pay-out for such services would be capped at $103,000 and that payment would be made to any enrolled families with an initial payment of $324 then $80 per month thereafter.

  Gilpin County has elected not to participate in the Bioterrorism Public Health Preparedness Program and has notified the state of that decision. Instead the County contracts with the Jefferson County Department of Public Health and Environment (JCDHE) to perform required activities to prepare and respond to potential bioterrorism, including pandemic flu. Lavely formalized the agreement with a written contract that will be reviewed for renewal annually. The program is funded by federal dollars.

Library Board Appointees

  Commissioners approved the Library Board’s request to have two of their members switch seats. Laura Staneff was serving as a regular member of the Board. Kent Carter was an alternate. The two have now exchanged their positions. Both are serving terms that expire at the end of 2011.

Monthly Departmental Reports

  At Gilpin County Public Library, Director Larry Grieco reported the Friends of the Library have selected poet Christine Weeber as the first recipient of their new “Artist-in-Residence” program. Community members can meet Weeber on April 18^th at the Library’s “Evening of Poetry.” Six other poets will be featured and others will have an open microphone opportunity to read. Grieco is currently planning the summer reading program. Alan Babcock’s original drawings are now on display on the Art Wall.

  County Manager Roger Baker was directed to confer with Grieco about the now obsolete card catalog (which Baker had created when he was Library Director some 20 years ago) and the potential sale of it. Commissioner Nicholson commented on the 1,322 Gilpinites who visited the library in March. “That’s about 25% of the (County) population,” she said.

  Road and Bridge Director Earl Robinson’s March report noted he is looking to hire temporary summer workers. 1,914 tons of roadbase has been stockpiled for summer road projects. A new digital counter has been added to the bio-mass firebox auger to accurately gauge wood chip consumption. In March, the system was using about one ton of chips per day, at a cost of $39 per day. Robinson is looking at lease options for a wood chipper. He noted information from a Forest Service meeting: beetle kill has left the Northwest corner of Gilpin County 90% dead. This final sentence of his report was questioned by Commissioner Whitman who had consulted local woodsmen prior to the morning. They had not seen that much devastation, he reported. County Manager Baker theorized it might be Forest Service land on the back side of Tennessee Mountain. Others thought the location might be in a neighboring county. Baker was directed to learn more.

  During Public Comment, a resident of that area said he had “not seen that kind of beetle kill at all.” He asked Commissioners to hold off taking any action to deal with the pine beetle situation until the degree of hazard is actually known.

  A north Gilpin resident asked Commissioners to consider buying a mobile burner, ala that used in Rocky Mountain National Park, to incinerate pockets of beetle killed trees in Gilpin. Because Gilpin’s forest is more diverse, she said the burner could be used to slow the spread of the beetle by eradicating infected trees. She asked they look in the budget to see if the $80,000 cost of the burner could be found.

  In response to a question from Commissioner Whitman last week, County Attorney Jim Petrock researched the County’s authority to enter private property, inspect for beetle infestation and deal with it. The County does have the authority, he told Whitman, but it would be cumbersome and “overloaded with due process” to actually do it. (“And we’d probably have to find homes for the displaced beetles,” Commissioner Nicholson quipped. “Or guardians…” Commissioner Slinger added with a grin.)

Who’s in Jail?

  There were 70 bookings at the County’s Detentions Division during March. Most (64) were male. Four were held for detoxification. There were ten DUI and one DWAI arrests. The average daily population of the jail was 25.10. Five were arrested for domestic related charges. The Sheriff’s Office was responsible for 39 of the arrests, followed by Black Hawk Police and Colorado State Patrol with 11 each. The Division of Gaming originated six arrests and Central City Police made three arrests. Monthly income generated by the Detentions Division, in March, totaled $2,830. Most of that ($1,623) comes from booking fees.

Rocky Mountain Rail Authority

  A bill has been introduced to Colorado’s legislature to create a Passenger Rail Authority that could implement rail construction as a means to relieve congestion on state highways. Commissioner Whitman represents Gilpin on the Rail Authority, a predecessor entity that is currently studying (to the tune of $2.2 million) the traffic overload problems on the I-70 and I-25 corridors. He asked his colleagues for direction on whether the Rail Authority should take a position in support of the bill. Commissioners Whitman and Ron Slinger both recommended against taking any position, either for or against the bill, until the Rail Authority attorney determines if the group can, legally, do so.

House Bill 1141-Subdivisions

  Commissioners unanimously voted to have the County Manager write a letter to state representatives stating Gilpin County officially supports House Bill 08-1141. That bill requires a local government to determine there is adequate water for any subdivision development of 50 or more units. Baker said he had reviewed the bill prior to the meeting and that it had been amended so that local governments can set a lower number of units, if they wish.

Dugout Cost Increase

  The new dug-out covers at the County’s baseball fields have gone up in price by $500-$700. At the recommendation of County’s building staff, Commissioners agreed to add metal trim around the dug-out roofs. That should protect the wooden frames, needed to bear the snow load, from rotting. The funding (not to exceed $700) will be taken from the Conservation Trust Fund to cover labor. The materials are being donated.

  Commissioners meet next on April 22^nd.