County’s trash fees going up
Bags still free
Gilpin County Commissioners Forrest Whitman, Jeanne Nicholson and Buddy Schmalz resumed their regular weekly meetings on January 27th, following a one week break due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday. They began with a thank-you to former Commissioner Ron Slinger, now Mayor of Central City, that included a gift of glass wine goblets etched with the names of local landmark establishments. Slinger invited Commissioners to a party, as Central’s guest, celebrating their passage of expanded gaming. Central City voters passed the measure by a margin 3% higher than Black Hawk’s, he noted.
Paying for Roads
Each year the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) distributes money collected from gas taxes for the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) to local jurisdictions for road repairs. CDOT bases the distribution on road classification and provides money only for those roads classified as “arterial service” or “local service” roads, as determined by local officials. Per the Road and Bridge Director’s 2008 report, of Gilpin County’s 200.36 miles of road, 148.91 (33.59, arterial; 115.32, local) miles are eligible for HUTF money. Robinson estimated the 2009 distribution would be about $517,000. Robinson noted that adding road base moves a road’s classification up the HUTF qualifying scale, potentially bringing more HUTF dollars to Gilpin.
Paying for Trash
Gilpinites will continue to enjoy free disposal of their compactable household trash when dropped off at Gilpin’s mid-county trash/transfer site. Commissioners approved Robinson’s proposed fee changes for compactable rubble: Car Trunk (1-2 cubic yards) $10 (a $5 increase); Van/Wagon/SUV $20 (a $12 increase); Small Pickups (2-3 cubic yards); $20 (up $12); and Large Pickup, ¾ ton $40 (up $20). Non-compactable rubble: Yard Debris $20 per small pickup and $30 per large pickup (up $10 and $20, respectively); Construction Debris $40 per small pickup, $65 per large pickup and $100 per large load (up $30 and $50 for pickups, large loads remain the same); Tires $15 for cars, $20 for commercial vehicles (increases of $13 and $15); Mattresses range from $20 for twin sized to $40, king sized, reflecting increases of $15 -$30. Small appliances are now $30 and large appliances are $40 (both rates up by $20). Auto, Truck and Commercial sized batteries are now $10 each (an $8 increase). The County has budgeted $179,643 of anticipated revenue to support the trash/transfer program, including an estimated $75,000 from fees. The new fees will be reevaluated in six months.
Commissioners directed Robinson to work out the details of a voucher system allowing Gilpinites to bring in additional trash (appliances, tires, etc.) on a day of their choice, as opposed to a Free Trash Day as has been done in the past. Robinson noted that doing away with one free trash day would save the County $15,000, then went on to suggest the County do away with free trash days altogether this year and switch to the voucher system. Details of how the vouchers will be distributed have yet to be worked out.
Safe Slinging
For those Gilpinites who walk their bagged garbage to the dumpster precipice, there’s a new entryway dedicated just for them. Park to the left of the recycle dumpster and walk through the gate behind it. Just follow the signs, said Robinson, noting the new pathway was created because of increasing danger to walkers from vehicles backing in.
CSU Extension Bylaws
Commissioners ratified the bylaws of the Colorado State University Cooperative Extension Advisory Board. That six-member Board of Carol Cavalaris, Curt Halsted, Sandy Hollingsworth, Bob Masslich, Ardetta Robinson, Barbara Thielemann serves two-year terms planning, reviewing and making recommendations for programs.
Anemometer Update
Winds at Gilpin’s fairgrounds are shaping up to be Class Four, CSU Extension Agent Irene Shonle said. That’s comparable to winds on the eastern plains where wind turbines have been installed. It’s still early days, however, for Gilpin’s wind research. The data from the anemometer will be collected throughout 2009 and then evaluated as a potential energy source. Shonle said the borrowed device takes a measurement every two seconds then averages it over ten minutes. Highest gust measured to-date: 90 miles per hour on New Year’s Eve. Gilpinites can access the data via the website www.coopext.colostate.edu/gilpin/.
Clerk and Recorder’s Report
Gilpin Clerk and Recorder Jessica Lovingier, reported total revenues of $92,339 in December, 2008. Of that, the Clerk disbursed $54,275 to the County Treasurer; $26,448 to the state; and $2,497 to Central City. The Clerk’s office retained $9,119. Revenues for 2008 finished the year at $1,335,543, a decrease of 6.93% from the $1,434,986 of 2007. Per state statute, recording fees will be going up an additional $5 for recording fees that involve multiple grantors or grantees. The new rate starts February 16, 2009.
Lovingier has begun providing documentation showing disbursements using revenues generated by fees held in dedicated funds versus paying them out of the General Fund. Those disbursements totaled $1,271 from the Late Fee Fund to replace a computer monitor, pay contracted election services and reorder department business cards.
Church Placer Covenant
Last October Commissioners approved a subdivision exemption creating a separate parcel (Parcel 2) of the Church Placer Mining Claim located in Russell Gulch (Druid Mine). Gilpin County has transferred Parcel 2 to the state. The state is remediating environmental damages caused by past mining, including an earlier cyanide spill. As part of the deal, Commissioners stipulated a restrictive covenant be placed on Parcel 2 to remove it from any future residential development. Community Development Director Tony Petersen provided a copy of that Restrictive Covenant and Deed Restriction. Commissioners accepted it, finalizing the arrangement.
DOLA Dollars
Commissioners approved funding agreements with Colorado’s Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) to accept grants of $23,554 for Jefferson Center for Mental Health; $197,650 for Eagles’ Nest Early Learning Center; $242,601 for Mountain Family Health Center; and $154,958 for Gilpin Ambulance, Incorporated. The annual DOLA grants are used to assist gaming communities with the increased costs of providing services in areas impacted by gaming activities.
Monthly Departmental Reports
The Detentions Division (Gilpin County Jail) was housing 29 inmates in December 2008. There were 48 new bookings for that month (41 male). Gaming-related bookings totaled 39. Gilpin Sheriff’s Office accounted for 25 of the bookings: Black Hawk Police brought in 10; Central City Police arrested 2; Colorado State Patrol arrested 6; and the Division of Gaming arrested 5. Three of those arrested were Gilpin County residents.
Victim Services reported 35 new clients in December. Twenty originated with Black Hawk; five with Central City; nine with Gilpin County; and one from other sources. Ten of the new clients were Gilpin County residents. There were no Gilpinites among the 21 gaming-related cases.
End of Year Report
Community Planning Director Tony Petersen’s 2008 Final Report noted the department’s 2008 budget was the highest ever ($384,065) due mainly to salaries. However, tightening up discretionary spending actually resulted in a surplus of $43,119 in the total budget at year’s end. Revenues generated from building, planning and zoning, and sales, totaled $57,300. Petersen noted 2008 was the lowest revenue year ever without counting grant monies. The grant money of $25,731 pushed the department’s total revenue to $83,031. That amounted to 96% of what the department had budgeted ($384,065) for revenues for 2008. The number of caseloads for the year (221) was also the lowest ever. New-home starts numbered only 16. The one area that increased in number was code enforcement with 55 cases.
Detentions Division’s Captain Kapke’s 2008 report to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Office (ICE) listed 163 as the number of arrestees reported to ICE last year.
Funding Request
Commissioners will not contribute any cash to Gilpin School for the annual Middle School Spelling Bee scheduled for February 26th. The request had not come in prior to budget time as is required. Commissioner Nicholson volunteered to donate in-kind, however, by serving as spelling judge.
Wildfire Protection Plan
There will be a public open house for Gilpinites to learn more about the county-wide Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) at 6:00 p.m. on February 5, 2009 at Timberline Fire Station 7 (formerly known as Colorado Sierra Station 1 – 14908 Highway 119, located next to Taggerts).
No Gifts Allowed
County Manager Roger Baker told Commissioners a new report from the Commission on Ethics says they cannot accept any gifts from lobbyists, at all.
Executive Session
Following the business meeting, Commissioners met with County Attorney Jim Petrock in an executive session about the Brannan Sand and Gravel lawsuit. Following Executive Session, they conducted a work session regarding firearms discharge in residential areas.
Commissioners meet next on February 3, 2009.