Central City extends bus service
Encouraged by enhanced gaming
Central City Mayor Ron Slinger and Aldermen Ron Engels, Bob Giancola, Tom Reilly and Bob Spain met July 21, 2009, returning to the Young Settlement Agreement, regarding land along the Central City Parkway.
Young Settlement
Following the First Reading on July 7, 2009, and a public hearing at this meeting, the Councilmen adopted Ordinance 09-10, de-annexing properties along the Central City Parkway, totaling just over one and a quarter acres.
Following the same procedure, the Councilmen adopted Ordinance 09-11, authorizing the conveyance and transfer of the parcels to Robert and Anna Young via quit claim deeds.
Billboards placed by the City on these properties must be removed. The estimated cost to relocate the advertisements and power them electrically is $57,900.
Beetle Issues
Following up on a resident’s report of beetle killed trees on City property, City Manager Lynnette Hailey provided a written response noting Central does not have a program to deal with pine beetle infestation but also has not found beetle-killed trees on City property. The woman had reported dead trees within town and along the Parkway. Hailey wrote a letter, asking her to identify specific locations of City property so they could be investigated. The City Manager recommends private citizens look to Gilpin County and the CSU Extension Agent for further information and assistance.
Paying the Bills
The Council approved the Consent Agenda items including minutes from their meeting of July 7th and those of the April 1 Planning Commission meeting. They approved July expenditures totaling approximately $122,000. The bulk of that was $69,704 for transportation (bus service) through June and July. The Young litigation July expenditures totaled $3,976. Water-related expenditures, some resulting from a water main break, totaled $6,624. Device Fees provided $216,091 in revenue for July. As of July 17, the City had cash on hand totaling $749,547. The Historic Preservation Fund, as of July 15th, contained $586,825 and the Capital Improvement Fund balance was $31,647. The Water Fund was $94,785 in the red, despite a recent loan of $25,495 from the General Fund.
Water Update
Two recent breaks in the City’s water lines have been repaired and everything is back on line, said Hailey. A break at the “Y” had been repaired earlier in the day. Hailey said she was holding off on repaving the area until she knew the repair would hold. The City routinely exercises all the system’s valves as a preventative measure.
Prospector’s Run Tanks
The City is waiting for the go-ahead from the state before replacing covers for the three underground water tanks at Prospector’s Run. Schematics had been approved but then approval was withdrawn and engineering plans were requested. If the state accepts the plans promptly, Hailey said the timeline for completing the work by August 30th could still be accomplished.
Extended Bus Service
The City’s casino operators asked that bus service from Black Hawk be extended to 2:30 a.m. By consensus, the Council approved extending the hour for a trial run of three months. The City will fund the additional $6,400 per month cost, in part, with revenue from device fees.
Bus Parking
Residents have complained about buses parking in an open area just downhill from Fortune Valley. The area is not a parking lot. Hailey will speak to the owner of the property to see what can be done. The City has no place for buses to park, she noted, except for an area above town by the old RV park. That doesn’t work for bus drivers who want to be nearby for their clients, or who want to get something to eat while they wait.
Mutual Thanks
Mayor Slinger said the results of enhanced gaming have been encouraging and thanked the casino operators for their efforts to draw more visitors. During public comment, Joe Behm of Fortune Valley Casino, thanked the Council for the City’s support including extending the bus service hours.
Work Session
The Council plans a work session, either on July 28th or 30th. They plan to go over cost estimates for the Mack Brewery, sidewalk repair needs, and a schedule of City rates and fees. Central City Council’s next regular meeting is August 4, 2009.