Gilpin County library wins coveted “Excellence” award
One of eight in the nation
Gilpin County Commissioners Buddy Schmalz, Jeanne Nicholson and Forrest Whitman began their February 2, 2010, meeting considering whether County Clerk and Recorder Jessica Kays had vacated the position, as alleged by the Gilpin County Republican Party Central Committee at last week’s meeting.
Public Comment
Bill Cavanagh, newly elected President of Dory Lakes Property Owners Association read a letter into the record noting DLPOA and Gilpin County had not yet set a date to discuss an amicable resolution to the legal issues regarding water storage in Dory Lakes. He put the ball in Commissioners’ court, asking to hear within a couple of weeks, when and where such a meeting could occur.
Jerry Ward, sitting in for Republican Party Central Committee President Anne Fattor, told Commissioners the Clerk and Recorder should respond directly to the Republican Party regarding a letter Fattor read into the record at Commissioners’ table last week and not to Commissioners as they had not taken any action on the matter.
County Clerk’s “Position”
County Attorney Jim Petrock advised Commissioners it was entirely appropriate for the Clerk to respond in public and on the record to the Republican Party’s claim that she had vacated her position by residing outside the County for a period of time. The County Clerk read her own letter into the record stating she had lived in Gilpin since age 13 and had been continuously employed in the County since reaching adulthood, adding she raised her children here. She said she had never changed her vehicle or voter registration or her address for paying taxes or “any dozens of indications of residency.” She referenced the current situation in Nederland in which the mayor is living in Africa for three months and the Board of Trustees will decide if he continues in his position – “But no one has questioned his residency…” Kays said authorities she consulted said the Republican Party’s allegations were made improperly and are without merit. The Clerk would not address law or legal arguments, but maintained Gilpin County is her home and she is performing the duties of her office. “I would respectfully request that the Commissioners decline to be used by political forces and become embroiled in what is, in essence, politics.”
Commissioners will confer with their attorney and revisit the matter next week.
Staff Reduction/Parks and Recreation
A vacant position in the Parks and Recreation will remain unfilled per the recommendation of Director Penny Kipley. The Recreation Coordinator’s duties will be reassigned to the League Sports Assistant, who will go from a part-time (22 hours per week) position to a full-time position with full benefits. Kipley then proposes to hire a part-time staff person to assist the League Sports Assistant at the ball fields during the baseball/softball and soccer seasons (16 weeks for 32 hours per week). Other duties from the Recreation Coordinator will be absorbed by the other Recreation Coordinator and a part-time employee already on staff. Kipley cautioned that she might have to contract out the layout of the program guides as a consequence of not filling the vacant position. The change is expected to save the County $15,166 this year and $17,135 in future years.
Monthly Departmental Report
The Parks and Recreation January report showed 1,543 individuals had visited the Community Center last month. Drop-In admission had raised $2,679 and membership sales, $4,177. County employees receive a free 2010 membership and 23 had taken out memberships in January. The Peak-to-Peak Swim Team started up again mid-January. Swim lessons are ongoing, as are classes in dance, tumbling, fitness, Tae Kwon Do and pottery. The After-School program averaged 14 children per day.
Library Award
The Public Library Association, a division of the American library Association, has awarded Gilpin County Public Library the Excellence in Small and/or Rural Public Library Service Awards, specifically mentioning the Friends of the Library funded “Artist-in-Residence” programs offered in 2008 and 2009. GCPL was one of nine small libraries in the country who received the award. GCPL garners $1,000 in the achievement.
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 2009 report, of Gilpin County’s 200.36 miles of road, 149.14 miles (33.59, arterial; 115.55, local) are eligible for HUTF money. 51.45 miles of Gilpin roads are not eligible (41.50 miles maintained by others and 9.95 miles not maintained). County Manager Roger Baker estimated the 2009 distribution would be in the neighborhood of $500,000.
Baker noted that not all roads in the County are maintained by the County but that when all of the roads were named (so that fire/ambulance and police could locate addresses), some people mistakenly believed their roads were then considered County roads-as in maintained. Baker said he hoped to have the list of Gilpin roads and their maintenance status put on the County’s website in the near future.
Trackside Tavern Liquor License
Commissioners certified a 120-day Temporary Liquor License Transfer Permit to Marshall Mills for Trackside Tavern, LLC located in Rollinsville.
Work Session
Following the business meeting, Commissioners conducted a work session with Veterans Services Officer Deni Darby and Human Services Director Betty Donovan. Darby has been working toward obtaining VA health services from local providers, specifically Mountain Family Health Center, so that Gilpin veterans wouldn’t have to travel to the metro area for basic services. He is also working toward establishing a Gilpin-based center to serve all manner of health needs for veterans and had recently achieved non-profit corporate status for the project, “Heart of the Mountain Veterans Resource Centre.”
Head’s Up
Gilpin County Commissioners meet next on February 9, 2010.