Next Meeting: ELECTIONS!  August 9, 2010, 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center.

If you know anyone for Chair or Vice-Chair, we need him or her.  Neither Val nor Jim will be running.

Vice-Chair Jim Smith called the meeting to order – Chair Val Crist arrived later.  Eleven people attended: Member at Large Lisa McConnell, Mary Ryan, Bear Carlson, James D. Smith, Jack Laughlin, Karen Simmons, John Sand, Susan Fernalld, Val Crist, Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer, and Edie Eilender.

Minutes of the April 12 meeting were approved.

Treasurer’s Report – Treasurer Adriana Galue is out of town.  Gretchen spoke with Dick Cole who has the checkbook and reports that our balance is $5676.10.  We received $348.00 from Susan Fernalld, Weed Management.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Community Planning/Trails – Gretchen reports that she, Lin Folsom, Karen Simmons, Max Yeager, and Michael Albes met with Jim Daus, and walked around Horsfal Ridge where the County has proposed a potential trail in conjunction with the proposed acquisition of BLM land through the Recreation and Public Purposes Act. This trail would cross properties owned by Lin and Gretchen & Michael, which would require an easement from them.  It is proposed to be located approx. ¾ of the way down the hill (close to Four Mile), starting somewhere near Lambert’s and perhaps curving around the end of the ridge, running along the east side and meeting up with our driveway that goes past the Mill and in along the ridge.  It’s all very iffy at this point as the land has yet to be acquired, but Jim, as a Land Acquisition Officer for Boulder County Parks and Open Space, wanted to see how feasible a trail is on the ground versus the map as well as where Lin and Gretchen & Michael would prefer or not to see it located.

Karen is proposing a questionnaire asking what Gold Hill people think about issues concerning local trails proposed for our area – for instance, do we want bikes, dogs, horses, how close to town or other homes should trails be constructed, and what kind of signage would be helpful, as well as any other issues we come up with.  If you have input on this, please contact Karen at 447-8607 or Gretchen at 442-3847 or gretchend@mac.com.

Historical Zoning – John reports that Peter Swift, a design consultant who has worked with the committee before, has rented Terry Walters’ cabin and may be helpful with the proposed guideline revisions.

Bear reports that Elon Bar-Evan has completed the installation of solar panels on the roofs of his house and garage.  They’re flush mounted and blend in well with the existing roof – a good example of what the committee would like to see.  Jeff Combelic has done the same kind of installation as well as solar thermal panels along his porch for hot water.

From Cherry Sand’s written report: Michelle Bar Evan is pursuing getting her mid 1870’s house at 501 Main St. land-marked with the County with the idea she would be eligible for matching funds to do necessary repairs on the foundation and roof as well as window replacement in keeping with the historic character of the original house.  Historic Zoning has not received any plans on the scope of her project as yet.

Reminder from Historic Zoning: The Gold Hill Historic Zoning Committee is an advisory group established for the purpose of assisting those citizens who want to make exterior changes to their property in keeping with the historic character of the town.

In order to speed the process of making changes to your property such as remodeling, replacement/repair, or new construction, please submit your plans to the Gold Hill Historic Zoning Board BEFORE applying for a permit with the County.  The County always kicks it back to us for approval and if we know nothing about the project, it tends to get held up until we can talk to the owner and review plans.  Contact any of the following members for information/consultation: Cherry Sand (303-443-2543); Bear Carlson (303-443-3256); Dan Gretz (303-440-1969); Amy Hardy (303-442-3316); Steve Barnard (303-444-2648).

Forest Management – Edie reported on the workshop held just before this meeting by Ryan Ludlow and Bob Bundy on Forest Management and the Beetle invasion.  They certainly recommend identifying beetle hit trees and dealing with them before the beetles fly to new trees, but they also warned that the worst-case scenario is that we will lose 90% of our pines and basically need to plan for future forest diversity.  We have an advantage over the Western Slope in that our forest is already so much more diverse than theirs.   They are available to help us and Edie will speak with them about coming up again, perhaps in October to update us.

CWPP – Val reports that our current town projects are done for now and encourages people to continue with individual mitigation projects.

Fire Department – Val encourages people to come on down to trainings which are held the 4^th “Thursday evenings and on the 2^nd Saturdays of each month.  Training continues with the 3 departments, Fourmile, Sunshine and Gold Hill.

Weed Management – Susan reports that the Aspens we planted are doing well – 97% are living and putting out new leaves.

They conducted the class on Mountain Gardening in April, talked about noxious weeds and sold native flower seeds.  They still have some left – contact Susan at sfernelld@msn.com or 447-0634.

A group buy for Verbenone was organized to obtain a price break.  It does fairly well in non-epidemic conditions.  In epidemic conditions it buys us some time until we get a big cold snap and to plant for diversity.

Our wacko, silly Mountain Pine Beetles singing group is performing at Allenspark on June 26^th in the afternoon.  They have a new presentation, “Freak to Freak Highway,” about life in the mountains, old hippies, dogs, raising kids in the mountains, living with wildlife, etc.

ADDENDUM: They will also be performing at the Gold Hill Inn’s Beer Garden on Sunday, August 15^th at 7:30.

Historic Gold Hill – Edie reports that the Museum is open on Saturdays and Sundays unless it is really cold (there is no heat).  The Calendar is coming along and we hope to have it our for the 4^th of July.  We have some previously unseen old pictures because the Millsite donated back a wonderful photo album that Billy Weaver had given them.

Mining – Jim reports that he did the quarterly water monitoring samples today.  Aurora Gold intends to sign an agreement tomorrow with Global Minerals for the Mill, etc.  They are out of Zurich, originally from Australia, and are brokers.  Jim has been hired as caretaker.  They intend to start slowly, perhaps do some core drilling, and will look into all permitting to make sure everything is up to date.  There have been no violations or citations from any regulatory agencies at this time.  Jim will present an invitation to them to come to a GHTM in the future.

Gold Hill School – no report

OLD BUSINESS

Meadow/Fence Report – Val reports for Kurtis Leverentz that he has finished removing the old fence and it looks good.

NEW BUSINESS

Cemetery – Karen Simmons would like to see an opening of the fence to the Cemetery along the west edge and perhaps steps there and near the gate.  The Gold Hill Club is considering a project in the Cemetery – cleaning it up and so on, and Val suggested they bring a proposal to the Town Meeting and work with Bob Walter as Chair of the Cemetery Committee.  May have to check with the County about any steps since they would probably be in the County right of way.

Gold Hill Club – John reports that when Denise Grimm, County Historic Preservation Department, came up to look at Michelle Bar-Evan’s, she noted that we could landmark the cemetery and possibly get matching funds for any work there.  Restrictions imposed by landmarking mean that the visual appearance couldn’t be changed.

Joe Weaver will conduct a Mine Tour at 11:00 a.m. on August 14^th.

The Gold Hill Club’s 3^rd Annual Town Picnic will be July 11, from 11:00 – 3:00 in Sinner’s side yard.

Town Bake and Rummage Sale –Lisa McConnell is looking for volunteers for a planning committee.  Anyone with beefs about past events or ideas about for the next one, please contact Lisa at 443-3732

The GHTM holds an annual bake and rummage sale to raise operating funds, sponsors this web site, organizes the Spring Cleanup, and has many committees working on topics of importance to the community, such as long term planning, wildfire protection, and forest management. Meetings are held six times each year: February, April, June, August, October, and December, on the second Monday of the month at the Community Center (Fire Barn).

The current Town Council as of August 2009 is as follows:

Chair: Val Crist,  Secretary: Gretchen Diefenderfer, Treasurer: Adriana Galue, Member at Large: Lisa McConnell.  At the February 8, 2010 Town Meeting, Jim Smith agreed to serve as Vice-Chair, replacing Elon Bar-Evan who resigned.

Elections are held once a year at the August meeting.

Those residing in the town meeting area, excluding Summerville, may vote at town meetings provided they:

• Are at least 18 years of age
• Have lived in Gold Hill for 60 days during the 12 months prior to the meeting or for 60 days during the previous 5 years with no less than 5 days in any 1 year
• Are registered with the Secretary at the meeting
• Are present at the meeting to be certified to vote at the meeting

Map of the area

For the bylaws, click here

Code of Bylaws

of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc.

These bylaws were approved by unanimous vote at the second reading on 2-14-2000

Article I

Name, Purpose, and Mailing address

Section 1, Name: The name of this organization shall be Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc.

Section 2, Purpose: The purpose of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. shall be:

1.              To hold town meetings and provide a forum for community discussion and basis for community action, and to establish qualifications for participation therein.

2.              To acquire, hold, sell, or lease real property for the general purpose of preserving the historical and natural setting of Gold Hill and the surrounding area.

3.              To act as trustee.

4.              To cooperate with the County Planning Department, County Health Department, and other departments of the County, State, or Federal government.

5.              To take any and all other action to improve, preserve, and benefit the community of Gold Hill and the surrounding area.

6.              To apply for and receive government grants or assistance, to solicit funds and donations, and undertake or sponsor community fund-raising projects.

7.              To do all other acts necessary or appropriate to promote the social welfare of the community of Gold Hill.

Section 3, Mailing address: The mailing address of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. shall be: 1011 Main Street – Gold Hill, Boulder, CO  80302-8777.

Article II

Membership

Section 1, Eligibility: Those residing in the following area are members and may vote at town meetings, provided they fulfill the voting requirements set forth in Article II, Section 2, Qualification.   This area to be described as the territory within these lines: On the north from the junction of Left Hand Creek and Lickskillit eastward to Snowbound, south to Bighorn Mountain, southwest to Monument Hill, west to Oxbow curve on the Mt. Alto Road, north to Left Hand Creek, and east to the starting point, this area to exclude Summerville.

Section 2, Qualifications: In order to vote, a member of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. must:

1.              Be a minimum of 18 years of age.

2.              Have lived in Gold Hill for sixty days during the twelve months prior to the meeting or for sixty days during the previous five years with no less than five days in any one year.

3.              Be registered with the Secretary at the meeting.

4.              Be present at the meeting to be certified to vote at that meeting.

Article III

Members Meetings

Section 1, Regular meetings: Regular meetings of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. shall be held six times each year: February, April, June,  August, October, and  December on the second Monday of the month at such time and place as may be determined by the Town Council.

Section 2, Annual meetings: The annual meeting of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. shall be held on the second Monday of August each year.  The election of Town Council members shall be held at the annual meeting.

Section 3, Special meetings: Special meetings of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. may be called by the Chair:

1.              At the request of at least three members of the Town Council.

2.              By petition requesting a special meeting signed by at least twenty members of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc.

Section 4, Written notice: Written notice of all members= meetings shall be delivered to members residing locally and sent by U.S. Mail to members who do not reside locally at least two weeks prior to all regular, annual, and special meetings.

Section 5, Quorum: A quorum for a member=s meeting of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. shall exist if three of five members of the Town Council are present to transact any business to be presented in accordance with the Articles of Incorporation or Code of Bylaws.

Article IV

Town Council

Section 1, Members: The Town Council shall consist of five members as follows: Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, and Member at Large.

Section 2, Eligibility: The Chair, Vice Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer must be a year round resident defined as an individual who has lived within the bounds of the Gold Hill Town Meeting area at least nine consecutive months prior to the election.  All five council members shall be a minimum of 21 years of age.

Section 3, Term of Office: Each council member shall hold office until a successor is duly elected and qualified.   Any council member may resign at any time by giving written notice to the Town Council.  Any such resignation shall take effect at the time specified therein, and, unless otherwise specified, the acceptance of such resignation shall not be necessary to make it effective.

Section 4, Removal: Any council member may be removed according to the following procedure:

1.              At a regularly scheduled meeting, where a quorum is present, the removal of a council member may be proposed by a simple majority of those members present.

2.              The proposed removal of a council member must be included with the minutes of the meeting and distributed to the members at least two weeks prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting.

3.              At the next regularly scheduled meeting, the council member may be removed by a majority vote of the Gold Hill Town Meeting.

Section 5, When a council member moves: Any council member, other than the member-at large, shall automatically resign upon moving from within the area bounded by the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc.

Section 6, Vacancies: Any vacancy must be filled for the remainder of the term by appointment by a majority of the council members within two weeks of its occurrence.

Section 7, Town Council meetings: A meeting of the Town Council may be called by any member of the Town Council by giving notice to all members of the Town Council at least two days prior to such meeting.  Town Council meetings are for discussion.  No decisions(s) reached at a Town Council Meeting are binding on the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. or the Town Council, or any member of the Town Council.

Section 8, Town Council Duties: Each Town Council member shall have the duties ordinarily attending the office held and other duties as the Town Council may designate.

Article V

Committees

Section 1, Purpose: Committees of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. may be established for the purpose of carrying out the business of the meeting.  They are to make reports at members meetings. Their findings will be approved and published, as appropriate, by the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc.

Section 2,Creation: At a member=s meeting of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc., when a quorum is present, the Chair, with the approval of the members at the meeting, may appoint a committee chair and ask for other members to be part of that committee.

Section 3, Dissolution: At a member=s meeting of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc., when a quorum is present, the Chair, with the approval of the members at the meeting, may dissolve a committee.

Article VI

Contracts, Checks, Deposits, Etc.

Section 1, Contracts: The Town Council, with the approval of the members at a duly called members meeting, may authorize any council member(s)or agent(s) of the Corporation to enter into any contract or execute and deliver any instrument in the name of or on behalf of the Corporation.  Such authority may be general or confined to specific instances.

Section 2, Checks, Drafts, Notes, Etc.: All checks, drafts, notes, etc., shall be signed and executed on behalf of the Corporation by those Town Council members authorized to sign checks for the Corporation.

Section 3, Deposits: All funds of the Corporation shall be deposited to the credit of the Corporation in such banks, trust companies or other depositories as the Town Council, with the approval of the members at a duly called members meeting, may select.

Section 4, Gifts: The Town Council, with the approval of the members at a duly called members meeting, may accept on behalf of the Corporation any contribution, gift, or bequest.

Article VII

Amendments

These Bylaws may be altered, amended, or repealed and new Bylaws may be adopted according to the following procedure:

Section 1.  At a regularly scheduled meeting, where a quorum is present, Bylaw change(s) may be proposed by a simple majority of those members present.  Proposed Bylaw changes are to be made and approved section by section.

Section 2.  The proposed Bylaw sections(s), and the Bylaw section(s) that are intended to be replaced,  must be included with the minutes of the meeting and distributed to the members at least two weeks prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 3.  At the next regularly scheduled meeting, the sections of the new Bylaws may be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. who are present.  Bylaw changes are to be voted on section by section.

Article VIII

Dissolution

This Corporation may be dissolved according to the following procedure:

Section 1.  At regularly scheduled meeting, where a quorum is present, dissolution of the corporation  may be proposed by a simple majority of those members present.

Section 2.  The proposed dissolution of the corporation must be included with the minutes of the meeting and distributed to the members at least two weeks prior to the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 3.  At the next regularly scheduled meeting, the dissolution of the corporation  may be adopted by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. who are present.

Maggie Simms, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Pope John Paul II, Michael Albes, David Brigham

Next Meeting will be June 14, 2010, 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center                

The meeting was called to order by Chair Val Crist.  Twelve people attended: Edie Eilender, Barb Barnard, Member at Large Lisa McConnell, Cherry and John Sand, Mark A. Steen, Kurtis Leverentz, Karen Simmons, Jim Smith, Val Crist, Treasurer Adriana Galeu, and Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer.

Minutes of the February 8 meeting were approved.

The Climb – Val expressed Phil Carter’s thanks to all for their contributions.  They are within $1000 of the $7,000 needed to obtain the maximum contribution from the County (and they are still taking money).  Ride the Climb!

Treasurer’s Report – Adriana reported that there have been two checks written to reimburse her:  $10.00 for filing the State Report online, and the second for the Insurance Company for our liability insurance for $751.00. A third check was also written for $164.04 for the Assessor’s exemption property annual fee.  We started with a $6253.14 and so our total balance is now $5320.10.

From Adriana’s records in December ’09, our balance began in August with  $3940.19

In her December ’09 report we had 3 deposits

John Sand, reimbursement for Sesquicentennial expenses – $500.00

Leslie Finn – Cemetery Fund donation                                    $250.00

Rummage Sale proceeds from Elon                                              $1,600.45

And one check to Jennie Rice, reimbursement for rent paid            -  $37.50

Balance: 6253.14

Edie requested the amounts in Forest Management and the other accounts.  In Adriana’s absence, by my calculations, the amounts on the separate funds are probably

General Fund                          2185.45            Cemetery                        2862.21

Weed Mgmt                            80.81            Forest Mgmt                               75.22

Trails                                        31.29            Long Range Planning                82.00

Historical Zoning                11.12

For a total balance of $5328.10.  We will have to check this with Adriana when she returns.

She is out of town until June, and Dick Cole has the checkbook in her absence.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Community Planning/Trails – Gretchen reports on the Committee Meeting with Chad Ricklefs, March 29, 2010, at the Gold Hill Store

Attending: Karen Simmons, Marie Brookhart, Edie Eilender, John & Cherry Sand, and Gretchen Diefenderfer

Chad is a Resource Planner in the Land Use Department and our contact person on the Open Space plans for our area (303-678-6273 or cricklefs@bouldercounty.org).  He was happy to meet with us and very willing to attend a Town Meeting at any time in the future to answer any questions.

He reports that it will be several years before the County finalizes the acquisition of the BLM land (first, the BLM has to finish its’ surveying).  He hopes the BLM will finish analyzing and reviewing the application this year.  Then the County will spend approximately 2 years on the management plan and he looks forward to working with us on this.  The County will have a team of around 15 people to inventory it all, etc.

The trails, parking, etc. on the preliminary plan that we worked on with Jeff Moline in 2003-4 are conceptual alignments only and will need ground truthing.   We asked him about possible uses – bikes, motorized, horses?  That’s all to be worked out, but there will be no motorized use trails.  Many people also have concerns about people wandering off trails and onto private property, encountering mine holes, liability issues, etc.  He confirmed that the County intends to stick with the minimalist approach to development and they take concerns like this into account. There will be a website with the Gold Hill Project on it as it all develops and he will let us know when they set this up.  He will post maps, etc.

Karen brought several maps that Chad supplied pertaining to lands the County now owns, as well as those they are negotiating for. There seem to be some inconsistencies on the County maps to be clarified.  She added that the committee has discussed conducting a survey to find out the views of the community on old/historic trails as well as possible new trails the County may establish on the BLM land to be acquired.

Forest Management – Edie brought a USFS Landowners’ Guide to Living with Bark Beetles.  There are more available at the Gold Hill Store or from the USFS.  She reminded everyone that now is the time to deal with new beetle hit trees if you haven’t already.  Karen wondered if there is any interest in purchasing more Verbanone for this year.

CWPP – Kris Gibson reported to Val that the South Project is done and there is now a pretty good mitigation perimeter around Gold Hill.  There are still some piles remaining to be burned.  They will keep working with the Forest Service to look for funding sources to continue with further mitigation work.

Fire Department – Val reports that training continues the 4^th Thursday evenings and 2^nd Saturdays of the month and all are welcome.  Several firefighters have taken the Wildland Fire Refresher Course to stay up to date.

Weed Management – Susan Fernalld’s class on flower gardening above 8,000 feet will be Sunday, April 25.  She has lots of wildflower seed packets for sale and can be contacted at 303-447-0634 or sfernalld@msn.com.

Historic Gold Hill – Edie reports that the Museum is alive and well.  We have started on the calendar for 2011 and are always looking for contributions: photos (old and new), drawings, poems, and ideas!  The Museum is open by appointment only in the winter, but call her (303-444-0778) if you have visitors who would like to see it.

ADDENDUM – if you would like to run an ad. for your business in the calendar, contact Dick Cole at 303-443-7459.

Historic Zoning – Cherry reports that the only project in the works is Elon Bar-Evan’s solar panels.  HZ has approved them and he just has to proceed with the County.  The County identifies this as a small project and has notified only the directly adjacent neighbors.  Cherry passed around Elon’s plans and there is a copy at the Store.

They are in the process of developing guidelines for solar installations (see Old Business below).

Mining – In Bob Mason’ absence, John Sand asked Mark Steen, who then asked Jim Smith, for updates on any negotiations regarding the Mill.  Jim reported that he recently gave a tour to Jim Beck and Paul Jones doing due diligence for Aurora Gold.  Mark replies that his understanding is that Aurora is planning to proceed with their purchase of Global Minerals and that he will then have a new joint venture agreement with them sometime within a few weeks to months.  He says they are going to complete all permitting – local, State, and Federal and do everything on the up and up.  Mark still believes that water was pumped out of the Cash illegally by Mount Royale Ventures, although he grants that the water is pretty much like well water up here – not deleterious – just cannot be legally discharged without proper permits.

OLD BUSINESS

Fence Report – Kurtis reports that the barbed wire fence around the Town Meadow is ½ gone now – all bunched up in piles, which he hopes to be able to get rid of at the Town Clean-up.  He intends to remove the steel posts and leave the old wooden ones.  If anyone is interested in the old steel posts, contact Kurtis at 303-550-1616.  Jim Smith moved that the steel posts be removed with the stipulation that Rick Schmidt be contacted to ascertain exactly where the property line is between his land and the Town Meadow.  Ayes have it.  Motion carried.

ADDENDUM: Kurtis needs some help with this project.  Please call him at 303-550-1616.

Historic Zoning Discussion - Cherry passed around the first draft of the proposed solar installation guidelines. This is their first draft developed from Breckenridge’s regulations:

The preservation of the historic character of Gold Hill is an important consideration when contemplating making any changes to your property including new construction, remodel or restoration.  Efforts to conserve energy in our homes are encouraged with emphasis placed on adequate insulation and caulking, replacing leaky windows and doors, and use of low energy appliances.  The installation of solar collectors is acceptable providing they have a minimal impact on the visual character of the town and are not detrimental to the nature of our historic district.  We would like homeowners to be mindful of the visibility of their proposed project and how it would affect the overall appearance of our community.

Recommended:

Place solar panels and devices on roofs to minimize visibility from public streets.

Set solar panels and devices back from roof edges and ridgeline.

Install all solar devices flush to roof surface and parallel to the ridgeline.

Use building integrated solar devices in design phase for new structures

Use solar panels and mounting equipment with non-reflective finishes, and paint any associated hardware or mechanical devices to match the color of the roof or flat black.

Locate non-roof mounted solar arrays in the yard area to minimize visibility from public streets and adjacent properties.

When possible, solar panels should be rectangular as opposed to irregularly shaped.

Not Recommended:

Altering the character of the structure such that the structure no longer meets community historic zoning recommendations

Acutely visible solar applications from public streets and adjacent properties.

Members of the HZ Committee are: Cherry, Amy Hardy, Bear Carlson, Steve Barnard, and Dan Gretz.  They will be meeting over the summer to work on these guidelines.

Kurtis stated that solar panels can be installed on corrugated roofs and he thinks it’s important to preserve them.

Welcome Wagon – Lisa reports that she has had computer difficulties and may have to put her computer down, but has been working on the Welcome Wagon project. She is planning on a pamphlet with assorted information: The Climb, Museum, School, Fire Department, Town Meeting, Historical Zoning, wildlife, as well as services available up here, and town celebrations like 4^th of July and the Bake Sale, etc.  She’s thinking of baskets with the pamphlet, a phone list, maybe coupons provided by local businesses and is open for suggestions or help with this.

NEW BUSINESS – Announcements

Town Clean up – Val reports that the Town Clean-up is scheduled for June 19 and she still needs a point person to run it that day.  The County will provide 3 roll-offs for trash, we can get one from Ecocycle for recycling metal, which we have to pay for, but it’s thought we get reimbursed for the metal?  Jim Smith moved that we appropriate funds up to $400 for a metal recycling roll-off from Ecocycle. Motion passed.  Tires?  Haven’t found an affordable option this year.  Hard to recycle stuff?  Only if we can get someone to run it.

This year we have a new option to get rid of dead cars.     Here is an announcement from Kurtis:

Greetings all! As you may, or may not know, the Town Cleanup this year is scheduled for Saturday, June 19. This year, we would like to include another way to help tidy up the area of Gold Hill. Kurtis Leverentz & Matthew Legg have offered to remove any unwanted vehicles in town. If you’re one of those who have “had plans” to fix your vehicle, but never got around to it, then you can definitely help! We would prefer to have the cars parked over on Boulder Street near where Matt’s trailer is usually parked. If the vehicles are undrivable, please let us know and we can load them on a trailer for removal in advance. Titles for as many vehicles as possible would be appreciated (this will make it much easier at the scrap yard).

Unfortunately, whatever money is raised will be going into payment to the scrap yards, delivery of the vehicles (fuel), and labor costs for Matt & Kurtis. If there are any questions regarding this, please feel free to contact either Kurtis at 303.550.1616 or Matt at 970-948-6896, both mobile phones.

Mail Delivery – Karen asked how mail delivery is going for everyone. She’s heard lots of complaining about miss-delivered mail and thinks we should make calls to the Post Office.

Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretery

Boulder County, Colo. – In partnership with residents of Gold Hill and other mountain communities, Boulder County has created the Climb Community Transit Pass to improve access to and from Boulder.

The program, the first of its kind in the region, continues Boulder County’s commitment to providing transportation options to residents by enhancing existing transit services.

The annual pass provides free, unlimited access to the “Climb” bus route from Ward and Gold Hill. The pass is available to residents who live within a half mile of the Climb route, including the areas of Ward, Gold Hill, Summerville, Salina, Four Mile Canyon and Logan Mill Road.

“Boulder County’s current transit subsidy program provides discounts to businesses and neighborhoods signing up for the RTD Eco Pass,” Boulder County Transportation Director George Gerstle said. “The Climb pass is similar to the RTD business and neighborhood Eco Pass program in that it helps people access and use the transit system. What is different about the Climb pass is that it is available communitywide, rather than on an individual neighborhood basis.”

Through the partnership, residents raise funds to cover the cost of the community pass contract. For every $2 raised, Boulder County contributes $3.

Residents and supporters of the Climb are asked to donate $120 per household to help provide the pass to their community. Residents who once paid $6 per day – or more than $120 per month – to ride the Climb can now ride the bus for an entire year for less than $120.

Boulder County is contributing up to $11,500 toward the program from the its Countywide Transit Education and Pass Support program, which uses a combination of funds from a Colorado Department of Transportation grant and matching county funds.

“While all residents have access to the pass free of charge, we ask that they show their support by making a donation to help keep the program running,” Climb owner/operator Phil Carter said. “Even donations of $20 can go a long way.”

The Climb is a nonprofit bus route that connects Ward and Gold Hill to Boulder via Fourmile Canyon Drive and Gold Hill Road. Service on the route started in early 2009 and provides peak commute-time service to the Boulder Transit Center and Twenty Ninth Street mall along Canyon Boulevard.

For more information about the Climb and the Climb Community Transit Pass, please visit www.the-climb.com or contact Boulder County Transit Coordinator Jared Hall at 303-441-4958 or jhall@bouldercounty.org.

Gold Hill Town Meeting Newsletter

Minutes of the February 8, 2010, Town Meeting

Next Meeting will be Monday, April 12, 2010, 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center

The Meeting was called to order by Chair Val Crist. Five people attended: Edie Eilender, Mark Steen, Jim Smith, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary, and Val.  Adriana Galue, Treasurer, attended long enough to give her Treasurer’s report to Val.

The minutes were approved.

Treasurer’s Report – Our account remains exactly the same as last meeting.  Adriana will meet with Dick Cole and review our records and make a full report at the April meeting.

CPI/Trails and Open Space – Gretchen reports that the Board of County Commissioners unanimously approved our CPI Plan for inclusion into the Land Use Code at their hearing on Tuesday, February 2, 2010.  And so we have now reached our goal of establishing the wishes of our community and having them included in the County Comprehensive Plan and the Land Use Code to make sure we have more say over our own future when County action affects us.  Garry Sanfacon gave the staff report – presenting our CPI Plan and background on our planning process, including our education sessions, the survey, comments from community members, and the Planning Commission’s approval in December.  I thanked the Commissioners for giving us this opportunity as well as Garry and the entire Land Use Department who helped us so much.  We worked hard to be as open and inclusive as possible and the Commissioners all appreciated the process and what we came up with. We told them that some work continues – we have a Trails and Open Space Sub-committee meeting and the Historical Zoning Committee is working on new guidelines. Remember that the Comp Plan is a working document and we can add to our CPI Plan in the future if we decide to develop further goals and/or objectives.  Many thanks to everyone who contributed and participated!

The Trails and Open Space sub-committee of the CPI met January 11, 2010.  Seven people attended and we had a wide-ranging discussion.  For the report on this meeting see

http://goldhilltown.com/gold-hill-cpi-–-trails-subgoup/. Because we have so much potential County Open Space surrounding us (some acquired through Conservation Easements, some to be acquired from BLM through the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, some purchased outright), we have the prospect of future trails, etc, being developed by the County.  We want to be proactive about how that all happens. We encourage all interested people to attend our meetings.  Contact Karen Simmons or Gretchen Diefenderfer for further information.

Historical Zoning – no report.

Forest Management/CWPP – Val reports that the Forest Service has been burning West of Town as part of wildfire mitigation work.

Fire Department – Val reports that our Fire Department continues to train with Four Mile and Sunshine Departments on the second Saturday (hands-on training) and 4^th Thursday evenings (classroom training) of each month and would love anyone interested to attend.  Call Donal Maloney at 443-3928.

Weeds- Gretchen read the report from Susan Fernalld:

Susan reports that she manually weeded the large aspen seedling area before snow fell.  Snow has completely covered the seedling aspens for many weeks, deterring deer browsing and making supplemental watering unnecessary.  We won’t know until spring whether burrowing animals are doing any damage.

Meanwhile, the winter annual noxious weeds, such as cheatgrass, have sprouted beneath the snow.    In spring, before cheatgrass puts up its seed heads, will be the best time to pull it without also having to bag it.  See http://goldhilltown.com/how-to-control-gold-hills-noxious-weeds/

Historic Gold Hill – Edie reports that 2010 Calendar sales are going well.  They are a good record of memories of the past and present.  For the 2011 Calendar, we need drawings, poems, photos (old and new) wise sayings, ideas and participation! We will meet Feb. 20 and March 20 at Gretchen’s and invite all interested contributors.

Mining – Jim reports that Aurora Gold has put up $100,000 to buy into Global Minerals and plans to come up with the rest of the ½ million to be 60% owners of Global’s 50% share.  Mark Steen reports several disagreements with Global and Mount Royale Ventures concerning their operations.  He believes the Mined Land Reclamation Board will be holding hearings.  Bob Mason will keep us informed of any hearings scheduled.

Gold Hill School – no report

NEW BUSINESS

Announcements: Jim Smith has agreed to serve as Vice-Chair of the Town Council.  Thank you, Jim!

The Climb – Val reports The Climb Annual Passes are Available Now – REDUCED RATE! THE DEAL:
The Climb is offering Annual Passes at very reasonable rates, and, when we raise $7,000, Boulder County Transportation will give us $11,200! It is critical to ACT NOW!

PRICE: suggested $120 donation for each individual annual pass

We need 58 people to purchase a $120 donation level Annual Pass.

We will accept donations at lower levels, and suggest a $10 minimum in return for a pass. Donations over $120 are greatly appreciated!

The Climb has a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit status so donations are tax deductible.

HOW TO PURCHASE/DONATE:
Order now through email via pc@the-climb.com, purchase on The Climb bus, or at the Gold Hill Store. PayPal is accepted via email and the Gold Hill Store accepts VISA/Mastercard

RIDE THE CLIMB AND SAVE! 
The current federal calculation for vehicle mileage (gas, insurance and wear/tear) is $.55/mile. It is 10 miles to the edge of Boulder, which makes a minimum round trip cost you $11.00! Compare that to the cost of riding The Climb and watch your savings grow!

By helping meet the goal, you will help us give everyone in the Ward/Gold Hill/Four Mile route an annual pass.

BOULDER COUNTY, COLORADO

DATE: February 2, 2010

TIME: 2:00 p.m.

PLACE: Commissioners Hearing Room, Third Floor,

Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing will be held by the Board of County Commissioners at the time and place specified above. All persons interested in the following item(s) are requested to attend such hearing and aid the Commissioners in their consideration.

Docket BCCP-09-0001: BOULDER COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN REVISION (Gold Hill Townsite Plan)

Request for approval for incorporation into the Land Use Code.  On December 16, 2009, the Boulder County Planning Commission adopted the Gold Hill Townsite Plan into the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan and recommended to the Board of County Commissioners approval of Docket BCCP-09-0001 for incorporation into the Land Use Code.

Detailed information regarding this item, including maps and legal descriptions, is available for public examination at the Boulder County Land Use Department, 13th and Spruce, Boulder, Colorado (303) 441‑ 3930 or on the website at http://www.bouldercounty.org/lu/townsite_planning/GoldHill.htm.

Free Parking in the City of Boulder CAGID lots is available for Board of County Commissioners’ hearing participants. See the staff at the lobby desk for city parking vouchers.

Persons needing special services provided under the Americans with Disabilities Act, please contact Julia Yager, ADA Coordinator, for the Boulder County Human Resources Office at (303‑441‑3508) at least 48 hours before the scheduled hearing.

Please note that the County Commissioners’ agenda is subject to change. To receive updates to the agenda, please subscribe to the Boulder County Commissioners Agenda (BOCCAGENDA) list under the News subheading at http://www.bouldercounty.org/lists/index.htm

Published:  December 30, 2009–Daily Times-Call

Next Meeting is planned for March 8, 7:00 p.m. at the Community Center

Seven people attended: Edie Eilender, John Sand, Karen Simmons, Dirk Arnold, Mark Steen, Marie Brookhart, and Gretchen Diefenderfer.  We had a wide-ranging discussion and we invite all interested people to attend the next meeting.

Presently we have historic, social trails, which many would like to see preserved, although there are sometimes private property issues.  In addition, because we have so much potential County Open Space surrounding us (some acquired through Conservation Easements, some to be acquired from BLM through the Recreation and Public Purposes Act, some purchased outright), we have the prospect of future trails, etc, being developed by the County.  A concern for some is that both the old and the potential new trails can leave us open to a lot of people trucking around – possibly in dangerous places (open mine holes, etc.) and possibly on adjacent private property – as well as the inherent liability issues connected to that.

Now that we have our CPI Vision Statement adopted into the County Comprehensive Plan, we want to look at our area citizens’ wishes concerning trails, both historic and future, with the goal of having input into County policy and plans.  Most felt that the County has been and will be interested in our feedback, including having public meetings before any plans are carried out, but all felt that we should be proactive and not wait until events start to unfold.

Dirk suggested we consider an inventory of present trails and old roads, as well as old mine workings.  Other questions arose concerning private property rights, the difference between public and private roads/trails, and adverse possession issues.

We need to look at the old Open Space plans for our area (developed some years ago with Jeff Moline in many public meetings), see where they stand now, and invite someone from Open Space up to address a meeting so that we all know what’s planned for the future.

John Sand volunteered to contact Garry Sanfacon to find out who we should contact.  Here is John’s follow-up email from January 13:

Yesterday morning I spoke with Chad Ricklefs (303-678-6273; cricklefs@bouldercounty.org) of the Boulder County Parks and Open Space Department. I had been referred to him by Gary Sanfacon. Chad now has the responsibility for planning for all county open space development, including the area around Gold Hill.

Regarding the R&PPA Management plan for Horsfal Flats, et al., there has been no action on it since the draft was prepared by Jeff Moline in 2003. The color map of the area showing trails, improvements, etc., has not been changed. He is actively engaged with discussions with the BLM, but nothing conclusive yet. He is sending me two copies of the management plan as it was submitted to the BLM for our reference.

As for social trails around Gold Hill, he is sending me a large aerial photo of the area, which we can use for marking what we can identify.

I emphasized to Chad our strong desire to see a minimalist approach to development of the area, and he is in agreement. I used the Bald Mountain Trail Head as an example. He also plans to cooperate fully with all interested people in the development of a final management plan. He is looking at a 3-5 year time frame before beginning development of the area.

Overall, I feel that Chad well understands where we are coming from, and is willing to work with everyone as the process continues.