Posted on: September 21st, 2014

GOLD HILL TOWN MEETING NEWSLETTER

Minutes of the August 11, Town Meeting

 Next Town Meeting is Monday, October 13, 2014, 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center

Chair Peter Swift called the meeting to order.  Sixteen people attended: John & Cherry Sand, Pam & Steve Sherman, Leslie DeGrassi, Debra Yeager, Karen Simmons, Chrissy McCaul, Mary Ryan, Bill Van Matre, Eve Atkinson, Bobby Vrba, Lacey Story, Treasurer Martha Knapp, and Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer.

Minutes – of the June meeting were approved as published.

Treasurer’s Report – Martha reports that our June balance was 16,521.67.  Since then, $343 was added and $49.44 disbursed, resulting in a new balance of $16,615.23.   An additional $1500 is being held for us at the Ward Church, bringing our cash assets to $18,315.23.

At the last meeting a motion passed to transfer the entire Weed Mgmt fund of $526.70 into the General Fund.   $174 was collected during the Town Clean Up netting us $143 after recycling fees.  Expense items included $49.44 for postage.  The current General Fund total is $2748.73.

The Cemetery Fund received $200 bringing that fund to $3310.73.

All the other accounts remained the same.  Community Relief Fund is at $10,491.95, plus the  $1500 at the Ward Church totaling $11,991.95. Forest Management total is $94.12 and  SafeLink $170.22.   Community planning, Historical Zoning, Trails, and Weed Management accounts are inactive with zero balances.

Historical Zoning – Cherry reported just one issue – Michelle Bar-Evan’s new roof.  Because it is an emergency, it’s being pushed through the County quickly.  She is installing cement board siding as required by the County and the roof will be brown metal to match.  The plans are at the County.  Windows also will be replaced.  The house is landmarked and on the list of Historical Places.

Peter, whose house is owned by Peter Waben and Janine Santana, has been contacted by insurance people and told that his roof needs replacing.  Jeff Combelic has to do some structural work on the beams, as well.  Martha reports that she will hopefully be doing some foundation work.  Cherry requested that people let HZ know about plans as soon as possible.  They can help.

There are 25 Gold Hill buildings on the National Historical Registry.  Not all are landmarked – some are “contributing”.

Forest Management/CWPP – no report – However, Addendum – see https://goldhilltown.com/gold-hill-chipping/ about a free chipping event in the Gold Hill area between September 29 and October 3.

Fire Department – Bobby reports that the “old grey mare” will be painted yellow (the truck they use for spotting).

Weed Management – Gretchen read an email from Susan Fernalld letting us know that she and Karen Simmons “sprayed the Canada thistle in the bit patch cut on the town meadow in June.   They used an herbicide called Milestone, which targets thistles and knapweeds.

Three herbicide sprayers owned by the town are available for controlling noxious thistles and knapweeds (non-natives that take over native habitat).  The Elders (mark@nullrgulch.com) are housing the town’s herbicide and will provide the right solution for controlling Canada thistle.  Sprayers must be cleaned prior to return.”

Also, Susan said that people have been calling and asking about the white flowers blooming so prominently around Gold Hill.  One, a cute daisy-like flower, is Scentless Chamomile – a noxious weed. They are easy to pull, but need to be bagged because the seeds are viable and will reseed more plants.  One plant can produce 300,000 seeds!  The second one is a tall plant – White Sweet Clover – and is not a problem weed. See invasive weeds on the town website for info and pictures (https://goldhilltown.com/weed-info-from-susan/).

Chrissy reports that the school will try to work on the scentless chamomile the first week of September, but they have a big schedule.

Historic Gold Hill/Museum – John reports that Steve Barnard is refinishing the doors and windows.

Mining – Peter reports that Don Brookhart has read a flyer indicating that Mark Steen is trying to sell the mine and mill.  Gretchen says that there is certainly some work going on up there, but that she is under the impression that they are trying to get things in shape and to obtain the proper permits to try to get new investors interested.

Gold Hill School – Chrissy reports that school starts on Aug. 21^st and everyone is very excited.  They are expecting 25-ish kids.  They’ll have the same fabulous staff (she says with a smile)– Chrissy, Mishi, and JoJo – the same principal and a new social worker, speech pathologist and music teacher.  As far as the budget, they are fine for now, but need a good Fall Fiesta because they are getting to the end of their surpluses.  Living History Day – Maybe Sept. 5 – is an event they do every few years.   They will bring up Mesa Elem. 4^th Grade and Jamestown and focus on the Western Expansion.

They have some STEM Grant funds for mountain schools and have lots of plans.  They will look at hydrology and engineering, especially as related to the flood.  In spring, they’ll look at riparian ecosystems – fish, bugs, insects – and hope to raise trout and pollinators.  The beehive at Kris Gibson’s is doing great.  Entomologists from CU and CSU will be coming up.  In the fall, they’ll do honey harvesting at the Nederland Community Center.

In connection to their study of Native Americans and the Westward Expansion, Chrissy has become a certified archery instructor in schools through the Safari Club in Wyoming. She hopes to get supplies to teach archery at the school and possibly outreach to the parents and the community.

There is a bond issue on the November ballot to support school and Chrissy urges us to vote Yes!

Safelink – Peter reports that he is looking for funding for a Community Center/Safesite.  We have the triangular piece of property off Lickskillet from the tax lien sale.  He has called Polis’s office for grant information help.

SPECIAL ORDERS

ELECTIONS – Peter reports that he has been asked to head up a 10-year project in Oregon and might have to resign, but at everyone’s urging he agreed to run and we’ll deal with it later if he ends up leaving.  In the event of a vacancy, the board can appoint a replacement to serve until the next election – see the bylaws under Gold Hill Town Meeting on the website (goldhilltown.com).

All present members of the Council agreed to serve again and all were elected unanimously for another year.

Chair – Peter Swift (720) 406-7487     PHswi@nullaol.com

Vice Chair – Bear Carlson     (303) 443-3256     Lawrence.Carlson@nullcolorado.edu

Secretary – Gretchen Diefenderfer   (303) 442-3847      gretchend@nullmac.com

Treasurer – Martha Knapp     (303) 442-5254     elev8296@nullearthlink.net

Member-at-Large – Tony Vrba   (303) 449-1154      tonyvrba@nullgmail.com

John expressed many thanks to the current board for all the good work.

NEW BUSINESS

Fourmile Master Plan (flood) – Because we had guests here to make a presentation on the Fourmile Master Plan, we agreed to move them up in the agenda.  Laura Sneeringer, Lead Facilitator of CDR Associates and Kevin Doyle, Fourmile Creek master plan project manager for Michael Baker Jr., Inc. (I hope this is correct – I have lost their cards somehow) reported that they have just started the process.  In the short term, they were worried about the spring runoff and now they are looking to the future and are reaching out looking for our concerns and issues.  They are looking at hydrological, geomorphic and ecological issues to identify projects and prioritize them to repair the watersheds, stabilize the land, and make more stable creek channels for Fourmile Creek and Gold Run.  Gold Hill had a bundle of concerns, of course

1. Access – maintaining our access corridors considering Sunshine was the only access to the mountains after the flood – keeping the road open and in shape
2. Communications – power outages cut off our phone/internet access in many emergencies.  We now have MERN and can contact OEM, etc.
3. Funding for a Safesite/Community Center

They reported that they have a guy in their office that may have funding ideas/contacts for us.

1. What about old tailings ponds and piles getting washed into the creeks?  They will be coordinating with the EPA and EMSHAW.

Peter thinks we need a more critical look at the ordinance that was written after the flood regarding the jurisdictional flood plain, particularly regarding no-rise certification – this is what allows or doesn’t allow people to rebuild.  He thinks it’s too confusing.  They will be reassessing flood risks and what is the baseline condition, since there have been changes in the hydrology.

To contact the Project Team: (720) 407-4789,

Email: FOURMILEMASTERPLAN@nullMEDIATE.ORG

Please refer to www.BoulderCountyCreekPlan.org for more information about the project.

BACK TO OLD BUSINESS

Changing from 501(c)4 to 501(c)3 – this would have several advantages: we would become a tax deductible organization, would be able to apply for grants, and would be able to directly grant money, for instance from our Relief Fund, without having to go through the Ward Church, which is what we do now.  This change involves doing some legal stuff and Peter suggested 2 options: 1) have someone volunteer to fill out the required forms with the state, or 2) hire Rich Lopez to do this for us.  Bobby suggested that Tony, who gets back in town on Thursday, could probably do it.  This would be our first choice if Tony agrees.

NEW BUSINESS

MERN/AirLink – request to the GHTM for funds supporting enhancements to our HAM radio network (AirLink) and expansion of the service area – John gave a detailed report to support requesting $4500 for a self contained, solar powered, repeater on Horsfal Ridge at Gretchen and Michael’s.  After the fire, Boulder County Sheriff requested that mountain communities be linked by radio to the County during emergencies.  BCARES placed a radio repeater in the Gold Hill Fire Station, but this is in a “radio hole” and it turns out it cannot even reach the subdivision or out west.

With this repeater, AirLink would provide a radio communication system that could operate during emergencies even if we lose power/phones.  We have 9 licensed Gold Hill Hams who have done field testing and the location of the repeater on Horsfal would enable us to communicate with Hams all the way down Fourmile, in the subdivision, out west, and down LeftHand, as well as with the Office of Emergency Management.  This is the last link in our Gold Hill Safelink, which includes NeighborLink (our telephone tree) and Safesite (our list of homes to take in people temporarily displaced by fire, flood or other emergency).

Chrissy said this would be a wonderful use for these donated funds after the fire.  A big discussion ensued.  Pam reported that they are also pursuing other sources of funds, but they want to move on it to get it in before winter and they believe this is important for our long-term emergency preparedness.  Martha is concerned that we have people who will be applying for our Relief Fund and she believes that our priority is to find out what the need is in our community for the Relief Fund, which currently has $11,991.95.  Deb pointed out that MERN (the Mountain Emergency Radio Network), which our AirLink would be part of, arose after the fire through the early emergency preparedness meetings  (MMM/Mountain Mayors Meeting which became the IMA/Inter Mountain Alliance).  She thinks this important for the larger picture, for the IMA, and for Gold Hill.  Individuals are very important, but this impacts everyone.  Pam added that they will be contacting the Red Cross and OEM looking for funds (Addendum – the Red Cross has granted us $1,000 soon after this meeting).  It was pointed out that we can also add to the Relief Fund as time goes on, if we see more needs.

Lacey moved that we move $4500 from the Relief Fund to the Safelink Fund to support and fund the AirLink project and Gretchen seconded.  The vote was 10 in favor and 2 opposed, and the motion passed.

Possible directional sign post location – Bobby reports that Tony has the signs all made.  It was decided they should be put at the corner by the school where the old ones were located, and possibly a second set down at the crossroads.

Gold Hill Gold Rush – will be held Saturday, September 13.

Cemetery – Gretchen reports that Bob Walter, Chair of the Cemetery Committee, sees needs for new fencing as well as a culvert for the driveway.  Martha moved that the Cemetery Committee should do whatever is necessary to make needed improvements.

Bocce Court – Bear, Project Manager, Ken Fernalld, Consulting Engineer, and Max, Chief Earth Mover, along with a big turnout from townspeople have built our new Gold Hill Bocce Court in the NE corner of Kirby Field and balls have been rolled!  The 14 Annual Tournament is planned for the Saturday before Labor Day.  The court is open to one and all.

Respectfully Submitted,  Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary