Posted on: February 4th, 2026

GOLD HILL TOWN MEETING NEWSLETTER

 Minutes of the January 26, 2026, Zoom and in person meeting

 Next Regular Meeting will be Monday, February 9, 2026, 7:00 pm in person at the Community Center and by Zoom

Vice Chair Kaitlyn Barthell called the meeting to order.  Present ion person were members Boyd Brown, Treasurer Martha Knapp, Kaitlyn, Leslie Finn, and Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer.  Attending by Zoom were Val Crist and Member at Large John Hatelid.    A quorum requires 3 members of the Town Council plus 5 additional Members, so we cannot formally vote at this meeting.

Recap of Bylaw Progress – Martha has been going through all the minutes with Gretchen and Leslie to make sure where we are, see  https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/138K9Dt8jq8qzRA7e34rQ9C-y3IHmCg-fS6a7ZIwbWXA/edit?usp=sharing .  If you see any corrections, please let her know.  The attached sticky notes tell the history of changes.  The pink sheet is t0o be discussed and voted on (will have to wait until the February meeting as we do not have a quorum). 

 

Purple sheets have been approved but need to be finalized at a regular meeting.  The ones in green have all been finalized.

Legal Parameters and review of Membership Bylaw – Boyd reports that he talked to 2 lawyers about the controversy over members/voters/residency requirements.  We are not an incorporated town and have no taxing ability and therefore have a lot of leeway to write our own bylaws and policies.  The Gold Hill Town Meeting, Inc. is a 501(c)3 and registered as a non-profit corporation with the State of Colorado, which is a very different thing from being an incorporated town.

Martha added that our residency requirement was written the way it was (in the 70s) in order to include the summer people, of which there were many at the time.  If we did include all property owners, there are absentee landlords, 10 corporations, 5 government entities and 12 trusts.  No one here knew why there had been a move to include all property owners.

All here at this meeting are in agreement to go back to the original wording as above.

ANNOUNCEMENTS – Midwinter Social will be Tuesday, February 3 at 6:30 at the Firebarn.  It’s a potluck and everyone is invited.  RSVP to Val.

 

Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary