Amy Hardy, our Chair, called the meeting to order.  She let everyone know that this is as traditional as we can make it since we were not able to give everyone 2 weeks notice. However, given the nature of this emergency, we had to call this special meeting on short notice because we have some important decisions to make as well as information to pass on.  

44 people signed in and I know the sign-in sheet didn’t get around to everyone.  I think that must be a new record!

Donal Maloney, our Assistant Chief spoke first.  He stressed that, even though we may have gotten our passes, they are only valid when the Sheriff says it’s ok to go up there. It is still hazardous, still an emergency, and still dangerous.  There is a lot of stuff going on – electrical lines hanging in the trees – every system is compromised.  When you can go up, wear boots, but do not walk in the burned area – root systems are compromised and trees, etc. can fall over without warning.

He is relaying the request from Chris Finn, Chief, for our continued patience.  They really need us to stay out of the way of the crews up there.  There will be hot spots popping up for some time.  He told a story of being called to Snowbound Mine several years ago for a burning bush.  Best they could tell, there had been a lightening strike 10 days before that had hit a tree, gone down into the roots, smoldered down there and then spread to the bush and it burst into flames – 10 days later!

They have top-notch crews up there – over 100 people.  They and our firefighters will be doing patrols and mop-up.

Val Crist reports that our firefighters are working to take care of emergency requests for medications left behind, etc. within the Gold Hill Town Meeting area. Email Chris Finn at cfinn@nullmho.net and please include:

1. Your name

2. Addresses in Gold Hill

3. Contact phone number. Without a contact phone number where you can be reached, they cannot add your request to the list.

4. Info on how to get into your house, including where a key might be hidden, lock box instructions, etc.

5. Detailed specifics on what you want retrieved and exactly where to find it.

Secondly, Deb Yeager is coordinating people who are up there to go into your house, clean the out the fridge, and/or water plants, feed animals or take care of things you need done or retrieved. The GHFD wants to help the folks with homes still standing within the town meeting area to be able to return home to a safe healthy environment, and to get their toxic rotting food dealt with before returning. They want to help us while we are waiting to return.  Email Deb at deb@nullmountainvisions.net with all the same information listed above.

Next, Adriana Galue, our Treasurer, spoke to us about fundraising efforts.  Joanne Cole will be making a report to the big, general meeting at 11:00, but here is the condensed version.  Adriana, Joanne, and James Bell from Fourmile, (as well as assorted others of us to a lesser extent) have been working on a fundraising strategy, gathering solid legal and accounting help.  Both the Town Meeting and the Fire Department are 501 C-4s, which means they can collect money, but would need to be 501 C-3s to actually distribute it to any great extent, especially to individuals.   They have contacted the Boulder Community Foundation, which is a well-known entity, respected for its integrity. A website has been set up to collect funds.  See www.commfound.org and select Boulder Mountain Fire Relief.  We will be working to set up an advisory committee from the affected communities to make decisions about criteria for distributing the money to those in need, including the Fire Departments.  The Community Foundation charges only 2%, which is the lowest available.  Adriana and Joanne are both spending an inordinate amount of time on this effort while trying to be full time students, and hold a full time job, respectively, and are proposing that we hire an experienced Fundraiser to help advise us and coordinate this effort.  Adriana is passionate about the need to capitalize on the immediacy of events to raise money for Fourmile, Gold Hill, Sunshine and other affected areas.

Secondly, she immediately, the day of the fire, went to work to set up a PayPal account on the Gold Hill website (goldhilltown.com), and these funds are going to the Gold Hill Town Meeting, since this was the only account information she had access to.  We will also need to decide how to disburse these funds – we have close to $6,000 so far.  Contact Amy for further information.

We are also looking for a good PR person, with expertise in modern media/communications and can offer advertising on our very popular website – we have had 1.3 million (!) hits in the last 5 or 6 days!

Amy also announced that we need to make a decision about keeping the PayPal funds in the Gold Hill Town Meeting account for easy, immediate distribution to those in need.  Kelly Sinner made this motion; it was seconded by a number of people, and passed by voice vote, with no dissenting votes.

New Business – John Sand reports that there are a number of organizations offering services.  Colorado Friendship has a free store at the YMCA and they are aching to distribute stuff.  If they don’t have it, they’ll go and get it – clothes, foodstuffs, services.  Addendum – I believe they have since moved to near Ski Deals on Arapahoe across from the Safeway. Debra said, please go get something and thank them.  They need to know we appreciate what they’re doing.

The Climb – Val announced it will soon be available in Boulder to help people with transportation needs.  Check the website  www.the-climb.com

Gold Hill School – The principal sent out an email to all the parents: the BVSD and the EPA have visited the Gold Hill School and have pronounced it “perfect” inside and out!  The students are temporarily going to Foothill Elementary until we can all go back home.  They are being bused to Foothill now.

Some Homeowner’s Insurance- will pay for tree removal and some landscaping.

Hiring PR and Fundraising Person – Amy realized that we hadn’t voted on hiring help for Adriana for Fundraising and PR.  Elon made the motion, Teresa seconded it and passed by voice vote, with no dissenting votes.

Photos on Gold Hill Website – Ed Dawson brought up the issue of sensitive photos of people’s burned houses and associated personal stuff on the Gold Hill website.   He feels quite strongly that these should not have been put up before the people affected had approved them and/or seen their homes firsthand.  There was a lot of discussion of this issue, with some totally agreeing with him, as well as some who had expressed appreciation at seeing them first in order to prepare themselves for the experience of seeing them when we are allowed in.  A great deal of sympathy was expressed for people’s losses and emotional distress. A motion was made that no new photos of personal homes/burned sites be posted on the website without permission, and any already up there will be removed by Elon if requested by the affected people.  Email Elon at elon01@nullgmail.com with the number of the photo to be removed and he will take them down immediately.

Respectfully submitted,

Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary, Gold Hill Town Meeting