Posted on: May 17th, 2012

GOLD HILL TOWN MEETING NEWSLETTER

Minutes of the April 9th, 2012 Town Meeting

 

Next Town Meeting is Monday, June 11, 2012, 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center.

 

Chair Amy Hardy called the meeting to order.  Fifteen people attended: Stefanie Wilson, Vice Chair John Sand, Mary Ryan, Bobby & Tony Vrba, Edie Eilender, Treasurer Adriana Galue, Chair Amy Hardy, Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer, Kris Gibson, Chrissy McCaul, Heidi Kessler, Richard Roth, Susan Fernalld, and Laci Pook all signed in.

 

Minutes – were approved as read.

 

Treasurer’s Report – Adriana reports that our balance is $20,235.30 including a donation from an anonymous donor of $200 – we send our thanks.

Fire Fund                        $13,331.00            Cemetery                        3,562,20

General Fund                            2,615.70            Planning                             82.00

Forest Mgmt                                 75.20            Weed Mgmt                           526.70

Historic Zoning                     11.20            Trails                                         31.30

 

Full report is available on the town website (https://goldhilltown.com/)

 

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Community Planning/Trails – no report, but John reported that he is now on the Historic Preservation Board of Boulder County and will keep us informed of anything that might be of interest to us.

 

Historic Zoning – nothing happening right now.

 

Forest Management/CWPP/Roundtable – Kris reported on the Roundtable – the hope originally was to connect various interest groups and to get funding, but it has been slow.  The State has no money.  They have submitted a couple of grants, but not for our particular district.  One of their goals is to do further mitigation work.

Regarding the CWPP, we could have a meeting if there is community interest.  Contact Kris if you’re interested in participating.

There is a fire ban because of the dry spring we’re having – no open flames.  For more information on the details, go to the Office of Emergency Management http://www.boulderoem.org/ and then click on “current emergency information.”  This is also the place to sign up for emergency messages, download the emergency preparedness guide and get info on disaster preparedness – it’s a great site.

Someone said that the Gold Hill Fire Danger Rating sign at the Barn is not very noticeable – Kris will check with the Fire Board.  Another suggestion was made that we need a sign at the Switzerland Trail – Steffi will talk with the Forest Service.  Ammended at the June 4th GHTM: It is the Fire Ban sign that people think is hard to see and Kris will check on getting better signage.

 

Weeds – Susan reports that an email about the chipping grant has gone out and Dan Gretz is writing up the grant application.  Steffi is taking calls from interested people, but only has a few people so far.  She requested that the notice be sent out again in its entirety and not in the Digest since the deadline is the end of the week.  People can cut trees any time except when the beetles are flying – June 15 – Oct. 15 particularly.  Susan will ask Ryan Ludlow more about the dates and put that information out as well.  They’re trying to focus on neighborhood cooperation and collaborative efforts.

Dan suggested that we think about our reimbursement philosophy – large versus small landowners.  Last year, we did a percentage – the same for all.  There were differing opinions expressed, but the consensus of this meeting seemed to be that this is the fairest. We are doing this to make everyone safer and to reward all we can.  The County will put in $4,000 if we get the grant.  The Town Meeting can consider if we want to do a grant as well.

Dave Nordgren did the negotiations for contractors and got a good deal, but everyone is free to choose their own contractor.

The question was raised about possibly having an initiative for the Town Meadow – there are lots of standing dead trees – and joining the chipping effort.  Susan suggested we get Ryan up here to evaluate this idea.  Steffi thinks we should focus on thinning for mitigation and not just for eyesores if they are not a fire hazard.

 

Historic Gold Hill – Edie reports that we are working on the Calendar for 2013, which helps support the Museum, and this is your big opportunity to be published!  Submit pictures, poems drawings, etc., to Gretchen  gretchend@nullmac.com for the committee’s consideration.  Addendum: if you live here and want to be on the birthday page, also contact Gretchen.

 

Mining – John is now on the Historic Preservation Board and a woman from the Colorado Department of Mine Safety gave a presentation to them on sealing mineshafts and adits.  It’s a long-term program and we do have a lot of holes/shafts around here.

 

Gold Hill School – Chrissy reports that they just got off Spring Break – the play was just before break and went very well.  Two months to go!  Graduation is May 24 and three students will graduate.  They had the Read-a-Thon (three days of reading adventures around town) and raised money for the Ranch.  They were supposed to get new windows, but that is probably not happening – the estimates were deemed unrealistic for the budget – but they are planning to fix the front steps.

They now have a new custodian and she is WONDERFUL!  Her name is Sherry Spitz and she’s from Ward.

For Colorado History Day, they will be going to the Colorado History Museum. The end of the year trip for the older students will be to the Comanche Grasslands and Bent’s Fort with Don Brookhart as their tour guide.

Sue put together an “insect view” – it’s a zoo!  Lots of bugs – gross but cool!

As far as the budget, there is very little money, but the PTO keeps them rolling, mainly with the Fall Fiesta.

Enrollment for next year will probably be around 30 – 3 are graduating and possibly they might have 6 new kindergarteners.

 

OLD BUSINESS

            Treasurer Adriana brought up the idea of investing some of the town money as well as thinking a little bit about the future – maybe considering some bigger mission.  This money is sitting in the bank not earning anything and some people are doing things like photovoltaic projects in small communities.  Does anyone have any ideas or want to get together with Adriana to think of possible proposals?  She will put out a simple survey to see if she can gather interest and move forward.  The intention of the donors to the Fire Fund was for the benefit of Gold Hill.  Do we want to consider any fire victims still in need?  Do we want to work toward more wildfire mitigation/community preparedness?  Laci brought up the Garmin Bank and micro financing.

 

NEW BUSINESS

Announcements

            Ryan Ludlow will be presenting Wildfire Mitigation Training for Homeowners here on April 25 from 6:30 – 8:30 and in Allenspark on Wednesday, May 23, 6-7:30 p.m.
 at the Allenspark Community Forestry Sort Yard, 8170 Highway 7

Town clean up will be Sunday, June 24^th.

Switzerland Trail and shooting – Steffi reports that there has been a big increase in shooting over the past 5 years and now that the Lefthand shooting area is closed we may see more.  She and other neighbors have several areas of concern: 1) safety, especially while hiking – she has been caught in gunfire herself, 2) fire hazard – more than one fire has been started by ricocheting bullets recently, and 3) trash left behind.  The rules are: No shooting within 150 yards of residences, buildings, campsites, developed recreation sites or occupied areas or across or on a Forest Development road of adjacent body of water or in any manner or place where any person or property is exposed to injury or damage as a result of such discharge.  Cardboard, etc., targets are required and no open containers of alcohol are permitted.  Laci pointed out that with high-powered rifles, bullets can travel more than 150 yards.        Steffi calls the County Sheriff’s office and the USFS when she sees the rules being ignored, takes pictures of the trash and includes them in emails and encourages others to do the same.

Kris reported that there is a meeting in Jamestown Thursday night to address this and other issues and that she, Steffi, and others could attend.  It was also suggested that people could form a “friends of the Switzerland trail” and patrol and speak with shooters about the rules and possible dangers to others.

Adriana went to a forum at the World Affairs Conference and reported that management of public lands is severely underfunded and that civic action – going to the BLM or USFS with an organized group and asking what kinds of partnerships we can form – could be a good way to approach it.          What about signs?

 

Safelink – Deb reminded people to let your Neighborlink leaders (Deb, Teresa Robertson, Dina Elder, Gretchen) know if there is anything that you’d like to change on your form and now is the time to sign up if you haven’t.  Please let us know if you’ll be able to house or support people evacuated to Gold Hill in an emergency.

Insecta Invasion – Our small group of singers is performing again – contact Deb for times.

Welcome Bucket – Deb and Caroline Oxley will bring a sample to the next Town Meeting.  The Gold Hill Club is donating some money to support this project.

Gold Hill T-Shirts – there are still some available – contact Deb.

Community Emergency Preparedness Meeting will be Wednesday, April 11^th here at 7:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,  Gretchen Diefenderfer