Here are the proposed by law changes and additions being considered on Monday night.

Bylaw Amendments being considered at the 6-9-25 GHTM

Article II: Membership Proposed Addition

Section B, Membership Voting Procedures: 

The GHTM shall establish procedures and methods to ensure that only eligible members participate in elections, that all members are properly notified of the election, and that the nomination and voting processes, including all relevant deadlines, are clearly communicated in advance.

Election procedures may allow for voting to take place over a period of up to three (3) days and are not required to occur during the annual meeting.

The Town Council shall determine the methods of voting, which may include any combination of:

• In-person voting by show of hands or written ballot;
• Absentee voting by written ballot;
• Voting by electronic means

Article III: Members Meetings Proposed Addition

Section G, Parliamentary Authority and Meeting Procedures: 

The GHTM shall establish procedures for conducting meetings in an orderly, inclusive manner that encourages good faith participation and respectful conduct. These procedures may be documented in writing or stated orally during a meeting.

In the absence of written procedures adopted by the GHTM, the general principles of Robert’s Rules of Ordershall apply, unless they conflict with the GHTM’s bylaws or any special or standing rules. The Chair, or the facilitating Town Council member, shall determine whether such a conflict exists and how to proceed.

Article V: Town Council  Proposed Addition

New Section, Cause for Removal: 

A Town Council member may be removed if the member is ineligible to serve or the GHTM determines that the their continued service is inconsistent with the best interests of the organization.

Examples of conduct that may be considered inconsistent with the organization’s best interests include, but are not limited to:

• Excessive unexcused absences from GHTM meetings;
• Serious violations of organizational policies;
• Conduct that brings disrepute to the organization; or
• Disruptive behavior during meetings.

*****Article V: Town Council Proposed Addition       NOT BEING CONSIDERED 6-9-25

Section I, Authorities and Responsibilities of the GHTM Town Council:

The Town Council has the authority and responsibility to make administrative and business-related decisions essential to the ongoing management of the nonprofit. Organizational decisions shall be made by a quorum of Town Council members.

These authorities and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Representing the GHTM in interactions with county officials, donors, community partners, and other external organizations to advocate for the organization’s interests and needs;
• Overseeing website maintenance, marketing efforts, and community communications;
• Purchasing merchandise and organizing fundraising activities;
• Authorizing and supporting GHTM committees;
• Establishing and enforcing the organization’s policies and procedures;
• Applying for grants and managing grant-related obligations;
• Entering into contracts, leases, or agreements necessary to advance the organization’s mission;
• Acquiring, managing, improving, encumbering, or disposing of real or personal property;
• Managing the organization’s financial resources and overseeing financial transactions;
• Securing insurance and indemnifying officers, agents, employees, and independent contractors for liabilities arising from their work on behalf of the organization; and
• Taking any other lawful action in the best interest of the organization..

Article VI: Committees

Section A, Purpose: Proposed Changes

The Town Council may establish both standing and temporary committees to support the fulfillment of its mission and duties.

Committee leaders are authorized to make strategic and financial decisions consistent with the committee’s charter and the intended use of designated funds. They are responsible for maintaining accurate financial records and any other required documentation related to their programs, and for providing these materials to the Chair and Treasurer as needed.

Committee leaders shall report to the Town Council upon request and provide regular updates at general membership meetings.

Section A, 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. 

Article VI: Committees

Section B, Creation: Proposed Changes

To establish a committee, the Town Council must approve a committee charter that includes, at a minimum:

• The name of the committee;
• A general description of its purpose, duties, and scope of authority;
• The process for selecting committee members and identifying leadership;
• A statement regarding membership eligibility (unless otherwise specified in the charter, committees may include individuals who are not members of the GHTM);
• The committee’s reporting structure, including to whom it is accountable;
• The expected duration or term of the committee (e.g., standing or ad hoc); and
• Any additional guidance or direction the Town Council deems appropriate.

Section B, 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.

Article VI: Committees

Section C, Cemetery Committee:

Before the Gold Hill Town Meeting incorporated, the Cemetery Committee existed independently.  The Cemetery Committee shall remain autonomous in expenditures from its funds.

Section C, Cemetery Committee: Proposed Changes

Section C: Standing Committees

Standing committees of the GHTM operate with a level of autonomy distinct from other committees. They are not subject to charter amendments or dissolution by the Town Council and retain independent authority over the management of their designated funds.

The GHTM’s standing committees include:

• The Cemetery Committee

Article VII: Financials

Section B, Financial Oversight and Budget Adjustments: Proposed Changes

All checks, drafts, notes, and similar financial instruments shall be signed and executed on behalf of the GHTM by Town Council members who are authorized signatories of the Corporation.

Once the annual budget has been approved, any adjustment to a committee’s allocated funds from the town’s general budget shall require approval from the relevant Committee Chair. Committees may spend their designated funds at their discretion, provided expenditures align with the committee’s stated mission and purpose.

The Treasurer is authorized to adjust non-committee operating budget allocations as necessary to meet the evolving needs of conducting GHTM business.

Section B, 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.

Article VII: Financials

Section C, Deposits: Proposed Changes

All funds of the GHTM shall be deposited in accounts held at banks, trust companies, or other financial institutions designated by the Town Council.

Section C, 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.  

Article VII: Financials

Section D, Grants & Gifts: Proposed Changes

The Town Council may accept contributions, grants, gifts, or bequests on behalf of the Corporation. All grants awarded to the Gold Hill Town Meeting must be approved by the Town Council and deposited into the GHTM’s account. The Treasurer, in collaboration with the designated grant executor, shall oversee the management of grant funds, including spending and required reporting.

Donations to the GHTM shall be allocated to specific committees or budget line items according to the donor’s stated intent. Undesignated donations shall be accepted and used for general operating expenses.

Section D, 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.

Report on GHTM 5-12- 25 suggested Bylaw revisions

by Gretchen Diefenderfer

A few Members of the Town Council have been advocating for updating the GHTM bylaws for some time.  The first group of amendments consisted mainly of cleaning up language and clarifying terms.  The second group, presented at the May Town Meeting, are more extensive and I think it’s important for us to look at the effects these suggestions for revising our bylaws will have on our Town Meeting as it has served us for so many years.  Our bylaws, as  amended so far this year, are on our town website, goldhilltown.com,  click on What is the Gold Hill Town Meeting  on the left (https://goldhilltown.com/what-it-is/).  To review our previous bylaws as approved 12-14-2020, before these changes, please contact me and I’ll send them.

To see all the latest proposed changes, go to Google Apps by clicking on the box of dots in the upper R corner of the Google page, then selecting Drive, then on the left click home and you will see it  https://drive.google.com/drive/home

At our May 12 GHTM,  Chrissy presented this next round of proposed changes.

Article II: Membership Proposed Addition    

Section B, Membership Voting Procedures: 

The GHTM shall establish procedures and methods to ensure that only eligible members participate in elections, that all members are properly notified of the election and that the nomination and voting processes—including all relevant deadlines—are clearly communicated in advance.

Election procedures may allow for voting to take place over a period of up to three (3) days and are not required to occur during the annual meeting.

The Town Council shall determine the methods of voting, which may include any combination of:

• In-person voting by show of hands or written ballot;
• Absentee voting by written ballot;
• Voting by electronic means

This generated quite a bit of discussion.  Do we want to provide for absentee voting?  (And how would that work?)  And, do we want the Town Council to decide on this or the Town Meeting to?  Here we are presented with the underlying, core change being proposed – that the Town Council should have a great deal of decision making authority and responsibility versus the Town Meeting, which has been a very basic Democracy with fundamental decision making authority resting with the Town Meeting as a whole for years and years.

Who can vote, From the last Bylaws, approved 12-13-2020

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.

#2  This was to accommodate the summer people who were not full-time residents, but were always involved in the affairs of Gold Hill, so that they could vote when they were here.  There has always been a residency requirement.

Next, with Proposed Article V, we hit on the core question again.  It’s big, it’s totally a new bylaw, and will affect us all – do we want to continue as a basic democracy, with decisions being made by town residents, or do we want to change the entire structure of our town government to be more like an HOA?  When big issues have hit the town, there has always been extensive discussion, sometimes petitions and/or surveys taken to determine the consensus.  Smaller issues have then been delegated to specific people, or a specific council member, to handle.  This authority and responsibility has notautomatically rested with the town council, but with town members.

Article V: Town Council Proposed Addition

Section I, Authorities and Responsibilities of the GHTM Town Council:

The Town Council has the authority and responsibility to make administrative and business-related decisions essential to the ongoing management of the nonprofit. Organizational decisions shall be made by a quorum of Town Council members.

These authorities and responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Representing the GHTM in interactions with county officials, donors, community partners, and other external organizations to advocate for the organization’s interests and needs;
• Overseeing website maintenance, marketing efforts, and community communications;
• Purchasing merchandise and organizing fundraising activities;
• Authorizing and supporting GHTM committees;
• Establishing and enforcing the organization’s policies and procedures;
• Applying for grants and managing grant-related obligations;
• Entering into contracts, leases, or agreements necessary to advance the organization’s mission;
• Acquiring, managing, improving, encumbering, or disposing of real or personal property;
• Managing the organization’s financial resources and overseeing financial transactions;
• Securing insurance and indemnifying officers, agents, employees, and independent contractors for liabilities arising from their work on behalf of the organization; and
• Taking any other lawful action in the best interest of the organization.

Please consider this carefully.  This will come up for a vote at our June 9 GHTM.  If you have not been attending Town Meetings, this would be an important one to consider attending.  It will be Zoom as well as in person.

CDPHE wants your ticks! We have about 30 different species of ticks in Colorado, the most common are the Rocky Mountain wood tick and the American dog tick. Help us track ticks, their geographic distribution, and tick-borne diseases in our state by visiting CDPHE’s website and submitting a tick.

Your Mountain Stewards at work!  Mitigation and preparedness happenings in June, plus a fundraising trail running race, and File of Life handouts

Come join Gold Hill’s Community Pride Parade on Saturday, June 14, 2025!  Costumes, flags, songs, fun.  

Here’s the latest flyer for your information.  We do still need some volunteers!  If you have a couple of hours to donate to the clean up effort, it would be greatly appreciated <3

2025 Spring Clean Up

Saturday, May 31, 2025

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Bluebird Lodge parking lot.

For all within the Town Meeting boundaries 

DIVERSION is the focus again this year. Boulder County is a great support for our diversion/recycling efforts, but does not fund trash disposal.  We will be getting two dumpsters for trash and we will have to pay for them (roll off fee is $703.40 per container), so we will need to charge (rate sheet at the end). 

Four Dumpsters will arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m – 2 for junk/trash (we will need to collect a fee for trash and donations for the diversion stuff), one for metal, one for wood – slash and general wood/lumber as in the past.  Please don’t come with stuff earlier than 9:00. 

***And, yes, please, we need volunteers to help!***

To volunteer, please contact me, Gretchen Diefenderfer, at gretchend@nullmac.com  (303-442-3847). Thank You!

DIVERSION –  see http://www.ecocycle.org/charm for what you can take there and costs

Styrofoam  – #6 White Block Foam only (often referred to as Styrofoam; NO shipping labels on foam, packing peanuts, “Styrofoam” (polystyrene) cups, “to-go” boxes, meat trays or any other food-grade foam, moisture, or tape)

Household hazardous waste (HHW)

            Motor Oil, Antifreeze

           Car batteries

            Paint – latex and oil based

            As many of the following materials as our County helper, Michal, can fit in her pickup truck.  Then she will take them down to CHaRM at the end of the event:

• Mattresses, Box Springs
• e-waste
• block Styrofoam

METAL Container – No liquids  – No tires on rims (just rims are ok!) – No batteries – No paint cans with paint still in them.  We will NOT take fridges, or tires this year.  Wire fencing and barbed wire are ok.

 WOOD Container – No chemically treated wood including stain or paint – No nails in the wood (although a few seem to be ok, just not an excessive amount) – No particleboard.  Slash is ok – no longer than 18” (be judicious with this – there is only one dumpster and it can’t take a forest of slash) 

        TRASH  Containers  – junk – No recyclables!  We need to pay for this and will need to charge for trash. We also request donations for the diversion items.  Please remember that it would be much more expensive to take a truckload to the dump or to Nederland (trash taken to Nederland is charged $16 per cubic yard – see https://bouldercounty.gov/environment/trash/nederland-transfer-and-recycle/#1601564428438-33e156fc-5926 for their fees).

         $5 per large trash bag

            $20  per car, van, or SUV (less for just a few things)

            $35 per pick-up truck or trailer full

            $35 – 40 per vehicle with trailer

 Repurposing – We encourage people to bring stuff that others might want.  Be prepared to pick these items up if no one wants them, or for them to go into the dumpsters.  We will take some stuff down to donate in Boulder, either to second hand stores or to Resource Central – would love volunteers to help with this.

 Any propane bottles must be vented and this means the entire top mechanism must be removed.  Just opening it does not suffice. We made this mistake once and it cost us

It’s amazing how much stuff piles up!  This is your chance to clear that stuff out!

And, yes, please, we need volunteers to help –  please contact me, Gretchen, at gretchend@nullmac.com or 303-442-3847    THANK YOU!

On May 27, 2025, at 2:04 PM, Coker, Max <Max.Coker@nullmail.house.gov> wrote:

Coffee with your Congressman at Gold Hill Store, 1:40pm – 2:15pm

Hello Gold Hill Town Council,

First of all, my most sincere apologies at the last minute nature of this invitation.

Congressman Neguse will be in Gold Hill tomorrow from 1:40pm-2:15pm for a coffee with your Congressman event. Really just an open house for folks to meet and ask any questions or voice any concerns they have, and we would love to have any of you who is available there.

Additionally, is there any way we could blast this out on the town email list? Thank you so much!

Max

Contact me with questions.  Hope to see you there on Monday June 2, 5:30 pm

Val

Val   vjcrist@nullhotmail.com

Hello Everyone,

Huge thank you for today’s engrossing meeting to Boyd and Leslie for a great presentation on Gold Hill Emergency Preparation and Val on Advance Care Planning and to Val and Leslie with Ota for working hard and long to get the Zoom going.

From Boyd’s presentation: get your Emergency Buddy system going with neighbors, family, friends, and let Deb Yeager know who they are.

For information on Advance Care Planning in Colorado, including forms and where to go for guided help through the forms, click here: 

• Advance Healthcare Planning for Emergency Preparedness: with fewer healthcare services up here, mountain residents focus on planning article 

For more information on how to do Advance Health Care Planning, this is a dynamite, popular site: The Conversation Project . 

These links can help you make your wishes known to your individual healthcare agent–a family member or a close friend who will advocate for what means most to you. Make your wishes known while you can. Get these forms filled out so your doctors and family and friends know clearly what means most to you. This is a huge gift to ourselves and to our family if we ever lose the ability to communicate!

And fill out the File of Life and stick it on your fridge (those who didn’t attend the meeting today can get the form in June at the GH Fire Mitigation Festival June 15-16.)

This is a gift to ourselves and to our family not to mention the EMTs and Firefighters who serve our community (us), who want to know what matters most to you in terms of treating you if they are called to your home via 911.

Thank you,

Pam for the group

pamsher123@nullgmail.com

GHTM Meeting Minutes May 12, 2025

We used the same programs as the April meeting, then Kelly added her minutes into the AI generated minutes.

 

Next Town Meeting will be Monday, June 9, 2025, 7:00 pm 

Zoom Recording:

https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/xNtcGOFNxVDMWmcfNYVF2iL378_P8iHTEsDOgjmVKgFmwqtNwTA_BuBWzpMCGDlZ.3ioTjSa3GDOtQaGD?startTime=1747098357000

Passcode: V54wC0@@

Bylaw Presentation:

Proposed Bylaw Changes Updated 3-25

Otter AI Summary, Transcript, Audio:

https://otter.ai/u/HrXZJKIAMONIfHNOvQDIYdquMFM?tab=chat&view=summary

Otter AI Summary Hard Copy:

Christine’s Meeting Notes

Transcript

https://otter.ai/u/HrXZJKIAMONIfHNOvQDIYdquMFM?view=summary

The purpose of the meeting was to review 10 remaining articles; those highlighted in red. There would be no committee reports or review of previous minutes, as this is a special meeting dedicated only to the article review. 

The meeting focused on amending the bylaws of the Gold Hill Town Meeting. Key points included the need for clear voting procedures, with a motion to approve Article 8, Section C passing 9-0. Discussions covered the addition of in-person and electronic voting methods, the establishment of parliamentary authority, and the removal of town council members for ineligibility or disruptive behavior. The town council’s authority to make decisions without a vote was debated, with a consensus to revisit this in June. The meeting also addressed the creation and oversight of committees, financial management, and the acceptance of grants and donations.

Action Items

• [ ] Call neighbors and encourage them to attend the June meeting to provide input on the bylaw changes.
• [ ] Prepare for the June meeting to discuss and potentially vote on the remaining bylaw amendments.

Outline

Technical Difficulties and Initial Setup

• Rick Scheingold and Christine Maedke discuss initial technical issues with audio and video setup.
• Dan Maedke tests the volume and discusses the need for adjustments.
• Christine Maedke mentions the need to count the chickens and adjust the screen settings.
• Dan Maedke confirms the setup and mentions the need for a quorum to proceed with the meeting.

Discussion on Meeting Attendance and Agenda

• Elon Bar-Evan comments on the lack of attendance and the focus on bylaws.
• Rick Scheingold notes the special meeting agenda is focused on bylaws.
• Dan Maedke mentions the projector and the need to address the crowd’s concerns.
• Leslie Finn and Rick Scheingold discuss the need for a quorum and the number of required members.

AI Minutes and Voting Procedures

• Gretchen requests human notes instead of AI-generated minutes.
• Christine Maedke explains the editable nature of AI-generated minutes.
• Leslie Finn and Gretchen discuss the potential costs and benefits of using AI for minutes.
• Rick Scheingold and Dan Maedke discuss the need for a human note-taker and the possibility of recording the meeting.

Bylaws Amendments and Voting Procedures

• This is article II within the new bylaws. 
• Christine Maedke introduces the first amendment for voting on bylaws.
• Leslie Finn makes a motion to approve Article 8, Section C, which is seconded by Gretchen.
• Dan Maedke confirms the vote results and moves on to the next amendment.
• Christine Maedke introduces a proposed addition to the bylaws regarding membership voting procedures.

Discussion on Voting Methods and Procedures

• Elon Bar-Evan questions the definition of in-person voting.
• John Hatlelid suggests including electronic means in the voting options.
• Christine Maedke clarifies the intention to allow for digital voting. The changes made to ‘method’ of voting, now includes in person or absentee ballot, voting by electronic means, and any combination of these. This would be inclusive of voting by Zoom. This allows us to diversify ways to vote, outside of just usually scheduled town meetings (which don’t always work for some town members’ schedules).
• Gretchen expresses concerns about absentee ballots and the need for clear procedures.
• Lelsie Finn asked if we ever clearly defined “membership”
• Elon noted the addition of absentee ballots is helpful for those who work irregular schedules such as emergency service providers, who cant make the regular meetings. 
• Dan Recapped that tonight is just about reviewing and discussion; the end vote on many of these will be in June. 

Parliamentary Authority and Meeting Procedures

• This is article III in the Bylaws
• Christine Maedke introduces a proposed addition regarding parliamentary authority and meeting procedures.
• Leslie Finn recalls using Robert’s Rules of Order in the past.
• Rick Scheingold and Christine Maedke discuss the need for clear procedures for meetings.
• Christine Maedke introduces a proposed addition regarding the removal of town council members.

Authorities and Responsibilities of the Town Council

• This is article V in the Bylaws
• Christine Maedke introduces a proposed addition regarding the authorities and responsibilities of the town council. Also noting-
  • This is where we keep running into gray area. It is not written clearly what the Town Council has authority to do or not do. 
  • The increasing level of responsibilities create liability for Council members, so they also need some level of autonomy to make decisions. 
  • There’s no clear distinction on what actions do/ don’t require a town vote. 
• Gretchen expresses concerns about the town council having too much authority.
• Leslie Finn and Dan Maedke discuss the need for clear guidelines for urgent decisions. Leslie also noted, this is the area you’re always going to run into pushback, the town doesn’t want to see this going the way of allowing the Council to make decisions without discussion in the larger Town Meeting. 
• Dan Maedke responded, the intention is not to take away key discussions and voting within the Town Meeting. It’s simply to allow for quicker decisions when there is urgency. 
• Elon requested we have more outlining of what constitutes an “urgent situation”, so we know the instances where Council might make their own decisions. 
• Leslie agreed that what they truly want is just a ‘heads up’ of some form, when the Council needs to make a decision on their own. This should at bare minimum be communicated somehow to town members. 
• Dan Maedke responded that we could clearly outline the circumstances which might qualify for a quick decision, and the required steps to communicate this to town. 
• It was suggested that this section sounds like the Council is looking for a clear ‘scope of practice’ and without that, there is a dangerously ambiguous role with too much liability for Council members. 
• Chrissy mentioned that with the liability issue for Council members need to have authority to move things forward. We could talk more about what due diligence means when determining the means under which this would apply. 
• Maggie Simms suggested we have a longer discussion just about this Bylaw, as she has differing opinions on each bullet point. Many agreed, we should walk through this one bullet by bullet. 
• John Hatlelid highlights the importance of protecting the town council from liability.

Committees and Financial Oversight

• This is Article VI and VII in the Bylaws. It outlines the authority and oversight of Committees, especially as it relates to having autonomy in spending decisions based on their allocated budget. 
• Christine Maedke introduces a proposed addition regarding the purpose and authority of committees.
• Dan Maedke discusses the need for clear financial oversight and budget adjustments.
• Christine Maedke explains the importance of clear financial records and oversight.
• Dan Maedke introduces a proposed addition regarding the acceptance and management of grants and donations.
• Other sections of the Article designate the difference between a Standing Committee versus a short term Ad hoc committee. The financial bylaw protects the budgets of Standing Committees, but allows the Town Treasurer the ability to move undesignated funds around to fulfill other obligations. 
  • Virginia noted- this is a helpful section, so people know what we’re signing up for when we accept funds. 

Article VIII: Regarding Amendments was reviewed for a vote. 

• Gretchen made a motion to approve. 
• Leslie Finn 2nd. 
• 9 votes were made in favor 
• 0 were opposed. 

Final Thoughts and Next Steps

• Christine Maedke and Dan Maedke discuss the need for further discussions on bylaws and responsibilities.
  • Council members requested that town reviews the Bylaws on Town Council Authority and come prepared to make suggestions on edits in the June meeting. This is a difficult one that we just need to continue working through. 
• Virginia Schultz suggests including a requirement for the town council to approve grants.
• Maggie Simms and Gretchen1 discuss the need for clear guidelines for committee activities.
• Dan Maedke emphasizes the importance of transparency and clear procedures for decision-making.

Meeting Adjournment

• Rick Scheingold moves to adjourn the meeting.
• John Hatlelid seconds the motion.
• Dan Maedke confirms the motion and adjourns the meeting.

GHFPD Board Meeting, Monday, May 19, 2025

         Minutes by Gretchen Diefenderfer

The meeting was called to order by President Kent Cogill at 7:10.  Present were board members Kent, Max Yeager, Chris Dirolf, Jess Brookhart, and Boyd Brown, community members Leslie Finn and Gretchen Diefenderfer.  Attending by Zoom were Val Crist, Chief Rich Caudill, and Steffi Wilson.

MINUTES – The last meeting was recorded and Jess is looking into getting that into AI minutes

FIRE CHIEF’S MINUTES –  Chief Rich Caudill

Operational needs – Rich reports that he met with a representative from Lumen (CenturyLink) to look at our options for setting up battery back up for our communications when our electricity goes down.

Training – Great one with Sunshine last Saturday.  Asst Chief Greg Buis practiced managing the attack on a wildland fire.

Maintenance –

Rich and Max are evaluating generator pads – concrete? steel?  Needs to be 24” x 48” and approx. 2’ above grade on gravel for drainage.

            Jeff Bishop of Bishop Electric will be doing a big upgrade of the whole station to get it up to snuff – including going from 100 amps to 200 – and Max is getting him the paperwork/permits.

            Garage Door – Max reports unmanageable communications dealing with Primos and is looking elsewhere – likely Northern Overhead.

Equipment Needs –

            Few items needed for the brush truck – tire chains are huge and will probably cost $500-600/pair.  Max recommends Tire Chains R Us – sell delivered.  Seat covers – Leslie suggested Carhart.  Rich will be checking.

Recruitment –

            Still working on minimum standards and considering different levels of volunteering – not decided yet.

            Aiden Bicknell will be on the roster for the summer and then back to Alaska.  Red /Card, EMT, Wildland Fire certified.  Will be available when in town.  When finishes school, coming back to CO.   Boyd had a long conversation with Chief O’Brien about out of district on the roster,  O’Brien will get with Rich to discuss.

            Kent askes if roster and radio numbers are up to date – mostly – some changes may still occur.  Rich is 5460, Greg 5461, Dave Sturtz 5462.  Dispatch tracks the 60s.

Infrastructure –

            Max reports we have the new fireplug for the cistern west of town and he needs to hear from Jesse Farmer about timing for installation.  He will take the old timbers to the Town Clean Up dumpsters if we won’t use them.

            Replacement tank in back of barn – would be potable water.   Rich thinks we can fit between 750-850 gal. tank – looking at grants – probably cost $1500 – $2000.  State Health and Safety grants ran out last year, but Federal grants should open up this year.

OPERATIONAL READINESS

Capital Replacement Plan –

New Station – Planning committee on hold until late fall when more projects completed.  Max reports that he’s spoken With Amber at Land Use and they want to help.  The 35 acre minimum lot size seems firm.  (Max corrected the New Station report and the State Mandated 35 acre minimum lot size.  Land Use could peel off a smaller parcel (i.e., for a new station), but not if it makes the larger parcel less than 35 acres.

Budget – Jess reports signatures for audit exemption form are done.  Bank wants a different form to get Rich on the account – maybe this week.  She’s just waiting on the Tax ID number clarification.

Vehicles – Max reports that after our expenditure of $6000, 5404 should be good for years.

            New truck – estimated delivery is November.  Max will continue with Ace Services  (CORRECTED TO ACERTUS) on delivery. 

They will want logo by end of July.  Jess will send out mock ups of the Maltese ‘Cross incorporating our old truck logo for consideration by volunteers.  Kent will follow up.

            Radios will be ordered tomorrow thanks to Val and Dave Sturtz’s hard work.  Should cost $5000 to $5500.  Will use the new VHF radio in the station in that truck.  Plus, we have old Motorolas and will need new programable ones if we ever choose to send that truck out on missions

Inventory – nothing new

General –

            Evacuation Plan updates – all done per Boyd.

            Ashram and community fire wood opportunities – Boyd’s been working with Ben Markle and the wood at Tone’s will be cut in lengths.  Ashram wood probably be available in the spring.

            Clarification on ISO rating – Rich reports Indian Peaks, Sunshine, Fourmile all will be getting together with the ISO adjuster regarding an upgrade within 1000’ of a hydrant.  Will revisit the criteria and will have test with relay.  There has also been improvement with all the wildfire risk reduction work to consider, too.

            Looking into Smoke and CO detectors to disburse – maybe partner with GHTM for some direct purchase discount.  Maybe coordinate with new truck delivery.

Administrative – We want to express our appreciation to the people at Marv’s, especially Brandon Rheinsmith for being so helpful to us – getting us vehicles to practice extrication and putting out fires as well responding up here in difficult situations (Lickskillet) with a plaque.  Leslie will take the lead – maybe at the Inn.

OTHER BUSINESS –

Grants – Kris Gibson is working on a Subway grant for GIS.

Signage – Rich is meeting with the Sheriff regarding signage for fire restrictions in the district.

Collaboration – CWPP – Chris Dirolf reports that GHFPD, Sunshine, and Fourmile have applied to the National Forest Foundation for a grant of $121,625.00 for new standardized signage, an Emergency Call Box, as well as a lot of other stuff.

Website – Jess reports it needs some work keeping it updated.

Community Events/Fundraising

            Mitigation Festival – Boyd reports that it starts June 14,15th and includes handing out the File of Life as well as Teens, Inc. coming up for a couple of weeks to help with home hardening, weed whacking, Wildfire Partners providing information, and includes the Sunset Run on the 22^nd, the proceeds of which benefit the town.  The big goal is to start the process of figuring out how to keep our mitigation work current.

            Fourth of July – Leslie volunteered to run it. There are always lots of volunteers to help. Joanne Cole has already gone to work getting a bunch of donations.

Swearing In of New (old) Members – Chris Dirolf and Boyd Brown were officially sworn in as Board Members.

Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Acting Secretary

Memorial Day Mountin’ Mountain Hike

 

All mountain folk are invited to year #27 of the annual and beloved Mountin-Mountain ~10k hike.  It’s our funky mountain version of the larger, more crowded walk in Boulder that day.

Start time is 9:30 a.m. on Monday, May 26, and the start point is where CR 52 meets the Peak-to Peak. Carpoolers can meet in front of the Inn at 9 a.m.  

 

Food donations and your camp chairs may be dropped off at the “there’s no SAG wagon this year” site– hosted by David and Maggie — enroute to the start point.  The SAG wagon is in for repairs, but we’ll meet at the normal place where CR 52 meets the Switzerland Trail.  You’ll probably see a table or two in that area.  Chairs will not be provided, so drop off your own when you’re enroute to

the start point.  David and Maggie will transport chairs back to their home at 390 Hill St after the hike.

 

Participants walk, skip, run or board at their own pace. Be sure to bring plenty of water and layers in the event of inclement weather.  The Mountin’ Mountain will happen rain or shine.  Cuz we’re hardy mountain folk.

Questions may be directed to Pam Leland, Becky Martinek or Maggie Simms.

 

 

Gold Hill Town Meeting

Monday, 7:00 p.m. May 12th, 2025 ____________________________________________________________________

In Person @ Gold Hill School & Zoom Virtual Meeting .

Dan Maedke is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Join Zoom Meeting https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87190850685?pwd=40kZ9fbzLZkfasSmpz2osvbls62AQT.1

Meeting ID: 871 9085 0685
Passcode: 214360 ____________________________________________________________________

Proposed By-Law Changes (Chrissy)

1. These are new proposed by-law changes as we continue to bring our non-profit

into good standing.  Link to proposed changes   https://docs.google.com/document/d/1xqmrzzSVcZJh0Gy7xI8xsk3TOwACl3hK6OhvX4sJ28Q/edit?tab=t.0

1. This is your opportunity to bring questions and concerns up for discussion.

Upcoming Events

1. Town Clean-up – May 31st
2. Wildfire Mitigation Festival June 14-15th
3. Teens Inc June 16-19th
4. Sunset Trail Running Festival June 22nd

____________________________________________________________________

Next Gold Hill Town Meeting: June 9^th, 7pm ________________________________________

A Spiritual Retreat will be taking place over the the next week adjacent to the Ashram property.   The organizer stopped by the fire station and we discussed regulations surrounding ceremonial fires.  They have a very good plan in place for conducting, monitoring and extinguishing the fires.  They will have assigned persons responsible for watching the fires and will have extinguishing capability at the fire site.  There will be smoke odors associated with the ceremonial fires.  
Rich Caudill
Fire Chief

2025 Spring Clean Up

Saturday, May 31, 2025

9 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the Bluebird Lodge parking lot.

For all within the Town Meeting boundaries 

DIVERSION is the focus again this year. Boulder County is a great support for our diversion/recycling efforts, but does not fund trash disposal.  We will be getting two dumpsters for trash and we will have to pay for them, so we will need to charge (rate sheet at the end). 

Four Dumpsters will arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. – 2 for junk/trash (we will need to collect a fee for trash and donations for the diversion stuff), one for metal, one for wood – slash and general wood/lumber as in the past.  Please don’t come with stuff earlier than 9:00. 

***And, yes, please, we need volunteers to help!***

To volunteer, please contact me, Gretchen Diefenderfer, at gretchend@nullmac.com  (303-442-3847). Thank You!

DIVERSION –  see http://www.ecocycle.org/charm for what you can take there and costs

Styrofoam  – #6 White Block Foam only (often referred to as Styrofoam; NO shipping labels on foam, packing peanuts, “Styrofoam” (polystyrene) cups, “to-go” boxes, meat trays or any other food-grade foam, moisture, or tape)

Household hazardous waste (HHW)

            Motor Oil, Antifreeze

           Car batteries

            Paint – latex and oil based

METAL Container – No liquids – No fridges – No tires on rims (just rims are ok!) – No batteries – No paint cans with paint still in them.  We will NOT take fridges, electronics, or tires this year.  Wire fencing and barbed wire are ok

 WOOD Container – No chemically treated wood including stain or paint – No nails in the wood (although a few seem to be ok, just not an excessive amount) – No particleboard.  Slash is ok – no longer than 18” (be judicious with this – there is only one dumpster and it can’t take a forest of slash) 

        TRASH  Containers  – junk – No recyclables!  We need to pay for this and will need to charge for trash. We also request donations for the diversion items.  Please remember that it would be much more expensive to take a truckload to the dump or to Nederland (trash taken to Nederland is charged $16 per cubic yard – see https://bouldercounty.gov/environment/trash/nederland-transfer-and-recycle/#1601564428438-33e156fc-5926 for their fees).

         $5 per large trash bag

            $20  per car, van, or SUV (less for just a few things)

            $35 per pick-up truck or trailer full

            $35 – 40 per vehicle with trailer

 Repurposing – We encourage people to bring stuff that others might want.  Be prepared to pick these items up if no one wants them, or for them to go into the dumpsters.  We will take some stuff down to donate in Boulder, either to second hand stores or to Resource Cenntral – would love volunteers to help with this.

 Any propane bottles must be vented and this means the entire top mechanism must be removed.  Just opening it does not suffice. We made this mistake once and it cost us

It’s amazing how much stuff piles up!  This is your chance to clear that stuff out!

And, yes, please, we need volunteers to help –  please contact me, Gretchen, at gretchend@nullmac.com or 303-442-3847    THANK YOU!

• Winter Weather Advisory in effect from May 6, 12:00 PM MDT until May 7, 06:00 AM MDT

 IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT FROM THE WARD TOWN MARSHAL, STEVE DAVIS – RE: 4th of July in Ward 

*** PRIVATE FIREWORKS WILL NO LONGER BE ALLOWED AT THE WARD BALLFIELD. PLEASE DO NOT BRING ILLEGAL FIREWORKS TO WARD. ***

Due to safety concerns and fire danger, we regret to announce that the Fireworks Battle and Bonfire at the Ward ballfield has been officially discontinued.

This decision was made by the residents of Ward through an official referendum vote in April 2025, in order to ensure the well-being of our community and visitors.

This decision will be upheld and enforced by the Ward Town Marshal. Local and professional security officers will be present to ensure the safety of the community.

*** BUT… THE TOWN OF WARD IS STILL PLANNING AWESOME EVENTS FOR THE 4TH OF JULY!! 🇺🇲

🎉 🍭 PARADE

📸 🤺 TOWN PHOTO

🎸🥁 LOCAL LIVE MUSIC

🍔🍗 TOWN BBQ

⚾🤸 SOFTBALL GAME

Stay tuned for more updates on the schedule of events. We appreciate your understanding and look forward to seeing you all this July 4th!! ❤️🤍💙

Thank you,

Steve Davis
Town of Ward Marshal

Hi all,

We’re having another Calendar meeting on Saturday.  We’re looking for more pictures from the 4th of July  last year, and anything else you’d like to proffer for consideration!  Also, last chance to get on the birthday page – let me know.  And, if you haven’t confirmed that you want your ad in the advertisements page, please do so now

Gretchen   gretchend@nullmac.com

YOU ARE INVITED, GOLD HILL COMMUNITY AND YOUR GUESTS to our Community Outreach for 2025.  Please plan on joining us on Friday, June 20^th at 5:30 pm at the Gold Hill History Museum for a cocktail party!  Come to the south yard of the museum prepared with some cash for a contest, great food and drink and the debut of our new items in our gift area.  We have a new long sleeve or short sleeve tee shirt, a new Bluebird ornament, and some great new note cards featuring the Bluebirds.  We also still have the Bluebird tea towel, apron, and tote bag and many other items.

Our guest speaker and presenter is Kayann Short, Ph.D. Author, A Bushel’s Worth: An Ecobiography who is currently completing a new book (coming 2026) on the subject of The Bluebirds.  She is specifically focusing on the early days of The Bluebirds in Gold Hill.  Her presentation will be from 7:00 pm for 45 minutes.

As always, this event is CLOSED to the public; however, if you are a resident of Gold Hill, you, your family and extended family and friends are welcome. Seating is limited and no food or drink is allowed inside the museum.

See you soon!  If you have any questions, please call 303 881 7665.

Debra Yeager