Notes on the Gold Hill Fire Protection District Board Meeting, June 21, 2012

By Gretchen Diefenderfer

Next board meeting is Thursday, July 19, 2012

Present were President Donal Maloney, Treasurer Gary Siemer, Rick Geesaman, Adriana Galue, and Chief Chris Finn as well as visitors, Debra Yeager, John Sand, and Gretchen Diefenderfer.

Donal called roll and Gary agreed to take minutes in Dave Sturtz’s absence.

Donal said that the focus of this first meeting as a new board is organizational.  The Fire conditions are critical – some of the worst this early in the year.  The board’s job is to facilitate the effective and safe response to this in conjunction with the chief.

Last month, the department, in conjunction with Sunshine and AMR, saved a life – the first one in his 10 years -.   He is very proud that past boards have instilled the ability to respond to an emergency of this kind.

Regarding the cistern easement issue, it’s really close to being finalized, per Chris.  Donal hasn’t been able to get in touch with Sue and Paul, but he will.

Minutes of the last meeting were passed around and approved.

OLD BUSINESS

Donal reported that all the legal notices, etc., that Dave Steinmann reported were necessary at the last meeting are up to date for the transition to the new board.  The transparency notice has been filed with the state and is up on the website.  It was suggested that it have its own menu tab and Adriana will do that.  Official notices have been submitted to the County Clerk’s office.

Website Update – Adriana reported that she completely redid the website and added links that she got from different rural departments that would be useful to us, posted the transparency notice, contact links, will put up some pictures that Chris will send to her, and re-did the mailing system (the announce list).  She changed the hosting, as the one we had used previously was not secure.  It is easy to move things around on the site.   Chris will be put as the contact for joining the department.  Adriana said that having a website can be very handy, especially in case of a disaster as well as establishing relationships with other departments, etc.

Donal reported that we have to be careful about how we make decisions – there are conditions concerning paying board members.  We need a detailed invoice and should have gotten bids.  Adriana will submit a detailed invoice for 24 hours of work at $35.00 an hour (she also donated more hours of research).  She suggested that they could get a quote from Angela Bowman who set up the Town website and from Boulder Digital Arts for due diligence.  Another cost was for Blue Host to host the site – they are one of the best and cheapest.  She paid for 3 years.

NEW BUSINESS

Regarding meeting procedures, Donal suggested that they should be better organized and gave out a 2-page version of Robert’s Rules of Order for consideration.  He asked the board members to look them over and maybe vote on adopting them at the next meeting as well as posting them on the website.  The goal is to effectively and courteously conduct meetings so they don’t fall apart.

As far as provisions for public input, the opinion from the lawyer to Dave Steinmann last fall is that public participation at the board’s business meeting is at the board’s discretion.  It’s the republican form of government where elected officials make the decisions,.  Donal suggested that quarterly at least ½ of the meeting be dedicated to public input.  He suggested that the first one be at the August meeting.  For now he wants to emphasize getting organized.

If people want an issue put on the agenda of a regular board meeting, they should submit it 2-4 weeks before the meeting, and it will be decided if it needs to be put on the agenda.  It wasn’t clear if they would allow the person to talk. The point of contact would be any board member who would then submit it to Donal.  The agenda is not set in stone, but Donal would like to send out the possible agenda to the rest of the board 2 weeks before the meeting, get input from the other board members and then post the agenda the required 24 hours before the meeting.    The Sunshine law says that they cannot have a meeting online – that only 2 people can talk so he suggest they should not reply all.

Rick suggested making the agenda process simpler – Donal can make the decision to put whatever on the agenda.

Donal said again that public participation is not automatically allowed.  He then suggested putting a separate tab on the website for the agenda and any board member can add to it.  Than he will post it 24 hours ahead.  This issue will be Old Business for the next meeting when Dave Sturtz is back.

Board Planning Horizons – One question is which board members have 2 year terms and which have 4 year terms.  No one was sure.  However, Donal said that since they are all going to work together for at least 2 years, he would like to see them put together 2, 4, and 10 year plans & outlooks – to develop strategic plans,

Adriana added that they should look at what can be realistically done to improve the department within the next year.  It has already been suggested that new SCBA and Red Cards for qualified firefighters are needed.

Budget matters – Donal asked how would they be paying for the website as far as the approved budget goes.  For instance, as of May $547 has been spent on legal fees and the budget for the year is $1000.  Chris said that last year the board ok’d the Board President to call the lawyer whenever needed.  Chris reported that the budget was approved by the board in October of 2011, but basically things can be moved around and there is always money in the emergency fund.    Donal said that this a learning curve for all – watching what they spend and how they spend it.  Chris will send out the budget for 2012 to all the board members.  The budget is developed yearly by Chris.  He submits it to the board and after it is ok’d it is submitted to the CPA for the legal accounting that he does.

Donal stated that to formally delineate Board vs. Chief responsibilities, the Chief is responsible for operations. The Board makes the decisions on funding and the Chief carries this out tactically.  Donal wants to clear up the issues around the training room of the fire station and Community Center – the scheduling and use of the building, and who approves the use.  The original agreement approved by the lawyer says specific uses are approved by the board.  Donal would like to change this to the Chief.  According to a 2010 letter from the dept. lawyer, the FPD is liable for the use of the building and should notify the insurance company and check on the general liability insurance.

It was decided that the building is part of operations and the daily scheduling of the building should revert to the Chief. He will get liability waivers signed and post meetings on the calendar in the Community Center.  It was suggested that the calendar could be put on the website, but Chris stated he was not going to go online to post the schedule because of the extra time it would take.  He wanted to emphasize that the GHFPD has precedence over any use of the building.  For the next meeting they will work out the wording of the use agreement, submit it to the lawyer and vote on it at the next meeting.

The last thing Donal wanted to bring up is the Healthy Forest Initiative Memorandum of Understanding.  He wonders if there is a fiscal commitment.  He will ask the lawyer’s opinion.  Kris Gibson would like to be on the agenda to talk about this.  Donal would like a written presentation.  Chris pointed out that this department doesn’t put out money for mitigation work.

Chief’s Report – Chris reported that the third bay concrete apron is erupting and needs to be fixed.  He has calls into several people for bids.  He got a bid from Arturo for $1800 for a 10” thick apron.  He said the board had also been discussing paving the parking lot.  Estimates are that it would cost $8000 for road base recycled asphalt, $21,000 for asphalt, and $27,000 for concrete.  It is required by law that 20% of the budget has to be allocated to the emergency fund.

There is a total Fire Ban – no shooting, no fires.  He requested that if anyone is calling in a smoke report, it would help if they would figure out the direction.  Always call 9-1-1, if there is any question that it might be fire.  The Sheriff has written $500 tickets for illegal fires and the Fire Department puts them out.

Rick has been thinking about our water supply and generic ideas for improving it.  He suggested that the ranch swimming pool, although damaged, could be fixed and also, there was formerly a pond on Gold Run across from Gail’s that he thinks could be an incredibly cheap fix with flexible, thick plastic sheeting.  He also wondered about Chinaman’s ditch, but others thought that it’s allocated by water rights and is also discontinuous.

It was moved to adjourn and the motion passed.

For those who are following the oil & gas fracking issue:

BOULDER COUNTY PLANNING COMMISSION

REVISED AGENDA

July 18, 2012 Afternoon Session – 3:00 p.m. start

Commissioners Hearing Room, Third Floor, Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl Street

5.  Estimated start time of 3:30 p.m.

Docket BCCP-12-0001:

Amendments to Oil and Gas Policies

Review of draft oil and gas policy amendments for inclusion into the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan per direction provided by the Board of County Commissioners in Resolutions 2012-16 and 2012-46 and as authorized by Planning Commission on May 16, 2012.

Action Requested: Approval/Adoption

Public testimony will be taken (Staff Planner: Peter Fogg)

Docket Webpage: http://www.bouldercounty.org/dept/landuse/pages/oilgas.aspx

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  June 25, 2012  Contact: Brad Turner, 303-413-7766

Tuesday is Primary Election Day

Boulder County, Colo. – Tuesday, June 26 is Primary Election Day in Boulder County.

All ballots must be in the hands of the Boulder County Clerk & Recorder’s Office by 7 p.m. Tuesday. It is too late to return a ballot by mail. Voters who need to drop off their ballots can visit one of three Boulder County election service centers in Boulder, Longmont or Lafayette, or one of several ballot drop-off sites. See below for a complete list.

The Clerk & Recorder’s Office sent ballots to Democratic, Republican and American Constitution Party voters for the Tuesday, June 26, primary election. Unaffiliated voters can still affiliate with a major party and vote in the primary by visiting a service center by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

The election service centers will be open today and Tuesday for voters who need to request a replacement ballot or drop off a voted ballot. The centers are also available to help county residents update their voter information or vote in person on an ADA-accessible voting machine or paper ballot.

Voters who have not received a ballot or who have questions about their ballot can call 303-413-7740 or visit an election service center for more information. Voters who have filled out and returned their ballots can check www.BoulderCountyVotes.org to make sure their voted ballot has been received by the Boulder County Elections Division. They can also visit the website to find more information about the election.

Find election results at www.BoulderCountyVotes.org after 7 p.m. on Tuesday, and follow us on Twitter to be notified when updated results are posted throughout the night.

Election Service Centers (open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday):

• Boulder: Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 1750 33rd St.
• Longmont: Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 529 Coffman St.
• Lafayette: Centaurus High School, Room 144, 10300 South Boulder Road

Ballot Drop-off Locations (open 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday unless otherwise noted):

• Boulder: Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 1750 33rd St.*
• Boulder: Boulder County Courthouse, 1325 Pearl St. (closes at 4:30 p.m. Monday, open 7 to 7 Tuesday)
• Lafayette: Centaurus High School, Room 144, 10300 South Boulder Road
• Longmont: Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 529 Coffman St.
• Longmont: Drive-up Ballot Collection, 534 Terry St.*
• Louisville: Clerk & Recorder’s Office, 722 Main St. (closes at 4:30 p.m. Monday, open 7 to 7 Tuesday)
• Louisville: Steinbaugh Pavilion, 824 Front St.*

*Drive-by drop-off available

-BoulderCountyVotes.org-

Calling all poets, writers, and/or musicians of Gold Hill and the surrounds:

MMM, Miscellaneous Mountain Misfits, will meet at 6:30 on Thursday, July 5th at home of Brandt Parker, located on the right side as you head down Sawmill.  Call Brandt if you need directions, 303-459-0514.  

Timing is the usual with John Latham, poet-in-residence, providing us with a stimulus and then we will write for a few minutes followed by a read-around of what we have written.   This is about 45 minutes and after will be a short break (host provides some limited drink & snackies, and if attendees care to bring along a modest contribution to the drink or food, that is welcomed, too).  Then we will have another read-around of whatever poems, prose, or songs that attendees bring to share.

Please call Marie at 303-444-4691 if questions.   Hope to see you all there!   It would also be appreciated, but not necessary, if you respond so we know who and how many are coming.

All are welcome

The Gold Hill Fire Protection District Board Meeting is the third Thursday of each month.  So, it’s coming up on Thursday, June 21.  The time has now changed to 7:00.

Gold Hill Town Clean Up

Sunday, June 24^th, 2012, at the Bluebird Lodge Parking Lot.

 Four Dumpsters arrive between 8:30 and 9:00 a.m. 2 for junk/trash, one for metal, and one for wood.  Please don’t come with stuff earlier than that. 

 METAL Containers

          No liquids – No fridges* – No tires on rims (just rims are ok!) – No batteries – No paint cans with paint still in them

 Wire fencing and barbed wire are ok

 *For the day of spring cleanup only, freezers, air conditioners, or refrigerators will be accepted free at the County’s Waste Transfer Stations at Allenspark or Nederland.  (Doors must be removed.)

WOOD Containers

No chemically treated wood including stains and paint – No nails in the wood (although a few seem to be ok, just not an excessive amount) – No particle board – No plywood

We will accept electronics, and small appliances for a fee (since they will be charging us).  See http://www.ecocycle.org/charm  for what’s acceptable.   And we will need some volunteers with trucks to take this stuff down to CHARM.

And, as always, we need volunteers!  To volunteer, please contact Gretchen at gretchend@nullmac.com or call me at 442-3847.

Isn’t it amazing how stuff piles up!  This is your chance to clear it out!

Gold Hill Town Meeting 

Monday, June 11th, 7:30 p.m. Community Center 

Agenda

1. Call to Order

2. Approval of Minutes of last meeting

3. Treasurer’s Report

4.  Guest Speakers

-Kristen Cannon, Division Wildlife Manager, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, will speak for 20 minutes regarding habituating wildlife including bears and fox and reasons and techniques to haze.  There will be time for Q/A.

-Bret Gibson, Four Mile Fire Chief, will speak on the importance of the Safe Site initiative and express support from Four Mile Fire.

5. Committee Reports

a. Community Planning/Trails

b. Historical Zoning

c. Forest Mgmt/CWPP

d. Fire Department

e. Weed Mgmt

f. Historic Gold Hill

g. Mining

h. Gold Hill School

5. Old Business

-Town Clean Up

-Welcome Bucket

6. New Business/Announcements

-Safe Site Structure (Insurance, funding, volunteers)

-Discuss making the Safe Site a Committee of the Town of Gold Hill and it’s structure (financial and representation).

-Discuss liability insurance issues and the use of the Community Center

-classes held to date

-need for public facilities (toilet)

-discuss options

-willingness to contribute to upkeep and cost of facilities

-Upcoming Saws Class-Kris Gibson

Denim and Dirt Party (no diamonds this time)

Dance to local band, Blue Mountain Jam!!!!

When: Friday May 11^th, 6-9pm

Where: The Barn at the Colorado Mountain Ranch

Why and who:  Because we are so happy to be rolling into another season of campers at the Ranch and want to show our appreciation for our local friends who live in Gold Hill and Ward.  Strengthening community ties means a lot to us.  Please come to celebrate each other and the beautiful place where we all live.

What: Please bring a dish to share and any beverage of your choice.  We will provide beer and wine.

Call 303.442.4557 for questions or directions.

From: “Gibson, Kris” <GibsonKr@nullbouldercolorado.gov>

Date: May 9, 2012 9:33:22 AM MDT

To: ‘Gretchen’ <gretchend@nullmac.com>

Cc: Amy Hardy <ahardy105@nullyahoo.com>

Subject: Sawyer class FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS

Gretchen,

Can you send this out. Call me with any questions.. it is this Sat…. so not much notice….

Dear Mountain Community Residents,

If you  who are interested in learning and or refreshing your  knowledge and skills on safe chain saw use this class if for you. Coal Creek is holding such a class. Contact Cesar Gellido at 303-818-7897 or email at cgellido@nullgmail.com

If you can’t make this class-(space is limited)  but would be interested in attending IF a similar class were to be offered in the Gold Hill area, please email Kris Gibson kgkeewee@nullnetzero.net  If there is enough interest Kris will work to set one up.

Kris Gibson

You are invited to hear two Gold Hill School alumni perform!
WEIGHTED GRADE RECITAL
Rhiannon ArneySchultz (flute) and Trace Hybertson (violin)
Friday, May 11, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
Boulder High School Orchestra Room

<virginia.schultz@nullcolorado.edu>

A fun fundraiser evening in Boulder for the Mountain Summers Scholarship Program at Gold Hill’s own Colorado Mountain Ranch!

—
Jojo Morrison
W: 303.442.4557
C: 303.717.3596
www.anightofdenimanddiamonds.com

The GHFPD Board meets the third Thursday of each month, 8:00 p.m at the Community Center.

Wow! April 11^th will be the final concert of the season for Lickskillet Studios! And The StereoFidelics will be performing for us in Gold Hill. If you haven’t been to one of these intimate shows at the Gold Hill General Store, you’ll want to catch this one. Check out www.lickskilletstudios.com for more details! As always, space is limited, so please email Kort (kortmccumber@nullgmail.com) to reserve your seat. We certainly have enjoyed seeing more of you this winter…. Let’s do it again next year!

Our next Town Meeting is Monday, April 9, 2012, 7:30 p.m. at the Community Center.  Y’all come!

A Fundraiser benefiting the Mountain Summer Program

Saturday May 5^th, 2012 from 6:00 to 11:00 p.m.

At the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art

Drinks, food, music and dancing!

          Mark your calendar and plan to attend the A Night of Denim and Diamonds, a fundraiser put on by the Colorado Mountain Ranch supporting the Mountain Summers Scholarship Program, a 501(c)3 organization.  All money raised goes directly to giving a child the opportunity to attend summer camp and create memories that will last a lifetime.

We are currently looking for sponsors and auction items, both for a silent and live auction.  The procurement deadline is April 20, 2012.  Sponsors and Donors will be prominently acknowledged at this wonderful event. Please contact Jojo Morrison for sponsorship opportunities.

Thank you in advance for making this a great event and giving deserving children the opportunity to attend a life changing summer camp.  If you have any further questions please contact Jojo Morrison by phone at 303-442-4557 or via e-mail at   jojomorrison29@nullgmail.com

Tickets are $50 and be purchased at the event website:             www.anightofdenimanddiamonds.com

Fund the Fun and Spread the Spirit!

The next concert at the Gold Hill General Store will be on March 28th.  It’s gonna be a good one! Don Conoscenti, one of Ome Banjos’ artists and one of our good friends, will be performing. As usual, doors open at 6:30pm and concert starts at 7pm. Tickets are $10 and reservations are encouraged (and appreciated) since seating is limited. Folks can email kortmccumber@nullgmail.com to save their spots! Also, if interested in learning more about Don Conoscenti, please visit our blog site here: http://lickskilletstudios.com/. There are two recent posts there about him.

Coming up this Saturday Nite: All.I.Can. Running Time: 76 minutes. Please Email for reservations-seating is limited: kurtisleverentz@nullgmail.com 7pm sharp thru 9pm. BYOB… See you there! 620 gold run street, gold hill…

Max is turning 60 on March 19^th so come by for some birthday cake and champagne on Sunday, March 18^th between 1 and 5 pm and help him celebrate.  We’d love to see you! 

Debra

Thursday, March 15, 2012, 8:00 p.m. at the Community Center – However, may be cancelled due to several board members out of town.

High Altitude Garden workshop ( CSU Extension/NRCS)

DATE: : April 7th, from 1:00-5:00pm

WHERE: Shoshoni Yoga Retreat 1400 Shoshoni Camp Road Rollinsville, CO 80474 (5 miles south of Nederland), http://www.shoshoni.org/map.html

COST: $20 for workshop alone Option to take morning yoga class and have lunch at the beautiful yoga center ($30 for lunch and workshop, $40 for yoga, lunch, and workshop) If you are interested in staying over at Shoshoni the night before, please contact them: 303-642-0116 or go to www.shoshoni.org<http://www.shoshoni.org/>.

SPACE IS LIMITED — REGISTER EARLY! (yoga and lunch attendees must have registrations in by March 23rd, workshop only must register by April 6th or until space is filled)

OPTIONAL MORNING PROGRAM SCHEDULE:
9:30-10:00 arrive
10:00-10:30 am Pranayama — Breathing exercises to help relax and center the mind
10:30-12:00 Hatha Yoga — All levels, beginner-friendly hatha yoga class
12:00 Delicious vegetarian lunch (dairy free and wheat free options available with advance notice)

SCHEDULE FOR THE AFTERNOON GARDEN WORKSHOP:
1:00 – 2:00 Chickens in the mountains — Sharon Bokan Keeping chickens at higher elevations presents some unique challenges. Basic chicken keeping will be discussed along with how to deal with the cold and unwanted guests to your coop.

2:00 – 2:15 Mountain gardening overview, including water rights: Irene Shonle 2:15 – 3:15 Tour of season extension techniques at Shoshoni

3:15 – 4:00 Soil Amendments for the mountains – Jennifer Cook Jennifer will describe typical mountain soils in Colorado and how gardeners can improve soil structure, nutrients, and texture of soil by using amendments and other practices. We will also discuss the use of hot beds.

4:00 – 4:20 Blueberries for the mountains — Joel Reich Blueberries are not commonly grown in Colorado’s mountains, but you can do it easily. This short session will give you the basic tools necessary for success.

4:20 – 4:40 Native Fruits for the mountains — Irene Shonle Many traditional fruits such as peaches and apples are not suitable for growing at high elevations. Irene will discuss native fruits that are well-adapted to our area.

4:40 – 5:00 Questions, Evaluations, Contact List Sign-up, etc.

Please note that we will be walking outside briefly between buildings, and that no shoes are allowed in the main classroom space. You may bring slippers or indoor shoes.

Mail in your check (or drop off in person) to: (please write Hi Alt in the notes section) Boulder County Extension 9595 Nelson Road, Box B Longmont, CO 80501 303-678-6238

Register online at:  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dENxdWQydlhCZVE2bDBBbW5HS3hfSkE6MA#gid=0

Jennifer Cook,  Small Acreage Management Coordinator

NRCS/CSU Extension
57 West Bromley Lane,  Brighton, CO 80601
303-659-7004 ext.3  (cell) 717-645-7817
jennifer.cook@nullcolostate.edu
Small Acreage Website:  www.ext.colostate.edu/sam