Posted on: July 17th, 2022

GOLD HILL TOWN MEETING NEWSLETTER

Notes from the June 13, 2022, Zoom Meeting

Next Town Meeting is Monday, August , 7:00 p.m.

ELECTIONS!

 Chair Emma Dirolf called the meeting to order.  Thirteen people attended the meeting: Emma, Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer, Deb Yeager, Cat Russell, Marybeth Neal and Paul Landskroener, Marcus Moench and Elisabeth Caspari, Virginia Schultz, Bear Carlson, Emily Rose, Karen Simmons, and Pam Sherman. Please let me know if I missed you.  As we did not have a quorum, this was not an official meeting and no votes could be taken, but we decided to continue with the meeting and put out the news reported.  Emma was not feeling well and requested that someone else volunteer to conduct the meeting.  Marcus agreed and Emma signed off.

Minutes – could not be approved, but there were no corrections or additions.

Treasurer’s Report – No report

Mountain Stewards – Cat reported that a couple of years ago we got a grant to study Gold Hill’s resilience and energy needs.  We found that the best way to improve would be distributed solar on people’s houses and the best way to do that would be bulk purchasing.  She’s excited that this is finally happening.  She connected with Solar United Neighbors (SUN), who collect groups that are geographically connected.  They sign them up and together figure out what’s needed, put out RFPs (request for proposals) and get bids from providers to offer the group this advantage.  Members can then pick what they want – there is no risk or obligation, just the opportunity to get a better deal.  They already have a Boulder County Group (Susie Stupe from Boulder County is our contact) and have grant money coming in from the Build Back Better program.  So now we have the opportunity for people to sign up on a waiting list for next year for solar set up and battery back-up.  They will do a collaborative event for SUN to present all this information sometime later.  Virginia asked when the County is launching their push.  Cat reported that it will probably be in 2023 – they’ve had one meeting so far.  People will be able to sign up on their website.  Mountain Stewards is looking into more grants as well.  They will be setting up criteria for qualifying.  Contact Cat with questions (wildcat.russell@nullgmail.com).

         Marcus added that Energy Outreach Colorado is rolling out a program to provide heat pumps to 5 households with qualifying incomes.  This is an attempt to switch people from propane to electric.  They will get full systems installed likely over the coming months.  Qualifying incomes are 80% of Boulder County median income.  This will be publicized in July – send names to Marcus (marcus.moench@nullgmail.com) to get on this list.

MARSEG (Mountain Area  Racist Self Education Group) started after our local Gold Hill protest march 6-18-21 in support of BLM and Elijah McLain who was killed by Denver police officers.  Cat reported that it’s an ongoing group – mainly self-education, and now becoming more active.  They will host a training on Bystander Intervention, a training developed by professional trainers and tailored to our situation, on June 9^th outdoors at the Gold Hill Store.

Mountain Stewards/Forestry Management – Virginia reported on the May 7^th and 8^th town mitigation event – great participation!  It began with burritos at the Store and information tables on various mitigation related topics, and then tours led by Ben of the State Forest Service to several locations in town (thank you to the school, Emily Rose, and Kris Gibson) to look at potential mitigation measures.  Smokey the Bear made an appearance thanks to Leslie and Luke Finn.  The Watershed Collective and Gold Hill Fire Protection District also participated.  They filled 3 dumpsters and then got another and filled that!  They still have money to spend and Teen Inc. from Nederland will be here July 11-14 to help with mitigation work around town.  They’ll do weed whacking, slash collection, and perimeter building and will have some money to help support the projects.  Get in touch with Virginia for information.

         The Ashram project is ongoing and they will get to Ashley’s later – will try to dovetail with Teens Inc. and with the grant Maya is overseeing.

         They are also working on a Mycelium Project – it is sprayed on chips and it helps degrade them more quickly and reduces the need for burning for biomass reduction.  They are exploring alternatives to burning because there is so much resistance to burning now.

IMA – Pam reports they have been working with OEM (Office of Emergency Management) for several years.  She now needs someone else to be the Gold Hill representative because she has a work conflict. 

Weed Management – Pam is also ready to pass this on to someone else although she can still be a research source.  Shelby Kaminsky in the subdivision has a weed eradication business  – Edaphic Solutions – that steams the weeds and has been used at CU and in Nederland.

         She has also been working with the GH School on environmental education the first semester and gardening the second semester.  She has only superlatives regarding the students and the school.  She got an award for Impact on Education, but said it really belonged to Chrissy and the team.

IMA continued – The group started in 2010 after the Fourmile Fire.  Rebecca Lawrence from Ward brought community leaders together with the County to help each other with mountain issues.  The next meeting is Thursday and should be good.  Marybeth Neal volunteered to attend.

Museum – Deb reported on the Community Outreach evening – it was scheduled for July 1, but has now been postponed until September 3^rd.  The evening begins with a cocktail party outside and continues with a presentation by Joan Few and Jane Maslanka on the Native Nations of this area and the impact of the miners, etc. interwoven with the Sand Creek Massacre.  The mission of the community outreach is to take history out to the community.

         The museum opened on May 28^th and will continue weekends  through the end of September. 

Community Planning and Fundraising – The running race event tentatively planned for this summer has been cancelled.

Cemetery – no report

Community Center – Gretchen reported that, since the town voted not to pursue the idea of a Community Center at 900 Pine, it fell back to the group to sell it.  Our goal was to sell it to someone committed to Gold Hill.  By our original deadline we had three wonderful letters of intent.  One was Hannah Moench, so Marcus and Elisabeth recused themselves from our deliberations.  We met and ranked them and gave #1 a month to pull together finances and make a final decision.  At that point, they made the decision not to go forward with the purchase.  Hannah was our next choice on the list and was out of town and out of contact for some time.  After much soul-searching, particularly since she had made commitments in Alaska thinking she was out of the running, Hannah decided to commit to buying it because she does love Gold Hill and wants to settle close to family.    Marcus added that they are excited as well as trepidatious.  She is still in Alaska and so not around for a while, but will be in charge, with help from Marcus and Elisabeth until she returns. 

SafeLink/NeighborLink – Deb reported that we put out that we’ve simplified the NeighborLink  system at the last GHTM.  The recommendation is to identify two (or more) neighbors to partner with in order to help each other in an emergency to gather meds, computers, animals, etc., in case we have to evacuate.  Have a “To Go Bag” ready.  Make a list of things to take.  We will get in touch with our lists as soon as possible to share any information we have and ask that you get back with your contact information and location.  Deb still puts out Welcome Buckets with all this information.  We encourage everyone to sign up with Everbridge (the County reverse 9-1-1 system) through the Boulder Office of Emergency Management (https://www.boulderoem.com).

         Our network consists of Deb in Old Town and the Subdivision, Gretchen in the East Side of Gold Hill, and Dina west of the Ranch.  Get in touch with one of us if you have questions.

Historic Zoning – Bear reports the major overhaul at 770 Main (Jane Maslanka’s).  They did a great job – kudos to them.

Bocce Tournament – Bear reports that we have a full roster for the tournament on July 2^nd.  It begins at 8 a.m. and goes into the afternoon.  Everyone is welcome to attend.  It’s a lot of fun!

Town Clean Up – Gretchen reports that there is no town clean up this year.  Somehow, since it went very slowly last year, the County people thought we’d decided to skip a year.  By the time I got in touch with them, the only time they had available conflicted with the Inn’s schedule.  I’ll make sure to contact them sooner next year.  In the meanwhile, recycling and trash can be taken to the Nederland Transfer Station and Recycling Drop-off Facility located at 286 Ridge Road, Nederland CO 80466  (https://wastebits.com/locator/location/nederland-transfer-station-and-recycling-drop-off-facility).

Next Meeting – August 8^th, Elections!!  Be thinking – Emma, Jan, Dan, and Sarah have all said they will not be running this year.  We need some interested people to volunteer.  Check with any of us about what’s involved and check out the town website (goldhilltown.com) and the bylaws (https://goldhilltown.com/what-it-is/).

It’s fun!

Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary