Posted on: July 12th, 2020

GOLD HILL TOWN MEETING NEWSLETTER

Minutes of the June 8^th, 2020 Zoom Town Meeting

Next Town Meeting will be Monday August 10, 2020, 7:00 p.m. by Zoom, and will be our annual ELECTIONS meeting!

The meeting was called to order by Chair Marielle Sidell.  Thirteen people attended by Zoom: Mari, Vice-Chair Emma Salmon, Deb Yeager, Marcus Moench, Elisabeth Caspari, Rick Sheingold, Member-at-Large Dan Maedke, Chrissy Maedke, Luzie Mason, Virginia Shultz, Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer, Heidi Kessler, Bear Carlson.

Treasurer’s Report – In Treasurer Martha Knapp’s absence, Emma read Martha’s report:

At the previous regular Town Meeting in April 2020 our bank balance was $12,689.60       

Our current total cash assets are $20,787.30.       

Revenue Summary:  Cemetery Fund Donations $650; Community Foundation COVID-19 Response Fund Grant $8,000.       

Expense Summary: Cemetery Maintenance $500; Bank Fee $52.30      

Fund transfers: none                                                                       

Current fund totals:                                                                                                

• General Fund $1503.71;
• Cemetery $6,489.85;
• Safe Link (combined funds for SafeSite, AirLink, NeighborLink projects) $2,466.79;
• Community Planning/Fundraising $0 (zero;)
• Forest Management $0 (zero;) Community Relief $2,326.95;
• COVID-19 Response Fund Grant $8000.     

Anticipated expenses for 2020: General Fund $50.00 for porta-potty maintenance, estimated $300 for liability insurance and estimated  $800 for town cleanup dumpsters.

                                                                       

Community Foundation’s COVID-19 Response Fund Grant – Marcus reports that we have received an $8,000 emergency fund grant and need a sub-committee empowered to disburse/spend the funds.  The goals are to support the resilience of the community as a whole and a range of needs of individuals and groups, to help people stay in their comes, facilitate emergency communication, help with emergency repairs, uncovered medical expenses, urgent medical supplies (PPE), food rescue and resources (including storage), transportation needs, children’s education supplies, childcare – essentially to help fill in the gaps for the most vulnerable.  Virginia added essential home repairs and safe access.  This would be a separate fund from the Community Relief Fund set up after the Fourmile fire.  ADDENDUM: The committee has met, put together a guiding document for disbursing funds and an application form.  The fund will be referred to as the Pandemic Relief Fund (PRF)

    The motion to set up a committee empowered to disburse the funds was passed with no objections.  The Committee consists of Marcus Moench, Marielle Sidell, Emma Salmon, Dan Maedke, and Deb Yeager.

     Gretchen added that it’s important to stress privacy and that all applications will be confidential.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Mountain Stewards Grant – Marcus reports that they had a meeting of the technical committee last week.  Attendance at the educational webinars is low, so they will suspend them for now.  They are taking a detailed look at options for solar grids with battery backup.  Individual households (behind the meter) are allowed to have batteries, etc., but for now Xcel is not doing this for large connected areas/solar arrays. There are still many questions around financing, available programs, and how to structure them.  They’re also trying to figure out how to provide WiFi in a larger area to meet community resilience and communications needs. They’ve had significant discussions regarding water needs, storage and access.  Also, how to get the Community Center idea moving again.

CSA (Community Supported Agriculture – Virginia reports the CSA has started up with 5 ¼ shares.

Minutes of the April 13^th GHTM- Emma was able to show them on Zoom, with the Addendums.  Rick Sheingold moved that we accept them with the additions and the motion carried with no objections.  You can always find GHTM minutes on the website (goldhilltown.com).

Forestry and Forest Management – Virginia reports that the CAFA grant is getting closer – they should hear soon.  Xcel Energy has a strong Wildfire program – see their website at https://www/xcelenergywildfireprotection.com/ and are doing extensive mapping.  Approximately 50% of Boulder County is in the Wildland/Urban Interface.  Some of the drones people are noticing may be theirs working on the mapping.

            Boulder County has a Forest Collaboration group looking especially at how our forests should look to be healthy.

            She encourages everyone to participate in the Wildfire Partners Mitigation assessment program and to rake up all those numerous pinecones!

Gold Hill School – Chrissy reports that they are doing lots of work on the school and grounds. The work on the west side is to fix drainage issues to protect the foundation and prevent ice slicks in the winter.  On the east side they’re working on a deck/shade area for meetings, etc.  Inside, they’re refinishing windows and cabinets and raising the ceiling in the original room as well as getting the wiring all up to code. It’s all projected to be finished in early August.  Online learning went pretty well in the Spring.  A lot of the plans for fall are tentative.  They have a 5 phase plan based first on online learning, then bringing back the kids that the online learning was hardest on, and next bringing everyone back 1/2 days with masks and social distancing and online learning the other 1/2 days.  They will have more information in July.

            As far as fundraising, the Fall Fiesta is unlikely in November.  CU will shut down after Thanksgiving vacation until the following semester.  They may be ok since they won’t be having as many events.  They also still have the funds raised by Janos’ dinner event last year.  Everything is so up in the air she can’t plan a budget right now.

            Dan has been working on the garden along with Sue Kidder and Mari.

            Rick thanked Dan for bringing lettuce and onions to the Food Pantry

Historic Gold Hill/Museum – Deb reports that the museum is closed until the Governor  oks them being open.  They’ve been working on maintenance and finishing the tuff shed for storage and a compostable toilet.  Because of our need to socially distance the annual community outreach will be in the beer garden on Monday, August 3 and will feature ghost stories – there will be microphones, so it will be interactive – bring your stories and your own beverage and snacks.

            Deb also thought it might be time for a town art contest.  We had one after the Fourmile fire and now it might be time for another given the times we’re living in.  Her idea is to have child, youth (12-18) and adult winners, feature their art in next year’s calendar, and award them 2 free calendars.  She wants the GHTM to join in and sponsor it along with the Museum.  Both groups could own the copyrights and us the images on t-shirts, glasses, etc. She moved that the GHTM join with Historic Gold Hill to create a joint art contest. Bear seconded and the motion passed with no objections.  In the discussion of what the town meeting would award the winners, Virginia suggested that the art work may be used on promotional materials in the future and the winners can have 2 glasses and  a t-shirt that we have now.  Bear seconded and the motion passed.

Community planning and Fundraising – Dan has had conversations with Dan Cravitz (sp?) regarding the bike race, but everything is still up in the air.  If the race happens, we might be a vendor and sell food and stuff, but we’re not sure what kind of event, like the annual bake/rummage/craft/brats, etc., can happen.  We will have to see how things play out with Covid-19. He also wanted to thank Marcus for the plant starts for the school greenhouse.

Cemetery – no report.            Community Center – no report

SafeLink – tabled until the next meeting except to report that we now have a 7 cu.ft. freezer in the tuff shed behind the firebarn – thank you, Virginia.

IMA – not meeting at this time.  Virginia volunteered to reach out to our contacts in the County.  EFAA and AAA provide lots of resources.

Weed Management – Bear reported that Joanne Cole organized community weed pulls in the meadow where the soil was disturbed by the cistern installations.  They were after Roman Chamomile and took out most of it.

Roads – Rick would like more updates on what’s going on in Fourmile – we don’t always know until we hit stoppages.  Gretchen will check to make sure she’s getting the listserve and put out more information. Mari volunteered to get on the listserve, too.

Historical Zoning – Bear reports that the only activity right now is 1101 Pine.  Greg Buis is planning additions to the north and south sides.  It was OKd and in the works. Rick felt that the next door neighbors should be notified. Bear said that notices go out in town emails and plans are at the Store for the public.  He will take Rick’s request to the HZ board.

Fire Department – Rick emphasized that no one should hesitate to call 9-1-1 in any emergency.  Gretchen reported that the protocols have changed in this time of Covid-19 – more PPE required and only one person, totally PPEd up, goes in when Boulder Communications lets us know that total precautions are required.    Rick noted that the FD could get money from the town COVID grant if needed for PPE for all medical responders.  Gretchen reported that Chris Finn reported at the Fire Board Meeting that they have enough PPE for estimated calls, the trucks are supplied and spares are stashed, but not handed out to individuals.  Elections were cancelled as there were no more nominees than positions to be filled and the directors remain the same –  Rich Lopez is the President, Rick Geesaman is the Secretary, plus Boyd Brown, Bobby Vrba, and Jessica Brookhart.   There is a fire ban, so campfires are prohibited, but they still get the occasional call for illegal campfires.  They are working to complete the dry hydrants in Lefthand. The contractors reseeded the meadow in the areas needed.  They know it will take time to completely recover, but it’s progressing.

Mining – Gretchen reports some activity seen, but nothing regular.

Bear heard from a friend in Tabernash and it was snowing – on June 10!

Mari reported that she’s working on a side gig/graduate school project on stream trackers -trying to hone in on when streams are actually running presently.

 

Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary