Posted on: September 20th, 2020

GOLD HILL TOWN MEETING NEWSLETTER
Minutes of the August 10th, 2020 Zoom Town Meeting

Next Town Meeting will be Monday October 12, 2020 at 7:00 p.m. by Zoom

The meeting was called to order by Chair Marielle Sidell. Fifteen people checked in via Zoom: Member at Large Dan Maedke, Chrissy Maedke, Vice Chair Emma Salmon, Mari, Secretary Gretchen Diefenderfer, Treasurer Martha Knapp, Marcus Moench, Elisabeth Caspari, Val Crist, Virginia Schultz, Ota Lutz, Cat Russell, Debra Yeager, Karen Simmons, John Sand.

Minutes – Minutes of the June 8th meeting were approved as published.

Treasurer’s Report – Martha reports: At the previous regular Town Meeting in June 2020 our bank balance was $20,787.30
Our current cash assets are $15,732.47

Revenue Summary: COVID-19 Response Fund matching grant $500.00; General Fund donation from Sands’ Barn Sale fundraiser $1147.

Expense Summary: COVID Response Fund $6,000 for Pandemic Fund awards and $701.83 for Food Bank expenses.

Fund transfers: none

Current fund totals:
General Fund $2650.71; 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 $1798.17.

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

Income consisted of a contribution of $1147 from Sand’s barn sale, which they so generously donated to us, and $500 grant from Morgan Stanley in conjunction with the Community Foundation COVID grant. Thanks to Marcus for his work on this grant.

ELECTIONS! Beginning with the position of Chair, Mari nominated Emma, stating that she, Mari, has too much on her plate and would happily change positions with Emma. Marcus seconded the nomination of Emma and as there were no further nominations, Emma Salmon was elected our new Chair unanimously. Next, Gretchen nominated Mari as Vice Chair, Marcus seconded and in the absence of further nominations, Mari was unanimously elected Vice Chair.
Marcus nominated Martha as Treasurer, Mari seconded, there were no further nominations and Martha was re-elected Treasurer unanimously. Gretchen was nominated as Secretary by Martha, seconded by Mari and elected unanimously in the absence of any other nominations. Dan was nominated by Mari to continue as Member At Large, seconded by Gretchen, there were no further nominations and he was also re-elected unanimously.
Contact information:
Chair: Emma Salmon has now been married and changed her last name to Dirolf (legally
Emily Dirolf) – Phone: 513-259-1532, email: emma.dirolf@nullgmail.com
Vice Chair: Marielle Sidell – Phone: 303-819-2029, email: marielle.sidell@nullgmail.com
Secretary: Gretchen Diefenderfer – Phone: 303-442-3847, email: gretchend@nullmac.com
Treasurer: Martha Knapp – Phone: 303-442-5254, email: elev8296@nullearthlink.net
Member at Large: Dan Maedke – Phone: 303-808-7082, email: maedkedan@nullgmail.com
Thanks to all the board members was expressed by zoom by several. Emma, who has her wedding and moving in the coming busy week, asked to be excused and Mari, as Vice Chair continued to run the meeting.

COMMITTEE REPORTS
Mountain Stewards – Cat reported that her presentation on Climate Change is available on the website – resilientgoldhill.com as well as lots of other good information. She is happy to do it again any time!
Marcus reported that they will be having a planning meeting – more an in-person event to identify options for action. They’re checking on having it possibly at the Inn.
They are looking at forming a non-profit in order to move beyond Gold Hill. For instance, the Energy Grant – how to replicate this organizing effort around the intermountain west, which is a neglected area, to enable groups like Gold Hill to share technical discoveries and visioning. This is a big idea and just in the preliminary stages. For emergency electrical power, they’re now looking at distributed solutions versus a central system and at back-up systems with batteries for storage. Maybe utilizing bulk purchases for savings. Xcel is complicated if we use their lines – easier at a household level.

Forestry and Forest Management – The big ticket things on forestry include a lot of work on the North Slope. Marcus read Virginia’s update on forestry work:
The MOU signing will be on the 13th in Nederland. Here is the statement that I sent from GH for use in PR about multi-community, multi-agency MOU on Forest Management:
With catastrophic snowfall, wildfire, and flood in little more than a decade, the Gold Hill Community is focused on addressing community resilience, emergency preparedness, and climate adaption/mitigation programs from forest health to renewable energy. The Gold Hill Risk and Adaptation Advisory Report of 2017 outlined multiple recommendations for reducing wildfire risk. This MOU is a vital step in helping Gold Hill work collaboratively to better wildfire protection for our community and the Arapaho lands that we steward.
Please remind people that there is a Level 2 Fire Ban and that means NO fires, no charcoal, no evening at an open fire on your deck, etc.!!!! And, careful use with safety equipment for any chainsaw work!
The fire ban PROHIBITS:
• Building, maintaining, attending or using a fire, campfire, or stove fire on private and public lands. This includes charcoal grills and barbecues, coal and wood burning stoves and sheepherder’s stoves and includes use in developed camping and picnic grounds.
• Fireworks sales, use, and possession, including permissible fireworks.
• Shooting or discharge of firearms for recreational purposes.
• Smoking, except in an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site, or while stopped in an area at least three feet in diameter that is barren or cleared of all flammable materials.
• Operating a chainsaw without a USDA or SAE approved spark arrester properly installed and in effective working order, a chemical pressurized fire extinguisher kept with the operator and one round point shovel with an overall length of at least 35 inches readily available for use.
• Using an explosive. This includes but is not limited to fuses or blasting caps, fireworks, rockets, exploding targets, and tracers or incendiary ammunition.
• Welding or operating acetylene or other torch with open flame outdoors.
• Possessing or using a motor vehicle off established roads, motorized trails or established parking areas, except when parking in an area devoid of vegetation within 10 feet of the vehicle.
Gold Hill School – Chrissy reported that BVSD will begin online and they we will see in September. Possibly special populations will attend in person after Sept. 22. Check in to see. We don’t really know how this will look yet. They are starting to put together plans, looking at resources. They expect approximately the same number of students. The reconstruction projects are in the final stages and they will be moving all the stuff back in next week, It’s exciting.
Museum – Deb wanted to thank everyone who attended the Community Outreach event at the Beer Garden. We had about 50% of our usual attendance, but it was great fun/successful. They are thinking of scheduling more evening gatherings at the Bocce Court – sit around and tell stories, bring chairs, food, and drink. There is lots of fun history to be shared. The have finished the summer maintenance projects – thank you to Dan for replacing the steps. Lots of work got done, so they are very prepared, hoping they can open next year. She received a note from Nancy Crow in Wyoming. Her grandfather, Elmer Curtis Swallow had owned the Green Swallow. We had all assumed it was named after the birds, but it turns out it was her grandfather’s name! She is bringing her parents and cousin to the Museum on Sept. 18 to share stories of the family.
Community Planning and Fund raising – Dan reports that usually he would start planning our fall Bake/Rummage/Craft sale around now, but due to the pandemic that looks like next year. He has a small update on the large bike-race that was planned for September. Josh Kravitz is still hoping to run a smaller race, but it’s questionable if this will actually happen. If it does, maybe we could sell some food or merchandise at most.
COVID Relief – Mari reports that the committee got 3 applications which they were able to fill in the process of helping the community continue and thrive.
Cemetery – no committee report, but John reported that he and Cherry have put in a memorial bench in the SW corner for friends and neighbors. Deb added that she’d like to create a marker that says, ”Party Down Under”.
Community Center- Mari reports that, as part of the COVID Relief Fund, they kept some money aside to look into planning for a meeting center. No action yet.
SafeLink/NeighborLink – Deb expressed thanks to Ota for taking over the POD leadership of the Gold Run Subdivision when Tony left, but they are now moving west of town and Paul Roberts, who has been a group leader since 2011, has agreed to take it over from Ota. We’re excited about this and are working to redevelop our organization and make it more user friendly.
AirLink – John reports that they are still very active, have Tuesday night Ham net meetings, and are working on major renovations to the repeater on Horsfal Ridge.
Other Town News –
Social Justice Demonstration – Cat reported that we got great coverage of our demonstration in the Mountain Ear with several pictures. The Anti-racist book group is alive and well. It’s on NextDoor or email Cat – wildcat.russell@nullgmail.com – for information to join. They’re meeting every other Thursday.
Renewable Energy – Cat is also working on a grassroots effort to document renewable energy use in Gold Hill – it’s on NextDoor, too. She is happy to do her Climate talk again. She’s Co-Chair of the Climate Action Group.
Mining – Gretchen reported on an email report from Dick Cole: Good Morning–I went to MLRB search but not much there: Colorado Milling Company – permit M1994117- has been filing the required quarterly hydrology reports for 2020 (after some prompting by DRMS in December 2019 to stay current with hydrology reports which were missing from 2016 thru 2019–CMC then complied as requested). CMC also filed an annual report on 7/26/2020 and stated therein that all mining activities are in ‘temporary cessation’.
Cash and WhoDo Mines-permit M1983141- also filed required hydrology reports.

Weeds – no report

Historical Zoning – no activity excerpt that Marcus and Elizabeth are taking down the west side of the old garage because it’s falling down after the old vehicle was removed. This will provide off-street parking. They’re also reinforcing the east side.

Fire Department – Gretchen reports that, with Bobby gone, they are looking for a new board member. The Board meets the third Thursday of each month at 7:00 pm. ADDENDUM: The Board has appointed Kent Coghill to replace Bobby.

Respectfully submitted, Gretchen Diefenderfer, Secretary

The Zoom meeting stopped and started and several of us were disconnected for a while. After the second cut-off, John Sand was not able to get back in and he had wanted to make some farewell remarks for Cherry and himself. This is his email:
This meeting was the last that we could attend as voters as we are no longer property owners in Gold Hill. We both leave Gold Hill with the community close to our hearts and with regret for leaving behind all our friends and our ability to participate in the life of its activities. Believing strongly in being a part of sustaining the vitality and history of the community, we want to encourage all the new property owners, many of whom are decades younger than we are, to be the active new generation that will guide the future of Gold Hill. There is much to be preserved and sustained of what it is today, but we realize that a degree of change is inevitable. It is up to the new residents to think, plan and act in a way that retains its vitality while evolving to meet the changing needs of its residents.
To assist with that process, the current long-time residents must pass along what we have held dear for the last century and a half. We have supported the role of the Historic Zoning Committee’s charter of “keeping Gold Hill looking like Gold Hill”. Our Museum houses the evidence of what our forebearer’s used in their daily lives, to remind us of how they dealt with life of their times. Our school provides the type of education that enables our children to understand how this type of pioneer life fits in with today’s world.
Also, those of us who are in positions of service to the community must lay the groundwork for our successors. In the corporate world, it is called succession planning. None of us are indispensable, so we must train our replacements to knowledgeably take over what we do. With their energy, enthusiasm and skills they will do so ably.
When we return to visit, as we will do, we look forward to what the evolution of Gold Hill will look like. Much the same, we are sure, but with tweaks that reflect the ideas of the next generation. To them we say “Carry on the good work!” All the best, Cherry and John