New bus, new employees, new building codes
By Lynn Volkens
Black Hawk City Council met the afternoon of March 13, 2013. Mayor David Spellman and Council members Linda Armbright, Paul Bennett, Diane Cales, Jim Johnson, Greg Moates and Benito Torrez took a brief field trip prior to the meeting, in order to inspect the City’s just-arrived new shuttle bus. It was a day for new arrivals in the City, as the Council was introduced to four new employees.
Welcome Aboard
Police Chief Stephen Cole introduced three new Officers: Joe Fiocca, Annie Hodge and Robert Avey. Asked if the Police Department was now fully staffed, Chief Cole looked at his watch and quipped, “I can say, as of 3 p.m. – right now- we are fully staffed.”
Jeffrey Young set a new precedent for the Information Technology Department. For ten years Young has been the sole member of this department. He started as a part-time consultant and moved into a full-time position as the workload warranted. With all of the advances and increases in the City’s technology, the Council determined last October that it was time to expand the IT Department. Young was pleased to introduce the Council to Tarik Muhammad, the Information Technician who will fill that newly created position. Mayor Spellman and the Aldermen welcomed all.
A Whole Lot of Code
The Aldermen approved Council Bill 13, an ordinance amending the Municipal Code to adopt the 2012 editions of the International Building Code, the International Residential Code for One and Two Family Dwellings, the International Mechanical Code, International Plumbing Code, International Energy Conservation Code, International Existing Building Code, International Fuel Gas Code, International Property Maintenance Code and the 2009 Edition of the American National Standard-Accessible and Usable Buildings and Facilities, American National Standards Safety Code for Elevators and Escalators-ASME A 17.1-2007, and the National Electric Code, Most Current Edition adopted by the Colorado State Electric Board. These are the most up-to-date codes available. The ordinance also makes specific amendments to the above referenced codes and provides penalties for violations of them.
BID Appointment
In approving Council Bill 14, the Aldermen appointed Scott Nelson and Andrew Gentile to fill two vacancies on the Black Hawk Business Improvement District’s Board of Directors.
Quartz Valley Real Estate Purchase
The Council approved the purchase of the Ben Crenshaw Lode 4800 (4.390 acres) for $45,000 from Stephen and Joan Hedges of Arvada. They then approved purchasing the Golden Gate Lode 12681 (0.780 acres), Robert Emmett Lode 4696 (0.505 acres), Queen of the West Lode 425 (0.660 acres) and Virginia Extension Lode 11016 (0.195 acres), collectively, for a purchase price of $70,000 from Anton Kaempfer and Vicki Kellogg of Centennial, CO. Transfer of the titles is scheduled for March 22, 2013. City Attorney Corey Hoffmann told the Council the City would now dismiss the condemnation cases on these properties as the parties had agreed to sell. Acquisition of these five claims moves the City closer toward the goal of acquiring all of the privately held claims in Quartz Valley.
Dory Hill Water Treatment Plant
The Dory Hill Water Treatment Plant was built in 1995 using equipment purchased from the City of Georgetown when gaming first came to Black Hawk. The plant has been struggling to keep up with the City’s water needs and has been shut down occasionally when it couldn’t meet standards for raw water quality. More stringent standards that have now been enacted have put further strain on the plant. “We’re bringing it into the 21st century – from the 19th century,” said Jim Ford of the City’s Public Works Department. With kudos to the staff for keeping the existing plant running, the Aldermen approved a contract with Hatch Mott MacDonald ($280,440 plus an additional 10% contingency of $28,044)) and a contract with Garney Companies, Incorporated ($35,000) to do the final design work, bringing the total design project budget to $343,484.
The estimated cost for the future construction for the plant is $3.2 million.
Spring Clean Up
The City’s Spring Clean-Up Day will be the afternoon of Thursday, May 23rd, City Manager Jack Lewis announced, noting that some of the City’s casino managers had been asking to get it scheduled.
Attorney’s Update
City Attorney Hoffmann informed the Council that oral arguments in the Brannan Sand & Gravel litigation, now well past its fourth year in process, have been scheduled for April 17, 2013.
Executive Session
Following the business meeting, the Aldermen met with Hoffmann in Executive Session to discuss matters relating to pending litigation and potential legislation. The Council took no further action.
Heads Up
Black Hawk City Council meets next on March 27, 2013. One item for that agenda will be Council Bill 15, continued from today’s meeting. It is an ordinance to add three new public use zoning districts to the Municipal Code.