Combating car theft in Black Hawk

Victims of abuse can seek help from PorchLight By Randy Beaudette Black Hawk City Council held their regular meeting on June 9, 2021 to discuss a memorandum of Understanding with the PorchLight Family Justice Center, a grant to purchase automatic license readers, and a resolution to purchase a new police vehicle. Gilpin County Attorney Brad Benning rang the bell and Mayor Spellman called the Council to order at 3:00 pm followed by Roll Call and the Pledge of Allegiance. Council members that were present included Linda Armbright, Paul Bennett, Jim Johnson, Greg Moates, Hal Midcap, and Benito Torres. Other folks in the chambers included City Manager Stephen Cole, Police Chief Michelle Moriarty, Fire Chief Christopher Woolley, City Clerk/Admin Services Director Melissa Greiner, City Attorney Corey Hoffmann, Public Works Director Tom Isbester, Finance Director Lance Hillis, Planning and Development Administrator Cindy Linker, and Deputy City Clerk Michele Martin. City Attorney Hoffmann asked Council to declare any Conflicts of Interest on any issue appearing on the agenda this afternoon other that than those already disclosed and filed with the City Clerk and Secretary of State. There were no objections from the City Council or from anyone in the Council Chambers. Meeting Minutes Black Hawk City Council approved the meeting minutes from the May 26, 2021 Regular Meeting with no corrections or amendments. Dory Hill Road Disconnection (CB14/Ordinance 2021-14) CHAPTER 1, ARTICLE XI - Disconnection of Territory from the City - is the section of the Black Hawk Municipal Code relevant to disconnection of territory from the City of Black Hawk and this project is specifically a disconnection following the City initiated application process. On April 1, 2021 the City of Black Hawk submitted a city-initiated application to disconnect territory from the boundaries of the City. Pursuant to Chapter 1, Article XI of the City of Black Hawk Municipal Code, the City may initiate a disconnection application. On April 28, 2021 the City of Black Hawk City Council adopted Resolution 28-2021. That resolution accepted the disconnection application and set a public hearing date of Wednesday, June 9, 2021 at 3:00 p.m. In accordance with Sec. 1-210(b) of the Black Hawk Municipal Code, at least 20 days prior to the hearing notice of the application and hearing was posted on the property. In addition, required notice of the application and hearing was mailed to all property owners of record and special districts with the area considered to be disconnected. The territory proposed to be disconnected is located along and east of Dory Hill Road and north of the intersection with the driveway to the Dory Hill Water Treatment Plant. The territory proposed to be disconnected is contiguous with the city’s external boundary in this area of the City. The disconnection would remove approximately 31.74 acres of territory from the City. Gilpin County Brad Benning spoke in opposition of the disconnect due to the high cost of maintenance to the 1,500 ft of Dory Hill Road that will be included in the disconnect. Black Hawk City Council approved Ordinance 2021-14 unanimously. PorchLight Family Justice Center MOU (CB15/Ordinance 2021-15) Council Bill (CB) 15, an Ordinance approving an off-site partnership Memorandum of Understanding between the City of Black Hawk and PorchLight, a Family Justice Center. The operations manual for PorchLight, A Family Justice Center (PorchLight) is designed to assist the PorchLight staff, on and off-site partners, interns, volunteers and any individual who may work with, or visit PorchLight. PorchLight is a collaborative professional environment to assist individuals who have been impacted by violence. A Family Justice Center is one location where victims and survivors can go to receive the critical services that they need. PorchLight will provide convenient, collaborative support. PorchLight serves victims and survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, elder abuse, at-risk individual abuse, and human trafficking, the “Core Service Areas.” Guests are not required to file a police report, or have a civil or criminal case to receive services. There is no required referral form or process; Guests may walk in or are welcome to make an appointment if need be. The services are free and voluntary and Guests are not screened, except to ensure the person causing harm to them is not on-site. PorchLight operates from one primary location, 11100 W 8th Ave Lakewood CO, 80215, and serves all of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties. PorchLight will make every effort not to turn away Guests that are outside of the jurisdictional boundaries of Jefferson and Gilpin Counties, especially those who have fled from other areas and come to PorchLight in their efforts to seek safety. It is the policy of PorchLight to provide every Guest with some assistance, information, and/or referral. Every effort should be made to assist Guests in need of services by providing information, to the best of our ability, about PorchLight, the legal system, referrals to off-site partners, personal connections, or directions. Website: www.porchlightfjc.org . This MOU is essential to Black Hawk PD because often, our Victims are from the metro area. Joining the MOU displays the care and compassion that we have for victims of crime in our city and county. Black Hawk City Council approved CB15/ Ordinance 2021-15 unanimously. Automated License Plate Readers (CB16/ Ordinance 2021-16) 5290 Request to Approve the Grant from Colorado Auto Theft Prevention Authority (CATPA) and the Metropolitan Auto Theft Task Force (C-MATT) for Automated License Plate Readers (ALPR) to reimburse the purchase price up to $67,000 for two mobile ALPR systems mounted on two Police Department patrol vehicles. Auto theft is dramatically rising in Colorado. Based upon the reported stolen vehicles, 2021 will be a record year in stolen vehicle in Black Hawk. There have already been 13 stolen vehicle reports in Black Hawk through April. In comparison, in 2019, there were 14, and in 2020, 16 for the entire year. Stolen vehicles are a precursor to other criminal activity to include illegal drug activity and criminal trespass. All of which degrades the experience for everyone visiting Black Hawk. This equipment will be an invaluable tool to manage auto theft and other criminal activity in the City of Black Hawk. City Council approved CB16/ Ordinance 2021-16 unanimously. New Replacement Police Vehicle (Resolution 41-2021) Resolution 41-2021 is a Resolution approving the purchase of a 2021 Ford F150 Police Vehicle in an amount not to exceed $60,000. In March 2021, Vehicle #10 was involved in an accident and deemed “totaled” by the insurance company. BHPD received a check from CIRSA for $15,613 to put toward a replacement. BHPD is requesting the City fund the additional cost to replace Vehicle #10 into PD’s fleet. This request was not a budgeted cost for 2021. Items that should be considered are the age of our fleet and the fact that currently, it is difficult to get vehicles in a timely fashion. The last time we ordered a marked patrol vehicle was in 2019, and we canceled two cars that we ordered in 2020 due to COVID. We currently do not have any vehicles budgeted for 2021. If we place an order now, we still might not see the vehicle until 2022 because of the manufacturing delay in producing them. City Council approved Resolution 41-2021 unanimously. Allie Lode Purchase (Resolution 42-2021) Black Hawk City Council approved a Resolution approving the purchase of the Allie Mining Lode #4975. The Resolution authorized purchase the Allie Mining Lode for $34,575 consisting of approximately 4.61 acres and authorizing the City Manager to execute to purchase and pay the applicable closing costs. L. J. Peterson will retain all mining rights. The City contemplates the expansion of its open space/park system to include Gregory Hill, previously called Miners Mesa. Next meeting The next Black Hawk City Council meeting will be June 23, 2021 at 3:00 pm located at 211 Church Street, Black Hawk, Colorado. For more information visit www.cityofblackhawk.org.

Combating car theft in Black Hawk

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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