County Animal Control (Martin Gitlin): Gitlin discussed the role of the animal control department, and teaching residents to live with the wildlife. He suggested that chaining animals, particularly dogs, was like providing mountain lion bait. He said the dog provided a sort of "on the job training" for the lion and her cubs. He said a better and safer solution would be to pen the animals with a sturdy fence. If you live in a lion active area, an electric fence might be a good option.

County Sheriff's Office (Under-Sheriff Bill Bridenburg): Bridenburg discussed the possibility of a ban on the discharge of firearms in the residential areas of York Gulch if the firearm problem becomes worse. He said that other neighborhood associations have done so, and that it has been a good compromise between hunters and residents.

He also discussed the increase in off-road vehicles. He explained some of the rules involving off road driving: vehicles must stay on marked or numbered roads, and drivers must be at least 16 years of age and have a valid driver's license. He urged residents to call the sheriff's office if they see these rules being violated.

Citizens for Improved Education Facilitator (Rick Winter): Winter discussed the upcoming school bond election to be held November 2, 1999. He provided detailed handouts outlining the proposed new High School as well as remodeling and improvements on other county schools.

Winter explained the planning process that led to the choice of Floyd Hill as the optimum site for the new High school. He explained the need for a new school, since the current school is becoming overcrowded, and there is simply no place to expand. He also discussed much needed improvements to the other schools in the county.

Winter explained that the additional property tax on a home valued at $100,000 would be $110.94 a year, or less than $10 a month.

Business Meeting

Yvonne Kramer gave the Treasurer's report:
   GCCHLA checking: $1176.87
   GCCHLA savings: $7857.30
   Fire Dept.: $6444.67
Yvonne explained the Association expenses, and showed a projected budget for 1999-2000. If more people would pay Association dues and road fees, we could grade the road more than once a year. We are trying to increase the amount of communication with area property owners, so they will understand how we use the fees.

York Gulch Volunteer Fire Department
Kathleen Krebs, Fire Chief, reported that volunteers are desperately needed for all positions. She discussed some of the benefits of maintaining an active volunteer fire department in the Gulch, and the benefits of being a volunteer. She reported that she has received several applications.

Old Business

Dave again said he felt items such as the Environmental Impact Study (EIS) that will need to be done on the Eureka Ranch project would be as much of a deterrent to the pipeline as the Clear Creek Commissioners. He felt throwing as many expensive road blocks in the way would be the most effective tactic.

Since York Gulch Road is closer to Eureka Valley than the Southern Access Road would be, even if the Southern Access Rd passes, expansion plans could continue with the idea of forcing Clear Creek to upgrade YG Rd. Dave said he felt this was the chief reason for Central's insistence on the York Gulch pipeline.

Briefly, the County Commissioners passed a policy last year stating that Public Historical roads cannot be closed at the landowner's discretion if they have been in recent public use. The original case involved a property owner in the Chicago Creek area who didn't want to grant access for the building of a transmission tower. The road in question was an old mining road, and nearby residents had been using it for many years. The new policy grants the Commissioners the right to determine what roads are covered.

It has been reported that at least one Idaho Springs realtor has been telling clients to just drive a four wheel vehicle across anything resembling a trail, and the county commissioners will make it a road.

Dave suggested we need to formulate a master plan dealing with abandoned roads in the Gulch. This can be presented to the Clear Creek Commissioners. We need to determine how long a road needs to be abandoned before it is no longer a road.

The Board will set up a meeting with Commissioner JoAnne Sorensen to discuss our concerns, and hopefully formulate a road master plan for the area.

The following people volunteered for a Road committee to help formulate an initial plan:
   Bob & Carol Doane
   Larry Kramer
   Marci Bowman
   Martha Ramsey

Cost for surveys, title work, reports etc. is expected to cost between $3500 to $5000 an acre, and the land itself is currently running about $3500 an acre. Contact Dave or the Forest Service for rules covering the purchases.

• confine level of improvements to York Gulch Road
• preservation of the character of the area
• resolve issues of inaccessiblee claims
• resolve issues of Forest Service and BLM lands

• lots of work
• costs are unknown (don't know what the mill levy will be in the future)
• need to pay for any county services such as police
• do we trust ourselves?

• need forty signatures on a petition
• need money to cover the costs of an election
• would need to organize and hold an election
• home rule city must have 150 residents (with over 60 homes occupied full time, we should be close)

A committee was formed to research and consider the town idea:

Dave Gallaher Bill Sanders

Craig Wandrey Laurie Beckel

Bob Musemechi Martha Ramsey

Web Site (www.scribble-count.com/GCCHLA/)
Dave thanked Bill Sanders and Marci Bowman for their work on the GCCHLA Web site, and for hosting the page on their company's site.

Pine Beetle Tree Kills
Dave reported that a total of nine infected trees were treated in the Red Tail Ridge/Saddle Drive area.. He thanked Bill Sanders for all his work. Bill thanked Bob Musemechi, Todd and Amina Morrison, Craig Wandrey, Larry and Yvonne Kramer, and Marci Bowman. Bill reported the remaining insecticide was used, so we suspect Otto Van Geet made good use of it in the Big Meadow area.

Marci reported that four trees on their property appear to be infected by the most recent beetle flight. They are all trees weakened by heavy equipment installing the leach field. She reminded everyone to watch their trees for signs of infection, and mark them somehow to check in the spring. Bill said the trees won't need to be cut and treated until next spring.