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Cripple Creek Council discusses fire safety
By Norma Engelberg
“Old Yellow,” the Cripple Creek Fire Department ladder truck that, because of a transmission problem, went over a cliff last year while fighting a chimney fire in Victor, is now repaired and on loan to Divide Fire.
“It’s transmission has been repaired, it’s been checked out and is operational,” Cripple Creek administrator Bill McPherson told the city council at its meeting Jan. 7. “We’ve worked out an agreement with Divide Fire to keep it in one of their stations. It will be out of the weather and we can have it whenever we need it. That way we still have two ladder trucks for insurance purposes.”
Divide will house, maintain and crew the truck, McPherson said.
He added that with eight house fires in Colorado Springs in the last two weeks, the Cripple Creek Fire Department has begun a fire inspection program for the city’s commercial properties.
“They’ve already inspected city properties and we’re making repairs,” he said. “We’ve sent out letters to all businesses, including casinos, along with a self-inspection worksheet that will give owners a head start. They’ll have 30 days to make repairs before inspections start.”
Any residents who wish to have their properties inspected without charge should call the fire department at 719-689-0240 to schedule an appointment.
Fire Chief Randy Baldwin commented about the recent spate of carbon monoxide deaths in the state.
“Modern houses are so much more airtight than older homes that we’re going to see a lot of more of these,” he said. “As a safety measure, we recommend that people buy carbon monoxide detectors for their homes.”
During his report to council, McPherson announced that St. Luke’s Eye Care and Laser Center of Cripple Creek has submitted a business license application. The center will make eyeglasses onsite and will perform cataract surgery and other laser procedures.
During his report, Manning said his office is finalizing the city’s new master plan. There will be a public meeting on either Jan. 20 or 22, after which the plan will be presented to city council. There will be at least three more opportunities for the public to comment on the master plan before it is adopted.
Manning’s department also received a preliminary plat for a major subdivision near Shelf Road, which could require the realignment of the road. He gave copies of the application to the fire, public works and sewer departments. The subdivision owners have not yet received a go-ahead for road realignment from the Colorado Department of Transportation, he said.
Manning told council he would soon be asking it to reconsider residential historic preservation grant guidelines.
“We only have $50,000 this year and we want to leverage it so it will last longer and help more people,” he said, explaining that in previous years there usually were at least $100,000 in the fund. “Currently we don’t require matching funds for grants up to $5,000. We might want to take another look at that.”
The city is working on an electronic metering system for household water and sewer services and as part of that effort has hired Municipal Services Group to perform a fee schedule study. For $7,500 the group has agreed to conduct the study within the next 30 days.
“I don’t like everything about the agreement they submitted,” said city attorney Lee Phillips. “But the business risk is small and with the modifications they’ve agreed to I can hold my nose and approve it.”
With that recommendation, council also approved the agreement.
The study will consider public works needs over the next decade and build those needs and projected growth rates into a fee structure that would help city utilities become less dependent on gambling device fees. Device fees could go back into the city’s general fund for use elsewhere, such as for a recreation center, said finance director Paul Harris.
He added that there might be some federal and state grant funds available to help the city make infrastructure improvements. The rate schedule should be ready for testing in the second quarter of this year and the water meter system should be fully operational by the end of the year.
With councilmember Gary Ledford stepping out of the discussion and vote, council approved the subdivision of his Carr Avenue property that will consolidate 11 city lots into two city lots. The first lot is where Carr Manor is located. On the other lot, Ledford is building a carriage house and garage for manor guests and his antique cars and an arboretum and potting shed.
Council also approved a two-year franchise renewal with U.S. Cable. The city will allow the cable company to provide cable service and maintain an antenna on Mt. Pisgah in exchange for 3 percent of cable revenues collected from city service users.
Tom Cooper, president of the 2-Mile High Club, asked for permission to build an open shelter for the city’s donkey herd on vacant land next to the Outlaws and Lawmen Museum.
“The club takes care of the donkey herd,” he said. “We feed it and provide hoof care and veterinarian care. The herd runs free but when we have special events we like to get them off the streets. During Ice Fest the donkeys like to rub up against the ice sculptures.”
Locking up the herd requires the club to take them out to a stable at the edge of town. Ray White, director of heritage tourism for the city, said having the stable in that area would get more people to that end of the town and increase visits to the museum. Cooper said that even when the herd isn’t actually using the stable, museum personnel could check with shuttle drivers on the location of the herd and tell visitors where it is.
“A lot of people ask where they can see the donkeys,” Cooper said. “Building the stable there would help the herd and the museum.”
He estimates the size of the shelter would be about 300 square feet and the club would build and maintain it if the city approved the use of the land.
Manning said it was take a zoning change but that the ordinance was already in the works. The stable could be built as a temporary structure and the herd would continue to run free most of the year.
Mayor Dan Baader told Manning to send out notices to neighbors who would be affected by a stable in that location and ask for comments.
Baader asked Karen and Steve Zoellner to submit to the city planning department drawings of plans to put curtains and other items in the windows of empty storefronts on Bennett Avenue so that Manning can see how the cost of materials will fit into the city budget. Steve Zoellner promised the effort will be well within the project budget.
“We want the buildings to look as if they could be occupied,” Karen Zoellner said.
They plan to start with the building across the street from city hall to show what they can do and then go on to other buildings.
“It’s transmission has been repaired, it’s been checked out and is operational,” Cripple Creek administrator Bill McPherson told the city council at its meeting Jan. 7. “We’ve worked out an agreement with Divide Fire to keep it in one of their stations. It will be out of the weather and we can have it whenever we need it. That way we still have two ladder trucks for insurance purposes.”
Divide will house, maintain and crew the truck, McPherson said.
He added that with eight house fires in Colorado Springs in the last two weeks, the Cripple Creek Fire Department has begun a fire inspection program for the city’s commercial properties.
“They’ve already inspected city properties and we’re making repairs,” he said. “We’ve sent out letters to all businesses, including casinos, along with a self-inspection worksheet that will give owners a head start. They’ll have 30 days to make repairs before inspections start.”
Any residents who wish to have their properties inspected without charge should call the fire department at 719-689-0240 to schedule an appointment.
Fire Chief Randy Baldwin commented about the recent spate of carbon monoxide deaths in the state.
“Modern houses are so much more airtight than older homes that we’re going to see a lot of more of these,” he said. “As a safety measure, we recommend that people buy carbon monoxide detectors for their homes.”
During his report to council, McPherson announced that St. Luke’s Eye Care and Laser Center of Cripple Creek has submitted a business license application. The center will make eyeglasses onsite and will perform cataract surgery and other laser procedures.
During his report, Manning said his office is finalizing the city’s new master plan. There will be a public meeting on either Jan. 20 or 22, after which the plan will be presented to city council. There will be at least three more opportunities for the public to comment on the master plan before it is adopted.
Manning’s department also received a preliminary plat for a major subdivision near Shelf Road, which could require the realignment of the road. He gave copies of the application to the fire, public works and sewer departments. The subdivision owners have not yet received a go-ahead for road realignment from the Colorado Department of Transportation, he said.
Manning told council he would soon be asking it to reconsider residential historic preservation grant guidelines.
“We only have $50,000 this year and we want to leverage it so it will last longer and help more people,” he said, explaining that in previous years there usually were at least $100,000 in the fund. “Currently we don’t require matching funds for grants up to $5,000. We might want to take another look at that.”
The city is working on an electronic metering system for household water and sewer services and as part of that effort has hired Municipal Services Group to perform a fee schedule study. For $7,500 the group has agreed to conduct the study within the next 30 days.
“I don’t like everything about the agreement they submitted,” said city attorney Lee Phillips. “But the business risk is small and with the modifications they’ve agreed to I can hold my nose and approve it.”
With that recommendation, council also approved the agreement.
The study will consider public works needs over the next decade and build those needs and projected growth rates into a fee structure that would help city utilities become less dependent on gambling device fees. Device fees could go back into the city’s general fund for use elsewhere, such as for a recreation center, said finance director Paul Harris.
He added that there might be some federal and state grant funds available to help the city make infrastructure improvements. The rate schedule should be ready for testing in the second quarter of this year and the water meter system should be fully operational by the end of the year.
With councilmember Gary Ledford stepping out of the discussion and vote, council approved the subdivision of his Carr Avenue property that will consolidate 11 city lots into two city lots. The first lot is where Carr Manor is located. On the other lot, Ledford is building a carriage house and garage for manor guests and his antique cars and an arboretum and potting shed.
Council also approved a two-year franchise renewal with U.S. Cable. The city will allow the cable company to provide cable service and maintain an antenna on Mt. Pisgah in exchange for 3 percent of cable revenues collected from city service users.
Tom Cooper, president of the 2-Mile High Club, asked for permission to build an open shelter for the city’s donkey herd on vacant land next to the Outlaws and Lawmen Museum.
“The club takes care of the donkey herd,” he said. “We feed it and provide hoof care and veterinarian care. The herd runs free but when we have special events we like to get them off the streets. During Ice Fest the donkeys like to rub up against the ice sculptures.”
Locking up the herd requires the club to take them out to a stable at the edge of town. Ray White, director of heritage tourism for the city, said having the stable in that area would get more people to that end of the town and increase visits to the museum. Cooper said that even when the herd isn’t actually using the stable, museum personnel could check with shuttle drivers on the location of the herd and tell visitors where it is.
“A lot of people ask where they can see the donkeys,” Cooper said. “Building the stable there would help the herd and the museum.”
He estimates the size of the shelter would be about 300 square feet and the club would build and maintain it if the city approved the use of the land.
Manning said it was take a zoning change but that the ordinance was already in the works. The stable could be built as a temporary structure and the herd would continue to run free most of the year.
Mayor Dan Baader told Manning to send out notices to neighbors who would be affected by a stable in that location and ask for comments.
Baader asked Karen and Steve Zoellner to submit to the city planning department drawings of plans to put curtains and other items in the windows of empty storefronts on Bennett Avenue so that Manning can see how the cost of materials will fit into the city budget. Steve Zoellner promised the effort will be well within the project budget.
“We want the buildings to look as if they could be occupied,” Karen Zoellner said.
They plan to start with the building across the street from city hall to show what they can do and then go on to other buildings.
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