St. Mary’s Glacier Property Owners Association

Monthly Board Meeting

Wednesday, August 2, 2006

6:00pm

 

Meeting Called to Order: 6:10 p.m.

 

Board Members in Attendance: Deb Rightsell, Ian Briddell, Angela Briddell, Erin Johnson, Jan Wood, and Kimberly Brozovich

 

AMENDMENT TO 7/09/06 MEETING MINUTES:  Halloween Party will be held on October 28, 2006.

 

Board has approved Minutes from 7/09/2006.

 

  1. Speaker: Lt Einar Jensen – Clear Creek Fire Authority, St. Mary’s Firehouse Proposal
    1. The Hot Dog Giveaway will happen this Labor Day Weekend.
    2. Volunteer Fire Fighters are needed, if you would like to volunteer, please contact Einar at ejensen@evergreenfirerescue.com for more information.
    3. Please be aware that we are all susceptible to the threat of wildfire.

                                                               i.      Prevention methods include: Clearing Ladder Fuels (Dead Trees, low-lying branches, and grasses that only fuel a wildfire.

                                                             ii.      Property owners are asked to please be sure that their address number is posted on the roadway, so it is easier to find in the case of an emergency.

    1. Currently the Clear Creek Fire Authority is in a Financial Crisis and there is not enough money to upgrade equipment, however the St. Mary’s Community is fortunate to already have a newer truck in its possession.

                                                               i.      This fall voters will be asked to keep excess tax revenue, Clear Creek County will reduce the Mill Levy for the future year.

                                                             ii.      Currently the St. Mary’s Volunteer Fire Authority leases two bays from the Metro District.  There is no room for training or to store additional equipment.

                                                            iii.      Einar is working on a proposal for a new Fire Station to be built on Beaver Road, behind the current Metro Building.  He requests support from the POA as well as individual community members.

1.       A designated site has been identified and the property owners have agreed to sell their property for the project.

                                                            iv.      The building will be a south facing, solar sufficient structure consisting of:

1.       3,000 square feet, 3 bays, 1 meeting room, and 1 bathroom.

2.       The structure will generate 15KW per day so they will potentially be able to sell excess energy back to Excel Energy.

                                                             v.      Einar is looking for grants and donations (only) to cover the cost of $343K.

                                                            vi.      The community is urged to write letters of support for this project and send them directly to Einar at 400 Upper Forest Rd or via email at ejensen@evergreenfirerescue.com.  This project will benefit the community.

 

 

 

  1. Speaker: Michael Coors – Terrain Park Update
    1. They are submitting the Zoning Package this week.  Clear Creek County just created a Mountain Recreation Zoning designation.
    2. The Project is currently in the planning stages.
    3. They are looking for the property to be rezoned by the first of the year.
    4. Eclipse Mountain owns 350 acres and once the land trade with the National Forest Service is completed, the USFS will have control over the outlying parcels.
    5. The current ski area parking lot will be enlarged to have approximately 700 parking spots.  They are proposing a 3-tier structure. (NOTE: Michael Coors emailed Angela Briddell on 8/4/06 and stated that after looking at his records, he realized he misspoke at the meeting and the number of parking spots will be 280-300)
    6. They have been working with the National Forest Service to alleviate the current parking problems that exist as a result of the Glacier Hike Trail.
    7. The target demographic for the new terrain park is families and the 12-25 age bracket.
    8. To provide for snowmaking, they are currently in negotiations with Coors Brewing Company (CBC) to sign a 30-year lease for the water from Glacier Lake.  CBC currently holds all water rights.  CBC does drain the lake annually for cooling on its brewing equipment.

 

Question & Answer Session with Michael Coors

 

            Q: What about Fall River Road Updates/Maintenance?

A: Clear Creek County is currently conducting traffic analysis of Fall River Road. Similar to the Echo Mountain project, Clear Creek County may require that a percentage of Eclipse Mountain ticket sales be allocated to road and emergency services.

 

Q:  Are you currently looking to develop other businesses in the area?

A:  No.  The lodge will only be used for food, restroom facilities, small retail, and possibly a tune shop.  Because of the Zoning designation of Mountain Recreation, the property is restricted as to what kind of business can be run.  Any commercial activities must be directly related to outdoor use.

 

Q:  Is the sound of snowmaking going to be loud?

A:  No.  The sound emitted from the fan driven snowmakers is approximately 60 decibels from 50’ away. The noise will be much quieter than that of other ski areas in Summit County.

 

Q:  How many visitors are expected per day?

A:  The plan calls for a maximum of 250 people per day in the initial stages.

 

Q:  What is the status of the old lift?

A:  The old lift towers are currently being replaced with new handle tows being installed with the capability to install a chair lift in the future.

 

Q: Will you be open for the upcoming season?

A: Yes, on a very limited schedule, without any snowmaking.  Hoping to be open 3 days a week with about 50-100 people per day.  Ticket prices will tentatively be $10-15 per day.

 

 

 

Q: Will there be a ski patrol/EMS?

A: The current policy states that the ski area will hold the injured person in the lodge until emergency services arrive.  There is a possibility that the Clear Creek Volunteer Fire Authority could be trained to be first responders.

 

Q:  Will there be night skiing/boarding?

A: Clear Creek County requires that the park be closed by 9 pm.  The park would like to see a 10 pm closing time, but will comply with Clear Creek County requirements.

 

Q:  Will there be loud music?

A:  No.  It is not in the budget and concerns of local homeowners have ruled out the option at this time.

 

Q:  When will the run(s) be groomed?

A:  After park closes, this is the optimum time to groom before the runs can ice up.  The grooming machine requires lights, which will have a minimal impact on the surrounding areas.

 

Q: Do plans exist to construct an alternate road to the park?

A:  Clear Creek County has mentioned the possibility of Fall River Road improvements, but no plans have been discussed to provide an alternate route.  

 

Q: How many employees do you expect to have?

A:  Approximately 15 initially, possibly up to 50.

 

Q:  Have you considered a shuttle from Idaho Springs?

A:  Yes, the park is definitely open to that option.

 

Q:  Will there be discounts available for local homeowners?

A:  No, not at this time.  However, the park may offer a ticket “10 pack” on a discounted basis.

 

Q:  Will there be a learning area?

A:  Yes, the plan is to build out the park for all levels of skiers/boarders, to include instruction on a limited basis.

 

  1. Pine Beetle Kill.
    1. Please contact the National Forest Service for detecting and mitigating Pine Beetle issues, as they have been detected in the area.
    2. The POA is exploring options for area mitigation and will provide additional information to the community at a future date.

 

  1. Property reviews and approvals.
    1. The Board approved a 7’ setback for the shed located at 61 Silver Creek Rd.

 

  1. Alice Schoolhouse Updates
    1. Doug Opel will be additional contact for Alice Schoolhouse Access.
    2. The game equipment will be locked up. 
    3. The purchase of new shuffleboard supplies, pool balls, and foosball repairs were approved by the board.

 

 

 

  1. Treasurer Issues
    1. Jan Wood was approved by the board to be the primary signer on the POA account.
    2. $100 petty cash will be available for official board member purchases. The funds will be available to all board members and shall be in a secure location with a journal.
    3. Jan found an issue with the insurance policy and has requested a rider to be added to the policy.

 

  1. Fishing
    1. Portable toilets will be added to both Silver Lake and Lake Quivera.  However this year, only one will be installed at Silver Lake (to be removed at the end of October 2006) due to the approaching end of season.  A low cost system has been designed to secure the units and keep them from being tipped over. 
    2. Ian Briddell and Rob Brozovich are developing a new Fishing Warden program.  The program (tentatively) will include informational training from the Clear Creek Sheriff’s Office.  As well, as a registration program for all those interested in being a Warden for 2007 will be implemented.  Additional information will be presented to the board at a future date.

 

Meeting Adjourned: 8:25 p.m.

 

NEXT POA MEETING:  Wednesday, September 6, 2006, 6:00 p.m.