BLACK HAWK - Even with a power outage darkening City Hall, the Black Hawk City Council pressed on with its July 9 meeting. 

Three of the six aldermen joined by phone, while the rest gathered in dimmed chambers, moving through a packed agenda that included the creation of a housing authority, a residential property purchase tied to the city’s housing rehabilitation efforts, and a liquor license request for a new glamping resort.

Housing Authority officially formed

While housing authorities are usually formed to expand affordable housing, Mayor David J. Spellman said they can also be used to bring housing up to standard. 

Resolution 35-2025 passed unanimously, establishing the City of Black Hawk Housing Authority. The City gained 33 valid petition signatures, more than the 25 required. 

The resolution cited the existence of unsafe, substandard, and/or unsanitary living conditions in certain homes, as well as outdated buildings and inadequate facilities.

The new authority will operate within city limits, with all current council members serving as commissioners. Spellman will serve as chair, and Alderman Greg Moates will serve as vice chair.

City purchases 341 High Street

Resolution 36-2025 ratified the city's purchase of 341 High Street for $400,000 plus closing costs. The property was will become the first project of the newly formed housing authority.

“This home was actually the next one that was in line for the Rehabilitation Grant,” Spellman said. “So it actually works out very nice that not only have we created the Housing Authority, we also now have a property for them to work on.”

Staff said the home was originally listed at $425,000 before the price was negotiated down.

Nest glamping resort liquor license

Club Vista Properties II, LLC, doing business as “The Nest at Black Hawk,” received preliminary approval for a retail liquor store license at its soon-to-open glamping resort on Miners Road. 

The company plans to open by Labor Day weekend, offering 27 insulated domes for rent. A larger dome near the check-in area will include a bar and concession-style food service.

A representative of the company described the space as “more like concession style, quick grab and go, but there is a bar being built in there.” 

The alcohol is not intended to leave the property.

They added, “We are also the only family-friendly [lodging] in this area because we’re not attached to any form of gaming. So we are going very hard on the family-friendly park because we want families.”

The final phase of the project will amount to 50 glamping sites, which are insulated and available year-round.

The council scheduled a public hearing for the liquor license for August 13.

Founders Day under budget

Council approved Resolution 39-2025 to allocate $100,000 for the Gregory Street HARD District Business Marketing Association in 2025. The group organizes events such as Founders Day, which cost $38,000 this year. The event had been budgeted at $45,000.

Other approvals

The council also approved the following:

• Resolution 37-2025, a lease agreement name change for 307 Gregory Street. Staff explained that the lease terms are unchanged from those approved earlier this year.

• Resolution 38-2025, accepting the City’s 2024 audit. The audit received a clean opinion from the City’s independent accountant.

• Resolution 40-2025, renewing the appointments of Lynette Hailey, Tonya Cadena-Barnett, and Karen Midcap to the Historic Preservation Commission. Each will serve a four-year term beginning August 1.

• Resolution 41-2025, authorizing up to $6,900 for prize money for the Gilpin County Mining Contest at the Gilpin County Fair, to be held July 11-13 at the fairgrounds. Black Fox Mining will reimburse half of that amount.

The meeting adjourned at 3:20 p.m. Executive session topics originally scheduled for this meeting will be addressed on July 23.

The Black Hawk City Council meets at 3 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesday of each

month in Council Chambers located upstairs at City Hall, 211 Church Street, Black Hawk. For

more information check online at https://www.cityofblackhawk.org/.