CENTRAL CITY — Gilpin County commissioners want to get moving on two new fire-protection cisterns in Rollinsville.

The cisterns have been discussed for some time because Rollinsville lacks a reliable water source to fight structure fires. The absence of water has also made it harder for new businesses to open or expand in the area.

During the four-hour meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, commissioners looked at two options. One would go on the east side of Rollinsville near Gold Dirt. The other would go near the County's Public Works building on the west side.

The County has $166,348 in lodging tax money set aside for fire protection in the Rollinsville area.

The east proposal would place an above-ground tank on private property at 60 Main Street. It is listed as a 48,000-gallon tank, although its usable capacity may be closer to 40,000 gallons due to snow- and wind-load requirements.

The west proposal would put a cistern on County property near the Rollinsville Public Works building.

Timberline Fire Protection District would have access to the water and is expected to handle ongoing maintenance.

Fire officials said about 40,000 gallons would be a reasonable starting point for protecting the buildings already in Rollinsville. A much larger future development could require more water for fire protection.

Commissioners were also interested in making the east tank larger if the extra capacity can be added without greatly increasing the cost.

By the end of the discussion, the board was no longer looking at the projects as an either/or choice. Commissioners said they want both.

The east cistern would come first. The County would expend the amount already budgeted while the details of the cost-sharing agreement are worked out.

Planning and design work on the west cistern would continue this year, with the goal of completing it in 2027. Commissioners also asked whether buying two similar tanks together could save money.

The east cistern would sit on private property owned by Gold Dirt R&E, whose owner, Judd Kaufman, has been working with the County and Timberline Fire Protection District to develop the project.

County attorneys will work on a permanent easement so that the cistern would remain available for public fire protection if the property is sold. Timberline could also be included in the agreement because it would use and maintain the tank.

Commissioners did not approve Resolution 26-085 as it was written. Instead, they directed staff to reflect their plan to move forward with both cisterns on a staggered schedule.

The revised resolution is expected to return at the next meeting.

Roads get a long-overdue update

Commissioners also approved two resolutions dealing with county roads.

Resolution 26-084 and Resolution 26-088 update the county's roadway classifications and Roadway Design and Construction Manual. The previous manual was written in 1975 and was reviewed and readopted in 2000.

Two Stone Road residents spoke during the public hearing. They raised questions about whether Stone Road should be considered public or private and about access to property along the road.

One resident also complained that three gates had been removed from his property and said one of them had been damaged.

Anthony Henderson, who lives at 1029 Stone Road, said Gilpin County Infrastructure Coordinator Andrew Decker removed three gates from his property on July 20. One was a new electric gate with an automatic exit feature. Henderson said the gates were left down on rocks and that the electric gate was seriously damaged.

Henderson said he considers Stone Road private and questioned what authority the County had to enter the property and remove the gates. He said he has easement records dating back to 1953 and asked the County to compensate him for the damage.

A neighboring resident also told commissioners that property owners had received a notice stating that their private roadway had been designated as a County road. She said the neighborhood had not joined the County's emergency-access program and worried that leaving the gates open could create safety and liability problems.

She described Stone Road as steep and rocky and said the gates help keep drivers unfamiliar with the area from getting stuck in ditches or snowdrifts. She also asked the County to explain how roadway designations affect existing deed easements and what notice property owners should receive when those classifications change.

Commissioners did not directly address Henderson’s allegation that County staff removed and damaged his gates, nor did they determine during the hearing whether Stone Road is public or private. 

Staff said the new resolutions did not change roads from maintained to non-maintained and offered to look into questions about specific roads.

The board also made changes to clarify the responsibilities of the Public Works director and County Engineer.

Both resolutions passed 3-0.

Short-term rental rules revised

Commissioners spent considerable time on the first reading of Ordinance 26-01, a rewrite of the County's short-term rental regulations.

The ordinance would replace the rules adopted in 2022. County staff said the review began with concerns about fire safety but grew to include other issues that have arisen during the first few years of the licensing program.

One proposed change would reduce the current three licensing tiers to two.

Tier 1 would cover a home where the owner lives on the property while renting part of it. Other short-term rentals would fall under Tier 2.

Commissioners moved the ordinance forward after a lengthy first reading. The second reading is scheduled for September 22 at 9:30 a.m. or later.

Idaho Springs helps Gilpin meet housing goal

Resolution 26-086 approved a regional agreement that will give Gilpin County credit for affordable housing built in Idaho Springs.

The Fieldhouse Apartments contain 120 units that qualify under Proposition 123. Idaho Springs will claim 50 units and share the remaining 70 with other participating jurisdictions.

The arrangement is particularly helpful to Gilpin, where a lack of water and sewer infrastructure makes affordable housing development difficult.

County staff said Gilpin has already received $304,000 in funding through Proposition 123 programs and expects another $45,000 by the end of 2026.

Resolution 26-086 passed 3-0.

Commissioners also agreed to give Idaho Springs a "Good Neighbor" recognition for taking the lead on the regional agreement.

Employee questions compensation study

Resolution 26-089, adopting the County's 2026 Compensation Plan, passed 3-0 as part of the consent agenda.

Before the vote, Gilpin County Parks and Recreation employee Shaun Wicen asked commissioners to reconsider the compensation study.

Wicen said 26 of the County's 101 job descriptions would lose market value under the plan. He said many of those reductions fall on hourly employees, while some other positions would see sizable increases.

He pointed out that the mechanic position would drop about $12,500 in annual market value, while 18 hourly positions would see decreases ranging from about 3 to 14 percent. He contrasted that with increases for several exempt positions.

Wicen questioned how that fits with the County's goal of attracting and keeping employees.

"Taking away their ability to grow in their careers doesn't achieve this," he told commissioners.

Commissioners did not pull the compensation plan from the consent agenda. It was approved unanimously.

TABOR question headed to voters

Commissioners also approved Resolution 26-077, which refers a revenue-retention question to Gilpin County voters in the November 3 election.

The measure asks voters whether the County should be allowed to retain and spend revenue above state and local limits.

Commissioners narrowed the language during their recent discussions. The money would be directed toward core infrastructure and maintenance, including roads, bridges, wildfire mitigation, and flood mitigation.

Earlier language covering public safety and other lawful County purposes was removed. Voters should expect to see the question on the November ballot.

Other resolutions

Resolution 26-083 covered election agreements involving Gilpin County, the City of Central, and Timberline Fire Protection District for the November coordinated election.

The board also considered BLE 26-4, a boundary line elimination requested by property owner Joseph Frederick. The request combines two parcels into one.

Liquor license renewed

Commissioners also met as the Gilpin County Local Liquor Licensing Authority. The board considered the annual liquor license renewal for Pickle Liquors, operated by Base Camp Brews LLC at 661 Highway 46.

The next regular Gilpin County Board of County Commissioners meeting is scheduled for September 8.