The good news from this past week is that the mill levy to support the reopening of the Community Center has passed. We thank all the voters and supporters who stepped forward to make this happen. The Community Center is a resource all Gilpinites can enjoy, and we look forward to seeing its doors open once again.
We at Friends of the Gilpin County Community Center will be advising and giving feedback to the county on various aspects of the reopening, and we welcome others who wish to join our community friends group. We are not County employees, but are a group of neighbors who have stepped up to provide the county with citizen feedback and other aspects of support for our Community Center.
The County is moving forward with a re-opening plan. The first thing up on the list is to start hiring staff for the center. Jobs are currently listed on the Gilpin County People and Culture page. The hiring process will take several weeks followed by appropriate training for each position filled. The center’s buildings and grounds need to be made ready for reopening. Based on what we have heard in meetings with the county commissioners, we could see a reopening in early February. Hiring and training will affect this schedule.
Another important thing to remember is the existence of the novel coronavirus in our state and county. The number of case rates will affect reopening, particularly if they rise enough to require more shutdowns. If the Colorado Health Department deems it necessary to close things down again, our Community Center reopening will be impacted.
Gilpin County currently is in “Safer at Home, Dial Level=yellow” status. This means that people are encouraged to stay home as much as possible, not mingle in large groups, and consider canceling any large family gatherings during the upcoming holidays. The masking requirement remains active. For the latest details on the COVID-19 and our county’s status, check out the Gilpin County public health site.
What Happens When the Center Reopens?
When the center is finally allowed to open, it may be on a restricted schedule. The county personnel are still figuring this out, along with planning how to accommodate the activities most in demand. When that schedule is released, we will post it here and we’re sure the county will also make an announcement. But, in the beginning, people should expect that there will be limited hours and a limited number of people inside the building. Masks will be required, and there will be measures in place to clean the facilities and equipment as often as possible. This is all to keep Gilpinites safe in the face of the pandemic. As time goes by, the Parks and Recreation director will be assessing how it’s going and when it will be safe to add more activities and hours.
Everyone’s greatest hope is that we get back to a reasonably good schedule of hours and activities as soon as it is safe to do so. This is what we all worked for when we asked the County Commissioners to put a mill levy on the ballot.