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Discussion regarding putting the formation of a hospital tax district on the 2024 election ballot took place at the June 18 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC). The proposed district would add taxes in certain areas in Carbon County to go towards the Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC). MHCC Board of Trustees members Garry Goergen and Jerry Steele presented the plan to the BOCCC. “Our hospital is in dire financial straits quite frankly,” Goergen said. “I think we’re...
Hard questions regarding zoning were grappled with at the June 4 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC). During the meeting, the commissioners held a public hearing regarding a zone change for the Blackhall Minor Subdivision near Riverside. The 40-acre area was originally zoned as ranching, agriculture and mining (RAM) before being redesignated as residential (RD-10) in 1982. The requested zone change in the June 4 meeting was from RD-10 to residential (RD), which would...
Two appointees were approved to the Carbon County Visitors’ Council (CCVC) at the June 4 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Per the Carbon County website, the goal of the CCVC is to promote “local travel and tourism within Carbon County and its municipalities and to receive and expend the revenues from the excise tax on lodging services.” Members of the council are appointed by several separate municipalities in Carbon County, as well as one appointment from the Board of County Commi...
With the filing deadline of May 31 now past, the ballots for the primary election are now set. In the local races, nearly all are contested with several people running for limited seats. Meanwhile, there’s some new faces in the statewide offices as one long-time congressman doesn’t appear to be running for re-election this cycle. United States Senator Beginning with United States Senator, John Barrasso will be seeking another term. Barrasso has served in the United States Senate since 2007, when he was appointed to finish the term of the lat...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC) discussed road issues and tourism during the May 21 meeting. Arla Strasser went before the commission to discuss the issue of putting magnesium chloride, or mag chloride, on Carbon County Road 201 east of Riverside. Mag chloride is put on unpaved roads to help control dust from drivers. Strasser spoke about the current conditions of the road, and raised concerns about how mag chloride may further deteriorate the road. She pointed to the issues the...
The Saratoga Town Council failed to appoint a member to the upcoming vacancy on the Carbon County Visitors' Council (CCVC) at the May 21 meeting. Per the Carbon County website, the purpose of the board is to "to promote local travel and tourism within Carbon County and its municipalities and to receive and expend the revenues from the excise tax on lodging services." Members of the council are appointed by several separate municipalities in Carbon County, as well as one appointment from the...
With a deadline of May 31 for candidates to file for the primary election, some races will see some competition while others are either uncontested or without any candidates at all. This year, three seats are up for grabs on the Board of Carbon County Commissioners with five candidates having filed as of May 28. John Espy and Sue Jones both have filed to run for re-election. Joining them on the ballot will be Gwynn Bartlett, who has served as the Carbon County Clerk since 2010 and was re-elected in 2022, James “Jimmy” Hinkle and Garrett Ire...
Filings for the 2024 Primary Elections are currently underway. Many candidates have already applied, however there remain many positions across Carbon County without any filings. The deadline to file for candidacy in all partisan and nonpartisan races is May 31. Here are the current candidates for the 2024 Primary Election as of May 21. For the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC), three seats are open to be filled. Sue Jones and John Espy will be running for reelection. Their most recent...
Today marks the opening of the 2024 Primary Election filing period with a deadline of May 31 for candidates in all partisan and nonpartisan primary races. A complete listing of all offices can be found in the 2024 Primary Proclamation on page B6 of this week’s Saratoga Sun. A few of those offices include three seats on the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), three on the Saratoga Town Council, two on the Encampment Town Council and three on the Riverside Town Council. Board of Carbon C...
These days it may seem as if election cycles never end, but only bleed into one another. While it can be easy to get fatigued by the constant election rhetoric, the civic importance of elections shouldn’t be lost. This year is a presidential election and, in Wyoming, one senate seat and the lone congress seat are also on the ballot. Also on the ballot are a number of county and municipal offices. Three of the five seats on the Board of Carbon County Commissioners will be on the ballot this e...
“Help others and give something back. I guarantee you will discover that while public service improves the lives and the world around you, its greatest reward is the enrichment and new meaning it will bring to your own life.” ~ Arnold Schwarzenegger. Last week, the Town of Saratoga began advertising for the vacancy on the Saratoga Town Council. The seat, previously held by Jacob Fluty, will be on the ballot as a two-year unexpired term this year. Whoever is appointed to the vacancy will onl...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners announced today that it will pay off approximately $9.6 million in debt related to the Courthouse and Carbon Building Improvement Project. The project, which renovated the two buildings was partially paid for using $18 million in specific purpose tax funds, otherwise known as the 6th penny tax funds that were passed by the voters in May of 2019. That left approximately $10 million the county financed with NBH Bank to complete the remodels. In October 2022 the county accepted $8,789,400 from the US Depart...
As municipalities throughout the county struggle with law enforcement, the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office appears to be expanding to meet those needs and is also being creative in how to meet those needs. During the February 20 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Sheriff Alex Bakken provided the commissioners with updates on his department. These included the explanation of an extraterritorial deputy, a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Town of Riverside and t...
In recent years, some emergency medical services in Wyoming have struggled to stay in business. According to Dirk J. Dijkstal, Health Readiness and Response Section Chief for Wyoming Department of Health, at least 11 agencies have been replaced by another, consolidated or closed their doors since 2015. The State of Wyoming does not mandate county government to provide emergency medical services. As a result, these operations have to find other ways to fund their businesses. Emergency medical service is a high-cost industry and healthcare...
"If we were fully staffed and looking at equipment cost, that's one thing. We are truly one power bump or one illness away from not being able to keep the door's open 24/7." Supported by other law enforcement and first responders, Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris laid out the case as to why a county-run centralized dispatch was likely a matter of when, not if. Morris, who was appointed to the position of chief last year by Mayor Chuck Davis, explained how staffing and infrastructure issues...
Rural health care has historically been one of the critical issues that policy makers have had to face. In order to discuss the Behavioral Health Redesign being done by the Wyoming Department of Health, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) met with Senior Policy Analyst Franz Fuchs on January 2. This redesign will focus on mental health care in the state of Wyoming. The new system will change how behavioral health services are provided throughout the state. Funding will change to a...
The first Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) meeting of the year started off with a wide slate of topics, ranging from health care to the Rock Creek Transmission Project during their January 2 meeting. To start the meeting, the board approved the bills and monthly receipts before moving into discussing the issues of influenza and advertising for people to get vaccinated. After these discussions, the board listened to an update on the bridge replacement for the structure over the North...
While it is known unlicensed and unregulated tattooing is going on in Carbon County, neither the county nor the City of Rawlins regulates the activity at this time. Megan Cragun, Communicable Disease Unit Outreach Coordinator for the Carbon County Public Health Department, said the county does not have any regulations or policies on opening a tattoo shop or on tattooing. “Anybody can tattoo a person in their garage or wherever,” Cragun said in an interview. “Some counties have funding to suppo...
County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett told the Carbon County Commissioners at their December 19 meeting she is going to submit a comment on Secretary of State Chuck Gray’s proposed new rules on drop boxes. The county drop box, located at the courthouse, is a way after hours to submit to the clerk’s office such items as child support payments and vehicle registration, for example, Bartlett said. She said the Secretary of State is proposing absentee ballots be submitted to the clerk inside the office. He wants the box to be placed inside the clerk’s offic...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners received a variety of updates during their December 5 meeting, including county roads and the status of COVID in the county. Road conditions and closures Kandis Fritz, coordinator of the Carbon County Road and Bridge Department, said, at the Commission meeting Dec. 5, she has prioritized the following for any grant opportunities the county may secure: The South Road, County Road 401 (Sage Creek Road) for double chip seal, the Seminoe Road, County Road 351 for double chip seal and 12 bridges around the...
The Carbon County Commissioners at its recent meeting appointed Elk Mountain resident Garrett Irene to fill a vacant seat on the Board. The position became available when Byron Barkhurst resigned with one year remaining in his term. Irene said in an interview he has lived in Wyoming his entire life. His family has lived in Carbon County since the late 1800s. Making the motion to appoint Irene, Commissioner John Johnson said Irene fills a demographic that has been missing on the Board. Irene...
The Carbon County Board of Commissioners appointed Garrett Irene to fill the seat vacated by former Commissioner Byron Barkhurst, who resigned. Irene’s term will expire in January 2025. Irene will be sworn in December 5. Prior to making their selection, the Board interviewed three candidates during their November 21 meeting. The other two candidates were Emilee Berger and Joey Correnti. Commissioner John Johnson made the motion to appoint Irene saying a “demographic has been missing” on the Board that Irene will fill. The Board approved the mot...
At a special meeting held on November 2, the Carbon County Republican Party Central Committee selected three candidates for the vacancy on the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) following the resignation of Commissioner Byron Barkhurst. As was previously reported, Barkhurst’s resignation was accepted by the commissioners on October 17. At the same meeting, the BOCCC also declared a vacancy and provided a written letter to the chairman of the Carbon County Republican Party. The c...
In the midst of the United Auto Workers strike—which reached a tentative agreement with General Motors on October 30—law enforcement departments have had to be creative when it comes to restocking their fleet. Carbon County is no different. At the October 17 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Sheriff Alex Bakken requested permission from the commissioner to purchase two used vehicles, both Ford Explorers which were already police packaged. “It means they are ready...
The Rock Creek Wind Gen-Tie Transmission Line hit a snag last week as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) withdrew its decision to grant a right-of-way for the project to cross federal public lands in southeastern Wyoming. The announcement came in a press release from the group Albany County Conservancy who, along with retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mike Lockhart, were plaintiffs in a legal challenge to the decision. The Rock Creek Wind Gen-Tie project is part of the Rock Creek...