Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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The Saratoga Town Council passed its annual budget on third reading Tuesday night, approving $3.92 million in expenditures during the 2023-2024 budget year. According to budget documents, the town anticipates receiving approximately $3.67 million in General Fund revenues, with nearly $2.19 million coming from taxes. Other major contributors to the total expected revenue include $699,000 listed as Contributions and Transfers, $261,650 listed as Miscellaneous Revenues and $357,600 listed as Intergovernmental Revenue. Contributions and T...
Dear Editor: Has Hobo Pool been sold? If the “Private Property, KEEP OUT” and “No Trespassing” signs posted on the four hog wire fence barricades blocking access to the free flowing mineral hot springs are official and accurate, the “publicly-owned, open and free forever”, Hobo Pool has either been sold, given away or somehow ended up in private hands. None of the signs indicate by whose authority the barriers were erected. (See photos). The barriers and signs have been up for a couple of weeks, with no effort by the town to open the healing...
On Monday, crew members from the Town of Saratoga were using powerwashers to clean algae and grime from the bottom of the Saratoga Municipal Pool in preparation for filling. "It takes a few days to clean it thoroughly, about 14 hours to fill it and 10 days for it to equalize," said Whisper Brunch, Saratoga pool manager. According to Bunch, the pool has enough lifeguards to open. They don't have enough, however, to offer as many water aerobics and swim classes as have been offered in the past....
If you build it, they will come and an aquatics center for Saratoga’s residents is still in the works according to Nick Haderlie. Haderlie provided an update on the project at the June 6 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Since its initial conception during the fall of 2021, an aquatics center which could both serve as a community pool and host high school swim meets has been a goal for a group dedicated to bringing the facility to fruition. “I’m certain you’re getting a lot of questions about it,” Haderlie told members of the Saratoga...
Town councils throughout Carbon County, including the Saratoga Town Council, have been invited to a groundbreaking ceremony at the Overland Trail Ranch on June 20. The groundbreaking will be held for the TranWest Express transmission line, a project of Power Company of Wyoming. Both Power Company of Wyoming and the Overland Trail Cattle Company are owned by The Anschutz Corporation. According to information from the TransWest Express website, the project was originally proposed in 2005 and will connect renewable energy resources to the western...
The agenda, minutes, and bills were approved before moving on to a presentation on the Carbon County Prevention Network (CCPN) by Tracy Young. The presentation discussed issues such as drug abuse and suicide prevention, as well as summer events the CCPN will be hosting on June 21 and 22. Town Hall Departments Flooding is still a concern, with the town being on high alert. Residents of Saratoga can request sandbags by contacting Town Hall, but will have to place the bags themselves. There are...
Pickle ball was once again on the agenda at Encampment's town council meeting on May 11. Peggy Huntley had brought it to the council at the last meeting, asking if they could clean up the tennis court at the Encampment School in order to make them useable for a pickle ball court. Councilman Steve Reichert voiced his concern about storing equipment in town council lobby. The town council agreed to clean up the tennis courts once the summer help is established, but they want more information...
Living within the North Platte River floodplain can be concerning with the coming spring rains and snow melt, and the possibility of flooding. In the May 2 town council meeting, many of these concerns and solutions were offered up to the residents. Carbon County Sheriff Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken briefed the town council on what the Sheriff’s office is working on. Carbon County School District #1 has a school resource officer program with one deputy on duty in the school district #1 schoo...
With the green grass, and the meadowlark song our thoughts turn to landscaping. First on the April 18 town council agenda was the Saratoga Museum Director Dana Davis addressed the town council concerning the landscaping care at the museum. Davis said that “Ty Brinar volunteered over 30 hours last year to fix the sprinkler system and get the grass looking nice for the community’s use of the pavilion for events”. Ty Brinar is a member of Wyoming Grounds Keeper and Grower Association (WGGA). Davis...
Encampment Town Council proclaimed April as Child Abuse Prevention Month. Sewer Lagoon Project Jon Nelson, Northfork Engineering presented the Council with contracts for the mayor’s signature from American West Construction for the sewer lagoon project. Approved by the council. A notice to proceed was also approved by Council. Nelson also told the council that there may be up to $100,000.00 presented in a change order at the next Council meeting from the contractor. This will help cut the c...
Resolution 2023-11-Flood Declaration was approved by the Saratoga Town Council at the April 4 regular meeting. The resolution states that the Mayor of the Town of Saratoga has declared a state of emergency on behalf of the Town of Saratoga due to severe flooding, and will execute for and on behalf of the Town of Saratoga, the expenditure of emergency funds from all available sources, the invoking of mutual aid agreements, and the requesting of assistance from Carbon County. The resolution says...
With winter snows piled high in the mountains, and rain and warmer temperatures in the forecast, flooding is a concern for local residents living near the Saratoga and Encampment Rivers. This concern was addressed at the Carbon County Flood Summit hosted by Lenny Layman, Carbon County Emergency Manager at the Carbon County Flood Summit of 2023 Friday, March 31. Tony Anderson, Senior Service Hydrologist from the National Weather Service (NWS) in Cheyenne said that the drought conditions have...
The Saratoga Town Council received updates on the Union Wireless broadband build-out and approved a transfer of entitlements from the Saratoga Municipal Airport during their March 21 meeting. The council also approved several grant applications including one for mosquito mitigation. Not so fast Brian Woody, chief customer relations officer for Union Wireless, provided an update on the company’s broadband buildout for Saratoga. According to Woody, 43% of permanent structures in the town have f...
At the February 7 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, the governing body announced they would be challenging the updated flood maps released by the Federal Emergency Management Agency over discrepancies and inaccuracies. According to Risk MAP Program Manager Maddie Pluss, since the release of the draft maps in 2020, the Town of Saratoga had not reached out to FEMA before now. The FEMA Flood RISK MAP Program is an effort to update flood hazard information for communities across the nation. The...
Updates on the lagoon project and a request for Riverside to tie-in to the Encampment water system were the main topics of discussion for Encampment Town Council on March 9. Dan Jago, a representative for the Sierra Madre Water Joints Power Board, told the council Riverside has found the source of a water leak and were hoping to start repairs on April 3. Riverside is asking for permission to tie into the Town of Encampment's water for approximately two weeks. "Once the repair is complete, and...
The Saratoga Town Council received updates on the Saratoga Lake project from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD) during their March 7 meeting. The governing body also approved the application for three grants for Never Forget Park totaling $70,000. Saratoga Lake updates Mark Cufaud, habitat and access biologist for WGFD, updated the council on the Saratoga Lake Project. In September 2022, the WGFD applied rotenone to the trout fishery which is managed by the state department in response...
Editor, I’d like to begin by thanking the Mayor, the Saratoga Police Department, and the Saratoga Sun for organizing the meeting to discuss how we might prevent more fentanyl overdose deaths from devastating our community. Like all group conversations, it wandered a bit, but I think there were some nuggets of gold that are truly actionable for the town. My interest in this subject is not passive or casual. I lost my only child to fentanyl poisoning just more than three years ago after watching my daughter battle addiction for almost 10 y...
Two important projects for the Town of Saratoga—the sale of property to Valley Village Child Care and progress on Never Forget Park—were among the topics discussed by the Saratoga Town Council on February 21. Going, going, SOLD! Following a public hearing and an unanimous decision by the Saratoga Town Council, Valley Village Child Care and Excel Preschool will eventually have a new home in what is now the Corbett Medical Building. During the public hearing, held prior to the regular mee...
At their February 9 meeting, the Encampment Town Council updates from the South Central Wyoming Emergency Services (SCWEMS) and various projects which would require attention once the weather clears. Slow, but steady Penny Layman, a representative for SCWEMS, updated the council on the progress of the ambulance station in Saratoga. Construction began on the addition to the Saratoga station nearly two years ago but progress has been slow. Layman reported one of the new features would be two bedro...
After several years developing new flood maps, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has finalized the documents. The maps, however, are being called into question by a former council member and the county emergency manager. Discussion about the flood map was one of several topics discussed at the February 7 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. The governing body also discussed a Transportation Alternative Master Plan, which has been spearheaded by Saratoga resident McCall Bura...
Despite a short agenda, the Riverside Town Council was able to open bids and receive updates during their February 9 meeting. South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services representative Helen Weiland was at the meeting to share updates. She said SCWEMS had received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) which will be used to purchase an ambulance in Hanna. This grant also freed up money from the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) grant application for an...
Saratoga Town Clerk Marie Christen presented a letter received from Two Rivers Wind, LLC. This letter was sent to inform the public that they are beginning applications for permits required to construct and operate Two River Wind project on a private ranch and BLM lands in Carbon County, Wyoming. The project will include up to sixty turbines, with a total capacity of 280 megawatts, located on 15,657 acres. The project will be on the Two Rivers Ranch in Carbon County north of Highway 30 and the...
The Encampment Town Council meeting on January 12 opened with the newly elected Mayor Shannon Fagan taking the Oath of Office as presented by Encampment Town Clerk Doreen Harvey. Fagan then swore in new council members Ashley McKinney and Steve Reichert. Before the meeting was called to order, there was moment of silence for Tyeler Harris, the EMT that died in the line of duty in December. Penny Layman, South Central Wyoming Emergency Management (SCWEMS) representative gave an update to the coun...
The Riverside Town Council hasn't changed. The incumbents had no competition on the ballot and were kind enough to sit for another few years on the council. Riverside Town Clerk Jan Cook presided over the swearing in of incumbent mayor Leroy Stephenson who then presided over the swearing in of Fred Lorenz and Ed Golden. Helen Wieland, South Central Wyoming Emergency Services (SCEWMS) representative, addressed the council. She said construction on the Saratoga station will continue and half of...
The residents of Ward 2 in Rawlins were without full representation on January 3 and will be without at least until the first meeting in February. Tonya Lewman, who defeated incumbent Linda Smith in the 2022 General Election, did not take her Oath of Office following allegations of violating campaign finance laws. The City of Rawlins began taking nominations for the vacancy on January 6 and will accept them through January 20. The other Ward 2 representative is Councilmember Darril Garner. Lewman Speaks Lewman, who defeated Smith by more than 1...