Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
Serving the Platte Valley since 1888
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The Town of Saratoga is one step closer to completing their audit of Fiscal Year 2018/2019 following approval of a representation letter to Carver, Florek and James (CFJ) at the July 7 meeting. The letter was approved on a 3-1 vote, with Councilmember Jon Nelson voting against. As was reported previously (see “Bubble gum, duct tape and pickles” on page 1 of the July 1 Saratoga Sun), third-party accountant James Childress urged the Saratoga Town Council to sign the rep...
The Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) met with two attorneys from Corthell and King, the Laramie based law firm selected last month by the SCCIJPB, during their July 8 meeting. At the same meeting, the reappointments of Chairman Richard Raymer and board member Roger Cox were confirmed and the election of officers was held. Corthell and King As was reported previously (see “Water, sewer board engages with attorney” on page 12 of the June 17 Sar...
When the members of the Saratoga Town Council will convene for their next meeting, it will be in the renamed Steve Wilcoxson Town Council Chambers. On July 7, the council unanimously approved Resolution 2020-08, renaming the council chambers in honor of the late Steve Wilcoxson. Wilcoxson passed away on May 29 in a boating accident on the North Platte River. At the time of his passing, he was serving on the Saratoga Town Council. Elected in 2016 following a write-in campaign...
The Town of Saratoga and other entities in Carbon County will be receiving their first payouts from the 2019 Specific Purpose Sales and Excise Tax (6th penny tax) totaling $1.5 million. At their July 7 meeting, the Saratoga Town Council read and adopted resolution 2020-09 which authorized the Carbon County treasurer to distribute $1,524,249.26 to “sponsoring entities” while depositing $2 million in an escrow account. “We had a meeting July 1 up at Rawlins and had a number of i...
With the Primary Election little more than a month away, Valley residents will have two opportunities to learn more about the candidates that will be appearing on the ballot on August 18. The Valley Service Organization (VSO) will be holding forums later this month for seven candidates for Saratoga Town Council, the five candidates for Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) and the four candidates for House District 47. The council candidates invited to the first forum...
I hate to admit it, but I must be getting older for my age. While I’ll be turning 34 in October, this July 4 has me feeling sort of like a curmudgeon in regards to the amount of fireworks I heard going off around my neighborhood over the weekend. In one case, fireworks set off at 2 a.m. rocked both my wife and I out of a deep sleep. It seems that the older I get, the more I can understand the frustration that has been felt by dog owners and those suffering from Post T...
With the start of the 2020/2021 Fiscal Year, the Upper Platte River Solid Waste District (UPRSWDD) has begun to follow through with their intention of handling their own billing for the Saratoga area. At their July 1 meeting, the district board also discussed rates for the Town of Saratoga. Town Rates While, historically, the Town of Saratoga had served as a point of collections for the UPRSWDD, that relationship was effectively terminated prior to the 2019/2020 Fiscal Year...
While a nearly two and half hour discussion over a report from James Childress and two executive sessions took up the majority of the Saratoga Town Council meeting on June 23, the governing body also passed two budgetary items on third reading. Ordinance No. 856, an ordinance amending the 2019/2020 Budget, and Ordinance No. 857, an ordinance setting the 2020/2021 Budget, were both passed by a 3-1 vote with Councilmember Jon Nelson voting nay both times. Over the past month,...
The Carbon County Visitor Council met at 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Hanna Town Hall for their monthly meeting. It was the first time the board has met in person since February. The monthly meetings for March, April, and May had been done by teleconferencing. Encampment representative John Farr put forth an amendment to the agenda asking to discuss improving the sign at the Riverside Information Center. The amendment was approved. In attendance was John Farr, Danny Burau from...
"You're going to see, 2010 through 2018, that whole time we're below the bar. That ends up being $3.7 million in total losses through that period of time. So, again, the town's in a pickle." Five weeks after his last appearance before the Saratoga Town Council, James Childress of Childress Accounting and Consulting appeared before the governing body on June 23 to provide sobering news. Not only did the general fund see a deficit of $3.7 million over eight years, but Childress...
Dear Editor, I would like to remind the elected officials of our town that it is their duty and responsibility to answer to the constituency. Questions from other council members are not an inconvenience to be overcome; they are means to discovering and understanding the truth. The public is not an inconvenience to be overcome; they are the citizens of this town to whom you answer. The financial activity of the town is not a mere inconvenience to deal with; it is a priority for you to manage. You chose to sit behind that...
For the second time this month, the Saratoga Town Council held a special meeting on June 17 as business previously thought addressed in the first special meeting required further attention. As was reported previously (see “Special meeting to special meeting” on page 7 of the June 17 Saratoga Sun), the council had approved an amended representation letter for James Childress of Childress Accounting and Consulting on a 3-1 vote. On June 15, an email sent to council members and...
At their regular meeting on June 10, the Saratoga-Carbon County Impact Joint Powers Board (SCCIJPB) read a letter from the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) expressing their concern over funds managed by the Town of Saratoga. The joint powers board also hired a law firm from Laramie to review the agreement between Carbon County and the Town of Saratoga forming the SCCIJPB. Letter from BOCCC “The Carbon County Commissioners were informed that the Town of Saratoga may...
The Hanna Town Council met at 6 p.m. on June 9 at the Hanna Town Hall. In attendance Mayor Lois Buchanan, Councilmember Sammy Sikes and, by phone ,Councilmember Linda Schisel. The agenda was approved first. The minutes from the regularly scheduled meeting on May 12 and special meeting on June 1 were approved next. Marcia Beals, representative for Hanna to the High Country Joint Powers Board (HCJPB), said the last meeting went over the proposed budget (see “Landfill has new w...
While the second reading of the budget and budget amendment took up most of the two hour June 11 special meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, the council also discussed a letter of representation to James Childress. Legal counsel Tom Thompson informed the governing body that he had talked with Childress at the beginning of June and, at that time, he had requested that the town council sign the representation letter before issuing his report. “James then, thereafter, sent t...
During the June 11 special meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, the governing body voted 3-1 to pass Ordinance No. 856, a budget amendment for Fiscal Year 2019/2020, on second reading with Councilmember Jon Nelson casting the lone dissenting vote. The nay vote from Nelson comes following repeated attempts to include the transfer of excess revenues over expenditures in the enterprise funds in the amendment. As was reported previously (see “No second for that motion” on pag...
There were two public hearings during the June 10, 2020 Saratoga Planning Commission meeting. both of which progressed quickly. The issue of Saratoga’s lack of off-street parking was briefly discussed in regards to an application submitted by Jon Nelson for a bed and breakfast. Since the entire downtown is considered non-conforming as most structures were built prior to current zoning codes, the motion was passed to recommend approval to the Town Council. The second public h...
The Airport Board meeting of June 10, 2020 began with discussion of an aircraft rescue and fire fighting (ARFF) truck that Riverton, Wyoming is getting rid of. Jon Nelson, council representative, said that it is not a right fit for the Town of Saratoga. However, as discussion progressed, other board members seemed to sway in favor of the ARFF. Riverton is giving up the vehicle, which only has approximately 380 hours of use on it, because they do not want to keep dumping money...
The Riverside Town Council met at 6 p.m. on Thursday at the Riverside Town Hall. Mayor Leroy Stephenson and all council members were in attendance. The first order of business was a public hearing on issuing liquor license renewals for Encampment Hospitality and Mangy Moose. "I have a letter from the Mangy Moose," Stephenson started. "To whom it may concern, in light of COVID-19, the Moose LLC has no plans to open this year for business and understands that if there is a plan...
“I still think that we have way overprojected our revenue for the next year and I have some real concerns.” This statement from Saratoga resident Kristen Teubner during the June 11 special meeting of the Saratoga Town Council seemed to encompass the concerns expressed by other residents as the governing body held the second reading of the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2020/2021. As the State of Wyoming anticipates a $1.5 billion deficit over the next two years, the Sar...
Ensuing the passing of Councilmember Steve Wilcoxson on May 29, the following meeting of the Saratoga Town Council on June 2 was kept short with a modified agenda. In total, the time from beginning to end was just around 20 minutes. During that meeting, Mayor John Zeiger officially declared a vacancy on the council. “It is with regret that I’m going to have to declare a vacancy on our council after the passing of Councilman Wilcoxson,” said Zeiger. “So anyone that would b...
For the second time since February, Councilmember Jon Nelson objected to payments for third-party accountant James Childress as they exceeded the monthly amount approved by the Saratoga Town Council. At the June 2 meeting of the governing body, Nelson objected to paying the entire amount invoiced by Childress, which totalled $8,482. As was reported previously (see “No body, no crime” on page 16 of the February 26 Saratoga Sun), the Saratoga Town Council provided Childress wit...
Following the failure to pass two ordinances relating to the current and upcoming fiscal years on second reading at the June 2 Saratoga Town Council meeting, the governing body will be holding a special meeting this week. The council will also discuss an engagement letter for James Childress. Over the past few several weeks, the Saratoga Town Council has been debating both the revenue and expenditures for Fiscal Year 2020/2021. Councilmember Jon Nelson has been expressing...
The first meeting of the Saratoga Town Council since the passing of Councilmember Steve Wilcoxson on May 29 saw the governing body with barely a quorum as Mayor John Zeiger, Councilmember Judy Welton and Councilmember Jon Nelson were in attendance. Councilmember Bob Keel, in writing, cited a conflicting work schedule for being unable to attend. With the end of the current fiscal year coming to a close in less than a month, the Saratoga Town Council is struggling to get a...
A weekend that was supposed to be one of triumph for high school graduates started off with tragedy as one Saratoga resident drowned on the North Platte River on May 29. According to a press release from the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office, a report was received at approximately 2:45 p.m. on Friday of a boat with three occupants capsizing on the North Platte River. The exact location was unknown, but was believed to be between Treasure Island and Kelley Cattle Company. A c...
