Transfer station approved

Fiscal conservatism ruled the day at the Feb. 4 Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting.

The special use permit for the proposed solid waste transfer station at the Saratoga landfill was approved unanimously, as recommended by the Carbon County planning and development department. Commissioner Sue Jones abstained from the transfer station vote as she was representing the applicant, the Upper Platte River Solid Waste District.

However, a request to replace a full-time administrative assistant at the Saratoga office of Carbon County Public Health may have more immediate impacts on the town and county as a whole.

According to Amanda Brown, with the public health department, the former administrative assistant for Saratoga left her position when her fiancée found work outside of Wyoming. In an effort to address the budgetary concerns of the county the public health department proposed filling the benefited, full-time position, already in the budget, with a 20-hour per week position with no benefits. This would mean shifting some of the duties to administrative assistants in the Rawlins office. A 5 percent pay increase for the Rawlins workers who would take over the responsibilities that could not be filled by the future part-time employee was deferred until county budget talks later this year.

According to the public health department the move would save the county approximately $23,000 in the 2016 fiscal year, even with the 5 percent pay increase for two employees. Commissioner Lindy Glode said she thought it was a good idea. Commissioner Jones noted that the billing and scheduling requirements of the administrative assistant take considerable time, saying, “When (Brown) says they are increasing the duties of the staff (in Rawlins), my point is that they are increasing the duties of the staff (in Rawlins).” In the end Commissioners John Johnson and Leo Chapman held their ground that the county is not allowing salary increases right now and the matter should be considered during the budgeting process. The commissioners approved hiring a part-time administrative assistant for the Saratoga office, with no benefits.

The county commissioners also signed a letter of intent to the Department of Homeland Security to continue participation in the regional hazard mitigation plan. Carbon County Emergency Management Coordinator John Zeiger noted that Homeland Security will likely pay for mitigation plan updates in the future for participating governments.