Moving money

The September meeting of the Encampment Town Council at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Encampment Town Hall was relatively short, a total of 40 minutes, with the exception of the executive session entered into near the end of the meeting.

During the regularly scheduled meeting, members of the town council approved a new representative on the Upper Platte River Solid Waste Disposal District (UPRSWDD), made a decision concerning Encampment’s Economic Development Corporation (EDC) account and discussed the resignation of Encampment’s representative from the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC).

An update was also provided by Mayor Greg Salisbury on the status of two proposed communication towers in Encampment and Saratoga. Following the public hearing at 10 a.m. on Sept. 10, the Carbon County Planning Commission voted to advise the Carbon County Commissioners to deny the permit for Skyway Towers. The county commissioners will discuss the permits during their regularly scheduled meeting at 2 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the Sinclair Town Hall.

Salisbury encouraged as many people as possible to attend. He added that, if they were unable to attend, to call the county commissioners and voice their opposition to the proposed communication towers.

Encampment, following the end of Lloyd Buford’s six-year term in August, was without a representative on the UPRSWDD. Encampment resident Schelby Merrill, however, had been in attendance during the September meeting as a prospective member. Merrill was present, along with husband Cade Merrill, at the Encampment Town Council meeting after submitting a letter of interest for the position.

“I’m glad you guys are interested. It’s a pretty serious matter, what’s going on. It’s going to affect us all,” said Salisbury. “One of the major concerns we have is … their dead pit situation. That’s a serious thing.”

As it currently stands, the disposal of animal carcasses will no longer be allowed at landfills after Dec. 31 per Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality regulations. While the date is fast approaching, discussion is still ongoing on the state level as to what will need to take place following the closure of these pits.

S. Merrill was unanimously approved by the Encampment Town Council and will be the second member of a meat processing company to serve on the UPRSWDD board.

Also on the agenda was the decision by the Town of Encampment to pull their EDC account from Bank of the West. The California-based company recently announced that it would divest from fossil fuels, a move that has led to a significant amount of pushback throughout the state.

“I think we need to pull everything out of Bank of the West,” Salisbury said.

“We only have one account remaining there,” replied Doreen Harvey, clerk and treasurer for the Town of Encampment.

“Let’s pull it,” said Salisbury.

The council voted to move the EDC account from Bank of the West to Rawlins National Bank. Encampment follows the lead of several other governmental bodies including the Park County Sheriff’s Office and the Laramie County Board of Commissioners.

Harvey also informed the council of the resignation of Alysson Sneddon from the CCEDC board. According to Harvey, Sneddon had been on the board for nearly ten years and, in that time, had served as both secretary and treasurer. The council voted to advertise the, now, open position.

Towards the end of the meeting, the town council voted to enter into executive session. Approximately 20 minutes later, the council returned to the council chambers and voted to end executive session.

Before adjourning, Encampment Town Council voted unanimously to approve a one year lease at the Encampment Mill to T&T Wood Products for the amount of $500/month.

The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Encampment Town Council will be at 7 p.m. on Oct. 11 at the Encampment Town Hall.