Medicine Bow talks cash flow

The Medicine Bow Town Council met at 7 p.m. on April 13.This meeting was held digitally on the Zoom platforn. Notification of the meeting was published in four separate places as well as the town’s website. Getting everybody online took a few minutes and Mayor Sharon Biamon called the meeting to order at 7:09 p.m.

Those present were Biamon, Councilmembers John Cowdin, Lyle Flansburg, Lucy Schofield, and Trevor Strauch. Also, present were Town Clerk/Treasurer Karen Heath, Public Works Director Charlie George, Mark Davidson of Sunrise Engineering and two members of the public.

The first order of business was a public hearing which Biamon opened to take comments on proposed budget amendments.

Heath explained she usually did budget amendments twice a year, once in March and once in June. The delay to April was due to her traveling to Iceland in March and the COVID-19 restrictions that occurred when she returned.

She said it was a state statute that required any revenues collected in excess of expectations, required a budget amendment before they could be spent. Biamon asked for public comment.

There being no further public comment, Mayor Biamon closed the hearing. The council voted to approve Resolution 2020-5 amending the budget for fiscal year 2019-20.

After coming out of the public hearing, the agenda and minutes from the regularly scheduled March 9 and special meeting on March 30 were approved.

Biamon had a question on the item of water parts when looking over the bills. George said it was for the RV park meter pits. The bills and financials were approved after George’s explanation.

Ordinance 1-2020 was approved on its third reading. It is an ordinance clarifying speed limits within the town of Medicine Bow.

Ordinance 2-2020B was approved in its first reading. It is an annual appropriations ordinance for fiscal year 2020.

Biamon said the Medicine Bow Fire Department was making money working for Carbon County and she felt a lot of these earnings should be placed in a savings account to earn interest and be used for equipment replacement. Schofield said they had talked about this in the budget workshop and thought the council had set a limit over which the fire department would have to ask permission to spend the funds.

She suggested someone should meet with Fire Chief Peter Andrews, and use some of the funds for training and the council should talk further with the fire chief before deciding. The council voted to table the discussion pending further talks with Andrews.

Under the public works report, George said Sunrise had sent an email with a work release for the street drainage project. He said they didn’t need to sign it tonight but wanted to let them know it existed.

Davidson said the review was 90 percent complete and was pushing the project ahead for a May 1 bid. The project included grading roads and installing drainage pipes. They had six bidders already. He needed authorization to move past the design phase.

Biamon said she didn’t know if they would have enough money to do the drainage this year. Davidson said once they had the materials and design, time was on their side, they could pick the project up next year and bid it out. All they would have to do is update the permits. Biamon asked if West Spruce Street was a separate project and Davidson said it was. George said they could still phase out the work if more money came in.

George said he had received another quote from Maguire Iron on painting the tanks. The red and white tank would cost $94,000, and the detention tank inside the water treatment plant would be $9,000, if done at the same time. The black tank would cost $43,000. He said he had to speak to the town attorney to see if it had to be bid out.

Biamon said to do the black tank while they had funds so it wouldn’t rust out, but to check if there was lead-based paint on it. Biamon said to see what needed to be done with the equipment on the towers.

Pipe had been ordered for streets drainage and George was working with Sunrise Engineering. George was also getting the parks equipment in running condition.

Biamon said Marshal Dave Redding would provide a paper report later but had said he had issued $2,408 in fines in the last two weeks not counting the ones that had to go before the judge.

Biamon said a representative to South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) was still needed. Interested persons should send a letter of interest to Town Hall.

Medicine Bow Planning and Zoning Chairman Trevor Strauch said the paperwork for the county shop was done and they had received two building permits for consideration. George said the tornado siren pole on their grounds had to be removed and the council should consider where to relocate it. Heath suggested contacting Black Hills Energy to see if it could be relocated on their parcel north of the county shop parcel.

The next scheduled meeting is at 7 p.m. on May 11. The location will be decided later if it will be held at the Medicine Bow Community Hall or be another teleconference.