Proposed museum district enters 30 day protest period

"I kind of feel like (King) Solomon here with the baby. We've heard a lot of comments to and fro, we've received a lot of comments to and fro and I feel like I'm a fenced turtle on this."

This statement from Commissioner John Espy appeared to reflect the thoughts of the entire Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) during their June 16 meeting in regards to the proposed Saratoga-Ryan Park Museum District.

As was reported previously (see "Saratoga-Ryan Park Museum District on hold" on page 12 of the June 10 Saratoga Sun), the public hearing for a proposed tax district for the Saratoga Museum and Historical Association (Saratoga Museum) was held on June 2 and was to be continued on June 16. 

During the June 2 hearing, objections were raised by Grand Encampment Museum (GEM) Director Tim Nicklas and historian Nancy Anderson due to the district's proximity to the Encampment and Riverside area. The district, as presented, fell within the boundaries of voting districts 11-1, 11-2 and 11-2-1 also known as inside Saratoga, outside Saratoga and Ryan Park, respectively. Another concern raised by both Nicklas and Anderson was that the district as presented would prevent other museums from forming a similar district.

When the public hearing resumed on June 16, Saratoga Museum Board President Connie Patterson informed the BOCCC that she had requested information from the Carbon County Assessor's Office for taxable properties both north and south of Saratoga. 

According to Patterson, a levy of one mill for the area around Hanna, Elk Mountain, Medicine Bow, Leo and McFadden would generate approximately $104,635. Additionally, a levy of one mill for the Encampment and Riverside area would generate $37,689. It was revealed later in the meeting that a levy of one mill from the proposed district would generate $42,469 in revenue.

One mill is equal to $1 per $1,000 of assessed value.

"I would ask that you follow the procedure as outlined which is to take our proposal to create a tax district using electoral precincts 11-1, 11-2, 11-2-1 and advance it to the 30 day period which landowners within that district ... could protest it," said Patterson. "All the comments that we heard last time came from people who don't actually live within the proposed boundaries. We would ask you to give that a little consideration as well."

Anderson was again present for the public hearing and, referencing Wyoming State Statute, expressed her concern over the proposed boundaries of the district. Referencing Wyoming Statute 22-29-109(a), Anderson informed the county commissioners that approval of the district as presented would prevent the GEM from forming a district with museums in the Hanna, Elk Mountain and Medicine Bow area in the future.

The statute reads, "Before the petition is filed, the county assessor and the department of revenue shall review, within 60 days of receiving notice of the petition, the boundaries of the proposed district for any conflict, overlap, gap or other boundary issue and make written comments thereon to be submitted with the petition."

"My concern, returning to this word gap, makes me understand that the property enclosed in the special district must be contiguous. Looking at the map ... the formation of this district literally isolates Encampment and Riverside because this proposed Saratoga-Ryan Park district cuts off any cooperative effort with the precincts of the north to propose another district outside the authority of the Saratoga district," said Anderson. "I think that's something that has to be considered."

The boundaries of the proposed district were not the only concern in regards to future cooperation between museums outside the Saratoga-Ryan Park district. Another concern was about what history and culture of the area each respective museum was entitled to represent. Shannon Fagan-Craig, Encampment resident and former GEM Director, informed the BOCCC that there was history within the proposed district currently presented by other museums.

According to Fagan-Craig, the history of the prisoner of war camp at Ryan Park is held by GEM as is the history of Brush Creek Ranch. Additionally, the history of Native American teepee sites are held at the Hanna Basin Museum and ranch histories are held at the Elk Mountain Museum.

"In my opinion, the Saratoga Museum District should fall within just the Saratoga town limits and we should try to work together," said Fagan-Craig.

As the discussion centered for a time around which museums are entitled to which history of the area, local historian Dick Perue provided additional insight via Saratoga Museum Director Kim Givens.

"I want to put out there that the Grand Encampment Museum was formed 16 years before the Saratoga Museum. So, a lot of the acquisitions that they have is because we were not an entity yet," said Givens. "Dick did mention that the aforementioned historical areas were in both museums and they were in both museums because of the Dick Perue and the R.I. Martin Collection. He was the one who put them in there."

Givens also informed the BOCCC that the Saratoga Museum was not opposed to expanding the boundaries of the district at a later point to include other museums. One of her concerns, however, was what other museum would be able to accommodate the collection at Saratoga Museum should the institution be forced to close its doors without adequate funding.

After public comment, each of the five commissioners expressed their hesitancy at either approving the district as proposed or removing the Ryan Park area from the boundaries.

"I like seeing things as a whole. History's huge on my backburner. I think there's a ton of history. We need it as a society. We're losing that ability to have the elders teach us history, so we're going to have to go to museums to find that but to see the continuity and a potential larger area district, my gut is telling me to go forth with 11-2 and 11-1 and pull the 11-2-1 out," said Chairman John Johnson.

"On one hand we're asked to trust the voters and the property owners to follow the process where some of the people that are asking us to do that are asking us also, as citizens, to take this leap of faith for the future of museums in Carbon County. Which presents a very interesting dilemma because I could see about 99 ways that that could go wrong where somebody at a community could be excluded," said Commissioner Travis Moore.

An initial motion was made by Espy to approve the proposed district within the boundaries of 11-1 and 11-2, excluding 11-2-1. That motion died due to lack of a second. A second motion was made by Commissioners Byron Barkhurst to approve the district as presented, but failed on a 2-3 vote with Espy, Moore and Johnson voting against. 

Finally, a third motion was made by Espy which excluded townships 15N80W, 16N80W and 17N80W, the eastern-most sections of 11-2-1. The motion passed 4-1 with Barkhurst voting against.

The next step in the process is for a 30-day contestation period in which owners of at least 35 percent of the assessed property within the proposed district can file written protest. The Saratoga-Ryan Park Museum District will appear before the BOCCC on July 21.

The next meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners will be at 9 a.m. on July 7 at the Carbon County Courthouse in Rawlins.