New department heads sworn in

The Hanna Town Council met at 6:30 p.m. on October 13 at the Hanna Town Hall. The agenda was amended to have two new signatures for bank accounts and take off two people retiring.

The agenda was approved as were the minutes from the town council meeting held on September 8.

The next order of business was the board and department reports.

Mayor Lois Buchanan said that the High Country Joint Powers Board (HCJPB) was reducing the acres allowed for the landfill. She said the town was having a meeting with Departmenr of Environmental Quality (DEQ) to make sure the landfill is in compliance in its closure. Buchanan said a driver for the truck at the landfill has been hired.

"That nightmare is finally, almost, behind us," Buchanan said referring to the closure of the landfill in July.

Larry Korkow, public works director, said a lot of water trucks are running through town for the reclamation of the landfill. He said almost 4 million gallons of water had been used. He said once the reclamation was finished, Gateway South would be in with their water trucks. Korkow said the roll off serving the town was filling up every two or three days.

He also said dumpsters were not getting shut properly, and trash was blowing out.

Buchanan said residents needed to be more vigilant about closing the lids of the dumpsters that had recently been put throughout the town.

Jon Nelson of North Fork Engineering said he had a meeting with Brierley Construction and Howard Concrete Plumbing (Howard) to talk about where the companies were in their schedule fixing Main Street water lines.

"I think it was a pretty good meeting as far as all the answers we wanted," Nelson said. "We have a picture of what to expect."

The contractors would be shutting down in late October and go back to work in April 2021.

He said it would be a significant coordination effort to make sure all projects worked in sync.

Nelson said when the water contractor that would be hired in the spring was ready to dig, Howard would have to step back and let them do their work.

Jeff Neimark, Hanna Marshal said September was busy. He said the office took in 49 calls. Neimark said last week he started the school safety program for the Hanna elementary students. He said a new speed sign had been purchased. It will compliment the present speed sign that was bought two years ago.

The director of the recreation center, Vivian Gonzales, went over what she hoped would happen on Halloween. There will be scenes made in rooms that children can look into. She hopes to have a parade put on with the help of the FFA. Once the parade is finished, the floats will park at the Hanna Recreation Center and give out candy. She said that it looked like there would be a contractor who would replace the hot tub. Lastly, the recreation center's hours will change to Monday to Friday, with Friday evening being shut. Saturday the center will close and open on Sunday.

Carey Lake, Hanna representative for South Central Wyoming Emergency Services (SCWEMS), said most ambulances were fixed. He said one was still in the shop. SCWEMS is going well said Lake.

The Carbon County Visitor Council representative said that the lodging tax was up in all the municipalities from last year at this time, which indicates that tourism is up. Carbon County itself was down in lodging tax revenue from last year, but was much improved from the month before.

The Hanna Housing Board said the speed bumps that were put down in the summer would be moved to allow for snow plowing.

Pam Paulson, Hanna Basin Museum board member, said that the Lincoln Highway project that was slated to have an exhibit at the museum was not living up the board's expectations. She explained that Rocky Mountain Power was going through land that had historical significance and mitigation funds had been allocated.

"We were led to believe it was going to be a big project and it was envisioned that a replication of a gas station was going to be put forth," Paulson said. "We didn't hear anything for months and then we were presented with a display that could have been done by an elementary school class. We could have done a much better job with the money allocoated."

Paulson said the museum was working with Rocky Mountain Power to go forward and make the project into what the museum originally envisioned.

She said the mural that had been commissioned was getting a new artist.

Paulson, the Hanna representative for the 2019 Specific Purpose Tax, said the bonds had still not been sold yet but that money was coming in from the taxes being collected.

After the reports were approved, the financials from August and September were approved.

Hanna resident Jon Ostling gave a solar power presentation. Ostling, who has solar power in his house, said he originally suggested looking into getting solar panels at the recreation center to cut down on utility expenses. Buchanan had attended the meeting when he made the suggestion and became interested in doing the Town's building also.

He said the burden of electrical expenses to the town's buildings would pay for itself as a few years went by.

Buchanan said that she thought solar power was worth researching further.

When Ostling finished his presentation, Yvonne Johnson, the new director for the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC), presented herself to the council. It has been several years since a director from the CCEDC had come to meet the Hanna Town Council and Johnson said she was out to change this.

Johnson said that she has