Med Bow seats council

At their first meeting of 2021, three of the four people elected to Medicine Bow Town Council took their oaths of office.

While Sharon Kahl, Lucy Schofield and Cindy Chace were all sworn in. Trevor Strauch, who has served on last council was re-elected, opted out of another term.

He explained that he had not wanted to be considered when the primaries started, but he was written in. Strauch said he declined to be a candidate then, but the residents of Medicine Bow must have hoped he would change his mind and he was written in again.

Strauch thanked the town for its confidence in him and said that the Carbon County Commissioners had been sent a letter indicating his decision to decline the town council seat. Strauch got up from his council seat and went into the audience. A vacancy on the council was declared.

Town Clerk/Treasurer Karen Heath administered the oath of office to Sharon Biamon, who had won another term as mayor.

When Biamon finished her oath, she appointed Heath as town clerk/treasure, Charlie George as public works director, David Redding as town marshal and Peter Andrews to as fire chief.

With the new council, designation of bank signatories had to be addressed. The RNB Front Range State Bank accounts and all Wyostar accounts had Kevin Colman, Karla Denzin, Trevor Strauch, John Cowdin and Lyle Flansburg removed. On the Federal Reserve account Biamon, Schofield, and Heath were designated signatories. The council approved Biamon, Schofield, Chace, Kahl and Heath to be signatories on the RNB Front Range State Bank and all Wyostar accounts.

Biamon appointed Brown and Hiser as the Town's legal counsel, and the Council approved her decision. The mayor's next appointment was Sunrise Engineering as the Town's engineer.

George said he had a quote from Flowpoint to replace the outdated software and broken panel at the water station for $9,869.04. He said the dumpster signs would cost $1,600 and would be made of vinyl clad aluminum at 12" x 16". The quote was from American Paintbrush. A new valve had been installed at the water treatment plant and was working well. George said there has been little snow to plow so far this winter. The new roll-offs were due in at the end of January and would be locked behind the shop. People who wanted to dump something will have to come to the office and have the items inspected before dumping. Biamon asked that the costs be posted.

Heath said the attorney had given the Council three options with dealing with the Duthie lot, which owes the town money and property tax. It would cost about $2,500 to force the father's and mother's wills through probate, or $1,500 to foreclose a lien, or nothing to let it go to tax sale. Heath said whoever got it at the tax sale could force the probates at the end of five years, but probably wouldn't because of the cost. The council approved it to go to tax sale.

Planning and Zoning Chairman Strauch gave a map of the town with the commission's recommendations for zoning changes to the council. He said an area marked 8 on the west side of town might not be able to be used as a park as suggested as it was privately owned. Heath said that lot was owned by Paul Sater and was subject to go to sheriff's auction if she received court papers and the Town could acquire it.

Strauch said for the area marked 14, it might not be a good idea to make it industrial, and since the Town owned it, the council should consider not zoning it at all. The motel being used as a residence in area 13 would be grandfathered in if the Town changed the zoning to mixed. The new owners of area 5 could always be revisited if they wanted to develop it, and the new owner of area 7 could get a special use permit if they wanted to change the use. The next step would be for the council to hold a public hearing 30 days after advertising to hear concerns with the proposed changes. The council approved to hold the public hearing on February 22 at 7 p.m. upstairs in the Community Hall. Biamon scheduled a workshop for January 25 at 7 p.m. with Planning and Zoning for upstairs in the Community Hall.