Lagoons and ordinances

The Encampment Town Council met on February 10 at the Encampment Town Hall. Present were Mayor Greg Salisbury and council members Stan Banach and Gary Stull. Council members Shannon Fagan-Craig and Bill Craig were not present.

There were no amendments to the agenda, which was quickly approved along with the minutes of the January 13 regular meeting.

Town Clerk/Treasurer Doreen Harvey went over the financials which came to a total of $82,088.42. The Council approved paying the total amount.

South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) Representative Penny Layman told the council the new SCWEMS director, Stayton Moseby, was doing a great job.

“Stayton has been going through all the ambulances and reorganizing them so that things are in appropriate places,” Layman said. “So it is making more sense and easier for the EMTs”

She said he had done a call volume analysis and was looking to try and staff what times seemed the busiest.

“So critical times that are obvious are always covered,” Layman said. “It is a very good step in the right direction.”

Layman said the current EMT class had 11 participants. She said an ambulance is now back in service in Medicine Bow.

The mayor and council thanked her for coming.

“I want to take time to thank you for this update,” Stahl said. “It is something that we have missed for some time.”

Jon Nelson of North Fork Engineering told the council he had surveyed the lagoon the week prior. He said after meeting with Carbon Power & Light services to the new building would be a conduit underground and under the bridge instead of being overhead.

The council approved going with Nelson’s suggestion to have a mechanical screen to stop undesirable objects coming into the lagoon which eventually settled to the bottom.

He recommended doing a soil sample test. He said it would cost around $4,000.

Stahl made a motion to make a soil sample but Banach wanted more information before he would second it. Nelson and Stahl discussed why it should be done. Banach agreed to second the motion after Nelson explained his reasoning for getting the sample before the construction.

“You eliminate risk,” Nelson said. “I do get your point, but ideally you have identified all the elements as you go to the contractor and know what it should cost.”

“We will know what the contractor will be up against instead of waiting,” Stahl agreed.

Once the soil sample test was approved the, council went to committee reports.

Stahl asked Encampment Police Chief Kevin Shue if he was aware trailers on a property at 4th and Mcfarland were being used as residences.

Shue said he had been observing the property and was going to the property the next day because he knew Ordinance 9.12.030 was in violation.

“I don’t have any problem with them using the trailer as an office in the daytime,” Stahl said “But to live there without any running water is not allowed.”

“We have an ordinance and it is being broken,” Salisbury said. “It is pretty straight forward.”

Public Works Director Bill Acord said all was fine and a lot of time was doing snow removal.

“You guys did a great job during winter, now that we finally got a winter,” Salisbury said. “You are always going to find someone whining about it not being done right, but they can move to Florida.”

Salisbury laughed, “You can put that in the paper.”

Harvey asked the Council to hire Becky Acord as her assistant to work for 24 hours at $16 an hour. The council approved the position and pay.

There was a public hearing for the retail liquor license for White Dog Liquors and a bar and grill license for SMLI Divide LLC. After the public hearings, both licenses were approved.

The council approved Jeff Streeter to make a Watershed Monitoring Plan and look at grants for funding.

The Encampment/Riverside Volunteer Fire Department had funds approved up to $600 for the purchase of prizes and candy for the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

The council also approved $937.10 for the purchase of an aerator motor from Grainger for the sewer department. Another $1,198.82 was approved to purchase four 55-gallon heavy duty dome lid trash cans. Irrigation supplies costing $1,264.55 were also approved.

Acord said Public Works will try to repair the support for the Opera House curtain.

The town will purchase advertising in the Carbon County Fair Book for $65.

Public works has an open position and the council approved putting ads in papers looking to fill the job.

The next scheduled meeting for the Encampment Town Council will be at 7 p.m. on March 10 at the Encampment Town Hall.