CCCOG talks fire and tax

The Carbon County Council of Governments (CCCOG) met July 20 at the Town Hall in Sinclair. The Sinclar Town Hall renovated the upstairs and was pleased to show off the facility to the different municipalities’ elected officials who were there for the meeting.

Chairman Travis Moore asked asked the host municipality Sinclar to give a little history and news about the town. Michelle Serres talked about the renovation of the town hall.

The Wyoming Department of Trasportation (WYDOT) went over plans for construction that would affect Carbon County over the next two years. There will be work on WY 130 between Walcott Junction and Pass Creek Road. Riverside is slated to have work done near town on WY 230and on WY 72 inside the town of Hanna there will be roadwork. In Rawlins there is concrete replacement work going on at exit 215 for Cedar Street.

After WYDOT was done, CCCOG talked about the promotion of the 5th Penny Tax.

There was discussion on linking to a webpage which would give information about how the 5th Penny helps the different communities.

A poster with each community listing how the 5th Penny Tax has helped promote understanding was approved. Each community will share their unique projects that were helped by the 5th Penny Tax.

CCCOG will appropriate up to $8,000 for advertising on radio, online and newspapers. A flier will be ready by the time of the Carbon County Fair in the first week of August.

The next presentation was from Travis Moore and John Rutherford concerning the proposed fire district for unincorporated residents in Carbon County. Only Carbon County residents who live in the unincorporated areas can vote for this district.

Having the board on the ballot in addition to the fire district means Moore and Rutherford are also trying to get the board for this district ready. “Interested candidates for the positions on the fire district board can apply in a fairly easy manner,” Moore said.

There are five board positions. Only residents in unincorporated Carbon County can be on the board and vote for who is on the board.

“For the individuals who live in unincorporated Carbon County, the filing window opens the 10th of August and goes until almost the end of August business days,” Moore said. “They can file with the county clerk in Rawlins or they can print the application off online from the town website, free of charge.”

Moore said the operational budget for the Carbon County Fire Department is around $330,000. The district will generate around $1.2 million. Moore pointed out the county is paying for the insurance, the liability, and all the pieces of the fire service.

CCCOG discussed having an open invitation to their meetings for Yvonne Johnson, director of Carbon County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC) and Lenny Layman, Emergency Management Coordinator of Carbon County.

Johnson gave a report of progress happening with her organization in all the municipalities. She said the annual CCEDC meeting would be held in Sinclair. She encouraged the audience to attend Energy Day on August 1 at the County Fair.

The next CCCOG meeting will be at 5:30 on September 21.