Roads are Ready

The Medicine Bow Town Council met at 7 p.m. on September 12 at the Community Hall.

Director of the South-Central Wyoming EMS (SCWEMS), Stayton Mosby updated the Town Council. SCWEMS is in the process of trying to acquire equipment for the ambulance service and requested the Council approve the two resolutions for grants. Resolutions 2022-10 and 2022-11 were read by title. Attorney Rob Piper asked if there was any liability to the Town and Mosby said there was not. The service can cover the costs if the grants do not go through. The USDA grant covered half the cost of the ambulance which will be delivered June 2024. The other grant would replace an older ambulance. 

Biamon asked where the match would come from and Mosby said the service would cover it with donations and fundraisers.

Resolution 2022-9, 2022-10, 2022-11 and 2022-12 were approved.

Braeden Hyde, Sunrise Engineering, reported to the Town the road project was essentially complete. It came in around $7,000 under budget even with the additions. There is design criteria to stabilize the road surface and for dust control. Frank Fisher from the Public Works Department, questioned how to test a section of road for the correct percentage of polymer. Hyde indicated he would have to look into how to do that test. 

It was explained to the Council that some of the polymer was mixed at a 5 inch depth and some at a 2 inch depth, then a final coat was applied. 

During the one-year warranty period, Sunrise will return to see how the roads are holding up. If there are one or two places, they will be fixed. However, if all the streets have problems, it will be considered a product failure. Fisher said it looked like there is significant dust on Pine Street. Maple Street got worse as the project went on. Fisher said he still hadn’t received the compaction tests or the material safety data sheets. Hyde said the warranty would cover the application of the product.

Fisher and Public Works Director, Hayden Bricker, tried to communicate concerns about the streets to Sunrise. Attorney Rob Piper pointed out there was a performance bond for the project and he would look into it. 

Piper said the main concerns about joining Wyoming Water and Wastewater Agency Response Network (WYOWARN) are the reimbursements for assisting the Town. For example, if an entity lent a pump to the Town, the Town would have to buy a new pump to return. The turnaround time for reimbursements are strict. The Council tabled the decision on joining WYOWARN until the Council can review the attorney’s comments on the agreement.

Biamon said she wanted to remind everyone that homeowners are responsible for taking care of the alleys up to the middle and up to the edge of the street which includes mowing. 

She asked Heath to post the pertaining ordinance. Fisher said the Department had not done any maintenance to the alleys this year. In years past, the Town had mowed. The Department is too short-handed this year and residents need to be responsible for their own alleys up to the edge of the street.

Fisher then addressed the issue of prairie dog holes in the cemetery. Garlic, a natural deterrent, was placed into the holes to rid the cemetery of the pests.The grader will be used to smooth out the ground later. Biamon suggested posting a notice for volunteers.

Biamon said the County Trapper had taken a badger out of the cemetery and Marshal Hawks said there were probably more. Fisher said he had not seen any badgers but would ask the Game Warden to address the issue, as they were a fur-bearing animal. 

The next town council will be at 7 p.m. on October 10 at the Community Hall.