Encampment council talks spring projects, lagoon bids

At their February 9 meeting, the Encampment Town Council updates from the South Central Wyoming Emergency Services (SCWEMS) and various projects which would require attention once the weather clears.

Slow, but steady

Penny Layman, a representative for SCWEMS, updated the council on the progress of the ambulance station in Saratoga. Construction began on the addition to the Saratoga station nearly two years ago but progress has been slow. Layman reported one of the new features would be two bedrooms for personnel traveling through the area, or for other extenuating circumstances.

Layman said that Director Stayton Mosby would be happy to give the council a tour of the Saratoga station. Layman said SCWEMS was also looking into additional grants which would not require a match from municipalities. Mayor Shannon Fagan commended Layman for the updates and suggested SCWEMS consider an open house at the Encampment station to attract more volunteers.

Layman said that the board of directors was working on a possible location for a northern SCWEMS station. Councilman Steve Reichert asked about the cost and was told that the board didn’t have those numbers yet.

Lagoon-a bids

Jon Nelson, North Fork Engineering, reported the pre-bid meeting was held earlier in the day day. Due to road closures, some potential bidders were not able to attend. The mandatory pre-bid meeting was waived for those who attended the pre-bid meeting last year. Nelson said he had a potential of four bids out of the 21 which were solicited.

Nelson said an addendum will be sent out along with the minutes from the pre-bid meeting. He said the cutoff for questions is February 24. At the March council meeting, Nelson will make his recommendation for award, obtain permission from the council to sign contracts and obtain bonds. Councilman Bill Craig asked for clarification that the closed roads did not exclude anyone from bidding. Nelson said nobody had been excluded. He also said he is expecting a bid from Hensel Phelps of Hydro Construction. Encampment has utilized Phelps in the past.

Alleyway Cleanup

In new business, a discussion followed about a letter sent from the Town of Encampment to residents regarding cleaning up alleyways. Craig said since the council had taken the time to send letters to these residents, they should follow up. It was also noted by the council an additional letter had been sent regarding encroachment on town property and should be followed up.

The council discussed the repercussions if the offender doesn’t comply, and also discussed unlicensed vehicles on public property. Town Clerk Doreen Harvey said she would work with Police Chief Kevin Shue to find what ordinances would apply to the situation. She suggested the Town of Encampment may have to contact the town attorney as well. The council directed Harvey to send one final letter to each of the residents, giving them a deadline of July or August.

Repairing the Grand View

Large cracks and damage in the picnic and dance area at Grand View Park were addressed by Fagan. She said they pose a safety risk and needed to be repaired. Fagan said the Town does have a park safety fund which could be used for the repairs. The council agreed to look into options prior to setting the new budget.

Fagan also addressed electrical issues at the park. Former Councilman Gary Stull told Fagan he had been in touch with Ryan Graybow, an electrical contractor. Stull told council he would contact Graybow once the weather had improved.

Additionally, the park restrooms do not have American Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant doors. At a previous meeting, a bid had been accepted from Anthony Rakness of Green Mountain Customs for improvements to the restrooms. Harvey was asked to contact Rakness about replacing the doors on the cinderblock building and to get an estimate. If Rakness wasn’t willing or able to do the work, the council would go in a different direction.

Public Works Supervisor Bill Acord told the council the portable stage was not ADA compliant and neither was the cement pad around the restrooms at the park. Craig said some of the ADA items may need to wait.

Powering the Japanese Garden

The council also discussed the electrical service at the Japanese Gardens, east of Grand View Park. It was noted the service had been idle since 2005 and the meter had been pulled by Carbon Power & Light. Council members agreed they did not want to abandon the service. Acord said he would check into the issues with the service line and report back to the council.

The next meeting of the Encampment Town Council will be at 7 p.m. on March 9 at Encampment Town Hall.