Worland City Council approves 4-year contract for golf course management

WORLAND — The Worland City Council on an 8-1 vote approved a new four-year contract with Sagebrush Sports to manage the Green Hills Golf Course.

Sagebrush Sports is completing its first year as the course management firm.

Public Works Superintendent Brian Burky said the contract is for four years which will help reduce cost to the city over the period of the contract, while providing consistency in management at the golf course.

Council member Mike Neufer said he had spoken to several golfers and all were in favor of a four-year contract and spoke highly of Sagebrush Sports and Donnie and Valerie Bjorhus.

Kreg Lombard said, “We are protected so much more than we used to be and these folks have really put their shoulder to the wheel, they are doing a good job out there.”

The motion to approve the contract passed with all in favor except Delayne Renner Newton who had expressed concern about the length of the contract.

In other golf news Donnie Bjorhus reported that there were 813 rounds of golf played in September, up 607 from September 2019. The final tournament will be Oct. 24 followed by a customer appreciation for season pass holders.

He also reported that the Green Hills Golf Foundation has received approval from the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)3. A plan will be presented to golfers on Oct. 24.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business Tuesday night, the council:

•Approved a motion to change the zoning matrix by resolution at the next council meeting to allow for inside storage facilities in the central business district as a special exemption. The change would allow Dan Frederick to schedule a hearing with the Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission for the special exemption. He has proposed an inside storage facility at 834 Big Horn, the former location of Wyoming Weatherization.

The BAPC has recommended the change to the matrix.

•Approved a bid for mowing equipment for the Worland Municipal Airport. The recommended and low bidder was C&B Operations out of Casper for $102,347. Three other bids were received, airport manager Lynn Murdoch reported.

•Approved a request for city liquor establishments to be open all night on Oct. 31, Nov. 27 and Dec. 31.

•Approved a street closure on South Seventh Street from the alley to Big Horn Avenue on Halloween for the Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce trunk-or-treat event.

•Heard a report from Rocky Mountain Power representatives Mike Morrissey and Wade Wittkop. They said there were 141,000 customers in Wyoming and 1,260 employees in the state. The company offers grants for government agencies and non-profits and they are currently working with Burky on a grant for Pioneer Square renovations.

They said company paid $17.5 million in property taxes in Wyoming in 2019.

Rocky Mountain Power’s three coal-generated power plants are scheduled to be completely offline in 2030. The company is investing $5.2 billion on new wind projects in the state.

The change comes from customer-based requests and overall cost of operation.

•Approved a request for the Worland Community Garden to expand their Harvest Festival event on Oct. 24 to use Newell Sargent Park and block the road through the park.

•Changed the work session date from Monday, Oct. 12 to Tuesday, Oct. 13 due to the Columbus Day holiday.

•Heard a report from engineering representative Mike Donnell that the final paving on the Culbertson project is expected to be done on Monday. He said in addition to replacing water, sewer and storm sewer lines, the road has a better subbase and thick asphalt that will stand up better over time.

The double-gutter project at five locations is awaiting paving as well, but Donnell noted a few sites had the concrete vandalized with people putting foot or hand prints in the concrete.

•Burky said the city will be accepting green waste — leaves, grass clippings and small branches at the compost yard near Riverside Park on Oct. 24, Nov. 7 and Nov. 21 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

In addition to the incumbent council members, council candidate Michael Sanchez was in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting.