Father hopes to keep slow caution signs in neighborhood

WORLAND — After discussing a request from a father to keep caution signs up alerting drivers in a two-block area on Charles Avenue about a deaf child, the council forwarded the issue to the city traffic safety commission.

The signs are at 12th and Charles headed west and 10th and Charles heading east.

The city received a letter complaining about one of the signs potentially being on private property. Public Works Superintendent Nick Kruger said he surveyed the area and the sign in question in the letter is on city property.

The father making the request, Juan Romo, said if the sign needed to be moved he has contacted other property owners in the area that have agreed to have the sign on their property.

He said his son who is deaf is now 18, but he has another young son who is autistic and he would like to keep the signs to try and slow traffic in the area.

“I just want my kids safe,” Romo said, noting one neighbor continues to speed through the area.

Kruger noted that the signs are only caution signs and thus there is no enforcement. He said he does not know if they are effective but they could bring awareness that someone in the area might not be able to hear traffic.

Council member Mike Neufer asked if the city could drop the speed limit to 20 mph in the area.

Engineering representative Mike Donnell said the traffic safety commission for the city meets only when necessary and this might be one of those times. The commission could review the issue and make a recommendation to the council.

Romo said he is willing to pay for new signs if new signs are needed, noting when his son who is deaf turns 21 he will move to a deaf community but he would like to change the signs for people to drive slow with his autistic child living in the area. He added that there are many people with disabilities in the area.

Council member Barbara Brookwell said, “We want everyone to slow down where there are kids.”

Member William Worley said, “I have a daughter in a wheelchair and she’s out on the road whenever she’s at home. I think this is ridiculous. If the sign is on city property it’s not hurting anything. We shouldn’t even be discussing it. We have better things to deal with.”

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business Tuesday night:

•The council gave approval for the annual fireworks area at the county gravel pits off of 15 Mile Road. Worland Fire Chief said this is a standing event in cooperation with the Worland Fire Department, Bureau of Land Management, City of Worland and Washakie County. He said it gives people a safe and legal place to set off fireworks.

This year the area will be set aside for fireworks from Friday, July 2 through Monday, July 5.

•The council approved a request from the Washakie Hospital Foundation to block off the street on the west side of the Elks from Coburn to the alley on June 19 for the Badlands Poker Run. The street will be blocked off from 7 to 11 a.m.

•Mark Stiver from the Washakie County Farmers Market requested to have North Ninth from Big Horn Avenue to the alley closed each Saturday for the farmers market. The market will begin the second Saturday in July and run through the last Saturday in September. The market will run from 8 a.m. to 12:30 or 1 p.m. The council approved the request.

•Donnie Bjorhus of Sagebrush Sports, management company for Green Hills Golf Course, reported 25 teams and 100 players competed in the foundation fundraiser last weekend. For the month of May there were 1,229 rounds of golf played not counting leagues and tournaments.

•The council approved a request from the Culturefest 2021 organizers to waive the open container law in a specified area at the event to allow for alcohol to be served outside.

The event is June 19 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

•After tabling action at the last council meeting, the council awarded bids for two Firesmart projects. The bid for the Firesmart project at the sewer lagoon was awarded to Advanced Fire for $950 per acre for a total bid of $20,420. The bid for the river project across from Riverside Rotary Park was awarded to Summitt Forests Inc. for $3,160 per acre and a total bid price of $15,800.

The projects are funded through a Firewise grant.

•The council approved the 2021-22 budget on second reading. The annual public hearing on the budget will be during the next council meeting on June 15. Total proposed budget for all funds is $10,336,920.

•Public Works Superintendent Nick Kruger said they are giving residents an additional weekend to remove items from the grass at Riverview Memorial Gardens that may have been placed there for the Memorial Day weekend.

Removing items from the grass ensures efficient maintenance of the cemetery grounds, he said.

•The council approved a request to allow alcohol in the parking lot of Goose’s, Little Chief and The Warehouse during corn hole league play.

Prior to adjournment the council met in closed/executive session for potential litigation.