City tables tree talk, takes no action on home-based food businesses

WORLAND — With new information, the Worland City Council declined to take up consideration of regulating home-based bakeries.

During the Board of Adjustment and Planning Commission meeting Sept. 27, the board discussed whether to regulate home-based bakeries and other home-based food businesses the same as other home occupancy businesses. They tabled any decision and instead sought guidance from the city council.

At Tuesday’s regular council meeting, City Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Glanz reported that the city was notified late that afternoon that home-based bakeries are regulated through the Wyoming Food Freedom Act.

She said the matter came before the board when the local health inspector inquired if the city regulated them. She said there was also concern about one that was opening in an apartment.

According to the Wyoming Food Freedom Act, “The purpose of the Wyoming Food Freedom Act is to allow for a producer’s production and sale of homemade food or drink products for an informed end consumer and to encourage the expansion of agricultural sales at farmers markets, ranches, farms and producers’ homes.”

Homemade is defined in the act as, “food that is prepared or processed in a private home kitchen, that is not licensed, inspected or regulated.”

Among requirements in the act is that “the producer shall inform the end consumer that any food product or food sold at a farmers market or through ranch, farm or home-based sales pursuant to this act is not certified, labeled, licensed, packaged, regulated or inspected.”

Dana Thomas thanked the council for “not making my life harder.” She said she and the other home-based food businesses that she knows of are “very responsible.”

She added that the consumers will be the best regulators since they will stop buying the product if the home-based businesses are not doing a good job.

TREES

The council tabled first reading of an ordinance that would change the clearance height of trees overhanging any street or right-of-way from 10 feet to 14 feet.

Councilors expressed concern about residents being unable to afford to trim the trees.

Public Works Superintendent Nick Kruger said the new trash truck is getting scratched up from trees that overhang and do not even meet the 10 feet clearance currently in city code. He said most of the city’s equipment, including trash trucks and street sweeper, are taller than 10 feet, which is why he requested the change.

The council tabled first reading to research more ideas on how they might be able to help property owners who cannot afford to trim the trees.

There was discussion of the city trimming the trees and charging on a sliding scale but Police Chief Gabe Elliott said the city needs to be careful not to compete with existing businesses.

Glanz said she would look into the funding for the sidewalk improvement loan program to see if tree trimming would qualify, noting the grant money for the program was for economic development.

AUDIT

The council accepted the annual audit report provided by James Seckman of Seckman and Thomas. The audit was considered a clean or unqualified report with no material deficiencies noted.

Seckman said the city is “financially heads and toes above everybody else” that they audit, adding that they are the only municipality that they audit that has zero debt.

CENSUS UPDATE

Glanz reported to the Northern Wyoming News that the city had been contacted by a U.S. Census Bureau worker who did go door-to-door in the county last year. Glanz said the Census worker said four people were hired for the county. The worker did note that some residents had declined to partake in the census.

The City of Worland is considering appealing the 2020 census figures that show a 13% drop in population, dropping the city below 5,000 to 4,773.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting, the council:

•Approved a request from the Worland-Ten Sleep Chamber of Commerce coordinator Ruth Dugger to close North Ninth from Big Horn Ave. to the alley for the annual trunk-or-treat event downtown. The event, she said, will be on Saturday, Oct. 30, rather than Sunday, Oct. 31, due to church activities.

•Heard the monthly report from Donnie Bjorhus of Sagebrush Sports, operators of Green Hills Golf Course. He said they will be getting the course ready for the change of weather by blowing out the sprinkler system and at the end of the golf season applying fungicide and a small layer of sand on the greens to protect them from the cold and snow.

•Heard reports from Airport Manager Lynn Murdoch and Public Works Superintendent Nick Kruger that they are preparing for a change in the weather with snow forecast early to the middle of next week and high temperatures in the 40s. Murdoch said her new employee will be trained on the snow removal equipment.

Kruger said crews are working to finish concrete and pavement work this week.