Commissioners approve 2024-2025 budget; receive PILT funds

By GEORGE HORVATH

Staff Reporter

At their regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday, July 9, the Washakie County Commissioners unanimously approved the county’s budget for fiscal year 2024-2025 (ending June 30, 2025).

More details on the budget will be published in next week’s edition of the Northern Wyoming News.

The commissioners were also notified that the U.S. Department of the Interior recently transferred $1,453,993 to Washakie County as part of its Payments in Lieu of Taxes (PILT) program. According to the notification letter from Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland, “The PILT program compensates eligible local jurisdictions for Federal lands administered by agencies within the Department and on behalf of the U.S. Forest Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Local governments may use the PILT payments for any governmental purpose, including emergency response, public schools and roads. Since local governments cannot tax Federal lands, annual PILT payments help to defray the costs associated with maintaining important community services.”

HISTORICAL

PRESERVATION

Mike Bies of the Washakie County Historical Preservation Commission (WCHPC) updated the commissioners on WCHPC’s progress in establishing a National Historic District designation for many of downtown Worland’s commercial buildings. Bies said that such designation would enable business owners to obtain federal tax breaks for improving the appearance of buildings. Ultimately, this could result in more foot traffic and commerce in downtown Worland. WCHPC will soon send a final scope of work document to the nominating committee for the National Register of Historic Places.

BUILDING

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance Supervisor Breck Buer gave the commissioners an update about current maintenance activities. He has been taking care of various tasks requested by the Fair Board, including work on lighting issues and running speaker wire conduit to the chicken barn and the sheep barn. Buer also discussed his recent conversation with Dan Mattis of the Wyoming State BBQ and Bluegrass Festival. The Festival wants to proceed with building a post structure for the beer trucks, to be placed by the west side of the stage (between the food booths and the lawn). The commissioners asked Buer to get an engineer’s drawing of the proposed building and email it to them for consideration. Buer said he would do this.

He added that the Festival commitee will pay for materials and construction costs

Buer also stated that things are pretty good out at the ambulance station. He needs to install a few more electrical outlets there. Buer noted that he and his team continue with weekly yard maintenance at the ambulance station and at other county buildings. He also said that a concrete seam at the Washakie County Library had heaved, so he chiseled off the raised edge. It was not necessary to pour any new concrete.

ROAD & BRIDGE and PLANNING

Road & Bridge Superintendent Stuart Bower told the commissioners about a right of way and culvert application on Lane 10. He also presented the commissioners with a plan for dealing with overnight parking issues near the junction of Lane 14 and Airport Road. Bower proposed placing three or four “No overnight parking” signs on Lane 14 and four or five such signs on Airport Road. His crew has already cleaned up the roadsides in the area of concern. Bower will also get a few quotes for removal of some dead trees.

Bower stated that work is going well in grading and maintaining various county roads, including the Dry Farm Road and the southern portion of the Hazelton Road. The Rome Hill Road still needs grading. Bower also described some necessary repair work planned for a culvert near Big Trails that was made too deep and now creeps toward the roadway.

Interim County Planner Mike Robinson informed the commissioners about progress on chip-sealing and other improvements to Spring Creek Road, the Lower Nowood Road and Road 580. Robinson stated that he is very satisfied with Consolidated Construction, the company carrying out the work. Robinson also said that he is working to ensure an adequate supply of gravel and other necessary materials.

Robinson advised the commissioners about ongoing discussions between the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) and the Ten Sleep Rock Ranch. Local residents have notified DEQ about their concerns with Ten Sleep Rock Ranch’s wastewater management, water supply and other issues. DEQ has requested detailed information about these things from the Ten Sleep Rock Ranch.

Robinson also raised again the issue of multiple parcels listed on a single deed of ownership. He advised that the county should develop a policy for dealing with such deeds.

OTHER BUSINESS

Commissioners unanimously approved the re-appointments of Mike Bies and James O’Connor to the WCHPC. They also approved the appointment of Sarah Radabaugh to the Washakie County Library Board as well as an ex officio appointment of Audra Neighbors to the Washakie County Hospital Board (Neighbors is a student, hence her ex officio designation). After Commissioner Terry Wolf recused himself from voting, Chairman Aaron Anderson and Commissioner Morgan Martinez voted to approve a renewal of the Washakie County Commissioners’ Scholarship for Dillon Wolf.