Fridays with the mayor

Editor’s note: Two of the questions asked in this interview are from anonymous readers. We encourage you to submit more questions to [email protected]. To contact Mayor Glode directly, call his new phone number at 307-329-3313.

By Erik Gantt

[email protected]

Mayor Glode attended the Wyoming Association of Municipalities Winter Workshop along with councilman Richard Raymer this week.

Glode and Raymer went to several workshops on governmental policy and rules. Glode attended workshops on open meetings and records retentions and “Finance 101”. The finance workshop taught Glode how taxes from the state funnel back to Saratoga. Glode said he is interested in being able to present an income statement to town citizens as well as budget expenses.

“I have a financial background with the stores and my education … so I think I can write down something that is easy to read,” Glode said.

Asked why the council tabled the second reading of Ordinance 829 after some confrontational public comments, Glode responded, “My thinking when I was sitting there was that we have almost a 50 percent turnover on water and sewer joint powers board, and we have two to three new members that will be to the meeting on the 11th, and I wanted to have the third reading after that meeting. So, we could have either acted on the 20th or on February 3rd. And I figured it would give us two weeks of comment period, just because it is fresh and it’s new and it’s a lot of turnover on both boards.”

Mayor Glode said he intends to release the financial records relating to the overtime pay given to police dispatchers and patrol officers. The final accounting will not take place until the 2014 overtime is assessed and paid out in next month’s payroll.

The mayor said he will be meeting this week to try to expedite the improvement of Tyler Pickett Park. “The fact that it is still a gravel pit is a bit embarrassing,” Glode said.

The Saratoga Sun received two questions for Glode, which were about the litigation involving Randy Stevens and the financial contribution of “snowbirds” to the town.

Glode plans to meet with the attorney representing the town in order before deciding how to proceed.

Glode said there are several details he needs to clarify concerning the lawsuit. “I think if you look at, there is a few construction costs associated with that, that I don’t know the numbers on, they had to put the retaining wall in, and certain things like that but I would think almost all of it is legal fees. And it goes back to … 2007 or 2008,” Glode said, adding “I’m hoping with a new council we will be able to ‘true that up’ sooner than later.”

A part-time resident who referred to himself as a “Snowbird” asked if the town will conduct a study to assess the economic influence of people that reside in the Valley during the summer and leave for the winter.

Glode said that a study of the various economic assets of the valley, including snowbirds, will be assessed as part of the town master plan. As far as any reduction in utility bills for people who are not here during certain seasons of the year the consensus is no. Glode said that town utilities are constant and he doesn’t see the current town council changing billing policies.