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In the midst of the United Auto Workers strike—which reached a tentative agreement with General Motors on October 30—law enforcement departments have had to be creative when it comes to restocking their fleet. Carbon County is no different. At the October 17 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC), Sheriff Alex Bakken requested permission from the commissioner to purchase two used vehicles, both Ford Explorers which were already police packaged. “It means they are ready...
The Rock Creek Wind Gen-Tie Transmission Line hit a snag last week as the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) withdrew its decision to grant a right-of-way for the project to cross federal public lands in southeastern Wyoming. The announcement came in a press release from the group Albany County Conservancy who, along with retired U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service biologist Mike Lockhart, were plaintiffs in a legal challenge to the decision. The Rock Creek Wind Gen-Tie project is part of the Rock Creek...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) accepted the resignation of Commissioner Byron Barkhurst at their October 17 meeting in Medicine Bow. Barkhurst, who was first elected to a two-year unexpired term in 2018, was nearing the end of his four-year term on the five-member board. The BOCCC accepted Barkhurst’s resignation, which was dated October 11, and declared a vacancy in the office of commissioner. Chairman Sue Jones signed a letter providing written notice of the vacancy to the c...
Carbon County will potentially forgo the state-required competitive bidding requirement in obtaining a new ambulance for Memorial Hospital of Carbon County (MHCC). The decision comes as the United States is facing nationwide ambulance shortages and the United Auto Workers have gone on strike. At the September 19 meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCC), Clerk Gwynn Bartlett spoke to the commissioners regarding the procurement process. Bartlett reminded the board the County had...
Carbon County Planning and Development is starting the process of updating the County’s Land Use Plan, which is intended to be a guide for future development and growth for Carbon County. The land use plan should provide a functional plan for 10 years, with an outlook out to 20 years. Carbon County wishes to update its land use plan utilizing a planning process that is engaging, well-conceived, and professionally facilitated. The County expects the plan to be a community-based effort emphasizing citizen involvement with representation and c...
An update on the TransWest Express Transmission Project was given by Kelly Cummins, Vice President of Land and Environmental Services at the August 1 Board of Carbon County Commissioners regular meeting. She told the Commissioners that the project is 732 miles, crossing four states, fourteen counties, three national forests, and nine BLM offices. The project has taken about 12 years, but they are now in the construction phase. Cummins said the final configuration of the project is 3,000...
Schools in Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) will soon have a resource officer following recent approval of an agreement by the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC). The commissioners approved the Memorandum of Understanding with CCSD2 during their June 20 meeting. The officer will cover six of the seven schools throughout the district, as the school in Elk Mountain doesn’t have any students enrolled. The SRO will be provided by the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office in an agreement like one already in place between Carbon Cou...
The Carbon County Commissioners approved the annual wildland fire management plan last week, allowing the county’s fire department to cooperate with other agencies in the area when responding to wildland fires. Fire Warden John Rutherford said the agreement is between federal, state and county firefighting agencies. “It’s how we conduct business,” he said. The agreement is beneficial to Carbon County as it stipulates that each agency absorbs its own costs while fighting a fire. While the county has several trucks, it doesn’t have the aerial re...
The Carbon County Sheriff’s Office is close to reaching an agreement with Carbon County School District No. 2 (CCSD2) to provide a school resource officer for its facilities. Sheriff Alex Bakken told the Board of Carbon County Commissioners on June 6 the district had tentatively agreed to provide $40,000 annually to fund the position. The resource officer would travel throughout the district, covering seven schools and three high schools. “This is still in the early stage,” Bakken said. “Luckily we can pull a lot of our (Carbon County School) d...
Everything was business as usual at the Carbon County Commissioners Meeting. The commissioners met on May 16 in Riverside for their regular meeting. The meeting started with approval of the bills, then moved quickly into updates from Emergency Management. Flooding concerns were addressed with discussion of the current plans put in place. The commission thanked those who were able to attend during Governor Mark Gordon‘s visit to the Emergency Operation Center (EOC). Commissioner Travis Moore s...
Living within the North Platte River floodplain can be concerning with the coming spring rains and snow melt, and the possibility of flooding. In the May 2 town council meeting, many of these concerns and solutions were offered up to the residents. Carbon County Sheriff Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken briefed the town council on what the Sheriff’s office is working on. Carbon County School District #1 has a school resource officer program with one deputy on duty in the school district #1 schoo...
Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken was the first to speak with the Commissioners. He asked the Commissioners for an approval on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Town of Saratoga and Carbon County Sheriff’s Office for the purchase and transfer of ownership of used Motorola Dispatch Consoles at $10. New consoles have been installed at the CCSO.MOU approved. Bakken reported they’re helping Wyoming Game and Fish with patrolling high traffic shed collection areas that are hit pre...
Road and Bridge Road and Bridge Manager Kandis Fritz gave the commissioners a breakdown of the the winter costs accrued by Carbon County Road and Bridge including fuel from December of 2022, through March 2023, the total expenditures were $152,155.72. The yearly fuel budget for Road and Bridge is $220,000.00. This year with overtime and comp time payout from January 1 to March 17, 2023 the staff accrued 1,947 hours of overtime. The cost for overtime totaled $53,438.91. Fritz told the...
The Board of Carbon County Commissioners discussed a variety of things during their March 21 meeting. Topics ranged from discussion over new opioid settlement funds, approval of grant applications, a split cost on radios between the Carbon County FIre Department and the U.S Forest Service, entitlement funds for the Dixon Airport, salary for the county emergency manager and deputy manager, and a purchase of two tilt-deck trailers for the road and bridge department. Opioid Funds Carbon County has...
With winter coming to a close, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting on March 7 introduced many projects which will start in the spring along with cleaning up the damage that winter has wrought. Carbon County Sheriff Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken requested approval for an emergency purchase of two duty trucks for the Sheriff’s department. The reason Bakken made an emergency request is because four vehicles went into the shop the week prior meaning the department is losing p...
As investigations continue into recent fentanyl overdose deaths, community members from the Platte Valley and Carbon County gathered at the Platte Valley Community Center on February 23. Those who couldn't attend in person either attended via Zoom or watched livestreams offered by the Saratoga Sun and the Town of Saratoga. The community roundtable, which lasted 90 minutes, was facilitated by Saratoga Police Chief Mike Morris and Joshua Wood, interim publisher of the Saratoga Sun. Over the...
In the past, school resource officers were typically pulled from the local police department. In a historical move, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Carbon County Sheriff's Office and Carbon County School District No. 1, establishing a full-time District One School Resource Officer for the Sheriff's Office. Deputy Joel Robertson, who was worn in Monday, February 28, will become the first School Resource Officer in the history of...
Emergencies and emergency management were among the topics for discussion for the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) on February 7. The Carbon County Fire Protection District and the West Fork Battle Creek Watershed Plan were also discussed by the commissioners. Deputy management On December 6, Carbon County Emergency Manager Lenny Layman had requested permission to fill the deputy position within his department. Layman presented the BOCCC with a grant awarded from the Wyoming...
After several years developing new flood maps, the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) has finalized the documents. The maps, however, are being called into question by a former council member and the county emergency manager. Discussion about the flood map was one of several topics discussed at the February 7 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. The governing body also discussed a Transportation Alternative Master Plan, which has been spearheaded by Saratoga resident McCall Bura...
At the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) meeting January 17, Emergency Management Director Lenny Layman introduced Joe Parsons, Saratoga Encampment Rawlins Conservation District (SERD), who gave an update on the hazard mitigation plan for flooding at Boozer Creek. Parsons told the Commissioners the snow-pack is currently sitting at 132% on the Upper North Park drainage. He said over the past year the WWC Engineering has come up with a survey and design so they have been able to apply...
Throughout the history of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) three women sat on the board; Linda Fleming, Lindy Glode who served as vice chairman and Sue Jones. At the January 3, 2023 meeting of the commissioners, Sue Jones was named Chairperson. She is the first woman in Carbon County history to chair the BOCCC. Jones has served as a commissioner for 10 years. Jones said she is very honored and humbled to have been chosen as chairperson. There were also nine newly elected...
Jeremy McCallister and Sam Allen with TO Engineers presented the Dixon Airport master plan for the Commissioners approval. The Master plan will now be presented to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Once the FAA approves the plan, TO Engineers will continue on to implementation. McCallister explained the airport layout plan to the Commissioners. According to McCallister, the FAA categorizes the Dixon Airport as a “B” runway. He said that there are deficiencies that need to be add...
A special meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) was held to consider formal adoption of County Road 451–also known as Cherokee Road, as an official county road. Chairman John Johnson opened a public hearing on December 15, 2022 at 11 a.m. for public comments for or against the formal adoption. Carbon County Attorney Ashley Davis provided background of Cherokee Road as well as the discussion between Bill Nation, Road and Bridge Superintendent and landowners in a...
South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical (SCWEMS) representative Irene Archibald gave an update to the Board of Carbon County Commissioners at their December 6 meeting. SCWEMS was given $154,179.00 for sustainability from the Wyoming Department of Health. Archibald this was designated specifically for bonuses for personnel as well as sign on bonuses. One of the burdens that came from being given this money was SCWEMS would have to pay payroll taxes on it and it had to be used by December 31,...
Carbon County Clerk Gwynn Bartlett recognized Lisa Smith at the November 15 Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting. Smith has been with Carbon County and has been Deputy Clerk with the Elections. Bartlett said it is a tough job and Smith handles it with grace and does an amazing job. Bartlett also thanked all of the temporary help that comes in to help and the eighty election judges who work at the polls. Bartlett also gave an update on the elections with no change to the results on...