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For nearly 100 years "Where the Trout Leap in Main Street" has been Saratoga's unofficial slogan. At the August 20 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, however, newly appointed Carbon County Visitors’ Council (Discover Carbon County Wyoming) representative Ellie Dana-Raymer appeared to suggest the town should explore changing the brand of Saratoga. “Do you want to change your brand,” asked Dana-Raymer. “Cindy Loose talks about what’s the brand of the town. For many decades, it’s been ‘where...
There’s an old adage which says “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” We believe this applies to the unofficial slogan for Saratoga, “Where the trout leap in main street,” which has been in use for nearly a century. Borrowed from a 1927 article of the same name by Outdoor Living Magazine writer Billy O’Neil, it’s been a fitting slogan for our town, which is bisected by the North Platte River. For nearly a century, this slogan has been a source of community pride for Saratoga and for good reason. The North Platte River is a blue ribbon fishery an... Full story
A public hearing on short term rentals (STRs) at the August 13 meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commision saw fiery discussion from a packed crowd. Many members of the public participated in the hearing, giving reasons both for and against regulation of STRs. Discussion on this issue originally began in 2023, when the Planning Commission considered creating an ordinance to limit the number of STRs in Saratoga. The proposed ordinance was tabled after Town Attorney Kylie Waldrip raised concerns it...
Complex questions regarding zone changes were raised during the August 13 meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commission, following a public hearing on a zone change request from retail business (RB) to residential (RD7200). David Rousa said he was requesting the zone change for his property on 804 W Bridge Avenue. Emery Penner, Director of Public Works, said the buildings on the land currently surrounding the plot were residential, making them non-conforming lots. Rousa said his intention was to...
Now that an actual conversation has started regarding short term rentals in Saratoga at the August 13 meeting of the Saratoga Planning Commission, we believe this conversation should continue. First, we commend the planning commission for holding a public hearing on the issue and getting feedback from the public. We also commend those residents who showed up to the meeting to make their voices heard, regardless of their viewpoints on potential short term rental regulations. Following the public hearing, there are some things we believe need to... Full story
Pickleball was back in the Saratoga Town Council’s court as a proposal for a pickleball facility was presented at the August 6 meeting of the governing body. Cindy Loose and Cindy Carnes, representing the Good Times Pickleball Association, went before the council in order to ask the Town for land to develop a “state-of-the-art pickleball facility.” Carnes said the group currently has 25 members that play off and on at the Platte Valley Community Center Gym. “Currently, our residents have ac...
At the August 6 Saratoga Town Council meeting, members of the governing body learned about a potential new investment vehicle for the Town. Troy Hunsucker from Wyoming CLASS, an investment solution for public funds, gave a presentation on a local government investment pool which gives an opportunity for a higher rate of return on town investments. Municipalities utilize investment opportunities to maximize a rate of return on varying funds while still under the umbrella of all state and federal laws. According to Treasurer Corina Daley, the...
The Saratoga Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) has the opportunity to purchase a ladder fire truck from Sweetwater county and receive a donated pumper truck from Carbon County. At the Saratoga Town Council meeting on August 6, Assistant Fire Chief Tom Westring, approached the council with an opportunity to purchase a 2000 model 75 foot ladder truck from Sweetwater County for $5,000. A new truck with these specifications - 175,000 miles and 16,000 hours - could cost upwards of $600,000 according to Creed James, SVFD Treasurer. The council...
Next Tuesday, Wyoming voters will take to the polls for the primary election which means that, starting next Wednesday everyone’s mailbox will be far less clogged with election mailers. Carbon County, it seems, has been mostly spared the divisive, politically charged mailers which have plagued other parts of the state. Perhaps that’s because, in House District 47, incumbent Bob Davis is running unopposed in the primary while House District 15 is seeing three new candidates without the incumbent—Don Burkhart, Jr.—running. Our county was not comp...
Saratoga Town Council - Four Year Term Michael E. Cooley PO Box 1833 Saratoga, WY 82331 [email protected] - Since 2021, Saratoga has seemed to face a housing crunch due to low inventory, a seeming lack of attainable housing and the rise in short-term rentals. What are you prepared to propose the Town of Saratoga do to address these issues? - I feel the town is very concerned about affordable housing. There is only so much that the town can do, I am open to any suggestions. This is not...
Stas Banach PO Box 381, Encampment, WY 82325 [email protected] Q: Economic development is a concern to every community. What do you believe can be done to aid in the economic development of Encampment? A: I believe that the role of the Town Council can be fundamental in aiding in the economic development of Encampment by being supportive of ideas that create jobs and improve the community. Q: The Town of Saratoga and the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office have discussed a joint dispatch p...
Next Tuesday, the Saratoga Planning Commission will be holding a public hearing on short term rentals in municipal limits. Regardless of where you stand on the issue, we believe it is important for Saratoga residents to attend and make their voices heard. For more than a year, the topic of short term rentals—or STRs—have been held in meetings of both the Saratoga Planning Commission and the Saratoga Town Council. A question often asked, at least in the planning commission meetings, is what the goal would be in instituting a short term ren...
The Saratoga Town Council heard from their new appointment to the Carbon County Vistor’s Council (CCVC) during their regular meeting on July 16. Ellie Dana Raymer, the Saratoga representative to the CCVC, spoke to the council to talk about recent initiatives and the 2023 Tourism Master Plan. She highlighted specific portions of the master plan that she thought the town council “might be interested in.” Under “The Visitor Experience” portion of the master plan Dana Raymer focused on goals suc...
Members of the public got a chance to interact with and ask questions to local political candidates at the July 9 Valley Service Organization (VSO) Public Forum Three of the five candidates for Saratoga Town Council attended the forum, with Mike Cooley and Chia Valdez being the four-year-term candidates and Bub Barkhurst being the two-year-term candidate. Sophia Borg, the other two-year-term candidate, and Cory Oxford, a four-year-term candidate, did not participate in the forum. Each candidate...
Public notices and lifeguards were discussed at the July 2 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Joshua Wood, vice president of the Wyoming Press Association (WPA), gave the council a presentation on open meeting laws and the importance of using newspapers for public notices. Wood discussed the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM) Resolution 24-09, regarding legal advertisements. WAM resolutions are not law, but rather suggestions for laws to be enacted by the legislature. The resolution...
On June 24, Bridge Street Bargains made a donation of $20,150.00 to Never Forget Park. This is just the latest in fundraising for the park as it prepares to begin phase one of construction. Never Forget Park began in memory of Army Staff Sergeant Tyler Pickett, who was killed in Iraq’s Kirkuk Province in 2008. It has now been expanded to remember and honor the fallen heroes of the U.S. military, law enforcement, and first responders. Stacy Crimmins, member of the Never Forget Park Committee, s...
Photo by Richard Espinoza Parents and children worked together on June 28 to begin work on the bike trail behind the Saratoga Branch Library. The Saratoga Town Council recently gave approval to a coalition of youth to begin the project....
Fiery back and forth took place as the Saratoga Town Council held a special meeting to hire a new pool manager on June 26. Emery Penner, Director of Public Works, began the meeting by presenting the hiring recommendations from the interview board formed by Mayor Chuck Davis for the pool manager position. The board interviewed two candidates for the pool manager position. They recommended the council hire Sandy Beffa as the pool manager. Councilwoman Kathy Beck questioned whether Beffa was...
Valley Service Organization has invited candidates for contested races to attend a voter's forum on July 9, 2024 at 6 p.m. in Saratoga. Because there are contested races for Carbon County Commissioner and Saratoga Town Council, those are the only candidates who will participate in this primary election voter forum, according to VSO organizers. "The voter's forum is being held prior to absentee ballots being sent out," VSO organizer Connie Patterson stated, adding "We think it's important to get information about candidates out to voters prior t...
Discussion on short term rentals (STRs) is likely to pick back up in the fall as the Saratoga Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing on the matter for August 13. STRs are housing rented out for a short period of time, typically ranging from a few days to a month. Long term rentals are leased for time periods ranging from several months to years. Previously, the STR discussion began in 2023 when the Planning Commission discussed passing ordinance to potentially regulate the rentals....
Saratoga residents are one step closer to being able to own poultry within town limits following the June 18 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Ordinance No. 870, previously preferred to as the "Chicken Ordinance" was passed unanimously on first reading at the second June meeting of the governing body. A proposed draft of the ordinance was presented to the Saratoga Town Council in March, discussed by the Saratoga Planning Commission in April and the subject of a public hearing at the May 14...
The Saratoga Recreation Department faced multiple resignations at the June 18 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Councilwoman Kathy Beck resigned from being town council liaison to the Saratoga Recreation Department Board. She read a letter to the community members, talking about her history with the board and her passion for recreation. In her letter, Beck listed health and wellness, physical activity, community engagement, economic impact and quality of life as reasons why recreation is...
At the June 18 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council, the governing body received a total of nine resolutions from the Wyoming Association of Municipalities (WAM) following their 2024 conference, including one focused on how public notices are published under law. WAM is a non-profit organization representing various local governments from across the state of Wyoming. The association holds conferences to discuss and inform on municipal leadership. The resolutions from the conference not are not...
Authorities from across the county met to hear comments and concerns regarding combined dispatch during a public hearing hosted by the Town of Saratoga on June 12. The Saratoga Town Council was joined by Saratoga Chief of Police Mike Morris, Rawlins Chief of Police Michael Ward, Carbon County Sheriff Alex Bakken, Carbon County Dispatch Supervisor Tracy Newbrough, Saratoga Dispatch Supervisor Alex Munson and Rawlins Dispatch Center Supervisor Valeta Rodabaugh. The public hearing was held to hear...
Two appointees were approved to the Carbon County Visitors’ Council (CCVC) at the June 4 meeting of the Saratoga Town Council. Per the Carbon County website, the goal of the CCVC is to promote “local travel and tourism within Carbon County and its municipalities and to receive and expend the revenues from the excise tax on lodging services.” Members of the council are appointed by several separate municipalities in Carbon County, as well as one appointment from the Board of County Commi...
