Trailers top talk

The Saratoga Town Council met at 6 p.m. on Jan. 16 and began the meeting with paying bills and approving the minutes from Jan. 2.

Mayor Ed Glode read over correspondence from Federal Management Emergency Agency (FEMA) on mapping being done in Carbon County for the Encampment River and Medicine River.

Glode also read correspondence from Invernergy telling of the company’s status on the TB Flats wind energy project. He said the company is having question and answer meetings in Medicine Bow, Rawlins and Laramie.

Richard Hodges, a citizen in attendance wanted to express his concerns about the Saratoga Planning Commission’s plans to remove mobile trailers. He also said he was concerned that camper trailers on personal property can’t have anyone residing in them.

“I worry when elected folks like you guys want to pass another rule or another law, when we have plenty of laws,” Hodges said. “With more laws come less freedom and I don’t want less freedom.”

Glode told Hodges no mobile trailers were in danger of being removed. Camper trailers are by law not allowed to be used at a permanent residence according to ordinance 18.57.

“The ordinance has been on the books since the origins of our zoning ordinances,” Glode said.

Will Faust, council member, explained the definition of camper trailer to Hodges, assuring him his mobile home was not what the planning commission was talking about. Council member Steve Wilcoxson stated his position on the subject was camper trailers have been allowed to be in violation since 1984 and he questioned why, after so much time, was the planning commission picking now to enforce the ordinance.

Faust said the reason the ordinance is being looked at was a citizen asked about the ordinance. He said there was going to be a workshop on Jan. 30 to review the ordinance because the commission was taking in the public’s concerns both pro and con.

“To me, it is a simple question: are we going to enforce our ordinances or are we not,” Faust said. “It’s my opinion we have to go with what is on the books, unless we don’t like it and then we change it.’

Faust said the commission has identified three or four camper trailers in violation.

“One of the questions that has been asked is: What if we get an influx of temporary workers from these wind farm projects, how are we prepared for it in this community?” Faust asked.

Faust said there is a huge difference in mobile homes and recreational vehicles as far as health codes go.

Hodges said he felt better after listening to Faust.

Council member Richard Raymer, told the council the modern electric safety lighting and camera at the airport was working well.

Saratoga Police Chief Robert Bifano told the council that two drug charges had occurred since the last town council. He told the council Venture Technologies worked on the 911 lines and said the next step was to contact Union Telephone to get the lines working. Bifano said the new dispatcher was doing an excellent job.

Recreation department said it would be taking registration for the Utah Jazz program March 1. The program is for children from kindergarten to fifth grade.

There were four bids on the jetter for water and sewer. The council approved $40,296.15 for the new jetter from Powerline Industry.

Faust told the council that the medical board needs the lease for the new proprietors to be reviewed.

The next scheduled Saratoga Town Council meeting is 6 p.m. on Feb. 6.