Kiwanis, sign and SCWEMS

The Saratoga Town Council met at 6 p.m. and approved routine business before hearing Tom and Pat Roszel ask why a sign from the Saratoga Hot Springs Resort (Resort) was up when they had only recently received a notification about the sign asking permission to put it up.

Ed Glode, mayor of Saratoga, said he had been approached by the local Kiwanis chapter and been told a meeting on March 21 has been set to dissolve the organization because there were few people joining and the ranks were thinning due to age.

"The regional governor of the Kiwanis came over here and we met and he said if they left, the organization would probably never come back," Glode said. "So I hoped if I brought it up to everyone, we might do some sort of membership drive because they don't have any fresh membership and they don't have enough people for officers and they only have about 10 members."

He said the Kiwanis are an organization that gives the community another option for volunteers to join and help. Glode said the organization focused on kids programs such as the Stars of Tomorrow. Kiwanis has more than 600,000 members in more than 80 countries. Kiwanis serves the needs of children through local service projects and fundraising and hosts nearly 150,000 service projects each year.

Glode said he hoped that there would be a resurgence of interest in the organization if the word was out about the organization possibly shutting down in Saratoga.

When items from the public came forth on the agenda, Tom and Pat Roszel had questions and comments for the council concerning a sign the Resort had put up.

"We received a letter, or a permission slip, you would say, from the Saratoga Resort about a sign and that is all I can tell you, because that is all it says," Tom Roszel said. "It asks us if we are for or against the sign."

Jon Winter, Department of Public Works Director, said it was a variance request from the Resort on their building at the corner of Bridge Ave. and Pic Pike streets.

"I have a question for you," Tom Roszel said. "Why, if that is the sign on my permission slip, why is it already put up? We have gone and done things and have always gone about doing it the right way and we think that since they are a part of the town, they should do it the right way. They should have followed protocol and procedure to do what they are trying to do."

Winter said the Resort had done it backwards. Will Faust, town council member, said at the next planning commission meeting scheduled on March 13, the sign would be addressed.

Pat Roszel, resident of Saratoga and wife of Tom, talked about the house that the sign was attached to and is owned by the Resort.

She said that the building needed to be torn down because it was a breeding ground for raccoons, skunks and feral cats. Pat said they had trapped numerous animals in their yard because the building was not habitable.

"We would like to see something done about it and if it has to go to the planning commission, that is fine," Tom said. "It's just the letter came to us on Feb. 19 and it was mailed on the 17th, but we noticed the sign either the 16th or 17th."

Richard Raymer, town council member, said his concern was that if the Resort went about this wrong by putting the sign up without permission from the town first and much time elapsed, it would set a precedent.

Faust said now that members from the public alerted the town to a condemnable building that possibly houses breeding rodents and feral animals which could cause rabies, it could be a health concern and the building's status would be put forth at the planning commission meeting.

Lisa Burton, recreation department director, said that the Utah Jazz program had an enrollment of 77 children and practices were starting.

Robert Bifano, police chief, said the 911 phone lines were all recording after Ryan Electronics had fixed them.

Winter said the past couple of weeks snow removal had been the focus of the streets department. He said public works had been assisting the water crew about a leak on Hickory Street.

He also said there were five bidders for working on the water master plan. Winter said the bidders would be short listed to three by the middle of April. The contract will be awarded in mid June.

The airport will be shut down for about 40 days, said Raymer, starting the first part of April.

The council approved the payment of $6,869.85 for the lights and camera project completed by Modern Electric.

Faust reported the planning commission is updating the review of the title 18 and 18.57.

The council meeting ended with Glode reading over resolution 2018-03 that made three changes to the South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services (SCWEMS) agreement that the municipalities had agreed to build the joint powers board for SCWEMS.

"In two weeks, the newest composition of this board will be getting together, as well as much support they can have from their agencies, including mayors, council members, commissioners, EMT's and concerned citizens," Glode said. "That is why we are moving the town council meeting to 5 p. m."

He said the amendments had been agreed on by the entities forming the joint powers board which are the towns of Encampment, Elk Mountain, Hanna, Medicine Bow, Riverside, Saratoga and Carbon County and that the amendments were signed on March 6.

The council approved the amendments to the SCWEMS joint power board agreement.

Glode finished the meeting telling the council there was a chance Verizon would soon start work on their tower in Saratoga.

The next scheduled meeting will be at 5 p.m. on March 20 from 6 p.m because the SCWEMS meeting will be at 6 p.m. and Glode plans to attend.