Hanna wraps up year

The Hanna Town Council met at 6 p.m. on Dec. 11 at the Hanna Town Hall with mayor Tony Poulos and council members Bob Patton and Pat Gregory in attendance.

The council quickly approved the agenda for the night, the minutes from Nov. 13 and special meeting minutes held on Nov. 27.

Patton told the council about the Carbon County Council of Governments (CCCOG) special meeting on Nov. 28 to get final 6th penny tax projects figured out (see “Cut, Cut, Cut “on the front page Dec. 5, 2018 of the Saratoga Sun).

Patton said the town is partially bonding $1.5 million of its final number of $2,475,000. Bonding does have interest attached to it, but the money is given up front.

“For smaller towns, they had to bond because they don’t have the choice to wait for money to come in,” Patton said. “Rawlins, Saratoga, Encampment didn’t bond and we did a partial.”

He said the towns finally got down to a number for funds available.

Leonard Gonzales, chairman of the High County Joints Powers Board, said designs for the new transfer station were being drawn up soon.

David Sutter, director of the water treatment plant, spoke for Larry Korkow, who was sick. He said most of the work around town was keeping the snow plowed on streets and walkways. He said the water treatment plan was going well and that it continued to use less water than last year.

Marshall Jeff Neimark said he would be looking into getting ordinances observed that were being ignored, but wanted to work closely with the mayor and mayor elect.

Neimark thanked Poulos for his eight years of service as mayor and support he had shown the Marshal’s department over his tenure.

“We accomplished a lot of good things under his leadership,” Neimark said.

Vivian Gonzales, Hanna Recreation Director, was absent but sent a report saying the pump and parts were in to fix the pool’s circulatory system.

Matt Cox, Hanna representative for South Central Wyoming Emergency Medical Services, had moved and sent in a letter of resignation. Cox’s resignation was approved and a new representative is being sought.

A light moment came when Marcia Beals on the Hanna Housing Board told Poulos all was fine.

“This is my last meeting and you don’t have much to tell me,” Poulos said in a joking manner.

“Enjoy your retirement,” Beals said and the council and audience burst into laughter.

After the reports from departments, the financials for the town were approved.

Jon Ostling, resident of Hanna and candidate for mayor in the last election, told the council and new mayor, Lois Buchanan, who was in the audience, he had been in contact with Linda DeWitt of the Wyoming of Department of Environmental Quality on how the town could move forward with properties that were in disrepair and uninhabitable.

“There is always opportunities not to have the burden of the law and proof of evidence that are required,” Ostling said. “If the town acquires properties and it is used as a public resource or dedicated towards commercial asset, then that abatement process can be minimized.”

Ostling had a couple ideas that might work for the town.

“There are two opportunities that could occur, one that is followed by Midwest and that is where you abate less than five parcels a year, you basically don’t have that same burden when you have five,” Ostling said. “When you have five or more parcels the full requirement of documentation, work instructions and everything else is required. The other process is if the landowner cleans the property themselves and the town can fund that process with local workers and not have any of the regulatory processes.”

Ostling said he had five pages of grants he had researched and gave them to Pam Paulson, Hanna town treasurer.

Poulos thanked Ostling for his research and said the new council and mayor could take action on his recommendations when they came into power next month.

The third reading of Ordinance 380, an ordinance amending the annual liquor license fees and adopting the amended Wyoming State Liquor laws was approved.

The Bank of Commerce was approved as a depository for the town of Hanna.

The council approved Change Order No. 2 for the Elmo and Old Town waterline. The council next approved the Certificate of Substantial Completion for the Elmo and Old Town Water Distribution Replacements project.

The next scheduled town council is at 6 p.m. on Jan. 8 at the Hanna Town Hall.