Wind taxes eddie back

CCCOG discusses perennial return of wind taxes in legislature

The Carbon County Council of Governments (CCCOG) met at 6:30 p.m by Zoom on November 18.

The municipalities represented were Baggs, Dixon, Elk Mountain, Rawlins, Riverside and Saratoga. 

Chairman Morgan Irene started the meeting by having all in the conference introduce themselves. After introductions, the voting members from the municipalities identified themselves. 

Once the voting members identified themselves, the council approved the agenda and the minutes from the September 16 meeting.

Financials of CCCOG were presented and approved. Treasurer Travis Moore said the account had $24,805.09.

There was no unfinished business and Irene moved to new business.

He introduced Marlin Johnson, the new Carbon County Planner.

“I am looking forward to learning my way around here,” M. Johnson said. “I am a South Dakota native, but I have worked in Wyoming.”

M. Johnson asked if there were any questions, but there were none.

Next Irene introduced Yvonne Johnson, Director of the Carbon County Economic Development Corporation (CCEDC). She told the council she had met many of the members at town council meetings she had been attending over the past four months.

Y. Johnson asked if there were any questions and there were none.

Moore commended Y. Johnson on her outreach to all the communities in the short time that she has been in her position.

Jon Nelson, vice chairman, said that he had not been in contact with Stacy Crimmins although he had left a phone message. Nelson said Crimmins had started a consulting company that specialized in helping entities write grants.

Baggs representatives at the last meeting had asked if there was any person that the municipalities knew of that could help them with grant writing. Crimmins name had been mentioned and Nelson had offered to contact her since she lived in Saratoga. Johnson put forth that Crimmins worked part-time at the CCEDC and would inform Crimmins of Baggs’ desire to talk with her.

The council agreed that a person like Crimmins could be valuable to CCCOG.

“We can talk to her on how CCCOG could utilize her the best,” Nelson said. “We should look at her coming to a CCCOG meeting.”

Irene suggested Crimmins be invited to the January meeting.

The schedule for towns hosting the CCCOG meeting was next on the agenda.

Because CCCOG only meets every other month, six volunteer towns are needed. Carbon County volunteered for the month of January because it is likely that it will be another virtual conference. If not because of COVID restrictions, the weather in January makes it difficult for many members to attend.

Tentatively, the towns put forth a schedule, but with the exception of January, the council decided to wait until the next meeting before confirming the meeting places.

“It was my first meeting, so I am going to let others talk before I speak,” Moore said as the Joint Legislative Committee testimony update was brought up.

Amy Bach, Rawlins, spoke first.

“At the last joint committee it was unfortunate that they decided to forward on a bill (for a tax increase on wind) to the legislature despite some pretty compelling testimony,” Bach said. 

Moore said having people from Carbon County attend the testimony helped make impact on some in the committee.

“I think the voices need to be heard, even if some of the committee members have made up their mind,” Moore said. “These legislators that want to please just their constituents have to keep in mind how it affects all the people in Wyoming as a whole.”

Kara Choquette, Communications Director of Power Company of Wyoming, agreed that certain legislators were not going to listen to whatever was said about putting a wind tax in effect, but she felt that there was still hope for some legislators to be open about how the taxation could hurt the wind industry.

“I did want to let the council know that after our last meeting, Rocky Mountain Power contacted me and assured me they were fighting the wind tax and not just passing it on to the consumers and explained that they have one person for every 10 or 12 wind turbines. So, the loss of jobs I mentioned last time, isn’t because of technology, it is because they didn’t put up as many wind turbines,” Irene explained. “It just strikes me that a lot of people clamoring for the tax don’t have the projects in their backyard. I don’t think they should be dictating to us one of the few opportunities we have going for.”

Choquette agreed.

“That is a great point,” Choquette said. “None of the people who voted for that were from Carbon County.”

“Thank you to all that went to the meeting,” Irene said. “It is a big deal to our county.”

The next scheduled meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on January 20.

 

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