The Med Bow zone

The Medicine Bow Town Council met on March 8 at the Medicine Bow Community Hall.

All council members were present along with Mayor Sharon Biamon.

The council decided to pay all but 10 percent of the construction company Oftedal retainage fee.

“We discovered some things that might cost the town some money,” Town Clerk/Treasurer Karen Heath said. “I just thought you should know before you pay the retainage fee.”

The normal protocol is that a contractor does a series of inspections and there is a warranty for projects and any costs incurred. It is not common to hold retainage fees during a warranty period.

Public Works Director Charlie George was asked how the town was going to be out of pocket if Oftedal did not take care of their responsibilities. George estimated about $5,000. The council decided to pay the retainage fee of $64,900 minus 10 percent.

Biamon said the situation with dogs and cats not being neutered had her thinking that license fees should be higher for non-fixed animals. The price for a license is $5. Biamon suggested the council think about it.

Heath said the phone system in the town hall was having problems.

“Our Nortel system is slowly dying and we can wait, but it is not going to get better,” Heath said. “I have looked at providers and given you the information I have researched.”

The council tabled getting a new phone system until more information was available. Concerning the town’s cell system, Union Telephone offered a better and cheaper plan than the current one used. The council approved the new upgraded cell plan.

The town’s zoning changes elicited a reaction from residents attending the meeting.

Heath said there was a public zoning and planning board meeting on February 27 where the recommended changes to the town’s zoning was gone over by Board Vhairman Trevor Strauch. She said the map of the changes had been available for the residents to see for the past few weeks.

Troy Maddox, a Medicine Bow resident, asked if the residents had that were adjacent to any changes had been notified. Biamon said although there may not be a town ordinance requiring the notification, she felt it prudent to notify the effected residents by mail.

Town attorney Kelly Neville said any changes that a town council was going to vote on had to be advertised in the newspaper 30 days in advance. Biamon instructed Heath to advertise in the paper and send out notices to residents.

From public works, George said the landfill bill was substantially down from what the High Country Joint Powers Board had been charging. It has gone from $2200 to $860. George said that the lower price might not stay at this rate, but he was tracking it over the next few months.

Although it did not take much time, the biggest news was the appointment of the vacant seat on the council. during the 2020 election, Trevor Strauch declined his reelection to the council. Biamon read a letter of interest from Dawndee Yocum who has been a Medicine Bow resident for a year. After the reading, Yocum was approved. She will be sworn in by the next council meeting.

The next scheduled council meeting will be at 7 p.m. on April 12 at the Medicine Bow Community Hall.