Council moves forward on projects

The Saratoga Town Council voted to move forward on two public works projects at its February 6 meeting.

One of the projects is the River Street Project, which will “roughly start at Elm Street and head south just across the Hugus Ditch,” said Public Works Director and Zoning Administrator Emery Penner in a later interview. “It will also include a section that will loop Walnut and Maple streets to the east of River Street as well as a new piece of pipe to the swimming pool.”

In his report to the council, Penner said the River Street Project is estimated to cost a total of $1.6 million, including the grant money.

The work consists of a water line replacement, improvements to the road and a chip seal, he said. A total rebuild of the road would cost $500,000 compared to a chip seal, which costs $100,000.

The cost of this project represents 21 percent of the town’s special purpose tax money, he said. The town doesn’t want to spend more of the special tax money than this on the project, because that money is also needed to pay for other projects.

“We put a lot of work into this—we need to move on with this,” Mayor Chuck Davis said.

The council voted to approve the project and it will go out to bid.

The council also voted to move forward with the Never Forget Park Parking Lot project at the meeting last week.

“Never Forget Park is a piece of ground located adjacent to Veterans Island…,” Penner said in a later interview.

At the meeting, he said the town cannot afford the lowest bid of $375,000 for the work.

In a letter from WLC Engineering to the town, project manager Jason Meyers said “Emery Penner notified me that the Town will most likely reject all bids for the Never Forget Park Parking Lot Project. Mr. Penner requested that WLC revise the plans and bidding documents to remove the sidewalk, remove work along Pic Pike Road, and expand the parking lot.”

At the meeting, Penner said the town had wanted the project to include sidewalks, but after the bids came in, they realized they can only afford to do a curb, re-grade, have everything drained and put in a road base.

“This is what we have the money to do,” he said.

The project consists of establishing, grading, draining and some curb in the proposed park, he said in a later interview. “The prior scope that included the sidewalks cost more than was anticipated.”

Council voted to re-scope the project without the sidewalks and put it out for bid.

In his report to council, Penner said the Environmental Protection Agency is requiring the widening of the water service lines.

He said the EPA is “requiring all communities to inventory the water service lines, and whether or not they may have lead components. That is what we are currently working on. Lead was used as a plumbing material prior to 1986, when the federal government banned its use.”

The council also voted to approve an invoice in the amount of $89,235.33 to OV Consulting. This bill is for work related to a Town of Saratoga Transportation Alternatives Master Plan.

Police Department

Mayor Davis said he was giving the report for the police department at the meeting.

The police department is continuing to work on the feasibility of creating a joint dispatch center that would serve the county and its municipalities. Currently, each of these entities operates separate centers.

In the beginning, the mayor told council, the joint center-- if the town decides to do this-- would be run by the Carbon County Sheriff’s Office. The plan would be to progress to a joint powers board composed of representatives from all the government entities, who would oversee the operation.

“I don’t think there will be any issues,” Davis said. The sheriff will have the “final say” at first. No one can tell the sheriff what to do. However, the municipalities, as members of the board, will “hold the purse strings.”

The police department is continuing to work on cost-savings estimates for a joint dispatch center, he said.

Also in the report, the mayor said the police department has one application for an officer.

Town Hall

The town opened a savings account and transferred funds into it, because it had accumulated a substantial amount of money in one account.

Town Treasurer Corina Daley said the town transferred from its RNB checking account to WyoSTAR the following:

The council approved the payment of an invoice in the amount of $15,069 for the 2022 audit by Mountain States CPA & Consultants.

The mayor said the town should be caught up on its previous audits by the end of the year and then will begin working on its 2023-2024 audit.

In other business, the council approved sending town clerk Jennifer Anderson to attend the Wyoming Funding Summit to be held on April 8-12. This is a grant writing and management seminar.

Recreation Department

Recreation Director Kim Hemenway asked the council to approve allowing recreation center board members and their immediate family within the household to use the center gym and pool at no cost –not to include classes-- as an incentive for volunteering.

“It would make them feel appreciated,” Hemenway said.

The council approved the request.

She said 108 youths have signed up for basketball registration, which will start March 1.

Also, usage of the gym has increased, she said she noticed. Since the last council meeting, 1,800 people have used the gym.

And finally, the council approved a fitness instructor on a contract basis for $255 to teach a class a few times a week from April 1 to May 10. The money is in the budget, she said..

Councilwoman Kathy Beck said she wanted the town to look at some options for shade as well as a table and chairs in the former wading pool area.

“The wading pool or ‘kiddie pool’ currently located at the Saratoga Public Pool has exhausted its life and needs [to be] replaced,” Penner said in a later interview. “The town didn’t feel the cost-to-benefit was there to replace the existing pool. We have decided to demo the wading pool and increase the deck space for the big pool instead.”

At the meeting, Penner said shade trees would blow leaves into the area, which would require maintenance.

Beck and Penner briefly discussed the possibility of installing sail shades. Council did not act on this.

Reports from Boards and Commissions

The next Water and Sewer Joint Power Board will be held at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at the PVCC.

The next Planning Commission meeting will be held at 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13 at the Town Hall Council Chambers.

The next Community Center Joint Powers Board meeting will be at 4:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the PVCC Recreation Commission.

The next Recreation Commission meeting will be at 6 p.m. March 4 at the Town Hall Council Chambers.

Also under the commission report, Beck, the council representative, read resignation letters from board members Danny Burau and Amber Waldron.

The next meeting of the Saratoga Airport Advisory Board will be at 3:30 p.m. Feb. 12 at the Town Hall Council Chambers.

Also, council voted to pay an invoice in the amount of $16,595 for snow plowing at the airport from January to January year-over-year.

South Central Wyoming Emergency Services did not have a report. However, the mayor said the town signed a new contract with SCWEMS.