The County Commissioners’ meeting was called to order July 7, 2020 at 9:10 a.m. with Chairman Patrick H. Wade, Vice-Chair John Midkiff, Commissioner Elaine Griffith, and County Clerk Becky L. Freeman, present.
Chairman Wade led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Road and Bridge- Josh Harkins with BenchMark of Torrington met with the Commissioners and Foreman Fred Thomas to discuss the 2020 Spring Road Rehab Project.
2020 Spring Road Rehab Contract Agreement- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to sign the contract between JW Services, LLC., and Niobrara County for the 2020 Spring Road Rehabilitation Project for $130,354.00. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Foreman Thomas went on to discuss roads and gravel. He said that his crew is working on 20 Mile Road from Pat Miller’s well to Alvie Manning’s turnoff.
The group then discussed additional roads that could use gravel. Chairman Wade mentioned Boner Road needing work. He stressed the importance of trying to get as much work done on longer distances while trucking is less expensive.
Foreman Thomas said that a lot of the roads need shaped before graveling and it is too dry to do any blade work at this time.
Public Health Nurse Supervisor Dr. Melanie Pearce met with the Commissioners and discussed the Wyoming Cares Act Funding. She has a contract for which she needs the Commissioners’ approval to move forward.
WY CARES Act- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to authorize Dr. Pearce to move forward with the WY Cares Act contract. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Dr. Pearce also discussed Kerry Steward’s decision to terminate the Independent Contractor Agreement for the prevention grant. She said the Mrs. Steward felt her philosophy of prevention differed from what the Commissioners wanted.
The group discussed plans to move forward with this program.
County Attorney- Deputy County Attorney Doyle J. Davies met with the Commissioners and discussed several contracts.
1% Specific Purpose Excise Tax (SPET)- Todd Skrukrud, Town of Lusk Public Works Director and Cal Carstensen, Town of Lusk Councilman, met with the Commissioners to discuss the 1% Specific Purpose Excise Tax question that will appear on the General Election ballot. The amount to be raised and collected is $21,650,000 for the following projects.
• For the Town of Lusk, $18,000,000 to be collected for the replacement of the following items- water distribution mains, sewer collections mains, water and sewer service lines from the main lines to the edge of the street right of ways, replace curbs, gutters, sidewalks, and the installation of ADA compatible ramps, and the installation of equipment and materials to support improved fiber connectivity for the Town, and for one (1) time major maintenance, renovation and reconstruction of the entire length of the various streets (named in the resolution.)
• For the Town of Manville, $2,500,000 for the planning, design, and construction of upgrades to the Town’s water system and sanitary sewer system, and for one (1) time major maintenance, renovation and reconstruction of the entire length of the various streets (named in the resolution) and
• For the Town of Van Tassell, $1,150,000 for the following projects and amounts- $150,000 to purchase a fire truck and $1,000,000 for a one time major maintenance, renovation and reconstruction of the entire length of various streets (named in the resolution.)
Resolution 20-08- 1% SPET Tax- Commissioner Griffith moved to approve Resolution 20-08, a Resolution approving the proposition for imposition of a 1% Specific Purpose Excise Tax in Niobrara County, State of Wyoming, for the purpose of funding specific projects, said proposition to be placed on the ballot at the General Election to be held in Niobrara County on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded, motion carried.
24-Hour Malt Beverage Permit- Commissioner Griffith moved to approve a 24-Hour Malt Beverage Permit for Linda Furnish to sell malt beverages at the Ranch Rodeo on July 25, 2020 at the Niobrara County Fairgrounds. Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded, motion carried.
Tree Trimming at the Fairgrounds- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to authorize Mike Mayville to trim trees and grind stumps inside and outside of the fairgrounds for approximately $6,700.00. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Foreman Fred Thomas stopped back in and asked if the Commissioners would approve the trade in of the county’s old 770D John Deere blade to purchase a front angle and side plow for the new blade that will be leased from the Niobrara County Rural Fire District. The Commissioners authorized this transaction.
Elected Officials and Department Heads-
Kellie Chichester UW Extension Education said they are getting ready for fair. She handed out flyers for a 5K Color Run and a fair schedule. She ensured they were making efforts to adhere to social distancing requirements.
County Assessor Teri Stephens said they are almost done reviewing properties in town. She said they will most likely go out and review oil and gas equipment with the assistance of Chris Jensen.
Clerk of Court Chrisanna Lund said it was business as usual in her office.
County Treasurer Keri Thompson said she received Chesapeake Energy’s protest for taxes and then received their bankruptcy notice. She discussed the new law regarding mineral tax payments and the fee structure.
Regional Public Health Nurse Supervisor Dr. Melanie Pearce said that the public health nurse has done a lot of LT101’s (long term care assessments.) They are conducting Head Start screenings today and tomorrow.
Emergency Management Coordinator James Santistevan discussed recent storms, the Foodbank of the Rockies program and noted that the THIRA plan needs updated.
Sheriff Gill said that there might be protestors at the Legend of Rawhide performance on Thursday night. He discussed different resources available to him should the need arise.
The Commissioners updated the group on the tree trimming at the fairgrounds, the rest area, and road projects.
Commissioner Griffith moved to ratify Amendment One to the Contract between the Wyoming Energy Authority, State Energy Program and Niobrara County. Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded, motion carried. The purpose of the amendment is to extend the term of the original contract through June 30, 2021.
Cleaning Contract for Courthouse, Library and Sheriff’s Office- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to sign the above cleaning contract between Traci Bruegger and Niobrara County for $4,500 per month. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Emergency Services Agreement with Solutions for Life- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to approve the Emergency Services Agreement between Solutions for Life and the Niobrara County Sheriff’s Office. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Ratify Independent Contractor Agreement- Commissioner Griffith moved to ratify the approval of the Independent Contractor Agreement for the Prevention Grant between Kerry Steward and Niobrara County. Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded, motion carried.
Independent Contractor Agreement Termination- Upon receipt of a letter from Kerry Steward terminating her independent contractor agreement with Niobrara County, Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to terminate the above contractor agreement pursuant to the terms and conditions set forth in the agreement. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Annual Compensation Agreement with UW - Commissioner Griffith moved, and Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded to approve the Annual Compensation Agreement between Niobrara County and the University of Wyoming for the 4-H Director position. Motion carried. The County will contribute $24,798.00 annually to the University of Wyoming Extension, payable quarterly.
Road Crossing Permit- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to approve a road crossing permit for the Henry L. Wasserburger Jr. Trust to bore under Wasserburger Road to install a livestock water pipeline. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Public Health Officer Contract- Commissioner Griffith moved to approve the contract between the Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division, and Niobrara County. Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded, motion carried.
Prevention Contract- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved to approve the Prevention Contract between the Wyoming Department of Health, Public Health Division and Niobrara County for substance abuse prevention program, tobacco prevention and control program, and injury and violence prevention program. The term of the agreement is from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2022 for an amount of $175,613 for the biennium. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried.
Consent Agenda- Vice Chairman Midkiff moved to approve the consent agenda. Commissioner Griffith seconded, motion carried. Items on the consent agenda were the minutes of the June 16, 2020 meeting, receipts for June from the County Clerk for $4,612.14, the Sheriff for $705.70 and the Clerk of Court for $597.00. Also included were tax supplements from EOG Y for the 2017 tax year for 523.50, from Wesco Operating Inc., from the 2017 tax year for $252.61 and from Seer Operating, LLC. from the 2017 tax year for $698.97.
Sheriff’s Vehicle- The Commissioners discussed the need for a new sheriff’s vehicle and agreed to authorize him to purchase a 2020 Ram 1500 SSV pickup from Bob Ruwart Motors.
Payroll and the following vouchers were approved for payment: 1000.00 Adbay; 8251.37 Aflac Insurance; 3000.00 Align; 874.17 - Allbright's True Value Hardware- Supplies; 274.30 – Alsco- Shop towels & coveralls; 3017.50 - Applied Concepts, Inc -; 1000.02 Axon Enterprise, Inc.; 267.90 BAM Document Destruction & Recycling LLC; 28.34 Becky Blackburn; 5390.68 BenchMark of Torrington P.C.; 97.00 Benzel Pest Control, Inc.; 1095.33 Black Hills Chemical & Janitorial; 430.36 Black Hills Energy; 18815.00 Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming; 600.00 Blue Line Custom Vinyls; 429.00 BlueTarp Credit Services; 62.69 Boldon Diesel Service, LLC.; 380.00 Canon Financial Services, Inc.; 1482.31 Century Link; 87.96 Century Link Business Services; 2934.37 CenturyLink; 500.00 Communication Technologies, Inc.; 415.23 Connecting Point Computer Centers; 3199.90 Converse County Auto Repair; 100.00 Cory Wilcox; 48.54 Decker's Market; 1131.20 Delta Dental of Wyoming; 74.75 Denise E. Smith; 1000.00 Dennis C. Meier; 1000.00 Double A Properties, LLC.; 3860.00 Falen Law Offices, LLC.; 60.09 Frank Parts Company; 930.22 Fusion Cloud Services, LLC.; 1360.00 Geographic Innovations; 455.00 Grant Writing USA; 19425.00 Great-West Trust Company, LLC.; 354.00 GreatAmerica Financial Svcs.; 572.43 Herren Brothers True Value; 6733.99 Hiway Brake & Alignment; 64.42 Honnen Equipment Company; 89.95 James Santistevan; 8364.29 Jameson Cleaning & Maintenance, LLC.; 661.00 Jim Tangney; 220.00 Jub Jub, Inc.; 10.63 Kerry Steward; 354.00 Long Building Technologies, Inc.; 5384.10 Lusk Herald; 6041.29 MasterCard; 4536.36 Mobius Communications Company; 46897.51 Motorola Solutions, Inc.; 819.00 New Jersey Family Support Payment Center; 346.46 Niobrara County; 19.94 Niobrara County Assessor; 12490.80 Niobrara County Hospital District; 1725.00 Niobrara County Library; 408.94 Niobrara County Public Health; 5.20 Niobrara County Sheriff's Office; 6.95 Niobrara County Treasurer; 52.16 Niobrara Electric Association; 700.11 Office Depot; 100.00 Palen Law Offices, LLP; 1300.00 Pier Funeral Home; 4700.00 Pine Ridge Enterprises, LLC.; 404.56 Plainsman Printing & Supply; 375.65 Print Express; 222.98 Rawhide Drug Company; 1050.00 Sashanna Miller; 300.00 Sylvestri Customization; 84.50 Team Laboratory Chemical, LLC.; 154.50 Thomson Reuters-West; 145.47 Torrington Office Supply; 2656.16 Town Of Lusk; 82.69 Tyler Technologies; 6217.98 UW Extension; 1179.94 Valley Motor Supply; 317.23 Verizon Wireless; 455.89 Vision Service Plan - (Wy); 530.34 Visionary Broadband; 14.98 Wal Mart Community; 8800.00 Watch Guard Video; 216.00 WEBT; 5373.39 Westco; 3134.60 Whitaker Oil; 1924.77 Wyoming Business Council; 200.00 Wyoming County Assessor's Assoc.; 8608.28 Wyoming Dept. Of Workforce Services; 426.78 Wyoming Guardians Ad Litem Program; 294.80 Wyoming Lawn Sprinklers; 1389.59 Wyoming Machinery Company; 200.00 Wyoming Network, Inc.; 164.16 Wyoming Rents, LLC.; 11605.36 Wyoming Women's Center; 129.80 Xerox Corporation;
ACCOUNTS PAYABLE: 242697.16
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.
NIOBRARA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Patrick H. Wade, Chairman
Attest:
Becky L. Freeman, Clerk
Public Notice No. 5478. Published in The Lusk Herald on August 5, 2020.
