Council approves annual budget

Tuesday evening, the Thermopolis Town Council approved the budget for the 2017-18 fiscal year.

Individual funds within the General Fund are: $105,250 for Legislative/Executive, $184,500 for Clerk/Treasurer, $14,400 for Judge, $58,200 for Law, $80,900 for Town Hall, $682,550 for Police, $298,925 for Dispatch Department, $65,500 for Corrections, $32,750 for Codes Administration, $89,800 for Fire Department, $642,000 for One Percent Sales Tax Projects, $610,150 for Streets and Alleys, $37,950 for Parks, $28,925 for Animal Control, $208, 700 for Other General Accounts.

In other action, the board approved the waiver of interest fees with regard to a lien for sidewalks, on the vacant property at 518 Arapahoe. Amanda Moeller noted a recent meeting between herself, Meri Ann Rush, Tracy Van Heule, Fred Crosby, Julie Mortimore and Kendi Heinze with regard to the property, as there is an interested buyer.

Moeller made an official request to the council to waive the interest and fees, if not all, of the lien on the property. There are an additional four liens on the property, including one from Hot Springs County, though discussion regarding possibly waiving those liens, or the fees and interest associated with them, is forthcoming.

The council’s motion to waive the sidewalk lien interest and fees is pending the other lien holders taking similar action. Moeller noted it would still be a couple years before the interested party could acquire the property and do anything with it.

A road closure was approved for the Gift of the Waters Pageant Parade on Saturday, Aug. 5. The parade will line up at Senior Avenue, travel west on Arapahoe until Fifth, go south to the flag pole, then west on Broadway until turning around at Sixth and heading back east.

Also during the meeting, council approved the third and final reading for an ordinance which repeals town code sections 3-105 and 3-106 and makes operating hours and days uniform for all liquor licenses.

Amended code section 3-106(a) reads any licensees may open a dispensing room no earlier than 6 a.m. and close the room and cease sale of alcoholic beverages no later than 2 a.m. the next day. Licensees shall clear the dispensing room and permitted premises of all persons other than employees no later than 2:30 a.m.

The new ordinance will go into effect on July 1.

Robert Spain was approved to fill the Town of Thermopolis position on the Travel and Tourism Board. The position is a tourism position and must be held by someone representative of the tourism industry. Another, “at large,” position on the board is still vacant.

A right-of-way agreement was approved for Lisa Johnson, to allow for a four-foot tall chain link fence on her property.

Also during the meeting, Town Engineer Anthony Barnett noted the second part of the State Revolving Funds (SRF) loan application has been turned in. The money will go to the water line replacement project.

Director of Public Works Ernie Slagle reported he purchased and picked up a 2005 Sterling dump truck with about 90,000 miles. The truck cost about $33,000, though Slagle said he searched all over the country for a dump truck, and found some that had three times the mileage and cost over $80,000. Mayor Mike Mortimore commended Slagle on his work in finding the truck.