Commissioners sign town agreements

During the second June meeting of the Hot Springs County Commission, two agreements with the Town of Thermopolis were approved, those being the Joint Law Enforcement Agreement and a landfill agreement.

The landfill agreement was presented to the commissioners at their June 4 meeting, though it was not signed at the time as they felt it deviated from the previous agreement.

The commissioners did approve a revised copy of the agreement that had some slight changes. Among them were language stating that the residents of the unincorporated area of the county, East Thermopolis and Kirby shall have access to the landfill during all hours of operations without payment of fees or user charges by the Town of Thermopolis for normal household trash.

Except for rate hikes as provided in town ordinances, passed from time to time, to ensure the Enterprise Fund is balanced by the town as it relates to the landfill and not to water and sewer. The previous agreement did not make the distinction between landfill, water and sewer.

Another change in the language states it may be necessary for the town to budget and charge other parties to the agreement to commence rebuilding of the capital expenditure fund.

A paragraph from the original agreement was omitted from the signed agreement. That paragraph stated, “The Town and Hot Springs County have had discussions concerning prior agreements, invoices and extra income received by the Town. Those issues are hereby determined to be resolved and are now waived and are now null and void. This provision also applies to the Town of East Thermopolis and Town of Kirby.”

During the town council meeting Tuesday evening, council approved signing the revised agreement; they had signed the Joint Law Enforcement Center agreement at a previous meeting.

In other action, $1,490.40 was approved from the courthouse equipment fund for window tinting in the Hot Springs County Jail.

Sheriff Jerimie Kraushaar explained the tint would be placed on the cell blocks. One of the biggest issues, he said, is inmates seeing out when female prisoners are being transported, as there is to be no audio, visual or physical contact with them. Inmates can also be learning deputy routines and using them to their advantage.

The tint will provide one-way transparency, placed on the outside of the cells so inmates can’t scrape it off.

Also during the meeting, Dave Schlager provided an update on the culvert replacement project, noting they haven’t got the pipes in on Cottonwood yet, but planned to do it next week. The pipes will be put together, and then set in. He pointed out that the three culverts downstream from there are deteriorating and he would like to put together a project to repair them, possibly this fall.

Bo Bowman reported building remediation at the former airport is completed. Regarding some sheds on the north side property, Bowman expressed concern that they looked about ready to fall over since the outside siding has been removed.

Regarding county roads, Bowman said he’s got applications in to the Bureau of Land Management for Lower Cottonwood and Hamilton Dome to get the right of ways squared away and ensuring that the correct descriptions are there to match the roads. He explained significant portions of those roads have been taken out and that is not reflected with the BLM.