Commissioners hear about State Transportation Improvement Program

The Hot Springs County Commissioners had a busy meeting on Tuesday, starting with the monthly report from Nate Messenger, FBO for the Hot Springs County Airport.

During June, Messenger logged 174 different operations at the airport and sold more than 1,200 gallons of aviation fuel and over 2,100 gallons of jet fuel.

He started a deal with a new helicopter operation out of Worland to sell them jet fuel. Because they are planning to use as much as 2,000 gallons each month, Messenger gave them a break on the price for the summer.

Maintenance head, Anthony Fruciano informed the commissioners there was no damage at any of the county buildings after Monday’s storm.

There are some continuing issues with air conditioning in the courthouse and in the Joint Law Enforcement Center. The units were just recently serviced, so some of the issue is adjusting the various units to get them exactly where the people in the offices want them set. Fruciano actually turned the entire system off and restarted it, and so far, things appear to be settling down.

The commissioners had a visit from the Wyoming Department of Transportation (WYDOT) who presented the upcoming projects in the county as part of the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP).

State wide, the funding for 2019-2020 is $631.5 million. Those monies are not going toward expanding or improving Wyoming’s roads, but simply for maintenance at this time. There are projects WYDOT is still working on from the 90s, which are improvements, but the next few years, at least, will be dedicated to maintenance only.

For Hot Springs County, there are projects planned into 2024.

Right now there is a $2.1 million project going on for leveling, overlaying and chip sealing US20 from the edge of town through Lucerne.

In 2020, WYDOT has a nearly $4 million dollar project planned that will be milling, overlaying, chip sealing and drainage for the highway through town from the armory to the highway department.

Plans for work over the Big Horn River bridge at Red Cut south of town, slope stabilization and rock fall maintenance in the canyon are on the schedule for 2021.

For a complete list of projects four our area, go to http://www.dot.state.wy.us/STIP and click on District 5.

The commissioners signed a medical services agreement presented to them by Sheriff Jerimie Kraushaar from Red Rock Family Practice.

The agreement would provide a nurse practitioner for the jail twice per month and a nurse once a week to set up medications for $75 per hour.

Visits to the emergency room have been common without a doctor or nurse on staff in the jail and those visits, while being billed to the individuals, are adding up. It is hoped this contract with Red Rock will cut down on the trips to the emergency room.