Town council approves small water rate increase

Several financial issues were discussed, including the next year’s budget amongst others, during the May 19 Thermopolis Town Council meeting.

Town Attorney Mike Messenger gave the first reading of a price increase for the legislature and the courts increase in cost for operation and maintenance of the computer software system and operation for the municipal court and for all courts as well. This is amending Ordinance #848 increasing the court automation fee from $25 to $40 pursuant to Wyoming statute section 5-6-108 adding restitution and declaring an effective date of July 1 to start collecting and turning that money in. Fred Crosby, the assistant to the mayor, noted that this increase is due because the State is charging them more, it’s a pass on cost. The Council passed this increase.

Additionally, Crosby proposed a resolution to increase the base rate on water for 90 cents a customer. So essentially everyone’s water bill will go up 90 cents. Crosby presented a financial review that showed they are $52,000 in the red on water so far this year. They do not anticipate that things will get any better and recommended a “bump” increase. Crosby said a few years ago they were given a tool of using a resolution to increase prices 5% or fewer. He said customers have told them that instead of making a huge increase they prefer increases stepped like this. They did an increase in September 2019. Crosby said they anticipate having to do another increase again depending upon how the summer goes. The current base price for water is $18.90 and will change to $19.80. Council member Dusty Lewis asked if the issue stems from a lack of revenue or increased expenses, where can they make changes. Crosby responded by saying they have “a pretty good history of less water usage for the past three years now running.” Costs have also increased for water plant treatment chemicals, the population is down and there are a lot of vacant houses. Additionally, the water plant reached a million gallons of usage in the past week. The council passed the resolution increase.

Regarding a previous issue, Crosby said that he has not been contacted back by the insurance companies for the roofing quotes they had. Crosby asked if the council could award a couple of the quotes, especially for the cottage and the sewer lagoon mechanical shed. Apex was the lowest bid for both of these locations with $2,900 on the cottage and $3,290 for the sewer lagoon. The Council passed the award for these roof repairs.

Crosby reported that for the recent free dump day they had close to 80 cubic yards taken out from 28 people. “It was a lot more successful than last year.” The big dumpsters placed around town were overflowing each time they were dumped. 

Crosby also had news from Hopper Disposal from Shoshoni and the owner Michael Dimick who is in the scrapping, sanitation, landfill business. He has a tire shredder that cuts them into pieces and he has a contract with Casper landfill who accepts the tire waste from him. He gave a bid between $7,200 to approximately $8,000 to make all the Town’s tires go away. Crosby believes Dimick can make the tires go away before the fiscal year ends, by June. Tracey Van Huele the Town’s Clerk / Treasurer, made the connection to reach Dimick. Dimick has a 14 foot tall, 6 axle trailer that can haul 500-700 tires at a time using a crane to load them. Crosby proposed that the Council meet Dimick to further discuss this potential service. Dimick noted that Thermopolis has four times more than the town of Buffalo in tires based upon his recent service with them. 

The status of the transfer station is they have received approval to keep their landfill open until July 1, 2023. 

Regarding the budget for 2020-2021, they anticipate the sales tax revenue to be $220,000 less than this year’s. The items in the new budget are relatively similar to the current year’s. Crosby said the different department heads are aware of the severity of the situation. Tracey Van Heule said that they will know the numbers of the effect of the COVID-19 from April in June. She said they need to monitor their numbers on a month-to-month basis. Crosby said if the effect is “horrendous, we will make adjustments. We have to.” 

Additionally, they will take out $1.25 million from the reserves to balance the budget. Last year they took out $1.23 million to balance that budget. Thus far this year they have not dipped into the reserves. Crosby noted that in about the past ten years they’ve had to dip into reserves twice and not to the degree they budgeted for. 

There will be three readings of the budget and then publish it. Crosby recommended they pass the budget that night and have changes if they see things they find to fund something else. By the third reading they hope to have everything nailed down. The Council passed the budget on the first reading.