Main Street Thermopolis recognized

At the October 6 Town Council meeting, they approved the transfer of a liquor license as a housekeeping measure requested by the liquor division. Town Clerk/Treasurer Tracy Van Heule explained, “Carspa is one of the corporations associated with Big Spring Spa and Big Spring Spa is the corporation that orders the liquor so they wanted everything in Big Spring Spa’s name.” The change is for bookkeeping purposes. 

In citizen participation, Linda Klink, the Program Manager for Wyoming Main Street, presented certificates of appreciation to Main Street Thermopolis’ Suzanne Samelson and the Town Council. Klink said, “Main Street Thermopolis has been a Main Street program in Wyoming for just about a little over five years. This time of the year we are here to acknowledge your Main Street Thermopolis nationally. The National Main Street Center designated them as an affiliate program, along with 340 other communities in the state or in the U.S. nationally. There are over 1700 Main Street communities. Most of them are certified and accredited, but Main Street Thermopolis is an affiliate program.

Patrice Frey, the president and CEO of National Main Street Center said “We are proud to acknowledge this year’s 341 Main Street America affiliate programs and their commitment to the revitalization of their commercial districts. Their hard work to advance strong local economies and improve the social and cultural life of their downtowns is truly powerful, especially during these difficult times. These Main Street programs will be crucial to strengthening their economies and ensuring their downtowns remain vibrant in the years to come. Statewide in 2019, the Wyoming Main Street program alone had over 18 million dollars invested in their downtowns. This investment set the stage for 57 net new businesses and 186 net new jobs just in the Main Street programs in Wyoming. It’s a powerful program. It’s a methodology and it works.”

Klink also acknowledged Suzanne Samelson of Main Street Thermopolis for her over 500 hours of work and gave her a certificate for affiliation. Klink, the Town Council and its meeting participants all congratulated her. 

Klink continued speaking to the Town Council, “Wyoming Main Street understands the need for economic development in all communities. And we provide tools and opportunities to help educate the programs. But the success only comes with the commitment of the community and the local government to make it happen. So, we appreciate what you’ve done for the Main Street Program and we want to present you with a certificate of appreciation coming from the Wyoming Business Council.”

Amy Quick, the Regional Director for Big Horn Basin, Wyoming Business Council, also spoke and expressed her great thanks to the Town Council for their support. She said it is a “privilege working closely with Suzanne and Howie and Meri Ann Rush and the other folks on the board of Main Street. Thermopolis is working on different projects and I commend them all for the time and effort, a lot of energy and long hours. Thank you to the town for your support.”

Suzanne Samelson said, “I’m really happy to be able to do what I do. And hope I can continue doing it in terms of leading the Main Street program. Thank you.”

The council approved a catering permit for Shorty’s Liquor to cater at the fairgrounds for Farm Bureau on October 24. 

Toby Johanson and representatives of the golf board came to provide the council an update. Mayor Mike Chimenti said to the council that he met with Johanson and received copies of the golf board minutes and also minutes from their meetings from the first of June. He also said they have an organized budget and he has a copy of that, too. He asked them from now on if the council can get a copy of their minutes from their meetings and deal with them in the same way they do with their department heads. One of the golf board representatives said they have eight new sprinklers in. There are about 20 sprinkler heads not working at this time out of the 300. They believe a good portion of those not working is due to wiring issues. Now that they have a balanced budget they will be purchasing more sprinklers. They are also concerned about the pump down the river and getting water to the course. 

Frank Toth from the golf board said on a recent Saturday they did a $600 day. “For that much money in October is a darn good day.” Johanson also reported that they have 129 members this year and their greens fees are higher too. “It saved us because last year we had fundraising to help us, and this year it was just community participation that saved us.” 

Town Attorney Mike Messenger reported that he and his supporters have been working for the town on a monthly basis. They are working on the recodification regularly and working on the court regularly. They advise codes administration Fred Crosby and town clerk/treasurer Tracy Van Heule when they ask and they advise the police chief Julie Mathews when she needs input. He said, “A week doesn’t go by that we’re not putting in timelessly.”

Crosby gave an update on exploring the possibility of switching over court software to Caselle. They were concerned if the previous data would properly and successfully import into the new Caselle software. Crosby confirmed that that data conversion would indeed work. Also Van Heule, according to Crosby, did some “wheeling and dealing” and saved them around $5,000 in costs for the software. The new proposal cost is now $5,000 to switch over the software and for training. Crosby requested a vote of confidence from the council to switch over to Caselle, which the council motioned and passed. Van Heule added that this process will be successfully transitioned by February or January. Mayor Chimenti and the council thanked Van Heule for her work. 

Council member Dusty Lewis reported that they have been successful in getting ready to get a new ice rink this winter. The area has been bladed out flat. They also are doing a trail study and had an open house for getting community input and support for more trails.