Ryan reelected as commissioner chairman

At the January 4 Hot Springs County Commissioners meeting, the commissioner performed their 2022 Reorganization.

They reelected Tom Ryan as Chairman. Phil Scheel was selected as Vice-Chairman, which was previously held by Jack Baird. They also voted to keep the same meeting schedule, on the first and third Tuesdays’s the month, 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. respectfully.

The Independent Record was voted to continue its role as the county’s official paper. For the areas of responsibilities for each of the commissioners, there were no changes made.

The commissioners also passed Resolution 2022-01 setting the county holidays for the year. They also signed public office disclosure statements for any financial involvements they may have. This information can be provided by the County Clerk by request. 

For Hot Springs County boards and committee appointments, the commissioners unanimously voted for Ginger Ward to serve on the fair board. 

Shane Rankin gave the Road and Bridge report stating a guard rail was hit along East River Road and there was a police report. The driver’s insurance has agreed to pay for the repairs. The work should start next week. There was another guard rail hit by an unknown driver. Rankin said there is money in his budget to make the repairs for it. Rankin also commented that the railing did its job and prevented the vehicle from ending up in the river. 

Rankin reported on the new fire number signs and said he spoke with the Fire District. Rankin said they indicated they would be interested in participating but wanted more details before they committed anything. During discussing commissioner Baird said that the county has funded about $10,000 plus labor costs as part of a match.

Tricia McPhie gave the Public Health and Prevention update and said that Hot Springs County is third in the state for Covid vaccinations, at 48.86%. McPhie added that the CDC is changing the definition of what is considered “fully vaccinated” in regards to boosters. McPhie also said they did a training session with the Thermopolis Middle School kids. 

Les Culliton provided the maintenance report and said for the detention center, he has reviewed a proposal from Engineering Design Associates out of Casper for a plumbing upgrade. The proposal amount is $19,500.  

Culliton also updated the commissioners on roof work at the fair grounds and the court house.

Nate Messenger gave the FBO report on the airport and said that there were 116 total recorded operations. There were three air ambulances and three aircraft held overnight. There was one request for a hanger. They sold 2,833.12 gallons of Avgas and 1,817.09 gallons of jet fuel.

Messenger added, “The month of December was the best December on record for the airport. Traffic and fuel sales were both up compared to the same month in the previous year.”

Bo Bowman gave the county planner’s report and said the next Land Use Planning meeting will be January 19 with no items on the agenda. They will use it as a workshop session. Bowman also reported about the subdivision south of town and that he spoke with the surveyor. Bowman said things are “moving forward.” 

Cody Stewart gave the GIS report and reported that the County Assessor’s data for GIS on land classifications does not yet match the Land Use Commission data from Bo Bowman. Stewart added that the work to fix it would be a “massive undertaking”. Chairman Ryan suggested to Stewart to talk to Brian Clarkson of T-O Engineers to come up with a plan. 

Bill Gordon gave the Emergency Management report and said the snowpack in the Wind River Mountains is about 25% more than last year’s. Gordon said he would keep his eye on it and that it would affect the flow of the river in the spring and summer. Tourists who float the river might be in water that has a higher amount of cubic feet per second flow, approximately 7,000 to 8,000 CFS.

Barton Stam of the Hot Springs Extension Office introduced Dawn Peil, the new 4-H Educator, and Tanya Johnson, the new Administrative Assistant. The commissioners warmly welcomed them to their new positions and thanked Stam for bringing them.

Barb Rice gave the Youth Alternative report and said they have 14 total kids, with seven current citations, four new pending, and three doing study work. Rice reported that the kids worked hard in helping with the food drive over the holidays. They served 106 families and 307 individuals. Rice praised the kids and said, “they did a good job.” Rice also said they are having CPR training sessions for the students to get certified. 

Toddi Darlington and the commissioners had a discussion about the Big Horn Basin Nature Discovery Center (BHBNDC) TAP Grant Agreement. Chairman Ryan wanted Darlington to be sure they work with the TAP Federal people as they go through their process. The commissioners said that using the TAP’s guidance helps the BHBNDC ensure that they are not at risk of owing money back if they don’t properly follow the protocol. The commissioner then voted and passed to sign the agreement that totals $100,000, with $80,000 of the federal award and $20,000 as a match. 

Sheriff Jerimie Kraushaar spoke with the commissioners about a 2017 RAM truck that has transmission issues. The vehicle is stuck in fourth gear and Fremont Motors in Lander said it is a catastrophic issue. They quoted $8,242.60 for a repair which would include other parts. Kraushaar got a quote from One Stop for $6,675 for the same repair excluding certain parts. Kraushaar said this vehicle is necessary. 

Kraushaar also brought up an older industrial refrigerator in their building that needs a new thermostat but otherwise would work saying “It’s a simple fix.” It is taking up space and Kraushaar would like to remove it. A new model would cost about $4,000. Chairman Ryan suggested putting it out for bid on the county’s website. 

The commissioners voted and approved the cancellation of insurance for the Hot Springs County Library Board and Cemetery District Board. Effective June 30, 2022, the only employees who will be eligible for the HSC Employee Benefit Plan are those full-time eligible employees of the County. A statement from Brad Johnson of HUB said, “Giving your entity this much notice is designed to allow you appropriate time to secure coverage for your employees by July 1, 2022.”

In other business, for the coming National Legislative Tour at Hot Springs County sites, the commissioners will hold a work session at their next meeting. There they will discuss ideas on what items to include in the tour.