Council approves budget on first reading

At the Thermopolis Town Council meeting held May 17, during citizen participation, the council voted and approved alcohol permits for OEB Saloon, for two events, the Republican Party Dinner at the Fair Building and the Thermopolis Brewfest on Broadway Street, June 5. The council also voted and approved an alcohol permit for Central Bank and Trust for the Beer and Brats Meet and Greet at the bank for indoor use. 

Town engineer Anthony Barnett reported that the bid opening for the water project was May 11. Barnett said the bids came in almost where they expected them to be, within $10,000 or an about 0.9% difference. Barnett presented a small packet of detailed breakdowns of the engineer’s opinion of probable costs and compared them to the two bidding parties. The council examined the documents and then voted and approved to award High Country Construction, Inc. for their bid of $1,291,429.65. Barnett added that they plan to complete the work by this fall, but it will depend upon the availability of pipes and fittings. 

Town attorney Mike Messenger presented an amended ordinance originally from 1933 concerning gambling by adding an exception to it by permitting pari-mutuel events and pari-mutuel wagering and skill-based amusement games pursuant to Wyoming Statute 11-25-101. The council voted and passed the approval of the new version in its first reading. There will be a total of three readings in which, during those times, changes could be made. If the new version of the ordinance passes on the third reading, it will become an official ordinance. 

Messenger added he is working on the rewritten franchise agreement that will allow a public channel in the cable television system. 

Assistant to the Mayor Fred Crosby presented to the council the 2022-23 budget for the town. Crosby said, “We have always under-anticipated revenue and over-anticipated expenses. If you look at this very first page you show, you will see that we’re anticipating $2.894 million in revenue from taxes and fines. Our expenditures are $4,010,000 which leaves us with a $1.1 million shortage and that can take further years and that comes out of reserves or savings. We have budgeted that way for 15 years or more. Three of those years where we have actually had to dip into reserves. The rest of the time we’ve come in better on either revenue coming in or our expenses have been not as much… We’ve gone through all the departments, general ways, and costs such as police, dispatch, and all of that. We’ve tried to bump stuff up for increased salaries or utilities or things like that.”

The council voted and approved the next year’s fiscal budget on its first reading. Crosby added that they can tweak the numbers and make changes per their direction, which would be presented in the second reading. 

Crosby continued and said that he also included in the packet the utility rate review. Crosby said, “We’re in the black in all of our funds. Waters, of course, have dropped pretty well. But pretty soon I anticipate they’ll start using water and that fund will come back. But there are some payments to come out of that too as well.”

Council member Dusty Lewis brought up a request to install a table and porta-potty at the 8th Street boat ramp location. Lewis described how tourists finish their boating there and that they need a place to deposit their trash instead of putting it in the river. Chief of Police Pat Cornwell said a trash dumpster would allow beer cans and bottles and fish guts to properly be disposed of. There was some discussion about the cost of the porta-potty, estimated to be $85 per month. However, if the use increases, the possible cost could be $300 per month for the porta-potty.