Council passes parking ordinance on first reading

On January 16, the Thermopolis Town Council held a brief meeting at Town Hall.

Town attorney Marshall Keller presented for its first reading an ordinance enacting parking restrictions on 5th Street between Broadway Street and Warren Street. The Farmers Market operates from June 1 to October 1 on Saturday mornings. The vendors cannot put up tables in the designated area if vehicles are parked there. 

According to the ordinance, parking on 5th Street during Farmer’s Market, it shall be and hereby is declared to be unlawful for any truck, motor vehicle, automobile, motorcycle, trailer, boat or camper to be or remain in the parking area of 5th Street between Broadway Street and Warren Street between the hours of 9 p.m. on Friday to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday from the first day of June to the first day of October. 

The council voted and passed the approval of the ordinance in its first of three readings. After the third reading, it will become part of town code when it is published in the Thermopolis Independent Record.

Town engineer Anthony Barnett presented a renewal for the town’s water agreement with the Hot Springs State Park, which would be good through August. The council voted and passed the approval to sign the agreement. 

During citizen participation, Meri Ann Dorman, representing the HSC Shooting Complex Committee, presented a request for a letter of support from the mayor and council regarding their application and proposal to the Wyoming Task Force. The state has budgeted $10 million to budget a world class shooting complex and will narrow down their selection through a series of pre-RFPs which are due March 1. Then a final RPP is due April 1. 

Dorman emphasized an education competent in their proposal, which would not just house a shooting range but also a shoot house for training purposes, such as SWAT. Wyoming does not have a shoot house, therefore law enforcement officials have to travel to Utah to use one.

Hot Springs County Commissioner Paul Galovich was also present for the request and explained that the BLM is “on board” with the process.

Galovich added that the shooting complex would be a “major financial boost” for Hot Springs County. The mayor and council voted and passed the approval to sign the letter of support.