| MINUTES OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING March 4, 2014 | ||
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| STATE OF WYOMING | ) | OFFICE OF THE BOARD OF |
| ) | COUNTY COMMISSIONERS | |
| COUNTY OF HOT SPRINGS | ) | THERMOPOLIS WYOMING |
| March 4, 2014 | ||
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The Hot Springs Board of County Commissioners met in regular session on Tuesday, February 18, 2014
at 4:00 p.m. in the Public Meeting Room at the Government Annex. Present were Commissioners Mike Baker and Brad Basse. Also present were County Attorney Jerry Williams, County Clerk Hans Odde and Administrative Assistant to the Commissioners Penny Herdt. Commissioner John Lumley was absent due to Commissioner business out of town. Chairman Baker led those present in the Pledge of Allegiance. Chairman Baker suspended Robert’s Rules of Order so that business might be conducted in Commissioner Lumley’s absence. Approval of Agenda
Brad Basse moved to approve the agenda with the following change:ADD: 5:40 p.m. 7. Joe HoldenRelocation Progress Discussion Mike Baker seconded the motion. Motion carried. Audit Review
Michael Wright with the accounting firm Koerwitz, Michel, Wright & Associates presented the Final County
Audit Report for the year ending June 30, 2013. This report includes an A-133 grant compliance audit for
the Airport Improvement grant and the CDBG-Owl Creek Water District grant. This report is available for
public review in the County Clerk’s office. Mr. Wright reviewed the audit and accompanying comments,
stating that overall, it was a “clean” audit with no significant findings. There was a material weakness
noted in the Museum audit regarding the Board’s oversight of outside service providers and preparation
of financial reports. Among other things, there will be IRS penalties and interest incurred due to a delay in
payroll tax filings on behalf of the Museum. Presently the filing status on all Museum accounts is current.
Museum Director Ross Rhodes and Museum Board members Doris Ann Ready, Phyllis Baker and Kelly
Andreen were present and spoke to the actions they have taken to ensure this does not happen again.Award Airport Minimum Site Assessment Bid
Clerk Odde presented the single proposal received in response to the County’s advertised Request for
Price Proposal for completion of a Minimum Site Assessment as required by the DEQ. Inberg-Miller
Engineers of Casper submitted a proposal to complete the MSA in the estimated amount of $7,350.00. In
the event that groundwater necessitates the installation of a temporary well, there will be an additional
charge of $400.00. If additional services beyond the scope of the proposal become necessary, the
contractor will seek written approval from the Commissioners before proceeding. Brad Basse moved
approval of the proposal from Inberg-Miller Engineering for completion of the Minimum Site Assessment,
subject to review and approval by the County Attorney. Mike Baker seconded the motion. Discussion:
Funds are to come from Emergency Expenditures. Motion carried.Probation & Parole Rent Discussion
Probation & Parole Officer Ron Woodward appeared before the Commissioners to discuss ongoing
negotiations for office space on the fourth floor of the courthouse. Currently there is only one person in
the office, with the potential of adding a second person in the future. Mr. Woodward indicated that the
State perceives this to be a long-range plan to keep a local presence for Probation & Parole, with the rent to be paid in advance on an annual basis. After discussion, the Commissioners directed the County
Attorney to develop a lease agreement with the State Department of Probation & Parole in the amount of $450.00 per month beginning March 1, 2014.Public Hearing —DRAFT Natural Resources Plan
Chairman Baker opened the public hearing on the Draft Natural Resources Plan at 5:00 p.m. Planner Bo
Bowman presented the 2014 update to the Natural Resources Plan for State and Federal Lands. The
hearing has been advertised for the last three weeks. Copies of the draft plan have been made available
at various locations in the community and on the County’s website. Mr. Bowman reported that the Natural Resources Planning Committee members have spent the last two years reviewing and revising the plan.1 The plan has been updated and streamlined to eliminate unnecessary verbiage and bring it into compliance with State and local policies. All charts have been moved to the end to enable the updating of data without the necessity to re-do the entire document. After three calls for further public comment, receiving none, Chairman Baker declared the hearing closed at 5:12 p.m. The Commissioners will have all comments/edits to Mr. Bowman no later than March 5, 2014. After the changes have been made, the final plan will be submitted to the Commissioners for their approval. WYECIP Project Update
Commissioner Baker reported on his walk-through of the Courthouse offices after the last Commissioner
meeting. Chuck Carver discussed the last conference call with TRANE representatives regarding ongoing
deficiencies with the project. TRANE indicated a desire to come to Thermopolis to work on those
deficiencies, but no date has been set at this time. Mr. Carver stated that work continues on returning
local control of the thermostats with minimum and maximum setpoints. The third-party commissioning
included in the original contract has not yet been completed, nor has the contractual sixteen hours of
training on the system been provided at this time. Mr. Carver is continuing to follow up on these items.Head Start Lease Renewal
The land occupied by the Absaroka Head Start program in Thermopolis is owned by Hot Springs County.
The original lease between the County and Head Start expired in 2001 and has not been renewed since
then. Head Start would like to remedy this situation and get a current lease agreement in place. The
Commissioners asked the County Attorney to work with Head Start representatives to draft a new agreement for consideration at the March 18th Commissioner meeting.Holden Relocation Reimbursement Discussion
Joe Holden came before the Commissioners to discuss his frustration with the progress being made by
Michelle Colby, the Disinterested Third Party handling the submission of his relocation reimbursement
claims. The Commissioners agreed with Mr. Holden that Ms. Colby seems to be the stumbling block in
the completion of the reimbursement process. A conference call between GDA as the County’s
representative and Ms. Colby’s employers is scheduled for February 19. It is anticipated that this call will be instrumental in moving the process along in an expeditious fashion. Mr. Holden thanked the
Commissioners for their time and assistance.Other Business
Pinnacle Bank —DEQ Letter of Credit —Clerk Odde presented the Letter of Credit #002 for the DEQ
Permit #582(s) provided annually by Pinnacle Bank for the Commissioners’ approval. Brad Basse moved
to approve the chairman’s signature on Letter of Credit #002 —Permit #582(s) in the amount of
$1,000.00. Mike Baker seconded the motion. Motion carried.Surplus Property Purchaser Authorization Resolution —The Commissioners reviewed the State Surplus Property Purchaser Authorization Resolution submitted by Sheriff Falgoust for Law Enforcement purchases. No action was necessary on the Commissioners’ part for this resolution. Clerk Odde presented a separate resolution for the County as a whole for the Commissioners’ consideration. Brad Basse moved to approve the Chairman’s signature on the resolution naming Dave Schlager, Chuck Carver, Brad Basse and Karen Slocum as authorized purchasers of Surplus Property from the State of Wyoming. Mike Baker seconded the motion. Motion carried. Correspondence
2 Adjournment
There being no further business to come before the Board of County Commissioners at this time, Brad
Basse moved to adjourn. Chairman Baker declared the meeting adjourned at 5:55 p.m.
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| Attest: |
| _______________________________ Mike Baker, Chairman |
_____________________________________ Karen Slocum, Chief Deputy Clerk to the Board |
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