LUSK – The regular meeting of the Lusk Town Council was called to order by Mayor Douglas Lytle. The agenda, minutes, and treasurer’s report were approved as presented.

Council opened the floor for public comments on the budget.

There were no public comments on budget.

Visitors:

Larry Halligan and Kaylee Barner were on the agenda. Kaylee Barner was present on behalf of the Niobrara Alumni golf tournament board. She requested council waive the trail fees and reduce the team fees for the upcoming Niobrara Alumni tournament as they did in 2019. Council approved this request. Trail fees are waived, and the cost will be $45 per three person team.

Department Updates:

• Shawn Duffy, greens keeper, reported there has been an issue with the pumps but they are working on it and everything should be up and running full capacity again soon. Rain is much needed.

• Chief Bo Krein updated council the Law Enforcement academy reopened, and Officer Fink graduated with academic excellence in his class. Lusk Police experienced a large increase in traffic in May. 336 incidents compared to 207 last year. Still looking at around 164 calls for service. 

Officers continue to work on clean up letters. There are quite a few out. There are some that don’t have compliance or cooperation and Krein is looking at abatement. So far only one property is out of compliance that has this process started but there are three others to review. Klein traveled to Colorado and observed training of canine Loki and officer Gordon. The training continues to progress very well and slightly ahead of schedule. Loki will be USPCA certified when he is done and should be here this summer.

• James Santistevan told council there were some issues with the Washington park bathrooms but that has been resolved. Parks and cemetery all fertilized. And the summer help are trying to keep up with the grass. Santistevan has taken some online weather classes to be an advanced weather spotter through the National Weather Service. He continues to address COVID-19 with emergency management. Some concerns about Legend of Rawhide and he has passed that on to the county commissioners. Fair is to proceed as normal. They will begin planning unless something else comes the county’s way. 

• Town Clerk Linda Frye reported that IT has started installing new computers which will be quite the process. Everything else has been business as usual.

• Todd Skrukrud, City Manager said that weed spraying has been done. Curb painting has begun and will continue when the weather permits. The town continues their work on the hill project. Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies will be in the Lusk community with the mobile food pantry on Saturday, June 20 for pick-up from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the high school parking lot.

Old Business

• The 2020-2021 Fiscal Year Budget passed the third reading.

• Ordinance 11-20-740 amending the water usage rates passed second reading.

• Ordinance 11-15-410 amending sewer rates passed the second reading.

• Ordinance 11-5-240 regarding recycling rates and the break out passed second reading.

New Business

Council approved one livestock permit renewal for Royce Thompson.

All property leases were approved for two years. Josh Keller is $240 per year, J.V. Boldon at $100 per year, Willis Stallman will be $200 per year, Land Lease with the Predator Control Board is $100 per year. Dennis Meier owns the building the town rents for the Police Department and this rent will continue at $800 per month.

The town accepted the high bid from Lusk Alliance Church in the amount of $125,125.25 for the building at 1001 W. 11th which is currently rented by Fur Country Lures. The town received one bid for the duplex building, 1003/1005 W. Eleventh Street. Half the building is currently rented by Sandrock Vision. The Council rejected that bid and will advertise that building for bid again in the near future. The bidders will have to honor the leases of the businesses that now occupy those buildings.