Public Notice No. 5294

Public Notice

NIOBRARA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ MEETING
NIOBRARA COUNTY, WYOMING
June 18, 2019

The  County Commissioners’ meeting was called to order on this date at 8:58 a.m. with Chairman Patrick H. Wade, Vice-Chair John Midkiff, Commissioner Elaine Griffith, and County Clerk Becky L. Freeman, present.  
Road and Bridge- Fred Thomas, Road and Bridge Foreman, met with the Commissioners and discussed county roads.   
 He said the crew worked on Stage, Kirtley and Gun Club Roads and that they are still working on Boner Road.   They are also trying to finish the reclamation work at the Brown Pit.    
Kody Nelson, Chief Operating Officer for Niobrara Community Hospital, met with the Commissioners and presented a check for $10,000.00 to apply towards the repayment of the hospital operations and maintenance account, from which they borrowed $500,000.  He said they would repay as much as possible as they are able.
He also discussed plans for childcare and provided an update on the capital improvement projects.
Library Board Reappointment- Commissioner Griffith moved, and Chairman Wade seconded to reappoint Brenda Phipps to the Library Board with her term ending June 30, 2022.  Motion carried.  Vice-Chairman Midkiff abstained from voting due to a conflict of interest.  
Kerry Steward, Prevention Specialist, met with the Commissioners and updated them on prevention efforts in Niobrara County.  
They discussed the recent alcohol compliance failure, and what happens if an establishment fails a compliance test.  Mrs. Steward said the server could be fined up to $750.00.   She said there is a TIPS training at the end of the month.
She said she met with the fair board about establishing a designated smoking area at the fairgrounds.  
She also updated them on the last prevention meeting.  She had invited a WY Department of Health Tobacco Specialist to speak on the dangers of vaping.  She also had an individual talk about the prevalence of human trafficking and warning signs to look for if human trafficking is suspected.
Lastly, she said she had funding available to help with extra security and to purchase portable breathalyzers for the sheriff’s office to use during the Legend of Rawhide.  She will also provide ID scanners for those checking I D’s to utilize.   
    Resolution 19-06- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved, and Commissioner Griffith seconded, to approve RESOLUTION 19-06, A RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND DIRECTING THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF NIOBRARA COUNTY TO EXECUTE, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY, THAT CERTAIN “COMMUNICATIONS/911/DISPATCH SERVICES OPERATIONS AGREEMENT”.
    WHEREAS, the Town of Lusk has, in the past, contracted with the County of Niobrara and the Niobrara County Sheriff for “dispatching services” to the Lusk Police Department, Lusk Ambulance and Fire Departments, Emergency Management and Civil Defense requirements, 911 citizen calls, Public Works standby calls, animal control, and other security and emergency calls; and,
    WHEREAS, the Town of Lusk and County of Niobrara have negotiated the terms of said contract for the fiscal year 2019-2020;
    NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED THAT:
    1.  The Board of Commissioners of Niobrara County is hereby authorized and directed to execute the “Contract for Services” in the form and on the terms and conditions as are set forth in the contract attached hereto entitled CONTRACT FOR SERVICES – COMMUNICATION/911/DISPATCH SERVICES “OPERATIONS” AGREEMENT which is by this reference incorporated fully herein.

    THIS RESOLUTION PASSED AND APPROVED by the Niobrara County Commissioners, this 21st day of June 2019.
    /s/ Patrick H. Wade, Chairman
    /s/ John Midkiff, Vice-Chairman
    /s/ Elaine Griffith, Commissioner
Attest:
/s/ Becky L. Freeman, County Clerk
    Motion carried.
Elected Officials & Dept. Heads- Cary Gill, Sheriff, Keri Thompson, Treasurer, Dell Atkinson, Long Term Recovery Manager, Denise E. Smtih, Extension Agent, Anne Wasserburger, County Attorney, and Chrisanna Lund, Clerk of District Court, met with the Commissioners to discuss county business and office operations.  
Sheriff Gill didn’t have anything new to report.  
Treasurer Thompson said she was busy working on revenues for the budget and preparing the delinquent tax notice to go to the paper.
Mr. Atkinson said he had requested quotes from BenchMark of Torrington for water and sewer upgrades in Manville and they came in much higher than anticipated.
He also discussed a visit from the EPA regarding the two buildings downtown which flooded during the 2015 flood.    
He is also working on the final report for the EDA Long Term Recovery Grant which ends June 30, 2019.
Mrs. Smith said they are busy preparing for fair.   She noted that there might need to be more funding added to the part -time line item budget if they have a student working on Fridays.    
Attorney Wasserburger said her office is busy handling felony cases.
Clerk of Court Lund said she is working on cleaning up files in the basement and is purging outdated and unnecessary paperwork.    She also said she would be attending her association meetings in Gillette on the July 25th & 26th.   
Lastly, she mentioned concerns which arose after a court safety meeting with Judge Peasley.    The group agreed that scheduled testing of the existing safety equipment should occur to ensure it is in good working order and repair or replace items promptly.  
Chairman Wade said the Commissioners have considered health insurance in the upcoming budget.   
Commissioner Griffith thanked Mr. Atkinson for his service to Niobrara County as the Long Term Recovery Manager and wished him well in his future endeavors.  
WYDOT State Transportation Improvement Presentation (STIP)- Lowell Fleenor, WYDOT District Engineer, Jim Barnes, WYDOT Resident Engineer, and Calvin Goddard and Mark Williams, WYDOT representatives, met with the Commissioners to present and discuss the annual STIP program.  Also in attendance were Rick Shaw with WYDOT,  Fred Thomas, Road and Bridge Foreman, and Rola Ross, Mayor of the Town of Manville.  Mr. Fleenor talked about funding and past, current, and future road projects which have or will take place in this area.   
Denise Smith and Dell Atkinson returned to the meeting to discuss the heating/cooling/lighting/plank flooring and bathroom renovations at the fairgrounds.    They presented quotes from various vendors with estimated costs for the project to be approximately  $350,000.  Mr. Atkinson said they are applying for a Community Development Block Grant through the Wyoming Business Council (WBC) and State Lands and Investments Board (SLIB).  The County will need to provide a 25% match or approximately $87,000-$88,000.  Mr. Atkinson and Mrs. Smith stressed the importance of attending the upcoming meetings with WBC and SLIB to justify the needs and promote the approval of this project.
Bill Proctor stopped in and voiced concerns over the condition of Kirtley Road.  He feels the blade operator out there is not blading the road properly.  The Commissioners stated they would visit with Foreman Thomas.
County Attorney- Anne Wasserburger, County Attorney, met with the Commissioners and discussed county business.  She talked about the contract she received from Centennial Woods for snow fence and the group discussed what would be required from all parties.     
She said what she needs for the agreements is the general area, the landowner’s name, and how they hold title to the property.  Vice-Chairman Midkiff said he would get a list of interested landowners.  
The group then discussed the easements on Nelson Road in Manville and what to do if they cannot obtain the necessary easement.  Attorney Wasserburger said that WYDOT might not have to use the Nelson Road because they might create a small gravel bypass to use when the railroad crossing is closed for repairs.
 Resolution 19-07 Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved, and Commissioner Griffith seconded to adopt Resolution 19-07, a Resolution designating the County Clerk as the public records officer.  Motion carried.  A complete copy of the resolution is on file in the County Clerk’s office.
Audit Engagement Letter- Commissioner Griffith moved, and Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded to sign the engagement letter with Porter, Muirhead, Cornia, and Howard for $47,500 to perform audit services for FY 2019.  Motion carried.     
Communications Contract-  Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved, and Commissioner Griffith seconded to sign the contract between the Town of Lusk and Niobrara County for Communications/911/ Dispatch Services.  Motion carried.  The Town agrees to pay the County $6,301.50 per month beginning July 1, 2019, and ending June 30, 2020, for their portion of communication calls.   
 Department of Corrections Inmate Meals Agreement- Commissioner Griffith moved, and Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded to approve the contract between the Wyoming Dept. of Corrections and Niobrara County for WDOC inmate meals.  Motion carried.   Costs for meals for WDOC inmates $2.94 per regular meal and $3.05 per special diet.  
Compensation Agreement with UW - Commissioner Griffith moved, and Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded to approve the Annual Compensation Agreement between Niobrara County and the University of Wyoming for the 4-H Director position.  Motion carried.  The County will contribute $24,798.00 annually to the University of Wyoming Extension, payable quarterly.   
Child Support Enforcement Cooperative Agreement- Commissioner Griffith moved, and Vice-Chairman Midkiff seconded to approve the Cooperative Agreement between the Wyoming Department of Family Services, Child Support Enforcement and the Niobrara County Clerk of District Court.  Motion carried.  
Consent Agenda- Vice-Chairman Midkiff moved, and Commissioner Griffith seconded to approve the consent agenda.  Motion carried.  Items on the consent agenda were the minutes of the June 4, 2019 meeting.
The following vouchers were approved for payment: Allbright’s True Value- Parts, supplies, maintenance -$630.44; Alsco- Shop towels & coveralls- $131.06; Andy Martin- Travel expense- $41.60; Becky Freeman- Travel expense- $183.28; Big Horn Imaging- Change Order #1- $34,681.25; Black Hills Chemical & Janitorial- Courthouse cleaning supplies- $37.62; Brown Family Property Trust- Storage unit rental fees- $45.00; Canon Financial Services, Inc.- Copier service agreement- $380.00; CenturyLink- Telephone- $343.27; Connecting Point Computer Centers- Copier service agreements- $362.66; Decker’s Market- Supplies- $134.25; Frank Parts Co.- Parts- $108.34; Lori Himes- Travel exense- $41.60; Lusk Herald- Publications- $1,606.80;  Niobrara County Hospital District- 1% Option tax- $14,915.22; Niobrara County Weed & Pest Control District- Fairgrounds maintenance- $386.00; Peterbilt of Wyoming- Parts- $18.86; Team Laboratory Chemical Corp.- Road improvements- $862.50; Torrington Office Supply- Supplies- $5.82; United States Postal Service- Postage- $3,500.00;  Valley Motor Supply- Parts- $37.92; Visionary Broadband- I T expense- $520.03; Walt’s Lathe & Machine- Parts- $101.70; Westco- Fuel- $1,943.71; Whitaker Oil- Fuel- $845.88;  Wyoming Network, Inc.- I T expense- $200.00; ; Xerox Corp.- Copier service agreement- $131.54
Grand Total- $62,196.35
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned.

NIOBRARA COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
    /s/ Patrick H. Wade, Chairman

Attest:
/s/ Becky L. Freeman, County Clerk  
Public Notice No. 5294. Published in The Lusk Herald on July 10, 2019