TORRINGTON – The Torrington City Council met on March 18 at 5:30 p.m. for its regularly scheduled meeting. In attendance were mayor Herb Doby and council members Wayne Deahl, Dennis Kelly, Shane Viktorin and Rick Warren. Mayor Doby called the meeting to order and Kelly led the Pledge of Allegiance.

During his informational items, mayor Doby issued a reminder city sirens will be tested this Saturday, April 5, at noon. There will be a burst of less than a minute. Should the testing coincide with a tornado warning, the burst will last up to three minutes. Doby also congratulated Goshen County Circuit Judge Nathaniel Hibben on his appointment to District Judge in Laramie County, noting Judge Hibben has been very involved in the Torrington community, including with the Rotary. Finally, he reminded drivers to be aware of pedestrians and motorcycles, including children on electric scooters, as the weather warms up and more people are outside. Following the informational items, the consent agenda was approved with a motion from Viktorin and a second from Kelly. The agenda was approved with a motion from Deahl and a second from Kelly. There were no comments made during the time allotted for a public forum.

The first action item was an informational item regarding the Wyoming Community Gas Choice Program. The program was started in 1996 when city residents had seen multiple gas rate increases in a short amount of time. The intention of the program is to provide options to city residents for their gas provider. Ballots have been mailed out and need to be returned between April 3 and April 23. Rhonda Estes, city senior accounting clerk, said she and the office staff are available to assist with completing the ballots. The program is a non-profit but collects a significant amount beyond costs. The funding is then distributed back to the cities in the program to fund special projects. This year, the city received a check of over $14,000. In previous years, the funding was used for EWC scholarships, the skate park, the gazebo at city hall, and other projects.

The mayor asked the council to consider two recent appointments to the Urban Systems Committee, including Byron Booth for a two-year appointment and Chris Stoddard for an indefinite appointment. The Urban Systems Committee receives funding from the state to make improvements in various projects which will improve the overall systems around the city, including roadways. After many years of not using the funds, the committee approved a significant amount of funding to contribute to the upcoming East D project. The committee is comprised of city, county and state stakeholders and is a collaborative partnership between all interested groups.

Next, the council approved a proclamation designating April 25, 2025, as “Arbor Day.” The city plans to partner with local fourth-grade students to plant trees in recognition of the event. Arbor Day has been observed by planting trees for over 150 years. Trees provide multiple benefits to the ecosystem by preventing erosion, providing shelter for animals, regulating temperatures, and cleaning the air.

City staff then asked the council to approve increases in rates at the Dale Jones Municipal Pool for the 2025 season. Mayor Doby stated there had not been a rate increase since 2021. The rate for families of four or fewer increased from $160 to $175; for larger families, the rate increased from $200 to $225; and for seniors, the rate increased from $50 to $60. For a family of five, the new rates require 15 visits for the pass to be a cost savings over daily admission fees. Previous categories for students and adults were combined into one category for “individuals” for $80. Punch cards for water aerobics moved from 20 punches for $40 to 30 punches for $75. Daily admissions, swim lessons and pool party fees did not change. 

City staff acknowledged the pool rates are not the lowest compared with similar local municipal pools but also weren’t the highest. Mayor Doby remarked despite the recommended increases, the intention is not to price local families out of being able to enjoy the pool. The increase, though, comes on the heels of the city’s recent increases to residential trash fees, electric rates, and golf course rates. Viktorin made a motion to approve the rate increases, Warren seconded the motion and the motion passed. Another action item involved a waiver of the city’s nepotism policy for pool employees. The policy has been waived for many years as children of pool staff often serve as lifeguards. The family members try to work separate shifts, but city staff stated the waiver has not been an issue in previous years. The council voted to approve the waiver of the nepotism policy for pool staff.

There was also discussion regarding a previously approved grant application for a generator project on West C through the Community Block Grant Program. City staff informed the council of the recently changed income requirements for the grant, which the federal Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has created an issue with. The reported percentage of low-income households in Torrington with the updated threshold was 47%, but it must be 51% to qualify for the grant. The city is able to conduct an income survey to correct the percentage in an attempt to qualify for the grant, but city staff is concerned it will not receive enough survey data based on mixed results from previous surveys. A random list of 250 addresses has been provided to the city and a significant number of those households must respond to the survey to effectively update the city’s percentage of low-income households. However, many households have, in the past, been hesitant to report income levels. City staff requested the approval from the city council to offer a $5 incentive for returning mailed surveys. After discussion about how the incentive would be distributed with as much anonymity as possible, Tom Troxel suggested $5 Chamber Bucks residents could use at multiple local businesses. Viktorin made a motion to approve the distribution of Chamber Bucks for the return of income surveys, so long as HUD allows an incentive. Deahl seconded the motion, and the motion passed.

The final action item involved approving a bid for the East D Street project. The project involves replacing waterlines, storm sewer lines, sewer manholes and curb inlet catch basins and the reconstruction of the street, curb, gutter, sidewalk and ADA ramps along East D. Five bids had been received, with the lowest submitted bid at $6,075,831.58 by Eric Reichert Insulation and Construction from Scottsbluff. The improvements will be completed by June 30, 2026 and will require closing East D Street in sections while the work is being completed. There should not be significant disruption to water services to homes along the street. Deahl made a motion to accept the bid, Kelly seconded the motion and the motion passed.

The council then reviewed and approved recent bills with no comments. The floor was then opened for public comments. Dennis Estes updated the council on the pool repairs, stating the repairs are almost completed. Tom Troxel thanked the council for approving the bid for East D Street, stating the project would improve the city’s Insurance Services Office rate, which would help residents with their homeowners’ policies.

The meeting then entered an executive session to discuss potential litigation.

The next Torrington City Council meeting is scheduled for April 15 at 5:30 p.m. in the council chambers.