GOSHEN COUNTY – The Goshen County Commissioners held their first meeting on December 3 in the commissioner’s chambers at 9 a.m. Chairman Michael McNamee called the meeting to order where vice chairman Justin Burkart, commissioner Aaron Walsh and county clerk Mary Feagler were present. 

After the Pledge of Allegiance, McNamee welcomed all community members in attendance and a motion was then made by Walsh, which was seconded by Burkart, to accept the meeting’s agenda for the morning. 

Feagler noted the meeting minutes would be posted online once they were approved and Walsh made a motion to approve the meeting minutes. 

In the chairman’s opening comments, McNamee explained the commission doesn’t typically have a second meeting in December; however this year, the commission would be having their second meeting on December 17.

“We typically don’t have a second meeting in December,” McNamee began. “We are going to conduct a second meeting on the 17th of December, and it will be with an abbreviated agenda that could potentially be nothing more than an executive session. We have some things that we need to take care of so there will be a second meeting but again it will be an abbreviated agenda.”

“Now, with that, it would be a great time to speak on behalf of all three of the commissioners. We wish everybody Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays season. We would not be back together as a whole group until the first meeting in January,” McNamee said.

McNamee also encouraged everyone in the community to “shop local” as much as possible to support the business of Goshen County during the holiday season. 

Moving on to departmental reports, the commission heard from clerk of court, Brandi Correa. Correa reported her earnings to be $3,009 for the month. Correa noted the e-filing system was getting a little better and a motion was made by Burkart and seconded by Walsh to approve the report. The motion carried and the commission moved on to the grant writer’s report. 

Grant writer, Hannah Fullmer, explained she had attended webinars for grants of interest for the county and she explained she had hoped to apply for them. Fullmer also explained Eastern Wyoming College is willing to help the county look for different grant funding. Fullmer stated presently she was working on grants for the fairgrounds and the library. 

“My goals for this month are just to finish and submit the LTC (Library’s Transforming Communities) grant and write and review the Wyoming communities grants. There are a few others that I have lined up,” Fullmer explained.

A motion was made to accept the grant writers report Burkart and seconded by Walsh. The report was accepted and the commission moved on to the road and bridge road as there was no sheriff’s report on the agenda. 

Road and bridge explained OneOk would be driving and checking road 15 as the company has offered to help with the roadways. The department noted Wave Petroleum had closed in the well for the winter and it will be starting up again in the spring, expressing the company was in no hurry. The department explained snowplows were ready for winter use. 

“I know later on the agenda we’re going to visit about budget amendments but wanted to question specifically about the permitting situation with Goshen Solar and where that permit for that application stands if we have heard anything back on that or?” McNamee asked the department. 

“I haven’t heard anything back on it,” Bob Taylor of Benchmark said. “We talked about it, about a month ago in my office and tried to get an answer and didn’t have one. I’m not sure where it’s at.”

“It’s interesting to me. That situation is over a year past now and nothing with that so I am going to reach out to the industrial sitting council and see if there are statutes of limitations. If there is a time that they had to have responded to that request or to that requirement for permitting,” McNamee said. “As we all know, as quickly as things can change, that permitting situation could require updates and changes even since it was drafted.”

Taylor expressed he would follow up with Goshen Solar as well and in ending discussion of the report, Burkart expressed now would be an appropriate time to review the department strategic plan.

“I just kind of sit here thinking, you know, we’re almost the first of the year. Budget season is going to be upon us. I’d encourage you to look at your strategic plan and maybe build something like, ‘What am I going to need to in a year? What I’m going to need three years? What am I going to need five years?’” Burkart expressed. “To build that plan instead of coming to us in the budget season saying, ‘Well, I need this.’ Let’s work towards a plan in next six months to see how we could best support you with the means that we have provided to us.”

The department agreed they needed to form the plan for the future and they expressed a plan was in the work and they provided an update on the wind project. It was also anticipated Lippincott’s would be approaching the county for their half of the feedlot permitting process as the feedlot notice was now in public comment for the DEQ. Bartell feedlot has submitted a plan to the department for a permit for under 1,000 head of cattle operation, according to the department. The department noted due to the number of head of cattle in question, a DEQ permit was not necessary but a county permit would be required. The department noted Lewis Feedlot would be before the planning commission in December for general acceptance of the permit and to schedule a public hearing in January. It was also noted the fees for permits had not been updated in nearly 30 years however they were being reviewed to adjust.

A motion was made by Walsh to accept the road and bridge report which was then seconded by Burkart. The motion carried and the report was accepted.

The commission moved on to the county clerks report where they approved and signed checks to pay bills.

“Just reminding people in the audience, we look at all of these bills prior to signing them,” Burkart said. “We’re not just rubberstamping stuff.”

McNamee and Feagler noted there was a holiday bonus for the county employees who have worked for the county for at least six months and are not elected officials. 

Walsh made the motion to accept the clerks report which included the warrant report and earnings report, which was then seconded by Burkart. 

Moving on to Thomas Bozeman, emergency manager (EM) and fire warden, where Bozeman explained to the commission the month of November was a little busy for the fire warden.

“The month of November was a little busy for the fire service and for the EM part of it. As you can see on the report, most of the stuff is kind of cookie cutter majority of the meetings there are stuff that we do pretty much monthly with the state,” Bozeman explained. “There’s quite a few there. One of the ones I do want to point out our hazard mitigation project meeting with the state.”

Bozeman explained due to the Pleasant Valley Fire damage, the county had been award a mitigation grant with a to be determined amount to be used in wildfire mitigation projects around the county. Bozeman continued to explained the various meetings and classes he had attended.

“If you look on page two, we’re going to just kind of quickly go over that. The only thing that’s new on this page is the very last entry of 2024 EMPG (emergency management performance grant) was awarded. Mary has that and will send it around for signature. If you look at the requested amount and awarded amount, there’s quite a difference there,” Bozeman said. “That is the change in the way that the state is administering the EMPG award. The EMPG award used to pay for 50% salary and 50% operating costs for the EM office. it’s now the only going to pay 50% of the salary as well as the salary of the ancillary EMs for Yoder, Fort Laramie and Torrington’s as well.” 

Bozeman noted grant could change again over the next year or so. Bozeman also recommended Goshen County continue the stage one fire ban and the commission agreed to review the ban again, at a later date.

After a brief discussion on repairs and communication towers, Walsh made a motion to accept Bozeman’s report which was seconded by Burkart. The motion carried and the report was approved.

Next, the commissioners heard from Kevin Flock who represented the maintenance supervisor report. Flock gave the commission an update on repairs to the control panel and drain. After a short discussion on vehicle wrapping, Walsh made a motion to approve the report which was seconded by Burkart.

There was no old business for the commission to hear and McNamee moved on to new business where a budget amendment hearing was held. 

“We do have a budget amendment hearing this morning and under a couple different areas to be addressed here. The first is under emergency management. Several different amendments to the budget that include grant income expenses that have been taken care of with some of the election equipment, county outdoor sirens, two new consulates, two ballistic shields, interview room with audio/visual but the sheriff’s office, pagers for Veteran fire, equipment and repair operations and emergency management supplies,” McNamee said. 

McNamee noted there was $50,000 in permitting expenses for the road and bridge. The department explained the amount was due to the way items were categorized. 

“Normally, those costs just went under the lined item of surveying and engineering. We broke them out because the last couple big permits would be the transmission line and things like that, when those kinds of projects come through, we spend a lot of time on that. So, we just broke it out to kind of track it,” the department explained. “[We’re] interested to see just how much time we spend on those, big projects and permitting.”

The department noted some of the other expenses would probably come down since items were categorized.

It was noted one of the amendments was a typo for phone operations for the road and bridge department and the other amendment was due to not having a grant writer when the budget was approved. 

“We didn’t have a grant writer yet when we did the grant writer budget so we knew that and we had completely not put a training line item in the budget and she has a lot of trainings,” Feagler explained. “She’s been taking the amount out of her equipment line items so we’re just switching it.”

Feagler explained the amendment to the budget was predicted since the county had never had a grant writer. 

After no additional questions or comments, Burkart made a motion to accept the three budget amendments as presented which was then seconded by Walsh. The motion carried and the budget amendments were approved.

Next, the commission moved on to a presentation from Nextlink. 

Nextlink is an internet service provider throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Iowa and Illinois, according to their website. Craig Hall, with the company, spoke to the commission about obtaining their blessing to continue to build their line of service. The company obtained grant funding to complete the line from Nebraska into Wyoming. Since funding had already been obtained, Hall stated the company didn’t need the county’s permission to continue construction, just merely a letter of support. The commissioners were given a quickly approaching deadline to produce a letter of support and a brief discussion ensued.

“We’re wanting to interact and you’re not hanging your reputation on this letter of support. It’s not an endorsement that is exclusion of the competition. It’s not excusive, nor is it obligating you in any way,” Hall said. “You’re not contributing cash or any other resource but our plan is to build that string of new pending towers up.”

“I’m sorry to ask for the letter of support so close to our deadline, the 5th, Thursday, is when we have to have it in. I realized that a couple of weeks ago,” Hall said. “If you don’t write us a letter of support, we’re not going to be angry. I realize it’s last minute.”

Discussion continued with Hall and the commissioners about tech support and other questions about the service Hall intended to provide. 

“I think that a letter of support for whatever punch that packs, I think that would be very simple for us to do,” McNamee said. “It seems like somewhat of a moot point given the fact you’re going to do it anyway.”

“The fact that we are coming anyway makes it somewhat of a moot point but you would be telling the state that you’re in disfavor, that you are aware of it and you have engaged with me at some level and found at a baseline nothing horrible or scary about it. There isn’t anything like that to cause concern, in my opinion, but my opinion isn’t what matters here. We will eventually be building this out regardless but it would be wonderful to have the relationships starting to build with you,” Hall explained.

The commission agreed to provide a letter of support for the company. 

The meeting was adjourned at 10:44 a.m. to reconvene December 17, with an abbreviated agenda, at 9 a.m.