TORRINGTON – Mayor Herb Doby called the Torrington City Council meeting to order promptly at 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday, June 3. In attendance were council members Rick Warren, Shane Viktorin and Wayne Deahl. Dennis Kelly was excused. 

After the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, Doby moved on to the mayor’s informational items where he discussed the city pool hours and he further expressed his gratitude for the crew of workers and staff who helped with the pool renovation. 

“The Dale Jones Municipal Pool opened Sunday, June 1, 2025, at 1 p.m. for open swim. It will be closed Saturday, June 7, 2025, for the Torrington Sharks swim meet,” Doby said. “For more information about the Municipal Pool, please call the pool phone 532-7798.”

Doby also expressed gratitude to the city crews who aided in the storm clean up after Monday’s storm. He also explained trash rules regarding the city dumpsters. Doby also addressed residents who may need help removing storm debris. 

“Wow, what a storm we had last night (June 2). Thank you to the city electrical department for getting the power up and operating as quickly as they did. Thank you to the streets and sanitation department for cleaning up the numerous fallen branches around town. The whole city crew gets involved when we have such a storm,” Doby said. “Thank you to the police officers and others who helped regular dispatch crew field all phone calls. Thank you to all the parks and cemetery workers for cleaning up the areas.”

Doby continued to thank a long list of volunteers, city officials, employees and town residents for their hard work during the storm.

“To best help the city with this cleanup, please follow the following guidelines to protect our garbage trucks and our baler from damaging in dumpsters. Only branches under one inch in diameter or bigger branches up to three inches in diameter if and only if they are cut into two-foot lengths,” Doby explained. “That’s to prevent damage to the garbage trucks themselves and to our baler. Otherwise, please take your branches to the baler. There is no charge of city residents. City crews are out collecting the bigger branches on the streets and sidewalks. If you are not able to take care of the bigger branches on your street and sidewalks, please contact 532-4689 for more information.”

A motion was made by Deahl to approve the consent agenda, including the May 20 council meeting minutes as presented, which was seconded by Viktorin. The motion to approve carried with a vote. 

Doby noted there was an amendment to the agenda for the evening. 

“Next item on the agenda is approval of the agenda and as council has been notified, I would entertain a motion to approve an amended agenda, which would include item 3A, which will be council considering the suspension of Garcia Mexican Restaurant liquor license for a sales tax hold,” Doby explained.

Viktorin motioned to approve Tuesday evening’s amended agenda, which was seconded by Warren. The motion carried by vote and the council moved on to the public forum. 

Doby explained the forum was for non-agenda items and a time limit of two minutes would be given to the speaker. He further explained the speaker must sign up at the beginning of the meeting. He also stated the forum was a time for council members to listen and no action would be taken. 

Shelly Rutt spoke to the council regarding the planning commission, an item which appeared on the council’s Tuesday agenda, however after asking multiple questions with no answers given by the council, Rutt decided to participate in the public comment portion of the agenda. 

David Cronk, president of the planning commission, spoke regarding the planning commission. 

“At any rate, it came to my attention yesterday at 11 a.m. that this amendment of duties of the planning commission and looked at it and basically it has the ability to do away with or maybe just neuter the commission,” Cronk said. “So, what I have to offer is that the planning commission is part of the checks and balances of city government. We have the other checks and balances of the polling place, which is reactive. The planning commission is able to be proactive.” 

Cronk continued to speak to the council for his two-minute time allotment. 

Next, Doby moved on to the action items of the agenda. 

Under action item one, the council discussed the Maverik Store remodel/door removal request. Doby called on Dennis Estes, buildings and grounds superintendent, Matt Johnson, Torrington Police Chief and Silvia Anaya, deputy city clerk. 

“Maverick has submitted a permit for a remodel and updating their store. During that plan review, I noticed that where the liquor portion is over on your left you’ll see that little wall sticking out there below that door,” Estes said pointing toward the store’s blueprint. “You all know what I’m talking about they had a door across over to that counter. In the past, [the] police chief, when they came and originally built this building, that was one of the requests he made to the council, that the liquor be totally separate, with a separate door.”

Estes noted on the store’s new plans, the door had been removed. Estes stated he has checked the building codes to make sure the store wasn’t required to keep the door but since the provision had been put in place by the council nearly decades ago, Estes wanted to make sure the council agreed with the removal of the door in the new renovation project. 

Johnson explained this was an easy arrangement to work with. He further stated the new building remodel permit is in compliance of the city’s ordinance regarding liquor sales.

With no further questions, a motion was made by Viktorin to accept the remodel permit which was seconded by Deahl. The permit carried by vote. 

Next, the council moved on to action item two where Leanna Mattis of Go Goshen requested to change the date for the series of summer concert events. The event scheduled on May 28 was canceled due to inclement weather and Mattis asked the council to reschedule the event to Wednesday, June 4. In absence of Mattis, Johnson spoke to the council regarding the change in date. 

A motion was made by Deahl to accept the change of date, which was seconded by Viktorin. The item carried by vote and the date was changed for the first concert series. 

Under action item three, the council heard from Cody Scott with the Torrington Volunteer Fire Department. Scott requested a special permit for the Wyoming Firefighters Convention to be held on June 11 from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. at the Torrington Fire Hall and June 12 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., June 13 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. and June 14 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the South Fire Hall Drill Field. For reference, Doby called on Johnson. 

After discussion, a motion was made by Viktorin to approve the permit, including waving the ordinance and the special event permit fees, which was seconded by Warren. With no further discussion, the motion to approve the special event permit, carried by vote.

The council moved on the amended item 3A, asking the council to consider the suspension of Garica’s Mexican restaurant liquor license. Doby called on Jim Eddington, city attorney. 

“Pursuant to my email this morning, I was informed by the deputy treasurer that she had received notice Friday afternoon, post agenda, that this liquor license holder had received a sales tax hold notice from the Wyoming Liquor Commission,” Eddington said. “It has been routine for us to support that with a suspension of liquor license.”

According to Eddington, Silvia Anaya, deputy city clerk, checked to see if a payment had been made prior to Tuesday’s meeting and there had been no payment received by the Wyoming Liquor Commission. 

Viktorin asked if the license would be reinstated once the delinquent sales tax has been paid where Eddington noted once the delinquent tax is paid the commission the business’s liquor license would be reinstated. 

Deahl motioned to approve the suspension of the liquor licenses for a sales tax hold which was seconded by Warren. With no further discussion, item 3a on the amended agenda carried by vote. 

Next, the council moved on to action item four where Johnson discussed a school resource officer (SRO) intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the City of Torrington and Goshen County School District No. 1. 

Johnson addressed the council regarding the SRO program. 

“The intergovernmental agreement that we provided here reference this evening, it is essentially the expression of our partnership in our SRO program with Goshen County School District No. 1. Our SROs have become incredibly important with the school that are obviously incredibly important for us. Operating the school system without SROs in this day and age is a challenging thing to do,” Johnson explained. “We’re really grateful for their partnership. What we have before you is the renewal of this IGA. The first one we did I think was back in 2001, if I recall.”

Johnson noted there had been a few minor changes relating to the middle school SRO. He further explained the position was previously referred to as the floating SRO because the officer for the middle school also floats to the elementary schools.

After further discussion, a motion was made by Deahl to approve the school resource officer intergovernmental agreement, which was seconded by Viktorin. The item carried by vote and Doby is authorized to sign the agreement.

The council then moved on to action item five, the first reading of an ordinance relating to the planning commissions. Doby called on Estes for further detail. Doby called on Estes to further explain the ordinance. 

“This ordinance was looked at several mayors ago. So, attorney Eddington and I were asked by a couple of mayors ago to get this, to look at this because we’re having issues with the planning commission when they don’t meet, when they don’t get a quorum,” Estes explained. “Just to give you a little background on what I do, if somebody comes in and wants to do a variance in-home business, like a daycare – that we see a lot like if you want a variance in your yard somewhere, zone changes, subdivisions, anything that’s going to mess with the zoning or the livelihood of the neighborhood that’s going to change from what you bought your house or your business at – the public needs to know that, so what happens is they’ll bring it in on a form. They pay $300. That $300 goes to the Telegram because I have to advertise it twice in the paper.”

Estes continued to explain the fee barely covers the cost of the public notice. Estes stated if the planning commission doesn’t meet, the entire process needs to be completed again. 

After discussion, Deahl stated he was not ready to vote on the planning commission issue since there had been so much discussion. 

A motion was made to table the motion to review during the June 17 meeting by Viktorin which was seconded by Deahl. With no further discussion, the motion to table the issue carried by vote and the first reading of the ordinance will be heard on June 17. 

Moving on to action item six, the council heard from clerk/treasurer Lynette Strecker regarding the second reading of the 2026 fiscal year budget. 

“So, this is a really busy time for the budget and it is a fluid document,” Strecker said as she began walking the council through the budget. 

A motion was made to approve the second reading of the 2026 fiscal year budget by Deahl, which was seconded by Viktorin. The motion to approve the 2026 fascial budget carried by vote.

Under action item seven, the council approved the bills from May 21 to June 3. Doby called on Strecker for reference. 

Doby noted there were a lot of expenses related to the pool to which Strecker agreed. 

With no further question or comment, a motion was made to approve paying the bills from May 21 to June 3 by Deahl which was seconded by Viktorin. The motion to pay the bills carried by vote. 

Under the public comment portion of the agenda, Torrington Fire Chief, Luis Correa gave a call update. Correa noted the storms had kept the fire department calls down. He noted there was a gas leak in the county which was investigated by Black Hills Energy.

“As most of you know, there was an accident just east of town, a motor vehicle accident that was fairly serious for one of the drivers, I believe. I saw on Facebook there’s a GoFundMe for medical expenses and to just keep his family afloat,” Correa said. “If anybody in the public that’s willing to donate there’s information out there.”

Correa also noted there was only one dispatch call with Monday evening’s storm. 

Bob Peterson spoke to the council on gun free zones. 

Shelly Rutt approached the council regarding the planning commission, noting she would gladly volunteer for a seat on the commission considering the council had little to no interest to fill the position and had not advertised the position. 

Ed Hawley, streets and sanitation superintendent, explained the receiving area would be open this weekend to collect tree branches. 

“The west gate will be open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., even open through the weekend,” Hawley said.

Hawley further stated it would be obvious where residents could dump their debris. 

“It grew a third today or better. We will be running around yet tomorrow if somebody has limbs they can’t get down there, if they put them by the curb, we will pick them up,” Hawley explained. 

For further information or assistance with fallen limbs and branches, contact 532-4689, Doby added.

With nothing further for the council to address, Doby adjourned the meeting.