Mayor signs MOU

At Monday evening’s Pine Bluffs council meeting, mayor Bill Shain said he received a revised version of the Memorandum of Understanding between Laramie County Central Communications and Pine Bluffs to take over dispatching calls. Shain said he felt comfortable signing it if that was the pleasure of the council. The council agreed with Shain and he said he would sign the MOU that evening.

In other business, town engineer Chris Lidstone presented the Pine Bluffs town council his findings on the wells located on the property the council is considering purchasing.

Lidstone said the water quality in the wells was “very reasonable” and “right where he expected it to be.” He added the water quality would blend well with the existing water supplies even though the land had been used for agricultural purposes for many years. Lidstone said he was pleasantly surprised with the lower than expected levels of residual chemical.

Lidstone said if the town ever leased the land out for farm use, he would encourage a “no fumigation” clause and only dry fertilizer to be used. He felt the land would qualify for a Level III grant from Wyoming Water Development Commission.

Lidstone would like to see the grant application “bullet proof,” even though the council will be trying for a Level III instead of a Level I. He also encouraged the council to “push” wellhead protection, even with the agricultural history of the land surrounding the wells.

Town attorney Alex Davison asked Lidstone if the property could be used for urban development such as a subdivision in the future with a wellhead protection plan in place. Lidstone said that would be alright, and the septic system or the lagoon would just need to be set back away from the wells.

Lidstone expected the final cost for the land, infrastructure and engineering costs to be $2.6 million. The town would be financing about $800,000 at 4 percent over 30 years with the grant covering $1.7 million. Lidstone said the WWDC grant application is due Oct. 1.

The council approved the submission of the grant to WWDC for the purchase of the property.

In other business, the council approved two building permits for fences on property. They also approved to accept a grant for radios from the hospital program preparedness in the amount of $8,194.36. The council amended the budget to receive monies for capital projects that will carry over into the current year.

From the budget amendments, the council moved on to the 10th Street Alley project. Town administrator Caryn Miller directed the council to look over the bid for the alley work. Miller said the bid didn’t include the electrical work that needed to be done. She said the contractor estimated an additional $30,000 to $40,000 for the electrical work. Miller added the project could be covered with consensus money, the money saved on some other projects, and if they received a grant from FEMA for the Beech Street project some of the money designated for that street could go towards 10th Street alley.

The council discussed the need for the alley and possibly taking it completely out but placing new drainage there. But after realizing two home owners access their property with the alley, the council agreed to move forward with the alley work. They also approved the submission of the grant to FEMA for Beech Street. The council questioned Davison on receiving money from the federal government for a project and if it would mean the federal government looking closer at the town. Davison said he was confident there would be little to no involvement since it was a street project.

In department reports, Miller asked all residents and businesses to complete a letter of support for the new clinic grant. A template of the letter can be signed at the town office and need to be completed as soon as possible.

The next meeting will be Monday, Oct. 7, at 7:30 p.m.