City Council Meetings

CITY OF GREEN RIVER CITY COUNCIL WORKSHOP PROCEEDINGS October 9, 2012 The Governing Body of the City of Green River met in workshop session at 6:30 pm in the City Hall Council Chambers. Mayor Castillon called the meeting to order. The following Council Members were present: Gene Smith, Tom McCullough, Jim Boan, Gary Killpack and Lisa Maes. The following were present representing the City: City Administrator Marty Black, Director of Public Works Mike Nelson, Director of Finance Jeff Nieters, Chief of Police Chris Steffen, and Public Information Coordinator Stephen Pyles. Presenters: City of Rock Springs Mayor Carl Demshar, Public Works Director Mike Nelson, County Commissioner Reid West, Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County Attorney George Lemich, Castle Rock Hospital District Executive Director Misty Cozad, Green River Police Chief Chris Steffen. Power of the Penny The Mayor said the purpose of this workshop is to provide the public with information on the 6th Penny propositions that will be on the November 2012 ballot. He said after the last presentation is made, the public can call 872-0573 to ask any questions. There will be two more meetings to inform the public: one on October 18, 2012 in Rock Springs, at 6:30 pm, and the other on October 23, 2012, at 6:30 pm, in the Green River Council Chambers. The Mayor said the total cost for all of the projects is around $80 million. This money will stay in Sweetwater County. This is a painless initiative. Everyone pays this tax including the travelers that come through the county. Proposition #1 County-wide Infrastructure Improvements Rock Springs - Mayor Demshar said everyone pays this tax and it is painless. The National High School Finals Rodeo will be coming through again and that will give Sweetwater County an opportunity to collect more money. Infrastructure is the foundation for the basis of every community. Nothing happens within the community that it doesn’t play a role. It ensures that the basic needs of the community are met. Rock Springs has six projects that they are looking at, totaling around $30 million. There are two new grade schools that have been built on the northwest edge of Rock Springs: Sage View Elementary and Pilot Butte. When you take Summit Drive to the schools and get to Pilot Butte the street ends. This causes a lot of traffic issues in that area. The Stage Coach Drive Extension will go around the north side of Pilot Butte elementary and go east to Foothill Blvd where it will be a four way stop. They also have a Sweetwater Drive Extension to make it more accessible to citizens. There is $6 million planned for street upgrades. There are two water lines that come from the Water Treatment Plant in Green River. One is 30 inches and the other is 20 inches. The 30 inch line goes from Rock Springs all the way to the wastewater plant in Green River and at the West Kanda location the 20 inch line tees into the 30 inch line. The city needs to have a back-up system in place in case something happens. He said they are in need of upgrading the wastewater treatment plant in order to minimize odor and keep up with the influx of people that are coming into Rock Springs. Green River - Mike Nelson said they have separated the Green River projects into two different lists. Capital Improvements which include underground and above ground and the SIP projects which include streets that need to be replaced. They have planned these projects to be done over three years. County - Commissioner West said the total amount with bonding is $86.5 million and $73.875 million without bonding. They are asking voters to approve these projects with bonding so they can proceed without higher construction costs in the future. The ballot initiative is not to exceed, so if there are any entities that feel they won’t get around to doing their projects for four or five years between the times the initiative passes, and the bonds are issued, can make the decision not to bond that project. He said the county’s portion is fairly small. They have three roads that they would like to overlay City Council Workshop Proceedings October 9, 2012 Page 1 of 4 before they have to do total reconstruction. Road 4-11 TG Soda Ash Road (FMC/Granger road now), 4-6 OCI Entrance Road, and the 4-2 Little America Road. The total for these projects is $4.57 million with bonding. To clarify; the Little America road is not the service road between the FMC Westvaco turnoff it is the road if you were headed west on I-80 and you turned towards Granger, you go down a couple of miles and then turn west and its heading out to BP/Moxa area. They would appreciate the community support on this. JR Radosovich said all of the roads would consist of a two inch overlay to prevent having to do total reconstruction at a later date. Proposition #2 Healthcare Improvements Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County – George Lemich said the board approved working on the construction of an office building that will fulfill a unique function. The office building will bring in medical and doctors offices directly to the campus. The building will also offer a cancer center to offer treatment to patients. The hospital spends more than $300,000 a year on offsite space. The total for this project $18.851 million. The medical office building will bring a variety of services to the community: a cancer treatment center, dialysis services, family medicine, oncology, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, cardiac rehabilitation, physical therapy, occupational therapy, internal medicine, pediatrics, orthopedic surgery, general surgery, ear nose and throat physicians, psychiatry, and sleep lab. The bonds could be paid off earlier and that could pass savings on to everyone involved. The estimated amount that would be collected each month is $1.4 million. That will allow all of these projects to be retired in under five years, if they all passed. That is a significant savings to the public. Castle Rock Hospital District – Misty Cozad said the funding that they are requesting is predominantly for the renovations of the old out dated facilities and the replacement of three ambulances. The district currently receives tax support from the citizens in Green River but all of the money goes towards day to day operations with little left for major renovations or purchasing medical equipment. The project total is $2.5 million. Currently they have three ambulances that all have over 120,000 miles on them and have met their operating limit. The Villa currently has twenty-four rooms that are in need of renovations for safety reasons. The showers are bathtubs and they need to have walk in showers instead. The Convalescent Center has carpet throughout the whole facility and they plan to replace the flooring to make it more infection control oriented and safe. The call lights are original and have been deemed obsolete so they would like to replace them with system that works with the size of the facility. They also have small projects that need to be done: pavement of parking lots and the replacement of doors and windows. Proposition #3 Police Department Facility Police Department Facility – Chief Steffen said the new facility will be on Flaming Gorge Way and North 4th West. The city owns the property and the steal structure that is currently on the property. The steel structure that is on the property will be used. The Police Department has been in the same facility since 1982. The department has grown by 70% in the last thirty years. The new building will also house the Municipal Court. Security is a big issue. Prisoners that are brought in to the Municipal Court go right into a common area of the building. This poses a security risk to the city employees and the public that come in. Working Conditions are not good. Suspects and victims share the same common area and interviews are conducted in the middle of the department. Anyone who comes in for fingerprints has to go into a break room area. There are only two offices that do not have two or more people in them. All of the other offices are shared by two or more officers. This poses problems with interviewing and general daily duties. They are not able to a have a full departmental meeting in the PD; they have to go somewhere else in the city. The evidence locker is in the men’s locker room so it is not contusive to female officers and staff. Storage is another issue. The records have to be maintained for five years before they can be put onto a disk or condensed in another means. The evidence locker is at critical mass right now and has been for awhile. The general working space is used for storage too. City Council Workshop Proceedings October 9, 2012 Page 2 of 4 The Mayor clarified that Wamsutter, Superior, and Granger are also part of the infrastructure projects. Questions or Comments: Council Member McCullough thanked the speakers for coming and asked for clarification on how long it will take to collect the full amount. Commissioner West said it is estimated to take five years assuming that they collect $1.5 million a month. It is all going to depend on how much is collected every month. Marty said this tax will apply to items that are subject to sales and use tax. Prescriptions, gas, and food will not be taxed. Visitors to the community will also pay this tax. Once the designated amounts are reached the tax collection will stop. Council Member Killpack asked everyone in Rock Springs to put as much weight on the projects in Green River as they do their own. Rock Springs controls the vote and the other communities are in need of the projects as much as them. Council Member Smith asked for clarification on what happens with the amount that is over collected. Mayor Demshar said the over collected amount goes right back into the communities at the same percentage. The amount given from over collection needs to be used in the same manner as it was set up for. Commissioner West said the County Treasurer has to give a sixty day notice to the Department of Revenue that he is calling off the tax. Then the Department of Revenue has to notify merchants and then it has until the next quarter to come off. Chief Steffen said they work very well with the Rock Springs Police Department and the Sheriff’s Department. All of these entities work together so these projects provide a better service to all residents in Sweetwater County. He said anyone who would like to tour the facility can contact the PD. They can also go online to the city’s website and take a tour online. Council member Maes asked if someone votes for one and not anything else, does that count as a no vote. Mr. Lemich said it does not matter; it is by vote on each project. Joel Gallob asked if the money that is over collected can go towards operations and maintenance of the projects it was collected for. Mr. Lemich said yes. Artis Kalivas thanked the City of Green River for holding this meeting to inform citizens. Mayor Castillon Next forum will be held on October 18, 2012, in the Rock Springs City Council Chambers, at 6:30 pm. Adjournment The meeting adjourned at 7:35 pm. ______________________________ H. Castillon, Mayor ATTEST: City Council Workshop Proceedings October 9, 2012 Page 3 of 4 _____________________________ Jeffrey V. Nieters, City Clerk City Council Workshop Proceedings October 9, 2012 Page 4 of 4