Habeck settles into helm

Hannah Gross
NLJ Correspondent 
 
After Marty Habeck started working in construction around the Sundance area a decade ago, he realized he enjoyed that line of work, and in Nov. of 2020, he became the new Weston County Road and Bridge supervisor after Rick Williams retired. 
Habeck grew up on a ranch in Sundance, and he graduated from high school in Gillette in 2006. He attended Sheridan Community College, where he received his business degree. After graduating, life took him in a different direction than what he originally intended. When Habeck began doing various projects, including dirt work, road construction, and putting in a pipeline in Sundance all those years ago, he decided to continue down that path.
“You never know where life will go,” Habeck said. “I always enjoyed running equipment.” 
Habeck’s job is to oversee the maintenance of roads and bridges in the county. Recently, the county finished a project on the Dunham and Howard roads, as well as a bridge replacement on Green Mountain Road. While he doesn’t officially use his business degree, Habeck said, in some ways, his degree still provides him with useful tools to aid him in his job. 
According to Habeck, the hardest aspect of his job is the challenges presented by the ever-changing economy, especially with the significant budget cuts facing the 2021 Wyoming Legislative session. While he’s not too worried, he said, potential cuts will put a hold on some projects. Habeck said that he will have to decide which projects will go forward and which will be held for a later date. When deciding which road and bridge projects to drop, Habeck said, he looks at how frequently the road is traveled or what its level of safety is. He then prioritizes the projects based on those kinds of variables. 
Habeck said that the job “has been good so far,” and he hasn’t “had too much to complain about.”
“Everything we do down here I enjoy doing, and I want to make the county better,” Habeck said.