NEWCASTLE CITY COUNCIL CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS MINUTES Monday, February 3, 2025
Mayor Tyrel Owens called this regular meeting of the Newcastle City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. Present were Council members John Butts, Daren Downs, Chirs Kenney, Ann McColley, Thomas Voss and Don Steveson. Also present were Attorney Mark Hughes, Public Works Supervisor Greg Stumpff, and Clerk/Treasurer Stacy Haggerty.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Mayor Owens amended the agenda to add a request under Committee/Council member reports. Ann McColley moved; John Butts seconded to approve the agenda as amended. MOTION CARRIED.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Ann McColley moved; Don Steveson seconded to approve the minutes of the regular meeting and executive session of Tuesday, January 21, 2025. MOTION CARRIED.
APPROVAL OF ANNUAL AUDIT: Don Steveson moved; Ann McColley seconded to approve the annual audit as presented. MOTION CARRIED.
CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION: None
NOMINATION FOR RECOGNITION: None
CITIZEN’S BUSINESS VERBAL:
• Bruce Perkins was not present, Mayor Owens read his request for a 24-hour catering permit for the Spring Vendor Fair to be held at the Weston County Event Center on March 1, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. till 9:00 a.m. on March 2, 2025. He also requested a second permit for the Spring Vendor Fair to be held at the Weston County Event Center on March 2, 2025, from 9:00 a.m. till 9:00 a.m. on March 3, 2025. Thomas Voss moved; Ann McColley seconded to approve these requests. Discussion was had regarding the location and what the event entailed. MOTION CARRIED.
• Harry Roberts was not present.
CITIZEN’S BUSINESS IN WRITING: None
OLD BUSINESS: None
NEW BUSINESS:
• Mayor Owens referenced Attorney Dublin Hughes’ request to modify jail time penalties within the ordinance. Thomas Voss moved; Don Steveson seconded to approve this request and bring the suggested modifications back to the Council.
MOTION CARRIED.
• Mayor Owens referenced the lease renewal with Wy. Department of Transportation for the land where the Newcastle Visitor Center is located. Attorney Mark Huges stated that he had looked over both the past and updated leases, he found very few changes. Don Steveson moved; Chris Kenney seconded to approve the signing of the lease. Discussion was had regarding payment in full or annual payments. MOTION CARRIED.
COMMITTEE/COUNCIL MEMBER REPORTS: Councilman Kenney reported on a parks committee meeting stating that they had a phone call with Bob Bonnar who would help with writing a grant for a water park; possible location would be near the Fountain Inn. Mayor Owens reported that he had talked with Jeremy Dedic and would like the parks committee to meet to discuss the progress of Backyard Park. Mayor Owens made a request to be reimbursed for a computer that he had purchased in the amount of $199.00. Thomas Voss moved; Ann McColley seconded. Discussion was had regarding use of the computer and the computer being City property. Mayor Owens abstained. MOTION CARRIED. Councilman Butts inquired about the functions of the mayor and voting; 15-1-103 states that the mayor shall vote. Mayor Owens reported that he had received a Tree Board appointment application from Deb Ellsworth. Ann McColley moved; John Butts seconded to approve this application. Mayor Owens abstained. MOTION CARRIED.
DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS:
• Public Works Supervisor Greg Stumpff referenced Resolution No. 1 Series 2025, W. Railroad water improvements project. The $675,000 will be in the form of a loan, with interest ranging from 0.5% to 2.5%, and request for 25% of the loan to be forgiven. Thomas Voss moved; Ann McColley seconded to approve Resolution No. 1, Series 2025. MOTION CARRIED. Mr. Stumpff then referenced Resolution No. 2, Series 2025, to develop a wastewater and stormwater master plan. Thomas Voss moved; Ann McColley seconded to approve Resolution No. 2, Series 2025. MOTION CARRIED. Supervisor Stumpff referenced the Level 2 Assessment stating that the EPA has required that an engineer look at the system to help find the cause and look at coronation; Inberg-Miller Engineers had submitted a proposal in the amount of $6,000.00. Thomas Voss moved; Chirs Kenney seconded to accept Inberg-Miller’s proposal. MOTION CARRIED. Mr. Stumpff reported after flushing the system January samples were negative. Supervisor Stumpff reported that the traffic mirror for Winthrop Street would need to be placed on the opposite side of the street than what was initially planned. Councilman Voss inquired about a claim to Farnsworth Services for a hydrant; the work was for the hydrant and sample stations and was contracted out because of the timeliness of the project; he also inquired about claims for gate valves and a resistance packs. Councilman Kenney inquired as to if there was anything in the ordinances about snow being pushed into the streets; ordinances do exist regarding impeding the streets. A streets committee meeting will be scheduled.
• In Police Chief Derek Thompson absence, Mayor Owens read his report: calls of service since January 22, 2025; NPD 122, WCSO 107, UPD 0, NVFD 4, WCFP 0, UVFD 1, Newcastle Ambulance 14, and Upton Ambulance 2; the Police Department had contacted both Sagebrush Marketing and the News Letter Journal for marketing options to entice qualified candidates to apply with the department; a police committee meeting was also requested.
• Attorney Mark Hughes referred to using computers for public business stating that there was a recent district court case that says council members can be civilly liable if their public equipment is used in an unlawful way. He will get the details of that case to the Council.
• Clerk/Treasurer Stacy Haggerty reported that Municipal Court Judge Douglas Dumbrill would serve as Municipal Judge another year if appointed by the Council. Ann McColley moved; John Butts seconded to appoint Douglas Dumbrill as Municipal Judge. MOTION CARRIED.She then reported that the budget billing pilot program started with the January billing cycle. Clerk/Treasurer Haggerty referenced the email she had sent regarding the 2024 election charges which were $9,622.69, significantly higher than what had been budgeted. She then requested a water committee meeting to discuss the contracted water rates. Ms. Haggerty reminded the Council that the next Council meeting would be Tuesday, February 18, 2025, due to President’s Day.
CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY: Thomas Voss moved; Don Steveson seconded to pay the claims against the City dated February 3, 2025. Chris Kenney abstained. MOTION CARRIED.
EXECUTIVE SESSION: Daren Downs moved; Chris Kenney seconded to suspend the rules and enter executive session referencing real estate per W.S. 16-4-405 (a)(vii) at 8:04 p.m. MOTION CARRIED.Members moved to executive session chambers. Ann McColley moved; Thomas Voss seconded to exit executive session at 8:24 p.m. MOTION CARRIED. Members moved back to the Council Chambers. No action was taken coming out of this executive session. Mayor Owens stated that the executive session was held to discuss the possible acquisition of land to meet project requirements.
ADJOURNMENT: Thomas Voss moved; Don Steveson seconded to adjourn this regular meeting of the Newcastle City Council at 8:27 p.m. Meeting adjourned.
Claims: Ad-Pro, flag, $35.91; Advanced Communications, supplies, $130.00; Advanced Drug Testing, services, $124.80; AT&T, PD cell phones, $485.21; Big Horn Tire, tires, $2,908.00; Black Hills Energy, services, $4,858.16; Black Hills Plumbing & Heating, refrigerant recovery, $586.50; Black Hills Plumbing & Supply, HVAC services, $276.00; Blakeman Propane, propane, $1,902.25; Bobcat of Gillette, parts, $31.79; Bomgaars, supplies, $1,480.38; Campbell Co. EMS, ambulance services, $8,625.00; City of Newcastle, $710.24; CNA Surety, bond, $175.00; Dana Kepner, meters/supplies, $35,223.25; Desert Mountain, Ice melt, $19,601.93; Douglas Dumbrill, municipal judge/mileage, $1,091.00; Energy Laboratories, analysis, $457.00; Farnsworth Services, portable sanitation/hydrant/sample station, $11,200.00; First Northern Bank, lease payments, $26,003.35; Hughes Law, attorney fees, $4,500.00; Chris Kenney, reimburse mileage, $308.00; Marco, IT/copier fees, $2,667.22; Mastercard, supplies/fuel/training, $2,615.93; Newcastle Equip., repairs, $1,056.00; Northern Safety, supplies, $365.94; Northwest Pipe Fittings, supplies, $18,013.90; Salt Creek Vet., vaccinations, $90.00; Bryand Streeter, airport wages, $1,333.33; Hunter Taylor, reimburse CDL expenses, $624.05; Lucky Teigen-Grummons, cleaning, $300.00; Verizon, PW cell phones, $475.12; Becky Vodopich, cleaning/reimbursement, $316.69; WC Health, testing, $474.00; WC Treasurer, handling charge, $216.68; Wy. Dept. of Work Force Services, Unemployment Insurance, $108.80.
ATTEST:
Mayor Tyrel Owens
Clerk/Treasurer Stacy Haggerty
(Publish February 13, 2025)