Newcastl City Council Minutes 10-5-2020

CITY OF NEWCASTLE
CITY COUNCIL CHAMBERS
MINUTES
MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2020
 
Council President Don Steveson called this regular meeting of the Newcastle City Council to order at 7:00 p.m. Those present were: President Steveson; Council members Pam Gualtieri, Tom Voss and Ann McColley. Councilman Roger Hespe and Michael Alexander were absent. Also present were Department Heads City Police Chief Sam Keller, City Engineer Mike Moore, City Attorney Michael Stulken and Clerk/Treasurer Greg James.
APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Ann McColley moved, seconded Pam Gualtieri to approve the agenda as amended, adding an offer to purchase a city lot under Written Business. Motion carried.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Pam Gualtieri moved, seconded Ann McColley to approve the minutes of Monday, September 21, 2020 and the Executive Session minutes of Monday, September 21, 2020 as presented. Motion carried.
NOMINATIONS FOR RECOGNITION:
Mr. Dick Rich and his crew for the annual Show & Shine Car Show. 
CERTIFICATES OF RECOGNITION:
To Travis Peterson for his care and management of the City’s compost area will be mailed.
CITIZEN’S BUSINESS—IN WRITING:
A letter from Mr. Don Howell requesting sewer charge forgiveness because of water leak where the water did not enter the sewer.  Amount requested is $219.16. Tom Voss moved, seconded Ann McColley to approve this request. Motion carried.
CITIZEN’S BUSINESS—VERBAL: None
MAYOR/COUNCIL REPORTS:
Tom Voss discussed the Newcastle Recreation Board elections for officers. Tony Sandoval is now the Chairman, Mrs. Malone is treasurer and Debbie Larson is secretary. Mr. Voss also discussed the Rec Board funding, particularly the amount held for women’s softball. 
DEPARTMENT HEAD REPORTS:
City Engineer Mike Moore discussed work needed at the sewer lagoon and asked for funds from the sewer lagoon fund to cover the costs, approximately $35,000.00. Tom Voss moved, seconded Ann McColly to approve this request. Motion carried. Mr. Moore then discussed the potential purchase of a used vac truck. After discussion, Mike will check out a few more things relative this purchase and will report back. Next for consideration was a grant from the State for installing a COVID 19 test site at our sewer lagoon. Again more information was requested before approving this. The annual Chamber of Commerce Trunk or Treat will be held on October 31, on Main Street from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m. The annual lighted Christmas parade will be November 28 and will run from the High School to the Court House. The next item was a request from Linda Hunt for signs along the By-Pass indicating the historic area of Stampede Street. The City would purchase and install the signs, and then be reimbursed by Linda, who would then maintain and provide upkeep for those signs. By consensus the Council approved this. The bus turn-around at the east end of Sheridan Street was then discussed. The property owners, Neiman’s, agreed to allow use of the proposed area for that purpose providing the City give them a letter releasing them from any liability from that use. Again this was approved via consensus and Mr. Stulken was asked to draft that letter. The Council appreciated Nieman’s graciousness in allowing this use. The Salem Street water line project is nearly complete. Mr. Moore inquired about the desire of the Council to begin advertising the City lots along Salem for sale. The process will be looked into. The issue of some sort of traffic control at the east side of the Douglas Street and Casper Avenue was discussed and the final consensus was to install a stop sign there and see how things worked out. A question was raised about the disposition of the fifth-wheel trailer inappropriately parked on a lot on Section Line Road.
City Attorney Michael Stulken brought for consideration Ordinance #3, Series 2020, to address the matter of unsafe retaining walls.  Tom Voss moved, seconded Pam Gualtieri to pass Ordinance #3 Series 2020 on first reading.  Motion carried.
City Police Chief Sam Keller reported on calls for service for this year, for September and so far into October. Chief Keller recommended hiring Tim Lassiter as a patrol officer at the rate of $19.54 per hour to begin on October 19, 2020 with one year probation. Mr. Lassiter is an experienced officer coming from Arkansas. Pam Gualtieri moved, seconded Ann McColley to approve this request. Motion carried.
City Clerk/Treasurer Greg James noted he had sent out revenue reports and comparisons for the past few years. So far, not too bad, but expressed concerns about possible cuts in several areas once the legislature goes into session.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS: None
ANY OTHER CITY BUSINESS: None
CLAIMS AGAINST THE CITY: dated October 5, 2020. Tom Voss moved, seconded Ann McColley to pay the claims against the City dated October 5, 2020. Motion carried. Ann McColley moved, secodded Pam Gualtieri to adjourn this regular meeting of the Newcastle City Council at 8:20 p.m. Meeting adjourned.
Claims: Alpha Communications, tower rent, $95.00; Bierschbach Equipment & Supply, trench box rental, $320.00; Big Horn Tire, Inc., tire repair, 627.50; Black Hills Chemical, disinfectant, $67.92; Bomgaars Supply, supplies/materials, $411.40; Butler Machinery Co., parts, $622.97; Century Link, E-911 service, $939.76; City of Newcastle, WA/SW/GA, $1098.38; Croell, Inc., grout, $900.00; R. Douglas Dumbrill, municipal judge, $1076.30; Dunham Repair, LLC, parts, $79.20; Energy Laboratories, Inc., water sample testing, $42.00; Engineering Associates, well #5 engineering, $640.50; Farnsworth Service Co., Inc., haul excavator/lagoon work/portable sanitation, 2862.00; Ferguson Waterworks, meter parts, $1020.30; Fired Up Rescue, name tags, $78.90; Fisher Sand & Gravel Co., crushed rock, $2263.72; FOCUS, Family Violence Center, 1st quarter payment, $1250.00; Foremost Promotions, FD promotional items, $430.16; Hotsy Equipment of Wyoming, Inc., parts, $85.00; Hurricane Services, vac truck work, $345.00; Kelly Jones, water deposit refund, $69.93; L.N. Curtis & Sons, compressor maintenance, $1460.00; John Larson, water deposit refund, $200.00; Mastercard, fuel purchases/uniforms/training, $2242.34; Modern Marketing, Inc., PD promotional items, $1198.81; Monument Health, PD medical, $139.00; Newcastle Ambulance Service, October 2020 ambulance service, $8333.33; Newcastle Area Chamber of Commerce, 1st quarter payment, $3250.00; Newcastle Volunteer Fire Dept., fire fighter retirement, $6750.00; News Letter Journal, minutes/office supplies, $557.94; Jacob & Isabel Nissen, water deposit refund, $78.24; Normont Equipment Co., emulsion, $4934.43; Northern Wyoming Mental Health Center, Inc., 1st quarter payment, $1625.00; Northwest Pipe Fitting, Inc., pipe parts/materials, $712.17; Pat O’Brian, water deposit refund, $42.62; Emily Piechura, water deposit refund, $51.63; Postmaster, stamps, $460.00; Range, phone service, $789.63; Respond First Aid Systems, first aid supplies, $142.12; Genell Rothleutner, PD cleaning, $200.00; Russell Industries, Inc., tank read parts, $80.00; Salt Creek Water District, sewer service, $555.00; Bryand Streeter, airport wages, $1333.33; Kimila Swartz, water deposit refund, $34.73; Lucky Teigen-Grummons, fire hall cleaning, $200.00; Titan Machinery-Gillette, compactor, $2950.00; Top Office Products, Inc., PD copy charge, $159.39; Trugree-Chemlawn, FD fertilizer, $119.00; Becky Vodopich, office cleaning, $300.00; Weston County Children’s Center, 1st quarter payment, $2250.00; Weston County Road & Bridge, fuel purchases, $169.55; Weston County Humane Society, 1st quarter payment, $4250.00; Weston County Senior Services, 1st quarter payment, $7500.00; Wyoming Automotive Co., parts, $1783.64; Wyoming Home services, 1st quarter payment, $1500.00. 
 
Don Steveson, President
ATTEST: City Clerk/Treasurer, Greg James
 
(Publish October 15, 2020)