ROCK SPRINGS — The Rock Springs City Council rejected a request to waive fees for a 48-home development in the city, though future requests may come later if an ordinance change occurs in the future.
The Council tabled a request from Overland Property Group to waive $219,165 in fees for a project the company is attempting to complete at the corner of Foothill Boulevard and Arthur Avenue. The development aims to provide affordable housing, but the company ran into a funding problem when construction bids were higher than anticipated. A company representative told the Council it is working to navigate the funding gap it faces, which is why it requested the fee waiver.
Before the Council discussed removing the issue from the table, Mayor Max Mickelson told attendees that a review of the city’s ordinances revealed that it must collect the fees, meaning the Council cannot consider the request. Mickelson said the city will introduce an ordinance that would allow the Council to handle similar requests in the future.
CCTV Sewer Inspection Vehicle
Later in the meeting, the Council approved a request to bid for a closed-circuit television (CCTV) sewer inspection vehicle. According to Council documents, the city’s Water Reclamation Facility is requesting $450,000 to replace its current CCTV system to maintain the city’s sewer lines. The current equipment has been in use for 15 years and is “technologically limited” despite repairs. Facility staff determined a full vehicle replacement would be more effective than an internal equipment upgrade.
Paul Kauchich, the city’s director of engineering and operations, said much of the city’s electronic equipment is outdated and can’t be updated. He said just keeping the vehicle itself wouldn’t be cost-effective, describing the CCTV vehicle as an integral piece of the maintenance and operations program at the wastewater facility.
“They don’t provide the equipment necessary to continue to service that equipment or those programs, and so it’s necessary to upgrade,” Kauchich said.
