Hey there. My name is Tim Robinson. I’m one of two current Rock Springs Ward 1 Council members, and I’m running for re-election on Tuesday. I’ve lived in Rock Springs since becoming a police officer here in 1991. I retired from the Police Department in 2020 after almost 29 years. I’m a husband, a dad, a feeder of dogs. I have worked and volunteered in our community for over three decades, and while not a native or Rock Springs, I chose this to be my home.
My opponent is Rick Milonas, a Rock Springs business owner who currently owns two business buildings in downtown Rock Springs, and roughly 10 residential properties. I want voters to know the facts and differences between me and Mr. Milonas when they are at the voting booth. I should note that I am paying for this post. I should also say that after having finished the first, second, and third drafts of this, it got a bit long. This version is the shortest, but I would still recommend making a pot of coffee, or grabbing an adult beverage while you read it. If you’ve got some left-over Halloween candy… grab it. It’s longer than I wanted it to be… but I think it’s important that voters get both sides, and Mr. Milonas has been pretty busy. I could go into every individual incident (which I did in the first two drafts of this editorial), but this little missive would end up being roughly the size of Moby Dick.
I wanted to take a few minutes to address some of the claims, allegations, insinuations, and threats that Mr. Milonas has made over the past year and a half or so. We are getting down to the wire and unfortunately, we were only able to have one debate so quite a few of his claims weren’t addressed. That debate can be viewed on SweetwaterNOW, and it took place on October 24th. I don’t want to get into the mud. You know what they say; play in the mud with the pigs and you get dirty. But, some of the stuff he’s thrown out there is just plain fertilizer. I’m also going to touch of a couple traits I think are important to consider when deciding which box to check at the ballot box.
First, I’ll discuss ulterior motives. For me, that is easy. I don’t have any except that I want to do what is best for Rock Springs citizens.
On the other hand, Mr. Milonas has personal financial motivations to be on the council. He has repeatedly stated the Bunning Park Beautification Project is a failure, and the area is “ghetto” and “an embarrassment.” He has mentioned a 2014 plan and said we just let it sit after tearing down some abandoned homes and leaving a “dirt lot.” In our debate, as well as in a letter he wrote and distributed to our constituents, he said completing the Bunning Park Beautification project was one of his three priorities.
Mr. Milonas has not shared that he owns several of the properties involved in this project. The “dirt lot” he is referring to was financed through a grant that did not permit “The City” to complete any improvements for a period of five years. (I’m using the term “The City” to cover council, department heads, and various entities Mr. Milonas refers to). That time period just expired a few months ago. Mr. Milonas failed to tell you he owns three properties The City is required to purchase to complete the plan established in 2014. Mr. Milonas sent emails to The City on two separate occasions reminding us of this fact. In one email to a department head he wrote:
“…we’ve been friends awhile. I don’t understand why y’all want to be like this. We’re just trying to live the American dream. Generate sales tax. Employee a few kids. Offer a nice stop for our tourist friends. 6 tables with chairs. That’s all. Remember. The City has to have my 3 properties down there in order to complete the Bunning Project. I want to work with the City, not fight with the City.”
Secondly, I want to touch on character. I have no personal agendas, business gains to make, and I am level-headed. Unfortunately, I cannot say the same of Mr. Milonas.
Back on June 6th, 2023 Mr. Milonas attended the regular Rock Springs City Council meeting and spoke during the “Petitions” section, where citizens can address the council on any number of cares or concerns, they may have. (This council meeting can be viewed via YouTube). Mr. Milonas discussed a few topics including the dirt lots near Bunning Park, his unhappiness with the city’s Planning and Zoning department, and anger that the Fire Department required a fire suppression system at one of the rental properties he owns on Elk Street. He rented that building to Nell’s Coffee.
Several department heads (Engineering, City Attorney, and Fire Department) provided information as to why that change was required, and also explained that a number of other options were available to Mr. Milonas prior to the council meeting, which Mr. Milonas rejected. Cathy Greene, the City Planner at the time approached the podium to provide additional information, saying they had been in contact with both Nell’s and Mr. Milonas providing alternatives to a sprinkler system. Prior to Ms. Greene finishing her presentation, Mr. Milonas gathered his things and left council chambers. Mr. Milonas later sent an email to The City stating he “can’t stand that woman”.
Since that first appearance in front of the council, Mr. Milonas has sent dozens of emails to the Mayor, Council, and various department heads and employees, making a plethora of claims, allegations, and insinuations based on nothing more than his feelings, misunderstanding of ordinances, codes, and a general lack of respect for others. He has called people names, accused them of “being on the take”, accepting bribes, and accused people of violating his rights. Mr. Milonas has questioned our commitment, love, and dedication to the city. He has accused us of wasting city funds and playing favorites. He has belittled people, threatened million-dollar lawsuits, and even acted physically threatening to a city employee by moving toward them aggressively.
During our debate, the moderator asked both Mr. Milonas and I if we had questions for each other. I asked Mr. Milonas how he planned to work with those he’d been so hostile to. He responded, but did not answer the question. When the Moderator advised him he’d reached his two minute limit, Mr. Milonas refused to stop talking, saying he was going to answer the question, but again, never actually answered the question. Mr. Milonas had no questions for me. Again, I suggest watching the debate to see for yourself.
After that debate, sponsored by The Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Milonas acted antagonistic and verbally aggressive toward another council member.
Is someone who is unwilling to hear a point of view that differs from his suitable for this position? Is a person who treats others with a lack of respect and threatens them both verbally and physically, able to come together with others to make change that benefits the people of our community?
Finally, I’d like to discuss honesty. I will tell you truth about what I know, and if I don’t know, I will do my best to get you factual information.
Over the last year and a half, Mr. Milonas has posted a number of “Rants” on a local Facebook page called Rants and Raves. In those posts, Mr. Milonas ranted about “The City.” Those rants focused mostly on his dispute with The City over Nell’s Coffee. He claimed repeatedly he was merely trying to help Nell’s get a few tables and chairs, and The City was forcing Nell’s to install a half a million-dollar fire suppression system, “just for some tables and chairs.”
At best, this claim is disingenuous. Nell’s was looking to change their business model to include ovens, fryers, and grills. This requires a change in code based on International Fire Codes adopted by the State of Wyoming and City of Rock Springs, and requires a fire suppression system.
Mr. Milonas made multiple claims both via social media and in emails to The City, that “noone” had tried to help him that he was ignored, and treated him poorly. At least four council members, including me, the mayor, and numerous department heads spoke with Mr. Milonas in an attempt to help him understand that we did not have authority to waive International Building Codes.
Also in his social media posts and emails to The City, Mr. Milonas made many claims The City had wasted “millions of dollars” on a number of projects around Rock Springs that have “gone nowhere.” These include the Bitter Creek project, the Bunning Park Beautification project, and the First Security Bank project. Numbers he provided were ridiculously inflated, and did not represent anything nearing fact. He insinuated a number of things including that some city employees were receiving “kick-backs.”
A few examples of his claims:
He claimed The City spent $150 million dollars to get “downtown” out of the flood plain.
The first phase of the Bitter Creek restoration, which is primarily flood mitigation, was partially funded through a grant from the Abandoned Mine Land Reclamation Division of the State of Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality. These were federal pass-through funds from the Department of the Interior. The award amount of this grant was $3,836,136.00. The City was also allowed to allocate funds from a different AML grant for this phase of the project in the amount of $91,137.32. The total budget for this construction phase of the project was $5,441,805.86. The portion of this project funded locally was $1,514,532.54, which was money earmarked from excess tax collections from the 2013 specific purpose tax ballot. There was also a portion of the grant received and spent in 2016 for planning and engineering the project phases We have capitalized total costs of $5,944,279.05 for the project so far.
Mr. Milonas claimed The City spent “millions” on the First Security Bank Building. The City’s actual expenditure on the building is roughly $815,000.00 to date. Phase I of the project cost $3,629,758.56. Of that, $2,917,701.00 came from a Wyoming Business Council Grant. The City’s grant match totaled $712,057. The initial cost of the building, roughly 15 years ago was approximately $100,000.
At best, Mr. Milonas is using exaggeration as a “truth sayer” and claimed speaker for the people. In reality, he is providing false numbers to claim we (The City) are padding our pockets.
Aside from email bullying, Mr. Milonas attempted to intimidate and coerce The City into cooperating with him by waiving International Building Code. For someone who has claimed The City is playing “The Good Ol’ Boy” system, Mr. Milonas is sure acting like a “Good Ol’ Boy.” At our debate, Mr. Milonas said The City and the Planning Department needs to “check their attitude” and treat people better. Funny… had Mr. Milonas been at the recent ground breaking ceremony of the new VA Facility on Gateway, he would have heard the contractor praise The City, specifically the Engineering and Planning and Zoning departments, for being accommodating and easy to work with.
I could go on, but really, just watch the debate. Enter “Rick Milonas” into the search tool of Rants and Raves and read Mr. Milonas’ posts for yourself. A simple FOIA request could get Mr. Milonas’ emails to The City.
I want end on a positive note. The state of the City is good, and just getting better. The Specific Purpose Tax passed during the last election is being paid off much faster than anticipated, and many of the infrastructure projects financed through that SPT are being completed not just on time, but ahead of schedule. Sales Tax revenue is trending upward, and new businesses and industries are making Rock Springs and Sweetwater County their home. The City has updated its website for ease of use making permitting, and just general searches for information much easier. Rock Springs just joined WAM, the Wyoming Association of Municipalities. The City and County have been working very well together to move projects forward and benefit all of those in Sweetwater County. The City appears to be on the verge of a new mini boom, and the current council work well together to benefit everyone.
None of us have an agenda. None of us have an ax to grind. We are non-partisan and work for everyone, whether they have an R or a D after their name, whether they are red, blue, or purple with pink polka-dots.
Regardless of how you decide to vote, I encourage you go hit the polls if you haven’t already, and have your voice heard. Thanks for reading. I’m going to go grab a cup of coffee now.
Tim Robinson (307)362-4808
Candidate for Rock Springs City Council, Ward 1
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