ROCK SPRINGS — A trio of ordinances on their third reading were approved by the Rock Springs City Council, though two of the three votes were not unanimous.

The Council approved an ordinance that eliminated a $3,000 payout available to Council members. The ordinance will take effect at the end of the current Council representatives’ terms.

Councilman Rick Milonas said he researched the payout and was told by former Council representative Billy Shalata the initial goal was to offer a payout of $3,000 if a Council representative chose not to enroll in the city’s insurance program. Milonas said the benefit has been available to Council members for the past 40 years. Mayor Max Mickelson said the Wyoming Legislature’s Legislative Service Office’s research shows the city is near the top in Wyoming when it comes to compensation for its mayor and Council representatives, something he says he’s thankful to Rock Springs residents for.

MIlonas attempted to table the ordinance in favor of a private discussion amongst the Council. Initially, his call to table the ordinance was ignored by Mickelson, who said the vote to approve the ordinance took precedence and called for a vote. The vote ended with the Council approving the ordinance and Milonas issuing his vote against it loudly, which he followed with some soft laughter. 

Later in the meeting, City Attorney Rick Beckwith told the Council the vote needed to be retaken because Milonas’ call to table the ordinance took precedence over the vote to approve it. Milonas’ motion to table the ordinance died because no one else seconded it and the revote ended with Milonas again being the sole vote against it.

An ordinance to allow minors in a microbrewery until 8 p.m. was also approved by the Council, with Councilman Eric Bingham voting against it. Mickelson said he understands that prior to the passage of the ordinance, Rock Springs was the only city in Wyoming that prohibited children from being taken into microbreweries by their parents. He said the national trend is for the business to decide if it will allow children or not and said the city has an issue with business owners over serving alcohol to their customers.

“I don’t think anyone in Wyoming has a huge issue if someone has a drink, it’s if someone is visibly intoxicated and the business establishment is continuing to serve them,” Mickelson said. “That is a failure of that business.”

He said he has asked Beckwith to bring an ordinance that brings requirements on businesses that serve alcoholic beverages training their employees in responsible alcohol service. He said if it becomes a problem, it can only take six weeks to reverse the decision.  

A third ordinance, which adds all available liquor license types to the city ordinances and added a new resort hotel liquor license type to the city, was approved unanimously.

Milonas also voted against the Council paying its bills and claims for the city. Milonas’ no vote was the only opposing vote for the agenda item, which includes bills from vendors doing business with the city. 

“There’s a lot of bills I disagree with,” Milonas said when SweetwaterNOW asked if he disagreed with any specific bills in the list. He did not elaborate on which bills he disagrees with.