SWEETWATER COUNTY — The Sweetwater County Commissioners will be hearing a Sweetwater County Fire Department briefing on the 2020 fire year, and will be taking action on a few requests from the fire department during their meeting.
During the Commission meeting Tuesday at 8:30 am, Sweetwater County Fire Warden Mike Bournazian will be providing an annual briefing on the 2020 fire year. Additionally, the Commissioners will be considering the approval of hiring 14 seasonal positions for the County Fire Department.
Of the 14 positions, two are nine-month positions, eight are six-month, and four are three-month positions. The seasonal personnel are to be hired March 1, 2021. The total cost for the hires will be approximately $254,700.
The Commissioners will also be considering a request from the Wyoming State Forestry Division to join the Emergency Fire Suppression Account. This is an annual request and the enrollment cost is based on the 2020 valuation of $54,566. The County would then be charged an initial assessment of three years to join which would be $163,700, according to Bournazian. In the past, the Commissioners have decided to not participate in the Emergency Fire Suppression Account.
Additionally, the Commissioners will vote to accept The Home Depot Foundation Operation Surprise Grant for the Sweetwater County Fire Department. The grant is in the amount of $1,000 of private funding from The Home Depot’s Operation Surprise Cash Grants Program.
The purpose of the funding is to show appreciation to those serving on the frontlines. The funding will be used to purchase gym bags for the fire department.
The public can attend the meeting at the Sweetwater County Courthouse or they can watch the meeting on the Sweetwater County YouTube channel.
The county resident concerns portion of the meeting will take place at about 8:35 am, in which the public can express concerns either in person at the meeting, by calling 307-872-3891, or by sending comments ahead of time via email to: [email protected].
There is limited seating at the County Courthouse as to practice social distancing and be consistent with state guidelines.
Other Business
The Commissioners will also consider authorizing the repayment of $1 million borrowed from Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport which was used to complete the construction of the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport’s snow removal equipment building.
In 2020, the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport borrowed $2 million in Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Entitlement Funds for the construction of their new snow removal equipment building. Those funds were borrowed from the Northeast Wyoming Regional Airport in Gillette and the Riverton Regional Airport. The resolution states the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport will be using its 2021 entitlements to pay back the Gillette airport, and the 2022 entitlements to pay back Riverton.
The resolution goes on to say that this is an “administrative transfer only with no actual money changing hands” at the local level.
To view the full meeting agenda, click here. To view the full meeting packet, click here.
