July 6, 2021
Town of Guernsey
Regular Meeting
Platte County, Wyoming
Present: CM Harris, CM Delgado, CM Kelley, Mayor Paustian
Excused: CM Kelley, CM Augustyn
Staff: J. Sterner, L. Bryant, J. Thomas, Officer Chavez
Guests: Lori Ibarra, Penny Wells, Leonard Anderson, Shawna Reichert, David Stenson, Frankie Adams, AJ Gillaspie, Christa Bartel, Greg Martinez, Joe Michaels
Via Zoom: T. Horne, Rose Martinez, Sheena Thomas
Mayor Paustian called the meeting to order at 6:00 pm. The assembly joined in the Pledge of Allegiance and was welcomed to the meeting.
Agenda: CM Harris moved to approve the agenda as written, seconded by CM Delgado. A vote was taken, and the motion carried with 3 ayes.
Minutes: CM Harris moved to approve the regular minutes for June 15, 2021 and special meeting minutes for June 29, 2021, as written, seconded by CM Delgado. A vote was taken, and the motion carried with 3 ayes.
Consideration of Claims: Mayor Paustian presented the vouchers for approval. CM Delgado moved to approve the Considerations of Claims for $123,462.36 seconded by CM Harris. CM Delgado said we need to decide what to do with the street sweeper contract, Mayor Paustian agreed to look into it. A vote was taken, and the motion carried with 3 ayes. Vouchers follow in their entirety: Border States Industries – 804.00, Caselle – 600.00, CenturyLink – 1177.64, Croell Redi-Mix – 847.50, Crystal Ice Company – 125.00, Frank Parts Company – 37.79, Guernsey Super Foods – 37.45, Larson Park Petty Cash – 26.50, Mobius Communications – 480.00, Northwest Pipe Fittings – 369.74, One-Call of Wyoming – 9.00, Platte County – 34,695.63, Reserve Account – 150.00, Sarah Mosley Cleaning Services – 265.00, Sherwin-Williams – 1084.93, Simply Creative – 60.00, Soapy Suds – 40.00, Stotz Equipment – 21,068.06, TDS Collection – 1161.30, Team Laboratory Chemical – 1956.00, Tree Top Products – 882.37, Tri-City Parks & Rec – 20,026.66, TYMCO International – 37,292.44, United States Postal Service – 165.35, Wyoming Dept of Agriculture – 100.00. Total Vouchers – $123,462.36.
Bank Reconciliation Report: CM Delgado moved to approve the Bank Reconciliation Report as written, seconded by CM Harris. A vote was taken, and the motion carried with 3 ayes.
Camp Guernsey Back Brief: Christa Bartel said this weekend, July 10th, is the community open house. Camp will be busier through July and August, so hopefully we see some economic impact as a result.
Shawna Reichert – Chamber of Commerce: Shawna gave an update on Lodging and Tax. The board has all new members. They requested an audit and will be implementing a new bookkeeping software. Cares Act money will go towards advertising Platte County tourism and will be focused on what the county has to offer year-round. The board is working to distribute money fairly between the towns. Chamber of Commerce update: Ag Appreciation Banquet went well. The Chamber is seeing a high retention of members. Upcoming events include Blue Mountain Car Show, the Platte County Fair Rodeo, free pancake feed before the parade, and upcoming golf tournament. Platte County has seen a lot of visitor center activity. Reichert mentioned that when visitors say they are headed to South Dakota, she tries to route people through Guernsey to encourage spending within the county.
Public Comment: Penny Wells expressed her disappointment with the town in reference to hiring and firing practices, financial risk, and humiliation. She would like the Mayor and CM Augustyn to resign.
Lori Ibarra requested that the stickers in the baseball field, around the dugout, on the outside of the fence, and by the pool, be removed or sprayed. Ibarra mentioned that people from out of town utilize these areas of town as well. CM Delgado said we need to check on the progress of the maintenance crew. Mayor Paustian said he will address this tomorrow.
Dave Stenson would like to build nesting platforms for ospreys to keep them from settling on power poles, which causes issues. He has spoken with Wryulec and has their support to put some up around the lake. Stenson requested that the town allow him to use poles from the rodeo ground, and asked if he can build platforms in different spots along the river. Mayor and council liked his idea and will check into his requests.
Joe Michaels asked how the judgement affects the town’s budget. CM Delgado replied that the budget can be amended if necessary.
Greg Martinez stated that the golf greens are still not acceptable, and the course needs to be cleaned up. He said Mayor needs to step in and address it. Martinez suggested staffing changes to address these issues. Martinez also expressed his disappointment with the town and asked that Mayor Paustian and CM Augustyn resign.
Frankie Adams thanked the VFW for help with wedding this weekend. He also thanked the town on behalf of the Patriot Guard Riders for allowing them to come and be part of the parade. He thanked J. Thomas and the fire department for help with Hub City’s water slide over the weekend.
Department Reports:
J. Thomas gave his report for the fire department. The department raised more than previous years for fireworks. Coming up will be joint training with all four departments by river and Old Timer’s Arena. They will cross train on each other’s equipment so they can help other departments as needed. Over the 4th of July weekend, they had 2 small fires which were put out quickly due to great response from fire dept. They also responded to some calls over the weekend, and Thomas mentioned that there was a lot of wait time for ambulances to arrive. One rescue truck will be in the shop tomorrow for repairs.
J. Sterner wanted to remind everyone that the town will be passing on the credit card processing fees to customers beginning August 1st.
Judge Conner was not present, but his report was given to the council.
Mayor and Council Report: CM Delgado said supervisors need to check on what employees are doing and where they are driving. He asked Mayor Paustian about the walking trail. The mayor responded that there is a land swap being discussed and we should see progress soon. CM Delgado mentioned that people come from out of town to play golf and the course needs to be fixed. CM Delgado said the fireworks show was great.
CM Harris asked about the cemetery gate. L. Bryant said the price of materials is very expensive so the town will need to decide how to reduce costs or wait until the price of materials goes down. CM Harris said citizens are not taking care of their lawns. Penny Wells suggested an article in the paper on ordinance and consequences. Police have been sending out letters and will begin issuing citations. Lori Ibarra requested better care on sidewalk to camp. Mayor Paustian said the street dance was a success, band and crowd were excellent. The fireworks were fantastic. CM Delgado said next year we need to make sure the trash gets taken care of at the park and pool throughout the day.
Announcements:
Guernsey Volunteer Fire Department – July 7 @ 6 pm, Trolls World Tour – Movie in the Park – July 16 @ Dusk, Council Meeting – July 20 @ 6 pm, Gordon Creek Band Concert in the Park – July 22 @ 6 pm, Mobile Food Pantry @ Town Hall Parking Lot – rescheduled to July 24th @ 1 pm to 3 pm
Adjournment: With no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Paustian called for a motion to adjourn. CM Harris moved to adjourn the meeting at 7:02 pm, seconded by CM Delgado. A vote was taken, and the motion carried with 3 ayes.
Attest:
Nicholas Paustian, Mayor
Jasmine Sterner, Clerk/Treasurer
Public Notice No. 1929 published in the Guernsey Gazette on July 13, 2021.
