SUBLETTE COUNTY – It comes down to dollars and cents – especially in local government.

Four of the five Sublette County Commissioners braved whiteout conditions around the county to meet in the commissioners’ chambers on Tuesday, April 5, for their first meeting in three weeks. Commissioner Tom Noble was absent from the meeting.

Todd Hurd of Forsgren Associates updated commissioners on the county’s ongoing projects. Hurd said water pumps are onsite at the Daniel fire station/road and bridge building but controllers are not. Once those controllers arrive, they’ll take a few days to install and then an inspector with the state fire marshal’s office will need to give approval before the building is deemed habitable. Hurd expected the building to be ready for occupation by the end of next week (around April 15), and the established account for funds on the project to be between $35,000 and $40,000 by the next commissioners’ meeting (April 19).

Concerning ongoing roofing work at the Sublette County Fairgrounds events building, all parties agreed to a 75-25 split. Approximately 75 percent of payment will be made to cover all necessary items, with the remaining 25 percent of payment due at completion. Hurd said the contract for cupola work is $66,730.

Hurd is pleased with progress at the Big Piney Library and the project is on track to be completed by late July, “as long as the roofing situation holds.” Commissioner Dave Stephens said he was approached with concerns on the building’s elevator. Hurd hadn’t heard those issues and would look into it.

Commissioners, Hurd and county administrator Matt Gaffney all approved the current direction of work on the Rendezvous Pointe garage building that caught fire last year. Hurd is requesting a change order so the county has documentation of the financials on the project.

Elected official salaries

A bill passed by the Wyoming State Legislature increased the limit on salaries for elected officials from $100,000 to $145,000.

Commissioners asked elected officials within the county for feedback at this meeting so a resolution could be made later in the month. That way salaries would be set by the May 13, the start of the filing period. Any increase would take effect when elected officials are sworn in.

County clerk Carrie Long reminded the board that employees last received a 2-percent cost of living adjustment in 2018. She informed the board she will factor in a 7-percent cost of living adjustment in the upcoming budget. Long sent emails throughout the county and hadn’t heard back from many but expected more feedback by the next meeting.

Some elected officials, however, were present at the meeting to provide their input.

Laila Illoway, county assessor, said her workload has increased recently. Looking at numbers her office deals with, she pointed out 197 sales in 2019, 216 the following year, 278 in tax year 2021 and, most recently, a stunning 429 sales in tax year 2022.

“I feel like I’m getting nowhere because there are so many sales,” Illoway said. “It’s a lot of extra work.”

Sublette County Attorney Mike Crosson said he gets paid $100,000 annually with 20 years of experience. His office recently hired a deputy attorney with six years of experience at $92,000. That is an 8-percent difference between the county’s lead attorney with decades of experience and its office’s newest hire. That position was open for five months and was difficult to fill, Crosson said.

“We can’t hire people, we can’t retain people and this is pretty universal across the entire state,” he said.

Crosson brought up that attorneys who do go into government practice don’t run for office because of the headaches for only a small financial increase. Attorneys, in general, make far more money in the private sector working for a firm than in government.

This is also the case for law enforcement employees.

Sheriff KC Lehr said there’s a huge disparity between private-sector work and government work. He said over his 20 years working in the public sector he’s received a cumulative 10-percent raise, which was nearly an annual increase in the private sector.

Lehr also brought up that some deputies get paid more than he does, when factoring in overtime that he is not eligible for.

County treasurer Emily Paravicini said occasional increases in pay for elected officials are important because as the county sees an influx of residents, some bring their work with them. She also brought up how elected officials apply for their jobs through elections and are hired by their constituents. That bothered her slightly when some unelected officials make more money and don’t have to ask the public for job retention.

District Court clerk Janet Montgomery suggested commissioners consider the raises as funding the position and not the person in that position – because that person won’t always have that position.

Long said she didn’t think it would be unreasonable to keep cost-of-living adjustment conversations for employees and raises to elected officials as separate discussions.

Commissioner Doug Vickrey pushed back slightly against concerns raised. He announced he will likely run for re-election and it makes him uncomfortable that county citizens will further feel the financial pinch while their elected officials ask for more money.

Someone identified as “Chris B” watching the meeting on Zoom asked if the county administrator is paid more than the county sheriff. Long confirmed the county administrator position, created by commissioners, pays $95,000 annually and the sheriff’s posted salary is $92,800.

Lehr said he was fine with elected officials getting paid the same, regardless of departments. Some who previously spoke in the meeting agreed. 

Hospital District update

Commissioners and legal counsel had little update on the transfer agreement with the Sublette County Hospital District. SCHD administrative director Dave Doorn said all concerns seem to be addressed in the tentative agreement.

SCHD chair Tonia Hoffman, who was not present, had questions on utilities for Public Health. Commissioners determined breaking utilities up by square footage, so the county could fund and provide Public Health services, as defined by state statute, would be easier. SCHD officials will come up with a proposal for commissioners’ approval at a later meeting. Doorn said the Hospital District is looking for a place to house maintenance items for Public Health within or near the Sublette Center.

Macy Spears of Stroudwater GCL, Rural Healthcare Capital, gave a quick update on behalf of the Hospital District’s USDA loan application. Spears said her office got word last week that the loan is at the final level – the national loan committee. A representative from U.S. Sen. John Barrasso’s office confirmed that with the Hospital District.

Stroudwater GCL is the Hospital District’s lender for the construction loan and the 10-percent long-term participation loan. Doorn said the company is also providing loan application support for the Hospital District. 

SAFV/PAC

Robin Clover of the SAFV Task Force made it through difficult roads from Bondurant to Pinedale for the meeting to read the Sexual Assault Awareness Month resolution. That resolution unites the community in efforts to end domestic violence and sexual assault.

Commissioners agreed it’s a valuable annual contribution to the public record and unanimously adopted it.

Clover introduced Amber Anderson, director of the Pinedale Aquatic Center, as one of the TANF grant partners. Because Clover is retiring at the end of the month, Anderson will become the new program manager. Commissioners agreed to allow that transfer of roles.

Amberson, while appearing before commissioners, said PAC attendance is matching pre-COVID numbers but utility costs have risen 35 percent since then. She said they’re working to diversify revenue streams to compensate for those utility costs. 

Other items:

• Following an hour-long discussion, commissioners voted 3-1 to approve a variance to rural residential zoning setback, allowing Charles Prior to extend his work shed by 5 feet, contingent upon written approval from the neighboring homeowners’ association. Commissioners unanimously approved a condition use permit for a guest ranch at Double J Ranch outside Daniel. Existing cabins on the ranch had been previously used for employee housing and now function more as guest cabins. The board also approved a change of zoning district boundary near Daniel from highway commercial to light industrial to accommodate a timber-cutting and sales business.
• The county received its money from the Vanguard settlement, which was moved into a reserve account. Commissioners approved a transfer agreement to move $25,000 into a new department for the visitor’s center and remaining funds were moved into the general account.
• Commissioners, upon recommendation from Paravicini, did not accept a loan to cover a financial shortfall caused by ad valorem tax payments. Paravicini said her office just received the first ad valorem tax payment, this one near $60,000. Those will come in monthly.
• Union Wireless representatives gave commissioners an update on fibre optic and fixed wireless installation projects.
• Kevin Warren of Rendezvous Pointe came forward to give an update on services and thank commissioners for their support. The board thanked him, and Rendezvous Pointe staff, for their services.
• Following an executive session to close the meeting, commissioners selected Zane Hayward, Autumn Wright and Cody Phelps as recipients of the commissioners’ scholarship. Cora Murphy is an alternate, should one of the recipients defer.