PINEDALE – The Pinedale Town Council voted at its meeting Monday night to approve the third and final reading of next year’s budget, including the funding of “contracts for services” – most often made up of nonprofit organizations.

The council held a special budget meeting on May 11, when most of the town’s $2.3 million operating budget was set in place, but the $100,000 that was budgeted for nonprofits went unallocated as the issue did not get settled.

Monday night, Mayor Bob Jones opened the discussion where he left off May 11, arguing that it’s illegal to give money to nonprofits.

“We’re out of money,” he said Monday night. “And the law is very clear, in my opinion, that we have no business doing this.”

For town attorney Ed Wood, however, it’s doable.

“The state Constitution says public funds shall not be used … except for the support of the poor,” he said, adding that public funds can be used, however, if there’s a demonstrated benefit. “They have to be in a give-and-take situation – benefit for the citizens, benefit for the town.”

On May 11, councilman Matt Murdock argued for focusing on the poor and he echoed that Monday night.

“I come back to – we do it based on the disadvantaged,” he said.

Jones used the example of Big Brothers Big Sisters, which asked for $4,000 this year.

“Can we even support it? I argue we can’t,” he said. “Unless they’re poor people, I don’t see where we have the ability to do it.”

Pinedale resident John Paravicini argued in support of the organizations, insisting they can and should be funded.

“I would contend everything on that list provides, in small or large fashion, a service to the town,” he said.

He further took issue with any legal arguments against funding the organizations.

“Legally, it’s been done. The county does it. Towns all over the state do it,” he said. “it should be an argument of the legalities. It’s, ‘We don’t want to pay this money.’”

“That’s what it boils down to,” Jones replied.

“This stuff shouldn’t be cut because it’s benefiting a lot of people – a lot of people that live in the town,” Paravicini said.

“Is anybody going to sue us (for giving to the nonprofits)? Probably not,” Murdock said. “But we need to be aware we’re skirting an issue here.”

The council ultimately decided not to fund Big Brothers Big Sisters or the Pinedale Soccer Association but did vote to support the other eight organizations that requested funds.

The vote passed, 3-2, with Jones and councilman Jim Brost opposed.

In other news from the meeting:

• The council unanimously approved new water and sewer rates, which will substantially increase costs for those with larger water lines – mostly government entities and lodging facilities. Residential customers with ¾ to 1-inch lines will not see a difference in their monthly bill.

“We wanted to hurt the least number of people we possibly could,” Jones said.

However, the council did approve a drop in the monthly allotment given to residential customers. Last winter, customers were given a 40,000-gallon allotment. But after the data came back, that number has been dropped to 20,000 gallons.

“We found very few people used the 40,000 gallons and the 20,000 gallons seemed to be a much more reasonable (amount),” Jones said.

To see the full list of changes to water and sewer rates, particularly for those with 2-inch lines and larger, visit townofpinedale.us.

• The council voted – 4-1, with Jones opposed – to table the second reading of Ordinance 615, which revamps the process for subdivision development. Some council members and Rio Verde Engineering owner Mark Eatinger expressed their concerns about language that was added into the proposed ordinance that gives the town too much latitude on inspection requirements and the associated costs.

Some also felt that the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission (P&Z) did not have adequate time to address the changes and make recommendations. What’s more, recommendations that were made did not make it into the proposed ordinance.

“None of those recommendations ended up in the final draft, which is a little disappointing,” said Eatinger, who attends P&Z meetings to stay up to speed on such things and to provide input. “I spent time trying to work through with Planning and Zoning on this but none of that made it into the final draft.”

The council agreed to have a sit down with the town’s two engineering firms and hash out the ordinance’s language before moving forward.

• Brost asked for clarification on Jones’ policy that council members are not allowed to talk to town staff without Jones’ approval.

“I’ve talked to some (employees) where they’ve been told they’re not allowed to talk to the town council,” Brost said.

“Talking to them and being directed to do something are two different things,” Jones said.

“So if I’m requesting information,” Brost said.

“Then that goes through me,” Jones said.

Brost further clarified that he doesn’t want any stipulations attached.

“I don’t feel I have to explain myself to you or give you a reason … why I want to get the information,” he said.

“I’ve got no problem with that,” Jones said.

• The council voted to reduce the mayor’s salary from $2,000 a month to $1,000 a month and to reduce council pay from $150 per meeting to $100. The change won’t take effect until elections take place for each respective position.
• The council directed Wood to draft an ordinance for food trucks in town.
• The council voted – 3-1-1, with Jones opposed and councilman Tyler Swafford abstaining – to spend up to $2,800 to install fence capping around the outfields at the softball fields.
• The council gave the Sublette County Chamber of Commerce unanimous approval for Rendezvous related street closures.
• Sublette County EMS requested permission to open up a section of fencing at the softball fields to make it easier to land a second helicopter by the clinic during the total solar eclipse in August. An increased crowd is anticipated for the event, so EMS wants to be prepared for any possible emergencies, including multiple lifeflights.

The council voted unanimously to do so “if necessary.”

• The council gave unanimous approval to Ryan Linnemeyer, of Napa Auto Parts, to close one block of North Ashley Avenue on Tuesday, June 13, “so we can park a bunch of old cool cars and some new cool cars” for the annual car show.
• Dennis Fornstrom, of Rio Verde Engineering, gave the council an update on the water-rights transfer that was part of the annexation of the old BloomField Subdivision on the northwest end of Pinedale. The usage will go from agricultural to municipal.

“The water rights from the BloomField will transfer 100 percent to the town,” he reported.