City to prepare severance packages

Following an executive session taking place during the Green RIver City Council meeting Tuesday night, the Council voted to continue negotiations with Wyoming Waste Management and prepare an employee severance package should the Council vote to privatize its solid waste service.

Prior to the start of their scheduled meeting, the Council hosted a workshop to hear an update about solid waste department. City Administrator Reed Clevenger said the city issued a request for proposal and selected two companies that had answered the request for presentations. Of those two, the city selected Wyoming Waste Management to discuss privatization plans and goals. Clevenger said the company has offered suggested hours of operations based on the city’s solid waste study, as well as a transition plan for employees and an outreach program to notify residents about the change, should it occur.

A timeline provided to the city worked off of a Sept. 26 approval date, which is too soon for the Council to act, however, Clevenger said the city should act one way or another soon.

“We need to move forward on something,” he told the Council.

The city has opted not to purchase equipment for its solid waste transfer station, which is close to completion. Clevenger said the city put off those purchases because the Council hasn’t decided if it will privatize. Another issue the city will have to deal with is how it will sever employees should it move to privatize. The Council was given information regarding possible severance options during an executive session. After that session, the Council voted to continue discussions with Wyoming Waste Management and prepare a possible severance package for solid waste employees.

One employee, Jen Holden, believes the Council has yet to act decisively on the issue.

“I’d like to know what I’m doing in the next few months,” Holden said. “We’re still in limbo.”

Closure of the landfill has been extended to the end of December, but Clevenger said Wyoming DEQ won’t extend the closure further.

“It’s a drop dead date,” he said. “We’ve known it’s been at a point we have to move forward and move expeditiously.”