It was an active year for the city as many events, such as the closing of Green River’s Shopko store, continued discussions about a proposed sixth-penny tax, and recyclables being dumped at the landfill, were dealt with by residents and Council representatives.
New councilmen placed
The Green River City Council had two new faces at the start of the year. Jim Zimmerman and Mike Shutran were elected to the Council in 2018. Zimmerman serves in Ward I with Tom Murphy while Shutran serves in Ward II, with Lisa Maes. Gary Killpack won a re-election bid in Ward III, serving alongside Robert Berg.
Shopko closes
While store closures had previously affected businesses in Rock Springs, Green River’s Shopko joined a growing list of retailers that shut down in Sweetwater County. The entire chain shut down, impacting many Wyoming communities where Shopko had established stores. Green River’s Shopko was initially spared from shutting down, but was included as the scope of the company’s store closures grew. Shortly after Shopko closed its Green River store May, the company announced it would close its remaining department stores after the company was unable to find a buyer. The remaining stores were shut down in June.
Allan Wilson sentenced
A sentencing hearing for former Green River City Councilman Allan Wilson took place in March. Wilson was sentenced after pleading guilty to a charge of second degree sexual abuse of a minor as part of a plea agreement. Other charges filed against him were dropped. He was placed on five years supervised probation and the charge can be removed from his record should he complete the probation, but if he fails to live up to the stipulations of his probation, he faces the maximum sentence of up to $20,000 in fines and up to 20 years in prison.
“I just hope you understand what you’ve been given in this deal,” Third District Court Judge Nena James said.
Recycling dumped at landfill
Following a fire at the city’s Solid Waste Transfer Station, an investigation by the Star revealed Wyoming Waste Systems was dumping materials collected through the city’s curbside recycling program were being taken to the Solid Waste District No. 1 Landfill outside Rock Springs. According to Michelle Foote, the site manager for WWS in Rock Springs, putting those items into the landfill was a temporary solution to the problem of the city’s transfer station being closed. Recycling was still accepted at the bins outside the transfer station, but problems with contamination, as well as nation-wide issues regarding recyclable materials also posed issues with the recycling program.
“I would like to recycle ... I would like to be a good steward to the community,” Foote told the Star in March.
The curbside recycling program has since been re-established, with the company actively monitoring the amount of contaminated recyclable materials placed in the bins.
Superintendent retires
Sweetwater County School District No. 2 Superintendent Donna Little-Kaumo announced her plans to retire at the end of the 2019-2020 school year. However, Little-Kaumo opted to retire sooner than she initially announced, with the district’s board of trustees approving her retirement in October.
The sixth-penny tax
Much of the discussion throughout the year focused on a bit to reinstate a special purpose tax known locally as the sixth-penny tax. The tax was last approved by voters in 2012 and paid for street and road renovations throughout the county, as well as a new medical office building for Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County and ambulances for Castle Rock Hospital District. While the Sweetwater County commissioners have been vocal about keeping a proposed tax to $80-100 million, the initial project lists more than doubled that amount. Green River’s list of projects include several road repair packages, as well as money for the city’s wastewater treatment plant construction and work to preserve the river corridor. The total amount sought is $32.4 million. Another project not listed as a priority for sixth-penny tax funding is an update to the Green River recreation Center, valued at $6.7 million.
City representatives have argued the tax should be set for a specific collection timeline and not a project-specific list, but the county commissioners, who ultimately approve a tax ballot initiative, disagreed. According to Reed Clevenger, other counties have approved similar taxes for several years and argued expansion projects proposed by Genesis Alkali and Ciner would bring a sizable sales tax amount to the county because the projects will bring hundreds of temporary workers to the area. The commissioners also criticized the city for not initially prioritizing its project list. City representatives have argued the projects they listed are all priorities for Green River, however the commissioners wanted a numerical listing of which projects are most important.
Wastewater treatment plant moves forward
The city has worked toward obtaining a loan for its proposed wastewater treatment plant throughout the year. The plant will replace the city’s aging sewer lagoons, which were last updated in the late 1980s and have since operated beyond their expected lifespan. The city received approval from the State Lands and Investments Board for a $27.6 million loan to pay for the construction of the facility.
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