Dispatch center appointments based on distrust in RS members

Recent appointments to the Sweetwater County Combined Communications Joint Powers Board have revealed both a distrust of who appointees from Rock Springs represent and flaws in the county’s board application process.

At the start of the month, the Sweetwater County Commissioners deliberated on two board appointments for the Sweetwater County Combined Communications Joint Powers Board, which oversees emergency dispatch services throughout the county. Up for reappointment were Rock Springs Fire Chief Jim Wamsley and Alexander Visser, with new applicants being Joan Savage and Theodore Treo. Wamsley in particular had been a long-serving member to that point, having stepped in as the dispatch center’s interim director as the board worked to fill the vacancy.

The commissioners decided to appoint Savage and Treo, but would need to make another appointment after Treo was found to not reside in Wyoming.

Initially, Commissioner Roy Lloyd recommended both Visser and Wamsley to be reappointed as the county’s representatives to the board, but Lloyd’s recommendation was denied by the other commissioners.

“Both present appointees work for the City of Rock Springs, so if you do the math, there’s five Rock Springs people on that communication board and one county, and that’s our sheriff,” Commissioner Randy Wendling said prior to the vote.

Wendling said the representatives have historically done the right things in regards to representing the county on the board, but he had concerns of what the future holds as the county prepares to enter into a contract with the board and ensuring the county’s interests would be represented by its appointees, not Rock Springs’ or Green River’s interests.

“When it comes to appointing board members, I think we need to look out for what’s best for our county,” he said.

Wendling said both Wamsley and Visser are great appointments, but believed Savage and Treo were good applicants as well, saying they would represent the county and be receptive to the commissioners’ directions.

“My one comment there would be I’ll take our one sheriff over five city people anytime,” Commission Chairman Jeff Smith said.

Smith later apologized to Rock Springs city employees for that comment, going as far as purchasing donuts for the employees at Rock Springs City Hall.

Both Savage and Treo were appointed in a 3-1 vote, with Lloyd voting against and Commissioner Lauren Schoenfeld absent from the discussion.

Last week, the commissioners decided to appoint Vesser to Treo’s term following the discovery that Treo didn’t reside in Wyoming and had confused the board application with a county job application.

Lloyd said he contacted both Vesser and Wamsley about the vacancy, saying Wamsley was “apprehensive” of a potential appointment, recommending Vesser to the role. Lloyd also complimented Wamsley on his service to the dispatch center and its board, saying he and Vesser had a wealth of knowledge about the board and the center. Visser was appointed through a unanimous vote by the commissioners.

The commissioners later voiced a desire to improve the process used to appoint people to volunteer boards. Lloyd said a recent move to the county’s application-tracking system is confusing for people.

“People get on Indeed to put out mass applications and even though it does say ‘board application, not a paid position’... I think it’s kind of clogging up some of the applications,” Lloyd said.

He believes they’re receiving board applications from people who are trying to fulfill unemployment application quotas, thinking they’re applying for jobs. Board vacancies are listed under the Employment Opportunities page of the county’s website. Board applications use the same software used to manage the county’s job applications.

Wendling said Lloyd is right when he mentioned problems with the board process.

“We just need to fix it,” he said.

Garry McLean, the county’s human resources director, said changes to the application process have already taken place, which include ensuring the board vacancies don’t appear on job search websites.