City to receive $10M in grant funding

Green River Public Works Director Mark Westenskow announced Tuesday during the City Council meeting that the City of Green River will be receiving an added $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) grant for the completion of the Water Treatment Plant Replacement Facility.

The Office of State Lands and Investments has recommended an amendment to the grant the city originally received, increasing the amount by $10,530,307. This amendment raises the total grant amount to $16,775,307. The added funding is equivalent to one third of the total construction cost of slightly over $51 million.

Westenskow explained that some projects around the state were not eligible or were unable to use the grant funds by their deadline, causing State Lands to reclaim the reserved money and reallocate it to eligible projects.

Westenskow said that all the relevant documentation and planned spending must be submitted to the Office of State Lands and Investments by the end of the year and that the funds must be spent by the end of 2026.

Mayor Pete Rust was incredibly pleased at this announcement, expressing his appreciation for Westenskow and his team.

"Great job to everybody that was involved," Rust said. "Again, this is just plain and simply good news."

Councilman Jost says goodbye

Tuesday's meeting was the last of the year for the council and the final meeting for Councilman George Jost. Jessica Maser was elected to the Ward II seat in November and will begin her term in January.

Jost served on the Council from 1985-2001, and again from 2020-2024, for a combined 20 years of service. Jost also served on the Wyoming Association of Municipalities board of directors, Joint Powers Water Board, Wyoming Water Commission, and United Way Board of Directors as Chairman.

The mayor and other council members thanked Jost for his many years of service, with Mayor Rust saying, "I want to congratulate and thank Councilman Jost for his service and commitment to the citizens of Green River."

In closing, Jost said, "I just want everybody to know that the city council really cares about the employees of the city of Green River, and I appreciate all the citizens that have supported me all these years."