Community development authority.

Thank you.

The chair to entertain a motion to by minute action establish the public hearing date just read.

Move by the vice mayor, seconded by councillor bond.

Any abstentions.

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Council will now consider consent resolutions.

Please read the consent resolutions by title only.

8A1, authorizing a contract for professional services between the city of Casper and Dynamic Controls Incorporated for the installation and configuration of door access controls for Metro Animal Services and the Police Department range.

8A2, authorizing a contract for professional services with civil engineering professionals incorporated for updating the 2016 stormwater utility and implementation plan.

8A3, authorizing a procurement of goods agreement with Alpha Lavelle Incorporated for a sludge spiral heat exchanger for use at the Sam H.

Hobbes Wastewater Treatment Plant.

8A4, authorizing change order number one to the agreement with Rams Horn Construction Incorporated for the Wolf Creek Road Improvements, West 38th Street to CY Avenue Phase 2 Project.

885, authorizing an agreement with SNL Industrial LLC for the miscellaneous crosswalk replacements project.

886, approving a real estate purchase agreement and authorizing a quick claim deed for closing on the sale of lots one through four Robertson Road Edition to the City of Casper.

887, authorizing a contract for professional services with West Plains Engineering for the Recreation Center Rooftop Units Replacement Project.

888, authorizing a procurement of goods agreement with dynamic controls incorporated for professional services for the thermal lens procurement project.

And 8A9 authorizing the deduct change order number one with Grizzly Excavating and Construction LLC for the D Street Improvements Project.

Thank you.

The chair entertained a motion to adopt the consent agenda items just read.

Moved by Councillor Sweeney, seconded by Councilor Haskins.

Adam City Manager, do you have anything to comment on in any of these items?

Not this evening, Mayor.

Thank you.

Any abstentions or nay votes from the council?

Okay, please cast your vote.

Uh oh.

I'm gonna vote nay on uh 8A6.

Okay.

Sorry, but it was no I also like the vote being okay.

There's a process, people there's a process.

Just just kidding.

Thank you.

Um with the neighbour's noted, please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With counselors Haskins and Gamrath's uh nay votes noted and all of those voting aye, the motion passes.

Thank you.

Please read the consent minute action titles.

9A1 authorizing the appointment of Megan Bratton to the downtown development authority for a four-year term ending on June 30th, 2029.

982, authorizing the purchase of one new manhole cutter for use by the streets division of the public services department.

983, authorizing the purchase of one new 53-foot box van trailer for use by the solid waste facility.

984, authorizing the purchase of one new drum style hand fed chipper for use by the wheat and pest section of the parks recreation and public facilities department.

985, authorizing the purchase of one new rear load sanitation truck for use by the sanitation division.

986 authorizing the purchase of one new aerator for use by the athletics division of the parks recreation and public facilities department and 987, authorizing the purchase of one new truck-mounted single engine sewer cleaner for use by the wastewater collection division of the public services department.

Thank you.

The chair to entertain a motion to approve the consent minute action agenda items just read.

Move by the vice mayor, seconded by counselor bond.

Any abstentions or nay votes?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Thank you.

At this time, we ask councillors to bring forward any relevant concerns or items of interest they would like to share.

Oh counselor Jensen.

I'll start with you.

Thank you, Mayor.

You're welcome.

And nothing.

Thank you.

Counselor Bond.

Excuse me, Mayor.

Not much to report this week.

I did uh attend the council for safety and justice meeting last week.

And that's what I had to report there.

They're trying to uh they're working on kind of uh reframing how they organize their system of work and so that was largely the conversation for the social justice safety and justice group last week.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Counselor Larson I don't have anything.

All right, thank you, sir.

Counselor Haskins.

Um I don't have a whole lot.

I attended a keynote speaker.

I'm trying to see if I can remember his name, Trevor something.

I'm sorry, not helpful.

With thank you.

With some of the staff, it was a really good turnout.

Super informative guy.

He has an Instagram page that I didn't write that down either.

So not helpful at all.

But I went and learned something really great.

I know I'm killing it.

If somebody else goes to that, if you could back me up, that'd be awesome.

Thank you, Mary.

Um so last Tuesday uh was visit Casper.

Um good meeting.

Um the 27th, I attended the community action uh partnership meeting that uh Dakota had invited us to uh judging from what I was told uh that probably wasn't the right meeting that he intended for us uh to come to and so I gather from others that they'll when they're ready for us, will get a hold of us to uh to come at that time, and I think they're at some point giving a presentation at council on some other things.

Um on the 28th, I also attended the Trevor Reagan uh seminar.

But I and no, because I'm not on social media, otherwise that would be totally right.

So you're a healthy person because I'd rather people just take pot shots at me as they do, and um I don't respond.

So um I thought it was very good and worth the time, and I think it's uh invaluable kind of training for um our our staff in I I thought it was very good.

Um also in that day uh the Natrona County Health Trust um Um had uh collaborative meeting uh that they have been putting on and going to and um that's where I kind of found out that I was not at the right meeting the day before for the community action partnership.

So um also if if you get a chance, I went to the opening of the uh new grief center um uh through a hospice.

Uh turned out uh very good, and I think it'll be a much needed resource for Greece Count Counseling, and uh they're going to be doing some other things out of that building.

Um then attended that evening um over at the library.

Um representative uh Campbell has uh she's been putting on uh collaboratively different uh uh sessions on um government and this one was on county government and uh commissioner north um and uh coates were both there along with Tracy Good or County Clerk and District Court.

Um so that was very good in this morning.

Uh the senior district um had their uh monthly meeting, and uh um they're moving right along and looking forward to um October, November in mostly December as far as tax revenues.

So um they had to basically borrow money to get things set up and going in um so that's that's going well.

Um other than that, um I think that's about it.

And uh I regret not thinking Jason's friends and uh also the food bank.

I think you gave some great statistics, whether anybody listens or not.

What the cuts, both doge and um the one big beautiful bill uh will be very impactful to Wyoming.

Um in the coming months and years um to come in affect a lot of wives, so in our uh county.

So thank you, Mayor.

Thank you.

Councilor Gamroth.

Thank you, Mayor.

I want to thank uh Greg Dixon and Melissa Hugot, right?

Uh for being in attendance this evening.

Uh Greg is the chair of our DDA board and Melissa is our new executive director.

I imagine they were here in case we had any questions or statements to make about the appointment of our new uh board member.

Uh we didn't, but uh I appreciate them hanging out through the entirety of the meeting, as well as everyone else that showed up today.

We had a good mix of folks kind of speaking to a variety of things.

So I was like seeing that.

Had a homelessness coalition task force meeting last Wednesday.

Uh a couple highlights from that meeting.

Parking enforcement has picked up significantly.

So if you've not noticed it yet, through uh your having been ticketed, please know there's a two-hour time limit on every block uh during you know, mostly regular business hours uh because we have a new community service officer watching that area.

The police is using uh are using drones to monitor the river to address camping.

There have been several, you know, um, for lack of a better term, campsites that they picked up and using their just drones gives them a lot, you know, it's a lot more efficient way to kind of find that so that they can send in kind of uh people on foot to uh engage with folks that might be setting up tents in prohibited areas.

We discussed issues of uh folks experiencing homelessness calling 911 just to get an ambulance ride to the hospital.

Christy at the Netrona County Collective Health Trust reminded the group that there's still lots of resources available to provide lift rides for people in need.

So uh I would say for any stakeholders or anyone that interacts with folks that are experiencing homelessness, please make sure they're aware of that resource so that they're not calling the ambulance unnecessarily to get a ride to the hospital.

That's obviously a not cost-efficient way to uh you know provide transportation around the community.

There's other ways uh that actually have resources available.

Kim at the Casper Housing Authority reported 480 applications they recently received for subsidized housing, only 22 qualified have brought this issue up before the fact that there is a huge need of subsidized or affordable housing.

However, very few people are qualifying for that, and so those other 458 people are going somewhere.

Uh not sure where she said it was largely in part due to debts owed to utility providers.

So there's a number of things that prohibit you from getting federally funded housing vouchers, uh felony, um current drug and substance use, but also back payments to utility providers.

So, you know, to me, this is indicative of kind of a larger trend.

There's more and more people falling behind on the utilities, which makes it harder for them to uh see you know receive affordable housing, which is gonna be pushing people out of their homes.

So it's just some worrying trends and statistics that are being reported by uh some of these folks in our community.

Everyone is reporting more food insecurity, so I was very glad that we could proclaim uh make that proclamation tonight.

I'm very glad to have representatives from the food bank uh here this evening.

They alluded to it earlier, but everybody that deals with food provision in our community is reporting more people and less resources.

So uh I think I'd reported in the past that uh the rescue mission was seeing more and more people show up, not necessarily for shelter services, but just to get a meal.

Uh and again, I think that's indicative of larger trends as well.

When people who can technically afford a roof over their head are having to show up to the mission to get uh their launch.

Uh Salvation Army reported having four families recently seeking service in the past month that have over 10 people working in their household.

So that's probably where some of those 458 people are going.

They are all getting together and uh renting a place together and stacking three or four people to a room.

The rescue mission reports 26% of residents being from outside Netrona County during their most recent monthly count.

Uh and 26% being from out of state, that is an increase of about five to seven percent from last year.

And uh no idea yet exactly why that may be the case, but um certainly some of the larger cities are cracking down more on homelessness and stuff, and they're pushing pushing the issues elsewhere, and so it's definitely a trend.

I'm watching closely.

Is now seeing four to five times more people for detox services.

Uh uh again, folks identifying as homeless that than they used to.

Is having a summit November 4th through the 6th at the best western from 8 30 to 4 30.

So if any of these topics uh pique your curiosity, I might encourage you to go to that summit.

That covers the task force.

Uh, and then just a couple events coming up.

The Metropolitan Planning Organization is having a safe routes to school community event tomorrow, September 3rd, 4 30 to 6 30 at City Park off Center Street.

So again, Metropolitan Planning Organization is in charge of all of our kind of transportation planning and um study putting together.

So if you want to contribute to safe routes to school, uh their community events tomorrow, 4 30 to 6 30 at City Park.

Starting today, Metro went back to their regular operating hours of Monday through Saturday, one to six.

This Saturday, they'll also have their first family friendly night at the shelter.

It's a back to school event called pause and pencils.

It's from one to five.

Again, Saturday night.

There's going to be food trucks, activities, and all adoptions will be half off.

And then this Sunday, Hogadon is hosting a Casper Mountain mingle event from 12 to 6:30.

Free admission for the event.

There's also going to be food drinks and activities on site.

So if you're looking for something to do, might encourage you to check out that one.

They have another one coming up, I believe, uh on the 14th.

That's all I have.

Thank you.

Nothing from me, sir.

Thank you.

Just a couple items for me.

Uh, one, it's it's in a couple weeks, but the 22nd annual uh breaking the silent suicide prevention walk is going to be on uh Sunday, September 20th.

Um, it's been 22 years.

Um, I think it's an important aspect of talk since we are always in the top one, two to three in the nation of suicide uh rates within young people and adults.

Um, so that's very sobering, and I think we need to continue to have that conversation how we can work together as a community to begin preventing and working with individuals.

Um, mental health access uh for a lot of individuals in Casper and around the country is limited.

Um, they either can't afford it or they don't have mental health care or health insurance, and so we're seeing that kind of what Councillor Gamroth was talking about is that we're seeing that trend as therapists and mental health um uh providers that we're seeing those types of trends happening.

They don't have the access because they can't afford to go to counseling.

Um, we see that with our um vulnerable population within the the elderly vulnerable populations with the homeless.

So it is a relevant conversation that we should be talking as a community on how we can uh work together for that and create um accessible health uh mental health care for individuals that it's widely available and it is um affordable.

Uh let's see.

In the oil city, there was a lovely he's gonna hate that.

I'm gonna do this to him.

You're shaking your head, Chief.

There was a wonderful article about our chief of police.

Um, if you get a chance to read it, it basically just says the type of human being that he is and why I think the police department and the community um adore him.

Um, if you look at any again, this is Facebook, I'm sorry.

But if you look at the comments, generally, you know there's always negative comments about something.

There is not one.

Um, it is nothing but a glowing uh how much they support and respect Chief Cheney, and that is um the byline is I listened and I cared.

And that says volumes of the type of a human being you are, and we appreciate having you.

Next council meeting uh or the next meeting of the city council will be a work session to be held on Tuesday, September 9th at 4:30 p.m.

and a regular council meeting to be held at 6 p.m.

on Tuesday, September 16th.

A notice of an executive session to take place at this date and during this meeting is given.

We have a matter to discuss related to personnel.

The chair would entertain a motion to adjourn to an executive session and at the conclusion of that executive session to reconvene this regular meeting solely for the purposes of adjournment of this regular meeting.

Moved by the vice mayor, seconded by counselor Sweeney.

There are a majority of counselors present, and a motion to adjourn to an executive session has been moved and seconded.

This motion requires a two thirds majority of the council present.

Please cast your vote.