OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Casper City Council Special Meeting - December 9, 2025

City Council — Tuesday, December 9, 2025
BodyCasper, Wyoming
SessionCity Council
DateTuesday, December 9, 2025
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 3:56:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:50

Good, how are you?

0:53

Yes, but there's time.

0:57

Still a little bit.

1:00

I was gonna say like engineering office.

1:02

Yeah.

1:04

Hello, hello.

1:05

You can hear us okay, both of you.

1:07

Yep, just fine on my end.

1:09

All right, so we've got a pretty long meeting tonight with an executive session.

1:12

So let's go ahead and get started.

1:14

Um meeting follow-up, do Lima, do you have anything?

1:17

Mayor, nope, I do not.

1:19

Council have anything from the last meeting they'd like to talk about.

1:23

Bring it up.

1:24

Okay.

1:25

Uh Peace in Our Cities recap.

1:28

Thank you, Mayor.

1:29

Peace in Our Cities was a program that was initially brought to us in February of this year by former counselor Jayela Sutherland following uh what was a pretty troubling period of time here in Casper where we suffered the tragic loss of several of our youth to violence.

1:45

Um Ms.

1:46

Sutherland introduced Peace in Our Cities as a global network that supports cities in reducing violence by up to 50%.

1:52

Uh the network emphasizes a balance between law enforcement and prevention and tailor support to individual community needs.

1:59

Counselors at that time expressed broad support for joining the initiative, highlighting the importance of strategic coordination, access to external resources and the city's leadership role.

2:08

So on March 4th of 2025, you all passed a resolution to join Peace in Our Cities and their initiative with the goal to gain access to that expert knowledge, best practices, and direct um collaboration with cities that are facing similar challenges to what Casper was facing in order to foster a safer, healthier, and more connected community for our residents.

2:28

And then fast forward in August, uh Peace in Our Cities actually coordinated a trip for a Casper delegation to Edmonton, Canada, where they would learn uh what Edmonton has done to combat violence and related issues in their community.

2:42

And so this work session is a follow-up to that trip so that council can hear from the delegation what they learned and what their recommendations are for moving forward uh to a more peaceful city.

2:52

So if it pleases the council, I would like to turn the time over to that group to present details.

2:58

Awesome.

2:59

Come on up.

3:07

Okay.

3:08

Hi everyone.

3:09

It's good to see you.

3:11

Um I will be super quick because you just heard almost exactly what I was gonna say.

3:18

So thanks, that was awesome.

3:20

Um it's really good to see all of you.

3:22

I um I'm really just kind of gonna do a little bit more ground, laying the groundwork, and then you'll hear from others who were present on the city exchange.

3:34

Um so maybe the only thing that I'll add to what you've just heard is that um we we did we had these um really excruciating events with violence against youth um and among youth, and so uh there was a lot of consensus around doing something.

3:52

We were talking a lot about doing something, and so this is kind of a step in the direction of having an opportunity to meet with other um communities and learn from particularly Edmonton about what they've done in their community to kind of coalesce around a unified strategy to reduce violence.

4:11

And so we went to Edmonton and you'll hear um what it was that we learned from them, which was quite a lot.

4:19

Um so Peace in our cities isn't intended to be a program itself, it's intended to be a space that offers support, um, that offers access to information to expertise um and that can draw um you know create space for those relationships and that networking to happen.

4:36

Um and so that this city exchange is an example of that.

4:40

Um and I just want to say that we actually have really wonderful work that's already happening here in Casper.

4:48

So this was never intended to say nothing is happening.

4:51

It was intended to be able to build off of the good work that's already happening and to um importantly offer some ideas about a strategic approach that kind of unites the work that's happening and maybe offers some ideas about what could be added on to those efforts.

5:06

So that's what you'll hear from others who are going to speak today.

5:10

So we do have a pretty report from the exchange.

5:26

Uh, to be able to learn more and go more in depth into anything.

5:29

Um but in terms of peace in our cities, Casper, the trust, um, and the health department are all members, and so Peace in Our Cities continues to be a container for the community to access to learn to ask questions from in terms of being able to provide further guidance or information that's helpful to the work as we move forward.

5:53

So I will stop and let you speak.

5:58

Sorry.

5:58

Okay, okay.

6:02

Council.

6:02

Um so we, as uh city manager bop has said, and I we did an exchange program.

6:09

So the Casper delegation included city and police leadership, public health department, Natron County Collective Trust, and PCR City representatives.

6:17

So while we we went to Edmonton because we share similarities with that community, although they're much larger, we have similar challenges.

6:23

So it would follow that we would have similar solutions to those problems.

6:27

Um so the purpose of our visit was to learn about the programs that make up REACH.

6:31

So REACH is the overarching program in Canada, which um ties all of the other little programs together.

6:36

So much like Casper, they have various entities that provide various services, and then REACH is their overarching one.

6:42

So in Casper, we have various entities, so we're learning about that and how they tie them all in together.

6:46

And so with that, I'll turn it over to Shane to go over some of the key insights from Edmonton.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Water And Wastewater Management██████████████████████████████████34%
Economic Development████████████████16%
Public Safety███████████11%
Fiscal Sustainability███████7%
Mental Health Awareness████4%
Community Engagement████4%
Homelessness████4%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Procedural████4%
Summary of Proceedings

Casper City Council Special Meeting - December 9, 2025

The Casper City Council convened a special meeting on December 9, 2025, to address critical public safety strategies, opioid fund allocation, new economic development tools, and significant utility rate increases. Key topics included a follow-up on the "Peace in Our Cities" delegation trip to Edmonton, Canada; a review of opioid settlement fund allocations by a task force; the proposal to adopt Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs) for economic recruitment; and the presentation of proposed rate hikes for water, sewer, and solid waste to address deferred maintenance.

Consent Calendar

  • No specific consent items were explicitly listed in the transcript, though routine administrative announcements were acknowledged.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Council Member Amber Pollock expressed support for the "Peace in Our Cities" initiative and specifically emphasized the potential impact and importance of the 24-7 crisis response strategy observed in Edmonton.
  • Counselor Haskins questioned whether the City's Homeless Coalition was integrated into the broader violence prevention framework, receiving confirmation that collaboration and shared goals existed between the entities.
  • Counselor Gamroth inquired about the effectiveness of the "RAP ED" program in Edmonton regarding youth violence reduction.
  • Counselor Kyle Gamroth expressed strong support for making enterprise funds self-sustaining, advocating for the removal of the "one-cent" subsidy for water and sewer, provided reallocated funds are directed toward critical infrastructure like streets.
  • Counselor Pat expressed concern regarding the financial burden on fixed-income residents but acknowledged the necessity of addressing deferred maintenance, supporting the proposed rate increases.
  • Council Member Michael expressed hesitation regarding the timing of the "Second Street Ice" fundraising event due to a family funeral, advocating for a rescheduling to January 13th.
  • Council Member Jenna expressed admiration for the scale and success of the recent Christmas Parade and the Chocolate Walk downtown.

Discussion Items

  • Peace in Our Cities & Edmonton Exchange: The delegation reported that Edmonton reduced violence through a 24-7 crisis diversion program staffed by civilian responders, cross-sector collaboration via the "REACH" hub, and blended data sharing. Staff requested council support to formalize a leadership liaison (staff and council member) for the Natrona County Safety and Justice (NCSJ) workgroup to align Casper's existing initiatives with Edmonton's model. Council agreed to appoint a staff member and council member to the NCSJ leadership team and committed to a six-month reporting cadence, with a request for a detailed financial scoping on the 24-7 crisis team by mid-February.
  • Opioid Task Force: The task force explained that opioid settlement funds ($3 million) were allocated for a one-year pilot to allow for evaluation before committing remaining funds. Proposals prioritized evidence-based interventions, with a joint proposal from the Health Department and CWCC designated to cover the full spectrum of treatment, prevention, and recovery to prevent service gaps. Staff noted the importance of sustainability for these programs.
  • Daniels Fund Grant: Staff requested retroactive approval for a $150,000 grant submission to the Daniels Fund to fill a funding gap for the Washington Park tennis facility. The Council acknowledged the administrative error of submitting without prior permission but approved the ratification of the submission.
  • Industrial Revenue Bonds (IRBs): Staff presented IRBs as a "conduit debt" tool to reduce borrowing costs for private developers at no liability or direct financial risk to the City. The Council discussed the process, confirming that the City acts only as an issuer while the private party secures its own investors. Council directed staff to develop a policy resolution outlining the approval process, including an IRB committee review, fiscal impact analysis, and public hearing, with final approval vested in the Council.
  • Utility Rate Increases:
    • Solid Waste: Staff proposed a modest 3% increase for refuse and a 3% increase for the Cell Fill Fund in 2026 and 2027. Council approved the recommendation to move forward with the resolution.
    • Water: Staff recommended an 8% rate increase for 2026 to align with a 100-year infrastructure replacement cycle, noting the current system is underfunded. Council debated the use of the "one-cent" subsidy. A motion to set rates for only one year was defeated; Council approved a two-year rate resolution (8% increase for 2026-2027) to allow time for the tiered water rate study while maintaining the status quo on the one-cent subsidy discussion until a future date.
    • Sewer: Staff recommended a phased 34% increase for 2026 and 18% for 2027 to transition from a 300-year to a 100-year replacement cycle for the city sewer system. Council members acknowledged the historical deferral of maintenance and supported the magnitude of the increases to ensure system reliability, despite the financial impact on residents.

Key Outcomes

  • NCSJ Leadership: Council formally agreed to appoint both a City staff member and a Council member to the NCSJ leadership team to facilitate the "Peace in Our Cities" collaboration.
  • Reporting Cadence: Council directed the NCSJ/Peace in Our Cities group to provide progress reports every six months, with a specific request to re-engage regarding the 24-7 crisis diversion program funding by mid-February.
  • Grant Ratification: Retroactive approval was granted for the City's submission of a $150,000 grant to the Daniels Fund for the Washington Park tennis facility.
  • IRB Development: Council granted direction to staff to draft and bring forward a resolution establishing the policy and procedural framework for the issuance of Industrial Revenue Bonds.
  • Rate Resolutions:
    • Solid Waste: Approved a resolution adopting a 3% rate increase for refuse and 3% for the Cell Fill Fund for 2026 and 2027.
    • Water & Sewer: Approved a resolution establishing rates for a two-year term (Jan 2026–Jan 2028). Water is set at an 8% increase for both years under the current subsidy model. Sewer is set at a 34% increase in 2026 followed by an 18% increase in 2027.
  • Meeting Schedule: The December 30, 2025, meeting was confirmed as the first meeting for incoming City Manager Janine, and the agenda for that meeting was adjusted regarding the "Second Street Ice" event to allow for family bereavement." }

Meeting Transcript

Good, how are you? Yes, but there's time. Still a little bit. I was gonna say like engineering office. Yeah. Hello, hello. You can hear us okay, both of you. Yep, just fine on my end. All right, so we've got a pretty long meeting tonight with an executive session. So let's go ahead and get started. Um meeting follow-up, do Lima, do you have anything? Mayor, nope, I do not. Council have anything from the last meeting they'd like to talk about. Bring it up. Okay. Uh Peace in Our Cities recap. Thank you, Mayor. Peace in Our Cities was a program that was initially brought to us in February of this year by former counselor Jayela Sutherland following uh what was a pretty troubling period of time here in Casper where we suffered the tragic loss of several of our youth to violence. Um Ms. Sutherland introduced Peace in Our Cities as a global network that supports cities in reducing violence by up to 50%. Uh the network emphasizes a balance between law enforcement and prevention and tailor support to individual community needs. Counselors at that time expressed broad support for joining the initiative, highlighting the importance of strategic coordination, access to external resources and the city's leadership role. So on March 4th of 2025, you all passed a resolution to join Peace in Our Cities and their initiative with the goal to gain access to that expert knowledge, best practices, and direct um collaboration with cities that are facing similar challenges to what Casper was facing in order to foster a safer, healthier, and more connected community for our residents. And then fast forward in August, uh Peace in Our Cities actually coordinated a trip for a Casper delegation to Edmonton, Canada, where they would learn uh what Edmonton has done to combat violence and related issues in their community. And so this work session is a follow-up to that trip so that council can hear from the delegation what they learned and what their recommendations are for moving forward uh to a more peaceful city. So if it pleases the council, I would like to turn the time over to that group to present details. Awesome. Come on up. Okay. Hi everyone. It's good to see you. Um I will be super quick because you just heard almost exactly what I was gonna say. So thanks, that was awesome. Um it's really good to see all of you. I um I'm really just kind of gonna do a little bit more ground, laying the groundwork, and then you'll hear from others who were present on the city exchange. Um so maybe the only thing that I'll add to what you've just heard is that um we we did we had these um really excruciating events with violence against youth um and among youth, and so uh there was a lot of consensus around doing something. We were talking a lot about doing something, and so this is kind of a step in the direction of having an opportunity to meet with other um communities and learn from particularly Edmonton about what they've done in their community to kind of coalesce around a unified strategy to reduce violence. And so we went to Edmonton and you'll hear um what it was that we learned from them, which was quite a lot. Um so Peace in our cities isn't intended to be a program itself, it's intended to be a space that offers support, um, that offers access to information to expertise um and that can draw um you know create space for those relationships and that networking to happen. Um and so that this city exchange is an example of that. Um and I just want to say that we actually have really wonderful work that's already happening here in Casper. So this was never intended to say nothing is happening. It was intended to be able to build off of the good work that's already happening and to um importantly offer some ideas about a strategic approach that kind of unites the work that's happening and maybe offers some ideas about what could be added on to those efforts. So that's what you'll hear from others who are going to speak today. So we do have a pretty report from the exchange. Uh, to be able to learn more and go more in depth into anything. Um but in terms of peace in our cities, Casper, the trust, um, and the health department are all members, and so Peace in Our Cities continues to be a container for the community to access to learn to ask questions from in terms of being able to provide further guidance or information that's helpful to the work as we move forward. So I will stop and let you speak. Sorry. Okay, okay.

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