Thanks for the reminder.

I've done that more time than I like to admit.

All right.

Good evening.

Before we begin, I'd like to remind everyone to please silence your cell phones.

Council meetings are live streamed in the city on the city's YouTube channel.

All counselors are present.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Our Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic, for which is one nation and our God.

Please read the consent minute approval titles.

Approving the minutes of the January 20th, 2026 regular council meeting.

The January 20th, 2026 executive session, 7th, 2026 special council meeting, and the January 27th, 2026 executive session.

Thank you.

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

Moved by Councillor Bond, seconded by the Vice Mayor.

Any abstentions?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Chair to entertain a motion to approve by minute action the February 3rd, 2026 bills and claims as audited by City Manager Jordan.

So moved.

Moved by Councillor Pollock, seconded by Councillor Mackintosh.

Any abstentions?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Now is the time that we invite anyone in the audience who wishes to speak with the council to come forward.

This is the portion of the dedicate to our public to allow them to come and speak on matters of public interest and to voice any of their concerns.

We do ask that you please state your name, direct all questions and comments to the mayor.

No personal obscenities or threats will be tolerated.

Council will not respond to any personnel matters.

Those will all be referred to our city manager.

Counselors may ask clarifying questions, but if they choose to respond to matters, they will do so during the scheduled council response time following communications from persons present.

Presentations are limited to five minutes, and there are no duplication of speakers.

Good evening.

And it looks like we would not have.

Uh the other item tonight um is is kind of disturbing, and um there's always been fraud, especially in in government, but um recently there's more and more information.

We we American people are very generous, especially Wyomingites.

We care about people that need housing, uh, need food, need health care.

So recently um there was a release from the Department of Justice, Federal Department of Justice.

Uh federal jury finds feeding our future mastermind and code defendant guilty in 250 million dollar pandemic fraud scheme.

This was called um they call it uh feeding the future, and I call it feeding our future bank accounts.

And uh, so this is actually good news that they actually caught these people.

Uh there's um problems around the country with daycare, where there's actually not children, but there's invoices for children that don't exist.

Um Dr.

Oz, who's the administrator of uh the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, just uh came out with a report that 3.5 billion dollars of fraud in Los Angeles, uh 2,000 hospice um organizations that have committed fraud.

Now I'm an insurance agent that does Medicare and I help my clients with that.

If somebody goes on hospice, uh they actually lose their regular Medicare benefits because hospice is for uh final uh comfort care and not for surgery.

And many of these Medicare beneficiaries were fooled into thinking they didn't even know that they were put in a hospice, and then they may not be hospice, and then they can't, if they break a leg or they fall down or they've got a serious injury than needs hospitalization, they may not be able to get it.

Finally, um HUD, the Secretary of HUD, Scott Turner has revealed $5.8 billion in potential uh improper rental assistance payments through the federal government.

And this was during the four years of the Biden administration.

Uh 30,000 deceased uh tenants were receiving or who whoever was cashing these checks, 77 million dollars.

And this was across the whole country.

So I'm doing some research, and I may have more information about that at another time.

And I'll be in answer any questions that you have.

Any questions for Mr.

Shrifman?

Okay, okay, thank you so much.

Thank you for your decision tonight.

Thank you.

Thank you so much.

Good evening.

Hi.

Um, okay, good evening, Council, Mayor Pacheco.

My name is Kathy Nerkinen.

I am a ward two Casper resident.

I'm here tonight to place a statement on the public record regarding my son's exclusion from ski training at Hogan Basin, a city-owned taxpayer-supported ski hill.

I am specifically referring to the Wednesday and Thursday after school time slot, roughly 4:30 to 6 30 p.m.

This time slot is not open to the general public.

It has been partially subsidized through grant funding through the Netrona County Joint Powers Recreation Board, City of Casper funding, as well as Netrona County School District programs, and is currently reserved for ski team training.

In October of 2024, my son, who has Down syndrome, was denied participation in the Casper Mountain Racers after skiing with them for multiple seasons.

Carson was born on Casper Mountain and has been skiing out his front door since he can walk.

He is a competent skier and has been participating successfully.

At the point of his dismissal, Carson should have been entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the American with Disabilities Act.

I requested one.

No other user group on the mountain was able or willing to serve him, and the mountain itself would not allow an individual accommodation.

In November of 2024, after all other pathways had been exhausted, I requested either permission to coach my son individually.

I'm a level two certified ski coach, or approval to operate a very small six-member after-school unified ski team so he could continue ski training alongside his peers.

Since that request, there have been dozens of communications, multiple meetings, and multiple presentations to the council advisory recreation board.

During this process, I was explicitly directed by city staff and advisory council members not to include any faith-based curriculum as part of the proposed team.

I complied with that request and continued working in good faith within the parameters I was given.

After more than 14 months of meeting and or exceeding every stated requirement to form our own team, I was informed that access would not be granted and that a feasibility study would be required before allowing six children to ski.

The answer has been excuses and delay.

Over the past year, regarding my son's participation, I have been repeatedly told by city staff, mountain operators, and mountain leaseholders, if we let him in, we have to let them all in.

If we make an exception for him, then we have to say yes to everyone.

People with disabilities create a higher liability.

We are not equipped.

He can come during the day instead.

A feasibility study is required before moving forward.

And most recently, that approximately 125 skiers are already using 100% of the available terrain, and there's not room for one more.

Taken together, these statements reflect a consistent pattern of avoidance, not a good faith effort to provide access.

Pogadon is a public taxpayer supported ski hill, and the accessibility issues I am describing extend beyond the after school time slot where my son is being denied access.

Last week, after school, because after school access is still being denied, I pulled my children out of school so they could train during the day, as staff has recommended.

While we were on the mountain, a ski PE group was present.

I observed a fifth grade student with a disability sitting in the lodge while his class skied.

I learned after a short attempt on the bunny hill, he wasn't able to continue due to lack of appropriate, excuse me, appropriate adaptive equipment and support, and remained in the lodge for the rest of the day.

Later, I absorb observed that same child receiving personal care on the floor of the women's restroom with no privacy because there is no other appropriate space available.

From everything I could see, his aide was doing her job.

The failure was a lack of appropriate facilities and support.

On weekday evenings, approximately 125 children ski during this restricted after-school time slot.

To my knowledge, no elementary or middle school age children with disabilities are permitted to ski during that time.

At the same time, during these same after-school hours, the city is operating a public bar and a taxpayer-owned and taxpayer subsidized lodge.

In effect, city operations are prioritizing serving alcohol over serving children on the ski hill.

I am requesting access for one child, at most six, and the city's response is to conduct a feasibility study.

What concerns me is that the city has devoted more public time and public process to justifying exclusion than it has to problem solving it.

Conducting a feasibility study to determine whether one child may participate.

So, ma'am, I'm gonna have to stop you.

Sorry about that.

We have to stop at five.

Okay, thank you for your time.

Let's see if there's any questions.

Hold on one moment.

Okay.

Anybody have any questions at this time?

Okay.

Um you stick around.

There might be some response if you'd like to stick around with it.

Thank you so much.

Good evening, Mayor Checo, Vice Mayor, Gamroff, City Council's.

My name is Dave Riggers, and I live at 3005 Palmer Drive.

And I'd like to give you two points for your consideration tonight.

We've previously discussed the detention pond PE 27, which is privately owned land.

However, the detention pond function is the domain of the city and county.

What is the function of this detention pond?

It is a safety valve, which hopefully will prevent 29th Street from being overflowed and subsequent flooding on Nicholas Drive homeowners.

Why is the function of this detention pond your domain?

Well, the 2013 storm water master plan says so.

And the excellent memorandum that Mr.

Saveda sent to our new city manager and the city council for consideration at your last works work session alluded to it.

But most the most important reason is that you are the keeper of the greater good.

What do I mean by that?

Mr.

Saveda's memo noted that one of the council's top priorities includes a safe and healthy community.

Maintaining the function of the detention pond is indeed a safety issue.

What can the city council do when concerns concerns are made about the function of the detention pond?

The 2013 said study says that you have several options, including additional detention.

This brings me to my second point.

I calculated the total amount of water presented to the drainage north uh south of 29th Street in 30 minutes to be be about 5.3 million gallons, and asked this question.

In this short time period, how would the entire drainage handle this amount of water today and more importantly in five years hence after additional development?

I actually believe the more press pressing safety concern is basin A.

Basin A has a larger catchment area than basin B.

The raw land is a shale mixture.

It has no detention pond, has been developed beyond 2013 projections, and is protected by a single 40H drain pipe.

Basin A would receive approximately three four 3.4 million gallons of water in 30 minutes.

The obvious question is how basin A would tolerate this today, and more importantly, once again, five years hence.

Without answers to these questions, I doubt the can the council can make an informed decision about any matters concerning stormwater management in St.

Mary's.

Any study from the developer will be met with tremendous skepticism unless the city chooses its own verifiably independent engineering firm for that study.

I will close by saying you are indeed the arbiters of truth.

You are the keepers of the greater good and of transparency, and we in our two subdivisions are very thankful that you're taking today.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any questions for Mr.

Driggers?

Go ahead.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thanks for coming and all of that.

Um I don't know if I've asked a question of staff yet on what such a study would cost.

Um I don't I don't know if you uh have any estimates.

Two things.

One at the last meeting I offered to help pay for some of it.

It's number one, number narrowed it down just to a study of basin A.

I believe that's the biggest priority here in terms of safety for the residents of both the Nineiron and Eagle Valley.

If you if you think about it, if you put a detention pond in basin A, it relieves some of the pressure on the detention pond in basin B.

And so I that's why I've narrowed it down to one, and I have no idea how much it costs.

Thank you.

Thanks for coming tonight.

Anybody else?

Okay.

Thank you, Mr.

Jordan.

Sorry, why go?

Good evening.

Could you hand this?

That's my uh that's the Wyoming Constitutional State when it comes to section or Article 1, Section 38.

And then that's my medical card for the state of Oklahoma.

I'm Ryan Perry, and I live in 324 Curtis Street in Evansville.

Mayor and Vice Mayor, Council members.

I'm here to talk about medical cannabis.

But more importantly, I'm here to talk about health care access, constitutional rights, and the very real human costs of the policies we continue to enforce in Wyoming.

Article 1, Section 38 of the Wyoming Constitution is titled Right of Health Care Access.

It states that each competent adult has a right to make his or her own health care decision.

It affirms that any person may pay, and a health care health care provider may accept direct payment for health care without imposition of fines for doing so.

It allows the legislature to impose only reasonable and necessary restrictions to protect public health and welfare, and it places an affirmative duty on the state of Wyoming to preserve these rights from undue governmental infringement.

Medical cannabis falls squarely within those protections.

At the federal level, the government has acknowledged what patients have known for decades, even for centuries, that cannabis has legitimate medical value by proposing under the Controlled Substance Act that it be rescheduled from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3.

Yet here in Wyoming, patients are still criminalized under Title 35, Chapter 7 of the Wyoming Statute.

Specifically, Wyoming Statute 35-7-1031.

Under the state's under this statute, possession of cannabis in very small amounts is treated as a criminal offense.

While possession of three ounces or less is labeled a misdemeanor, that statute allows repeat misdemeanor possession convictions to be elevated to a felony.

Carrying penalties of up to five years in prison.

That means nonviolent victimless crime involving a substance now recognized as having medical value can permanently strip someone of their civil rights under Wyoming law.

Resulted in my loss of my rights of citizenship.

What should have been at most a modest fine became a year of my life destroyed?

I was placed on probation under conditions that made compliance nearly impossible.

I was required to complete intensive outpatient treatment, even though the professional run of the program told me directly that I didn't need it and that the seat should go to someone struggling with serious substance abuse problems.

But without completing that program, I cannot complete the state ordered requirements of my probation.

At the same time, my employment required me to work out of town.

That conflict made compliance impossible.

This outcome was not an accident.

It was the predictable result of statutes that prior prioritize punishment over health and criminal enforcement over constitutional rights.

As taxpayers, we spent approximately $50,000 per person per charge per one-year jail slash prison or probation.

That cost flows directly from the enforcement of statutes, like Wyoming Statute 35-7-1031.

That money is not saving lives.

This burden falls especially hard on our veterans and our cancer patients.

Both of these groups deserve better access to treatments.

They deserve better health care.

They deserve better doctors trained in all available options, not just pharmaceuticals, including alternatives that reduce reliance on opioids, alcohol, and medications that carry serious risks.

Across this country, veterans and cancer patients have testified that medical cannabis has helped them manage seizures, chronic pain, PTSD, sleep disorders, and trauma when nothing else worked.

Denying them that right.

Another state become criminals the very moment they cross the Wyoming state line.

A veteran and a cancer patient with a valid medical card from Colorado, Oklahoma, or Montana, or any other state should not be arrest.

I'm gonna have to have you time's up, time limit.

So hold on one second.

There might be some questions for you, Mr.

Perry.

Thank you.

Any questions.

Thanks for your comments in uh I can't disagree.

I'm not a user, but when I was in the legislature, uh I had to work on some of these things for medical uh in particular, because we had testimony after testimony, um especially epilepsy in particular, and also with uh uh some sorts and types of PTSD, like you indicated in other treatments for veterans, uh, where it's been shown and proven successful, but we had um no luck.

Um you're just going to the wham conference, that's why I'm here is I'm just the messenger.

You guys start in the snowball, and you guys are gonna be the avalanche.

Hopefully, we can get something done this next.

I know it's hard this session because it requires so many people, but I think next year I think is a realm of possibilities.

So I appreciate it.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Perry.

Good evening.

Hi.

My name is Lisa Gagnan, and I evidently nobody else was coming in to talk about this, but I've seen um I'm from Illinois originally, been here since uh 2018.

So I really kind of like Wyoming, Casper, especially.

But I'm noticing a whole lot.

I'm an old lady and I turn around and I work really hard.

I'm a nurse and I work a lot of hours and do whatever I can to protect my neighborhood, to protect people around me and everything else.

And I'm basically here because I know you guys have a budget.

I have a budget, and yes, I'm gonna complain about it.

Um, I'm sorry, but I know I I know everybody has to raise money.

I hear the news on my way to going to work, whatever the Wyoming station is, where they're talking about we got rainy day funds, we got these funds that you guys are all not just you guys, but Cheyenne and everybody.

They're all looking at what they can turn around and put them to, and maybe we should put it to the rainy day fund.

It's like, where are we using the rainy day fund at?

Why I I read in regards to the oil city news in regards to we want to put a dollar now on the Casper water bills.

I have told the water company for three times, don't send me water bills, do it online.

I still get them, okay, in the mail.

That's not my fault.

Then I hear the garbage as far as that goes.

I come from Illinois, Chicago area.

I have seen these guys out on those garbage trucks.

Two guys, one in the back, one in the front.

I gotta say, I I'm not a lazy person.

And I look at this, and I know there are some areas that are pretty bad for these guys in the garbage trucks.

I get it.

Okay.

I've dealt with a lot of garbage, a lot of dirty things in my career.

But they won't get out to pick up anything.

They won't we have these garbage cans that are out there.

I love my garbage can because it's the old school, it's about as big as this desk.

It's the real heavy duty one.

But we have winds in Wyoming.

Everybody else around me has got those light garbage cans.

They blow all over the place.

You're not, it doesn't matter what you put in these garbage cans.

And now they're gonna turn around, look at they're raising all this stuff.

You're raising the water bills, you're raising the utility bills.

I get it.

We have to make money and pay people.

I know it.

I would like to get paid, you know.

I would like to get paid, you know, we have to do it.

But then I look at a factor of how we're gonna get new people to be able to help go and shut people off.

We've got elderly people, they can't afford people who are sitting at home and not working and expecting to be paid by Medicaid.

Like I said, I'm a nurse, I know how it goes.

They're not doing anything in adding to our Casper town.

But you have all these things going on, and I know you have to do things, but we really have to start looking at the factor of we're raising all these things that people need this.

We have to look at a different way to maybe come to a happy medium on this.

I'm not young, but I pay my bills and I do the best I can.

But you got other people that are out there just starting out.

We keep raising everything in Casper, and you're not gonna have people that are going to be able to afford to live here.

I came here because they told me that Casper, Wyoming, Wyoming, period, is the best place to live because it's the most reasonable.

I gotta tell you, no, it's not.

And it's not because of government and everything else, it's out there.

Everything gets raised, but we're missing something here.

We gotta think about where we're going.

Businesses are going out of business because they can't afford to stay.

And then we're pulling in another bar to turn around and give them a license.

I think we have enough of them.

We don't really.

I'm sorry to anybody else who wants it, but we really have to look at things.

I'm sorry.

That's all I no apologies, no absolutely.

I'm done.

Any questions?

Yeah, go ahead.

Thank you, Mayor.

Thank you, ma'am.

I apologize.

I missed your name.

Lisa.

Lisa, thank you, Lisa.

Appreciate your comments.

Uh, totally understandable if you haven't.

Uh, won't blame you at all.

Did you happen to catch my letter to the editor on I think it was December 18th?

A painful decision today to protect our pipes tomorrow.

I see and I did see in regards to that.

Okay.

Uh I only asked because that was my best attempt to kind of provide all the necessary context.

Uh, so if you didn't catch it, uh, I didn't encourage you to reach a chat with you offline about uh, you know, there's lots of things that came to mind.

I wouldn't want to um, you know, take up the whole meeting, but happy to connect with you afterwards to I I would.

I'd love to help you try and figure out some things.

I mean, being a nurse in my I used to be a liaison.

I used to be, and I'm not saying I'm a salesman, but I used to be able to sell nursing homes, get people in them to be able to get care and get health care.

And so I know that factor where you need to make money and how you need to make it.

I'm more than willing to turn around, come and say, hey, let's let's go through some ideas.

Because I think everybody here, that's all I ever hear is God, you can't even live in Casper anymore.

We're not Jackson.

I don't want to be Jackson, otherwise I would have moved there.

But we are people, there are a lot of good people in this town and a lot really hard.

And all I hear out of it is, God, I don't know how long I'll be able to stay.

And that's not right.

That's Casper shouldn't be that way.

They used to tell me that from Newcastle.

You don't want to move to Casper.

Why?

It's a nice town, and we need to keep that up.

So I would love to without a doubt do I leave my number or email.

Yeah, whatever you okay.

I'll write it down for you.

Thank you so much.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other questions?

No.

Nope.

Thank you so much.

Anyone else?

Okay.

Now I'd like to invite the counselors.

Um, if they'd like to briefly respond to any of the matters that were just brought up by the public.

Um, so I'll just open it up if anybody has anything they'd like to respond with.

Yeah, go ahead.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, well, first off, I just want to thank everyone for coming and speaking tonight.

I always love the evenings.

It's when we got uh lots of people in the room talking about lots of different things, showing that you're civically engaged and doing your part to advocate for the things that you feel strongly about.

So appreciate everyone taking time out of the Tuesday evening to come uh speak to us.

And uh I I can understand how you know uh it's uh it's a bit intimidating uh coming to speak uh in front of a room full of people getting live streamed to the whole city and stuff.

So again, uh appreciate your courage as well in doing that.

I'm sure I'm gonna miss something, but uh just to uh provide some comments on a couple of those things, Mr.

Shriffman.

You mentioned the ballot language uh regarding proposition five, which was for the fire station.

That that is a question or a concern.

I've fielded in the past, and so um I guess I would just remind you uh the ballot language specifically says 4.4 million in interest are in there in uh to the city of Casper at a partially fund cost associated with the replacement of the outdated fire station number one.

That's pretty common language for uh a ballot initiative.

Uh typically the language uh for ballot initiatives has to be uh clear, has to be brief, has to be non-augumentative.

So there's a lot of kind of guardrails you have to operate within.

Uh uh, you know, uh that doesn't mean that there maybe it wasn't potential to be more clear, but certainly uh on the city's website and oil city news during all the town halls.

I I think the city made it very clear that that ballot uh initiative was for the land design and engineering of fire station number one, not the construction.

So um concerns noted, but I I do feel like the city did a really good job trying to make that clear to the constituents before they went and voted in November to Mr.

Perry.

Um and I had the opportunity to catch up a little department area initiative town hall last week.

So uh, you know, we we've already chatted about this, but I I guess to reiterate and uh for the public record and uh because I didn't have my notes in front of me when we were chatting.

Uh I thought you did a good job uh providing kind of a researched narrative.

Uh you were taking an uh a stance that current drug laws are not constitutional, and you were honing in on uh this one, Article 1, Section 38.

I'd be happy to give you a uh more fodder for your discussion when I uh testified to the joint judiciary committee a couple years ago when they were uh uh you know trying to close the loop loopholes uh regarding THC derivatives and uh Delta 8 at that time.

There's multiple different examples.

Article 1, section 7 of Wyoming State Constitution guarantees no arbitrary power of the lives, liberty, and property of free men.

And uh I think you can make a very strong case that uh current drug laws, especially regarding personal use and possession of drugs is arbitrary.

It's not based on any sort of evidence, it's all based on stigmas and uh cultural norms.

Uh Article 1, Section 7 or uh Article 1, Section 14 prevents cruel and unusual punishment, which I believe incarceration is in regards to personal use and possession of drugs if you're not harming anyone else's life, if you're not uh putting a child at risk, if you're not on the highways, uh drinking a six-pack, driving down the uh highway.

Uh, I think you should be allowed to do pretty much whatever you want to do with your own body.

And uh so, like Wyoming Department of Cractures, uh former director Robert Lambert said, we should use jail for people we're scared of, not the ones we're mad at.

And then finally, section one, uh Article 1, section 15 guarantees that the penal code shall be framed on the humane principles of reformation and prevention.

You gave a great example that uh, at least in your case, uh doesn't sound like reformation and prevention were top of mind.

It sounds like uh kind of incarceration and retribution instead.

So uh again, I'm happy to chat with you further about uh I support your efforts.

Myself and some of my colleagues have been accused of violating our oath to the constitution by a former mayor because of the comments and the positions we've taken uh on cannabis in the past.

And so uh certainly through uh uh our involvement with WAM and other areas.

I I've tried doing what we can to advocate on this regard, and so happy to lend my assistance to you in whatever form uh you might accept it.

And then uh yeah, I think that'll wrap it up for that.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yeah.

Councilor Pollack.

Thanks.

I'll I'll just respond to Mr.

Perry as well.

Um, just not to add much to what Kyle said, but I do think correct me if I'm wrong, Kyle, but a couple years ago we did take a vote to see if it was something we were willing to carry forward to WAM and it didn't pass at the time, though I did vote in four to five.

So we were close uh to having the votes um to to make this something that Casper would at least recommend to the greater Wham effort, and I would be happy to support something like that again for for consideration of WAM and the legislature.

Um, so I don't know.

The council has changed since then a bit.

Uh I don't know if we would have the votes today.

We didn't quite at that time, but it was certainly the closest that we had gotten.

So any others.

Okay.

Thank you, everyone.

Please read the consent agenda title.

Established February 17th, 2026 as the public hearing date for consideration of an ordinance approving the final plat of Valley Hills edition number three subdivision and the zoning of said subdivision as R2 one unit residential located at 2250 Mariposa Bolivar.

Thank you.

The chair generated a motion two by minute action established the public hearing date just read.

So moved.

By counselor Pollock, seconded by Counselor Mackintosh.

Any abstentions?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

I now declare the public hearing open for the consideration of a resolution approving the second amendment to the original adopted budget.

Uh Mr.

City Attorney, do you have any exhibits?

Thank you, Mayor.

I do exhibit number one correspondence from Jill Johnson to Janine Jordan, dated January 23rd, 2026.

Exhibit number three, affidavit of publication from the Casper Star Tribune, dated January 23rd, 2026.

Thank you.

Madam City Manager, do you have a report?

Uh Mayor, I have nothing in addition to or beyond what was provided already in the exhibits.

Great.

Thank you so much.

Council now listen to public comments.

Public hearing comments are limited to five minutes and no duplication of speakers are allowed.

At this time, I would ask those individuals who wish to speak in favor of this resolution to please approach the lectern.

Anybody wishes to speak in favor.

At this time, I would ask those individuals who wish to speak in opposition to the resolution to please approach the lectern.

Anybody in opposition.

There being no one to speak for or against the resolution, I now declare the public hearing closed.

Please read the resolution by title only.

Amending the current budget for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2026.

Second amendment to the original adopted budget.

A motion to adopt the resolution just read.

Move by Councilor Pollock, seconded by Councilor Bond.

Any discussion from the council.

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Councilor Pollock, a second to recuse yourself.

I now declare the public hearing open for the consideration of an application for new bar and grill liquor license number 10 for Chiba Hut toasted subs.

Thank you, Mayor.

I do.

Exhibit number one, correspondence from Fleur Tremble to Janine Jordan, dated January 9th, 2026.

Exhibit number two, affidavit of website publication dated February 3rd, 2026.

Exhibit number three, affidavit of publication from the Casper Star Tribune, dated January 27th, 2026.

Exhibit number four, liquor license application filed with the city clerk on December 22nd, 2025.

Thank you.

Madam City Manager, do you have a report?

Nothing additional, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Council now listen to public comments.

Public hearing comments are limited to five minutes and no duplication of speakers will be allowed.

At this time, I would ask any individuals who wish to speak in favor of the new bar and grill liquor license number 10 to please approach the lecture.

Anybody wishes to speak in favor?

Good evening.

Come on up.

All right.

Good.

Mayor.

Council, uh, thank you for letting us uh I guess apply for this and taking the time to look for public comment.

And we appreciate anything you guys do and the hard work you put in.

So I really just awesome.

See if there's any questions.

Yeah.

Absolutely.

Do you have any questions for me?

Anyone?

Yeah, go ahead.

Council Jensen.

We were just trying to figure out where exactly we should know, but where's Heathrow?

Is that if I jump crazy?

Yeah, that's like New Village.

Yeah.

Yes.

All right, thanks.

Yeah.

So thanks for consideration.

Yeah, thank you.

Thank you.

Anybody else who wish to speak in favor?

Okay.

This time I would ask any individuals who wish to speak in opposition to the new bar grill liquor license number 10 to please approach the lectern.

Anybody in opposition?

There being no others to speak for or against the new bar and grill liquor license number 10.

I now declare the public hearing closed.

The chair would entertain a motion two by minute action.

Approve the application for new bar and grill liquor license number 10 for Virgin.

Samara Company LLC doing business as Chiba Hut, toasted subs located at 1668, Heathrow Avenue, Space One, and a portion of space two.

Some second.

Moved by Councillor Schweeney, seconded by Councillor Jensen.

Any discussion from the council.

I got a question.

Sorry, I missed the question.

I take it you're gonna have my white widow sub sandwich, right?

That's really you're gonna have the white widow.

That's all I care.

That's my that's my go-to.

All right, good to know.

Perfect.

Love it.

Self-serving vice mayor.

I'll be happy to lie wrong.

Any other discussion?

Okay, please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With counselor Pollock abstaining and all others voting aye, the motion passes.

And I'll go to the public hearing open for the consideration of an application for new bar and grill liquor license number 15 for roaring 22 LLC doing business as Rialto.

Mr.

City Attorney, do you have any exhibits?

I do, Mayor.

Uh exhibit number one, correspondence from Fleur Tremble to Janine Jordan, dated January 9th, 2026.

Exhibit number two, affidavit of website publication dated February 3rd, 2026.

Exhibit number three, affidavit of publication from the Casper Star Tribune, dated January 27th, 2026.

Exhibit number four, liquor license application filed with the city clerk on January 6th, 2026.

Thank you.

Madam City Manager, do you have a report?

Nothing additional, Mr.

Mayor.

Council now listen to public comments.

Public comments are limited to five minutes, and no duplication of speakers are allowed.

At this time, I would ask those individuals who wish to speak in favor of new bar and grill liquor license number 15 to please approach the lecture.

Anybody wishes to speak in favor.

Okay.

At this time, I'd ask those individuals who should speak in opposition to the new bar and grill liquor license number 15 to please approach the lecture.

Anybody in opposition.

There being no one to speak for against the new bar and grill liquor license number 15.

I now declare the public hearing closed.

The chair would entertain a motion to by minute action.

Approve an application for new bar and grill liquor license number 15, Roaring 22 LLC doing business as Rialto, located at 100 East Second Street.

Move by Councillor Jensen, seconded by Councilor Sweeney.

Any discussion by the council.

Please cast your vote.

Please report the vote.

With Councillor Pollock abstaining in all others voting aye, the motion passes.

Thank you, Mayor.

I do.

Exhibit number one, correspondence from Fleur Tremlet to Janine Jordan, dated January 9th, 2026.

Exhibit number two, affidavit of website publication dated February 3rd, 2026.

Exhibit number three, affidavit of publication from the Casper Star Tribune, dated January 27th, 2026.

Exhibit number four, liquor license application filed with the city clerk on January 6, 2026.

Thank you.

Madam City Manager, do you have a report?

Nothing additional, Mr.

Mayor.

Thank you.

Council now listen to public comment.

Public hearing comments are limited to five minutes and no duplication of speakers will be allowed.

This time I would ask those individuals who wish to speak in favor of transfer of ownership interest for retail liquor license number thirty-two to please approach the lecture.

Anybody who wishes to speak in favor.

Okay.

At this time, I would ask those individuals who wish to speak in opposition to the transfer of ownership interest for retail liquor license number 32 to please approach the lectern.

Anyone in opposition?

There being no one to speak for or against the transfer of ownership interest for retail liquor license number 32.

I now declare the public hearing closed.

Chair would entertain a motion two by minute action approve the transfer of ownership interest for retail liquor license number 32, Roaring 22, LLC doing business as the uh gaslight social located at 314 West Midwest Avenue.

Move by Councillor Jensen, seconded by Councillor Mackintosh.

Any discussion from the council?

Okay, please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With counselor Pollock abstaining and all those voting aye, the motion passes.

We'll wait for counselor Paul to return.

Welcome back, Counselor.

Council will now consider consent resolutions.

Please read the consent resolutions by title only.

8A1, authorizing amendment number three to the contract for professional services between the city of Casper and Republic Parking LLC for the management of the municipal parking garage.

882, authorizing a site lease agreement and memorandum of lease with Pacific Corps, an Oregon Corporation doing business as Rocky Mountain Power for an existing wireless communications site tower located on Tower Hill, Casper Mountain, lease tract number six.

884, authorizing amendment number three for the operator-led cleanup landfill remediation agreement with the Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality for the closed Casper Bailfill Remediation Project.

885, authorizing multiple non-exclusive access easement agreements between the city of Casper and various landowners for a 20-foot-wide access easement across city-owned property located near Casper Mountain Park and Tower Hill Road, Casper Mountain, Natrona County, Wyoming.

86 authorizing a short-term non-exclusive facility rental agreement with Warbirds hockey LLC for use of the Casper Ice Arena.

And 887 authorizing amendment number five to the professional services agreement with Conate Incorporated to replace a faulty door detector edge at the Casper City Center building.

Thank you.

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

No comments beyond what's in the packet, Mayor.

Thank you.

Any abstentions or name votes?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Please read the consent minute action titles.

9A1 acknowledging withdrawal of the application of the vacation and final plat creating the Eagle Valley Edition number three subdivision agreement.

And 982 authorizing the purchase of one new scrap handling wheel loader grapple bucket from Wyoming Machinery, Casper, Wyoming, for use by the Parks Division of the Parks Recreation and Public Facilities Department.

Thank you.

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

Move by Councillor Pollock.

Any abstentions or nay votes?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

At this time, we ask council to bring forward any relevant concerns or items of interest.

We'll start with you, Councillor Larson.

How does that sound like I don't have anything?

Thank you.

Turn this on this time.

Okay.

Thank you.

It was a busy week.

Um so let's see.

So Wednesday last week I was able to attend the um uh area five and six uh meetings that were being held by the police department.

Uh felt like they did a great job of both sharing information with uh with the the folks in attendance.

I think there were about 20 or 25 people at the meeting that I attended on that night.

And uh again, I again I think it was a good balance of both sharing and providing them some information about uh some areas of of crime and the types of crime that they're seeing, and then kind of listening to the uh the concerns and questions that the constituents had.

Um I feel like it was a good good start, and uh hopefully uh they'll tell their friends and the next ones will even be better.

So uh, but I I thought it was a great opportunity for folks to get involved and get get engaged and and communicate with the with the PD.

So nice job, Chief.

Thank you so much.

Um Thursday there was a reception for the Toronto County nonprofit network.

Um, and it just once again goes to show, I think, or at least to me, uh, what a um the the extent to the the care and and so forth that the community has for each other and for uh to meet the needs of of everyone.

So that was a uh very positive uh event and a good opportunity for people to network and do um kind of share their experiences in the nonprofit world as far as funding and so on and so forth.

So um good good opportunity that evening.

Uh I did attend Friday night.

There was a I don't know how many folks know, but there with there is a uh an art gallery in the first, isn't it first bank?

First state bank, thank you on Center Street, uh, the Red Peak Gallery.

Um, and they had a there was a reception there as well.

Um they're doing the they're doing part of the art walk uh events uh throughout the through that through that season.

Um so it's a it's a good place to go for they have kind of turn over their exhibits, I think it and their exhibitions at better couple months.

This past one was a an art, right?

I'm sorry, uh jewelry exhibition by Rick Rachel Hawkinson.

So that was good.

Um let's see.

I think oh legislative dinner last night.

Um uh that was uh I think we had a great turnout of uh of legislators, and I appreciate the opportunity to visit with them and for them to hear our uh our uh priorities and so forth going into the legislative session.

Uh and I thought it was a good opportunity to kind of extend that uh opportunity to them to reach out to us if they had questions or needed more information.

And so uh I I felt good.

I sat next to uh Senator Scott and to Representative Jarvis and uh good opportunity again to connect with them.

So that was all.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I needed to back up a little bit uh from previous weeks, but um on uh January 24th, Saturday the 24th, because I got shut down at the last meeting.

So we're paying for it today.

Yes, yes, thank you.

Gotta pay it forward.

Yeah, so but uh uh Saturday, the the 24th was uh Meals on Wheels, Bubbles, Bobbles and Beans, great turnout.

Um even though it was a really cold windy night, uh, but uh but I don't know have final numbers on um how much they raise, but it it appeared like it was a good night.

Um Monday I um uh the 26th uh attended my first um people with disabilities through the Casper City Council.

Um that was a new assignment for me.

And uh if it was a short meeting, but uh very good, and they're going to have um talk in March that I think will correspond with uh my Saints Day, uh St.

Patrick's Day.

So just throwing that out there, Mayor.

Uh Tuesday January 27th uh was uh uh visit Casper um quite a long long meeting and covered quite a bit of territory in um the I didn't bring copies for everybody, but um because I saw most of them were going to waste uh but again uh December uh again trended uh down this year compared to last year as far as occupancy numbers and average rate.

So anybody interested, Jenna probably is, but um so I just wanted to uh highlight that.

Um then um I I tried to attend all three nights, didn't do a very good good job and uh the chief caught me at the door and um I I felt guilty, especially um Thursday night.

Uh but uh I really want to thank um the chief and everybody that he organized within his staff and all of the breakouts that I attended.

Uh I wish the turnout uh would have been better.

Um but uh you know it's a first attempt and I think the next one, if we can get the publicity out a little more, um in different different spots.

I'm just really hopeful.

Uh but I I thought there was a lot of as Councillor Bond mentioned, I thought there was great input in uh really appreciate the effort.

Um I did grab uh Friday night um a lot of the information and I intend to take it to the next downtown Casper Business Association meeting, which that area uh particular was featured that night.

Um Friday, I also I think it was Friday night also attended the uh Wyoming uh nonprofit network, and I just wanted to bring up for uh further discussion.

Uh at some point, Mayor, I would like to request of counsel.

Um some of some of the um uh different entities that we fund through the fifth cent.

Um I don't know the reporting mechanism, but I would suggest if we could talk more about or invite them to work sessions um in throughout the budget period uh to see you know what what they have done in uh again last meeting I handed out an opinion piece uh put together by the executive uh director of youth crisis center, and um he has a another request that I'll uh leave that for another time to talk to the mayor about, but the amount of value that the city receives through our partnerships, uh in particular youth crisis center is a great example.

Uh what would we do?

What would our police department do uh with with those uh different different cases?

And one thing that uh that they pointed out to me that I was that it used to be teens in particular, 13, 14, 15, 16 year olds.

Now they're seeing people, uh children as young as nine, 10, and 11.

Um so how do we deal with those things as a community and uh for mental health issues?

Um lastly today, I had uh the Neutrona County Senior Citizen Service District Board, and uh uh so I'm I'm concerned um again with meals on wheels.

There's a different funding mechanism and and formula that's gonna get put in place uh by the overarching board that's funded through the Department of Health, and uh um that'll cost our meals on wheels and then four other centers um um around the state.

Uh our meals on wheels, it'll cost uh 300,000.

So I think the citizens that voted for the new senior citizen service district because it will be fully tapped.

Um and I think that's it.

Thank you, Mary.

Sure.

I um I was out on vacation with my family last week, and fortunately didn't have any of my regularly scheduled board meetings that week, so I didn't miss uh any of those.

I was able to make it back in time.

Join all of you at the uh legislative dinner last night.

Um I just wanted to thank the council for everybody showing up to that.

We had 100% attendance and and um darn near that from our Natrona um legislative delegation as well.

So it was great turnout um and thank all the staff for the after hours attendance and work up there as well.

So I thought it was um fruitful as it is every year, and I always look forward to the chance to connect before the session kicks off.

So um thanks to everybody who participated in that.

I don't have a whole lot.

I attended a drug court meetingslash, I think I think it was a holiday party.

I don't know.

I got to meet their staff, so it was a whole lot of people there.

I got to sit by Judge Christensen.

I know it was brought up, but there is an article in Oil City on the 29th.

I looked it up, so I didn't say these words wrong, but it's a great article.

I did learn that he was involved with creating the diversion program, drug court itself, and the children's advocacy program.

YCC, it's like you saw all my words on my list today, Pat.

But why CC just gave him the Dick Drees saying Legacy of Leadership Award, but the article's awesome.

I learned so much from him.

It's like he's done more than I will ever do and made it.

He just talks like it was like the easiest thing.

He's like, Yeah, look at this, it's neat.

Super great guy.

Anyways, very much a pleasure.

Um, I also went to the police department.

I think we're calling it a town hall.

Uh my daughter wanted to go with me, which I thought was the craziest thing.

She just turned 18, and suddenly she's like, Maybe I care what you do.

And I was like, maybe I love that you care what I do.

So she joined me, and part of our area's assignment was to bring a friend next time because we might have almost outnumbered the people with counselors.

Thanks for showing up, Pat.

But so I would like to encourage the people in my ward and areas one and two, which is east of country club.

Please come to the next meeting in April.

Bring your friends, bring your older young adults because as it turns out, I'm seeing a huge trend on the internet.

I'm going in, Kyle.

Here's my soapbox.

I have seen and I have seen, and I have seen people bullying younger adults in Casper, telling them that their opinions and their votes don't matter.

Guess what?

If you're over 18, your vote matters just as much as mine.

And I want to hear your opinion as much as I do Pat's.

Sometimes maybe a little more.

I do love you, Pat.

But so I would love to encourage the younger adults to become informed, become active.

We might be a little bit boring sometimes, but also sometimes I think we're super interesting.

And also we're making important decisions, and these dispositions affect you.

And if you're 19, your vote counts, your opinion matters.

If you're 30, your opinion matters.

Even if you look like Kyle and you look young, your opinion matters, and it counts, and your vote counts.

Somebody, oh my goodness, I got so mad.

I almost Facebook commented.

So close.

But I'm learning.

I'm learning.

And last but not least, public health is open in their new location on 12th and Conwell.

And their public open house is going to be March 26th from 4 to 6 p.m.

Everybody is super excited to be there, so you should totally go check it out.

Okay, I'm done.

All right, good evening.

Um, let's see, same thing.

On Friday, I also attended uh the town hall, like many other counselors.

So that was nice.

We did have pretty good attendance, I think.

I felt like anyways, but it can always be more.

Um, and that was for areas three and four.

So it is many thanks to um for hosting those.

And it was again like echoing everybody else's great information.

It's nice to have that back um in a different form.

I always thought it was more like the neighborhood watch committees back in the day that were really informative by the officers too.

So the more you know, the more you're aware, I think.

Um also Friday, it was awesome because I didn't have to go very far, but it had the at the Ford Wyoming Center uh CNFR meeting with uh the events center staff management, and then um the city uh directors for parks.

Uh we discussed some of the CNFR upcoming contract stuff.

Um, and then went over to the police one.

So that was nice.

Um then on Monday, also very convenient.

I had the quick little CNFR meeting with the board right there at the Ford Wyoming Center, and then slipped into the legislative dinner.

So that was like that worked out perfectly for me.

Um so again, many thanks, like echoing everybody else's thanks to the event center staff too, especially Candy and Madison for they always do such a great job serving us, and um always happy to do that.

So love their attitudes up there.

Um let's see.

I did not make it to the Wyoming nonprofit network event, but I always usually do.

So I'm glad that you guys filled us in on that.

Um then I guess that's it.

We are open.

The government shutdown has not affected the Bureau of Land Management or the hours at the Trails Interpretive Center.

So we are open.

Um, I think a lot of people maybe thought we were closed because attendance was kind of low today.

So um, we are open.

Come visit your historical trails center and it's free admission.

That's my plug.

That's it.

Just want to echo what everybody said about the uh area meetings with the police department.

They did a fantastic job, and it was great to see the turnout.

But yeah, I can get even more for the next one.

Our uh CPD team did a fantastic job.

Uh the legislative dinner last night was wonderful.

However, I think that we need to uh make a change in the the way the dinner is presented.

I think the mayor and the city manager need to get their plates first.

They hardly got to eat because they get up and do the presentations.

So just a thought for next year.

Uh and then uh Yeah, that's it.

Thanks.

Thank you, Mayor.

Yeah, not to beat a dead horse, but uh the area initiative project by the Casper Police Department.

Um I'm really impressed with that first meeting.

Uh I am ashamed to uh uh admit that I didn't know our officers had like a specific beat.

I didn't know I had a a handful of officers dedicated to my area and they're the same ones every time.

So I got a chance to meet them and introduce myself to them.

And uh, you know, we had some residents there.

Uh, but like everyone said, would love to see more participation.

It is the best opportunity that I've ever seen to interact with your police officers to give them your thoughts and feedback and directly impact their initiatives as it pertains to all of our individual areas and neighborhoods.

So uh those meetings are gonna be quarterly.

The next ones that come up here in a couple months.

I really hope to see some more attendance because uh such a great opportunity and uh yeah, really liked how that went.

Had a homelessness coalition last Thursday.

Kelly from Community Action Partnership gave an update on the most visible persons project.

That's being done in coordination with the Wyoming Survey and Analysis Center.

There are um oh yeah, we got a new group of kind of transient folks in town.

They are causing quite a few issues.

So uh um, you know, uh very much hanging out with the police officers or seeing them on a regular basis, and so um dealing with that.

Uh it sounds like they're the ones that were probably responsible for that extensive extensive damage to the parking garage bathroom downtown uh that we're currently in the middle of repairing.

They got a chance to plug their initiative uh town halls at that.

Um we talked about the unexpected and unplanned closure of uh unaccompanied student initiative.

That was really the one last resource uh after Mimi's house for uh homeless youth.

And so um, you know, all the stakeholders around the table are taking that very seriously and doing what they can to partner, collaborate and coordinate to make sure that that demographic is still being served as much as they can be and uh you know, potentially fill in that fill in that gap in service now that USI's uh apparently no longer has a Casper presence.

Um David Al Husin is retiring from Calgar from Kine Grounds, so they are hiring for new program director over there.

That's the um the resource to provide uh food and resource connection to folks that are identifying as homeless.

So if you know anyone interested in being program director over there, send them that way.

Um in 2025, last year we had 17 people identifying as homeless die.

That was compared to eight in 2024.

So, you know, i in places like Wyoming, we use small numbers, and so uh, you know, that's essentially a 100% increase.

Again, just from eight to 17, but still enough that it's a noticeable, you know, distinction.

So something to keep an eye out um and make sure that trend doesn't continue in the future.

They just had Project Homeless Connect.

It was done.

I believe it was last Thursday, maybe it was Friday.

Um, and so again, that's really important for us to get uh uh HUD funding.

It's all based on those uh identified homeless people in our communities.

I want to thank, I know we had quite a few city staff volunteering for that.

So I want to thank you guys and then all the other volunteers that make that possible.

That's important work.

And uh Wham conventions coming up in a couple weeks.

I'll absolutely be pressing for more and more of our neighbors in the state to be doing that point in time.

I I think only like eight out of the 23 counties actually do it.

So uh again, that impacts the funding that we get from HUD.

It impacts our ability to deliver services to those folks in the state.

So we're just like to make sure we're getting an accurate snapshot of the people that are struggling uh with housing in our state.

Had a Metro sit rep report from Jody up at the shelter.

They are finally fully staffed.

I think that's the first time uh the whole time I've been on council.

Uh so after they just hired their latest APO, really glad to hear that.

TNR is going really well.

Traps Bay Noodle program with the warmer weather.

They're up to 163 cats that have been caught and sterilized.

They did have to unfortunately close today and tomorrow due to some illness going on up there, but um yeah, hopefully open soon and uh get back to rehome and animals sterilizing cats and uh doing good work now that they're fully staffed up there.

People covered the legislative dinner.

I appreciate that opportunity to connect with those guys before they go into session.

And then uh lastly, the Elks Lodge.

We'll be having a breakfast this Sunday, the 8th from 8 a.m.

to 11 a.m.

It's all you can eat.

Any tips or donations will go towards the employees of Farley's import car care.

They uh recently had a fire over there, and it sounds like it was a near total loss.

Uh so a lot of those technicians, a lot of those employees, they have their own tools that they work with, and all those tools were lost in that fire.

So uh appreciate the Elks Lodge for holding a fundraiser to help those guys out so that they can continue on in their careers and keep doing their work and you know get their feet under them again.

So again, 8 to 11 a.m.

Sunday.

I'd encourage you to go get some really good dinner or a really good breakfast at Elks Lodge.

You might even get served by Counselor Sweeney.

I know he usually volunteers at those things.

So that's all I got.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Um the only comment I'll make uh not to uh go too deep in the legislative dinner, but I want to thank the city staff for putting that together and the hard work um our chief of staff put into that and our city manager.

Um was great.

And um I agree with you, Councillor McIntosh.

The next meeting of the city council will be a work session to be held at 4 30 p.m.

on Tuesday, February 10th, and a regular council meeting to be held at 6 p.m.

on Tuesday, February 17.

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

We have matters to discuss related to personnel, land, potential litigation.

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

Moved by the vice mayor, seconded by counselor Haskins.

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

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

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.