Meeting colors

OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD

Record of Proceedings

Casper City Council Regular Meeting - February 4, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, February 4, 2026

BodyCasper, Wyoming

SessionCity Council

DateWednesday, February 4, 2026

StatusFILED

Video Record

0:00 / 1:16:56

Transcript — VerbatimClick a timed line to jump · ⧉ to share it

0:08

Thanks for the reminder.

0:11

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

0:16

All right.

0:17

Good evening.

0:18

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

0:21

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

0:25

All counselors are present.

0:27

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

0:34

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

0:39

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

0:58

Please read the consent minute approval titles.

1:01

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

1:06

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

1:15

Thank you.

1:16

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

1:24

Moved by Councillor Bond, seconded by the Vice Mayor.

1:27

Any abstentions?

1:28

Please cast your vote.

1:34

Please record the vote.

1:35

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

1:39

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

1:48

So moved.

1:49

Moved by Councillor Pollock, seconded by Councillor Mackintosh.

1:52

Any abstentions?

1:54

Please cast your vote.

1:58

Please record the vote.

2:00

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

2:04

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

2:09

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.

2:17

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

2:21

No personal obscenities or threats will be tolerated.

2:24

Council will not respond to any personnel matters.

2:26

Those will all be referred to our city manager.

2:29

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.

2:38

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

2:51

Good evening.

3:25

And it looks like we would not have.

5:00

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.

5:13

We we American people are very generous, especially Wyomingites.

5:17

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

5:24

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

5:32

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

5:42

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

5:52

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

5:58

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.

6:09

Um Dr.

6:11

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.

6:33

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

6:38

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.

6:53

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.

7:14

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.

7:29

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

7:33

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

7:42

And this was across the whole country.

7:45

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

7:51

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

7:55

Any questions for Mr.

7:57

Shrifman?

7:58

Okay, okay, thank you so much.

8:00

Thank you for your decision tonight.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting

Procedural███████████████████████████27%

Cannabis Regulation████████████12%

Public Safety█████████9%

Public Engagement█████████9%

Miscellaneous███████7%

Homelessness█████5%

Disability Rights████4%

Engineering And Infrastructure████4%

Public Health████4%

Summary of Proceedings

Casper City Council Regular Meeting - February 4, 2026

The Casper City Council held its regular meeting on February 4, 2026, covering consent agenda items, a series of public comments on diverse topics, public hearings on a budget amendment and three liquor licenses, and council member updates. All council members were present.

Consent Calendar

Minutes Approval: Approved minutes from the January 20, 2026 regular council meeting, January 20, 2026 executive session, January 7, 2026 special council meeting (date per agenda), and January 27, 2026 executive session. (Unanimous)
Bills and Claims: Approved the February 3, 2026 bills and claims as audited by the City Manager. (Unanimous)

Public Comments & Testimony

Mr. Shriffman: Expressed concern about widespread fraud in government programs, citing the "Feeding Our Future" pandemic fraud case ($250 million), Dr. Oz's report on hospice fraud in Los Angeles ($3.5 billion), and HUD Secretary Scott Turner's disclosure of $5.8 billion in improper rental assistance payments, including 30,000 deceased tenants receiving $77 million. He framed these as examples of systemic fraud affecting Wyomingites' generosity.
Kathy Nerkinen (Ward 2 resident): Described the 14-month struggle to secure ADA-compliant access for her son with Down syndrome at Hogadon Basin (city-owned ski hill). She alleged repeated excuses from city staff, including claims of liability, capacity, and the need for a feasibility study. She noted that during the restricted after-school time slot (4:30-6:30 PM), approximately 125 children ski while no elementary or middle school children with disabilities are permitted, and the city operates a public bar in the lodge. She requested access for her son or a small unified team of no more than six children.
Dave Riggers (3005 Palmer Drive): Requested an independent engineering study for stormwater management in two basins (Basin A and B) south of 29th Street. He argued that the city must maintain detention pond PE27 as a safety valve to prevent flooding, and that Basin A, with no detention pond and a single 40H drain pipe, poses a greater safety concern. He offered to help fund a study focused on Basin A.
Ryan Perry (324 Curtis Street, Evansville): Argued that Wyoming's medical cannabis laws violate the state constitution (Article 1, Section 38 – Right of Health Care Access). He described his own criminalization under Wyoming Statute 35-7-1031, resulting in probation conditions he could not comply with, costing taxpayers approximately $50,000 per case. He urged decriminalization, especially for veterans and cancer patients.
Lisa Gagnan (nurse, former Illinois resident): Expressed frustration with rising utility bills (water, garbage), city budget priorities, and the cost of living in Casper. She questioned the need for a new bar liquor license and urged the council to find a balance between revenue and affordability to retain residents.

Discussion Items

Council Responses to Public Comments: Councilmember Kyle responded to Mr. Shriffman, clarifying that the ballot measure for Fire Station #1 was for land, design, and engineering (not construction), and the city conducted extensive outreach. To Mr. Perry, he argued that current drug laws are likely unconstitutional under Article 1, Sections 7, 14, and 15 of the Wyoming Constitution, and reinterated his support for cannabis decriminalization. He also addressed Lisa Gagnan's water bill concerns, referencing his December 18th letter. Councilmember Pollock noted he voted in favor of a WAM resolution on cannabis two years ago and would support revisiting it.
Public Hearing – Budget Amendment: The council held a public hearing on Resolution approving the second amendment to the original adopted budget for FY ending June 30, 2026. No public testimony was offered. The resolution was adopted unanimously.
Public Hearings – Liquor Licenses: Three separate public hearings were held: for Chiba Hut Toasted Subs (new bar & grill license #10), Roaring 22 LLC dba Rialto (new bar & grill license #15), and transfer of ownership for Gaslight Social (retail liquor license #32). No opposition was voiced. All three were approved, with Councilmember Pollock abstaining on each.
Consent Resolutions and Minute Action Items: The council approved seven consent resolutions (8A1-887) covering parking garage management, a cell tower lease, landfill remediation, access easements, ice arena rental, and a door detector repair. Two consent minute action items were also approved: acknowledging withdrawal of the Eagle Valley subdivision agreement, and authorizing purchase of a scrap handling grapple bucket.

Key Outcomes

Consent Calendar Approved: Minutes and bills passed 7-0.
Budget Amendment Adopted: Unanimous approval of second budget amendment.
Liquor Licenses Approved: Chiba Hut, Rialto, and Gaslight Social licenses granted; Pollock abstained on each.
Consent Resolutions and Minute Actions: All approved unanimously.
Public Hearing Date Set: February 17, 2026, for Valley Hills subdivision final plat and zoning.
Executive Session: Council voted unanimously to adjourn to executive session to discuss personnel, land, and potential litigation, with plans to reconvene solely for adjournment.

Meeting Transcript

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.

SUMMARIZED BY OPENPUBLICA AI

TRANSCRIPT VIA PUBLIC VIDEO
openpublica.com