Casper City Council Regular Meeting – June 2, 2026

The Casper City Council held its regular meeting on June 2, 2026. The meeting was called to order at 6:00 p.m. (the transcript indicates the meeting date as June 2, though the user specified June 3, 2026 – discrepancy noted). All councilors were present, with Councilor Bond attending remotely. The agenda included public comments, a public hearing on a temporary moratorium for new simulcasting establishments, multiple consent agenda items, and councilor reports.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the minutes of the May 19, 2026 regular council meeting (unanimous).
• Approved the bills and claims as audited by City Manager Jordan (unanimous).

Public Comments & Testimony

• Ross Shriffman commented on the fiscal year 2027 budget, noting that property tax revenue is projected to be $4.9 million out of a $196 million budget. He advocated for redistributing the first 4% sales tax (2% to local, 2% to state) and questioned whether the city would spend tax dollars to promote a yes vote on the fifth cent optional tax. He also mentioned a survey that appears to be complete.
• Amity (no last name given) raised concerns about the Spiritus carbon capture plan associated with the Prometheus data center in Converse County. She cited a June 2024 work session where Spiritus requested 200–500 gallons of water per minute per block, with plans to expand to 20 blocks, potentially using 14.4 million gallons per day – comparable to the entire city of Casper's summer water usage (25 million gallons/day). She argued this is a Converse County project and that water resources should not be provided by Casper.
• Dennis Laughlin, a property owner on 14th Street, questioned the proposed Local Assessment District (LAD) for sidewalk and curb replacement. He suggested cost-saving alternatives (rounded curbs, shallower drain pans) and asked if property owners could do their own work. He noted he had previously been required to pay for infrastructure improvements.
• Renee Eberhart, also a 14th Street resident, opposed the LAD, stating that the 21st Street project was done at zero cost to homeowners and that many sidewalks could be repaired rather than replaced. She criticized poor communication and lack of options for homeowners.

Discussion Items

• Council Response to Public Comments: Vice Mayor Gamroth and Councilor Sweeney thanked the public for engaging. They noted that the 14th Street LAD had been rejected by a majority of property owners (59 out of 80 signed a petition against it) and that the council would vote to abandon the LAD later in the meeting. Councilor Pollock emphasized the importance of LADs as a tool for infrastructure funding and the need for better communication on value propositions. The city attorney stated that state statute requires adjacent property owners to maintain sidewalks, and that doing one's own work may be possible if properly licensed and permitted.

• Public Hearing and First Reading of Ordinance – Temporary Moratorium on Simulcasting Establishments

  • Speaker in Opposition (John Johnson): Argued that the moratorium is a government overreach that limits free enterprise and that the market should regulate itself. He compared it to coffee shops and vape shops, saying the city should not pick winners and losers.
  • Speaker in Opposition (Affie Ellis, attorney for Bally's): Provided detailed opposition on behalf of Bally's, the third entrant into Wyoming's historic horse racing (HHR) market. She argued that the moratorium would unfairly advantage existing operators (ECL Gaming and Chesapeake Gaming) who already have over 3,000 machines each, while Bally's has zero. She noted that the legislature's intent with HHR was to support live horse racing, and that the city already has zoning tools. She provided data showing only 11 new machines added in Natrona County in the last 14 months, and no new facilities since 2023. She expressed concern that a moratorium could lead to permanent restrictions and violate Wyoming's constitution by being arbitrary and capricious economic protectionism. She suggested alternative approaches such as zoning amendments rather than a blanket moratorium.
  • Council Discussion: Councilors debated the need for a moratorium to allow time to study zoning and public health impacts. Councilor Haskins argued that a moratorium is necessary to maintain the status quo while the council works on zoning. Councilor Pollock and Councilor Gamroth supported the moratorium as a tool to keep options open. Councilor Jensen and Councilor Sweeney opposed, citing concerns about chilling new business and setting a bad precedent. Councilor Bond noted that the council had reached consensus in a work session to move forward. The city attorney noted that the moratorium could be amended as the zoning committee develops recommendations.
  • Vote: Motion to approve on first reading passed 5-2, with Councilors Jensen and Sweeney voting nay.

• Second Reading of Ordinance – Mobile Vendor Parking (Amendment to 10.36.031)

  • No public comments. The ordinance was approved unanimously.

• Consent Resolutions (Items 8A1–8A15)

  • The council adopted all 15 consent resolutions, including:
    • 8A5: Abandoning Local Assessment District No. 162 (14th Street Improvements) – reflecting the property owners' petition against it.
    • 8A14: Rescinding and replacing Resolution 25-101 regarding downtown open container hours, boundaries, and days. Councilor Pollock abstained from this item.
  • All other items (including agreements with Natrona County Conservation District, Rocky Mountain Power, PIX4D, Envision Electric, etc.) were approved.

• Inclusion of Summary Proposed Budget (FY 2026-2027) into Minutes

  • Approved unanimously.

• Consent Minute Action Items (9B1, 9B2)

  • Approved the appointment of Scott Cohen Camp to the Downtown Development Authority and the sole source purchase of GTAC mobile data terminals.

Key Outcomes

• 14th Street LAD abandoned: The council voted to abandon the creation of Local Assessment District No. 162, following the property owners' petition (59 out of 80 signatures).
• Temporary moratorium on new simulcasting establishments approved on first reading: The ordinance will have second and third readings; the council expects to develop zoning recommendations before the moratorium takes full effect.
• Mobile vendor parking ordinance amended on second reading: Approved unanimously.
• All consent resolutions and minute action items approved.
• Councilor reports: Upcoming events include Casper Pride (June 7–14), CNFR (June 14–20), the Casper Marathon (June 6), and a budget work session on June 9. Vice Mayor Gamroth highlighted concerns about water usage and drought, noting testimony against the Seminoe Pump Storage Project. The mayor announced closure of the Hogadon slash pile due to dry conditions, with free disposal at the solid waste facility.

Note: The user-provided meeting date (June 3, 2026) differs from the date stated in the transcript (June 2, 2026). The summary above reflects the transcript's date.