Good evening.

Sorry to run a little few minutes late.

Happy uh parade day.

And uh fair and rodeo start kicked off.

So before we begin this evening, I'd like to remind everyone to please silence your cell phones.

Uh council meetings are live streamed in the cities you on the city's YouTube channel.

I now call the July 7th, 2026 regular council meeting to order.

All counselors are present.

Please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands.

One nation under act and it is all with liberty and justice for all.

Please read the consent minute approval titles.

Approving the minutes of the June 16, 2026 regular council meeting and the June 16th, 2026 executive session.

Thank you.

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

Move by Councillor Haskins, seconded by Counselor Bond.

Any abstentions?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Second.

Move by counselor Macintosh, second by counselor Pollock.

Any abstentions?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

The chair now entertain a motion to uh motion to approve by minute action.

The June 16th, 2026 conflict claims is audited by City Manager Jordan.

So moved.

Okay.

Moved by Councillor Pollock, seconded by Councillor Jensen.

I think I got you.

You had it first.

Any abstentions?

I'd like to abstain as well.

I'd like to abstain.

Please cast your vote.

Sorry, it's not clear.

Oh let me try to close the unreal.

Please record the vote.

With Mayor Pacheco, Vice Mayor Gamroth and Councillor Sweeney abstaining and all others voting aye.

The motion passes.

Now is the time that we invite anyone from the audience who wishes to come and speak to the council.

This portion of the meeting is dedicated to the public to allow them time to discuss matters of public interest and voice any concerns.

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

No personal obscenities or threats will be tolerated.

Council will not respond to any of the personnel matters.

These will be referred back to our city manager.

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

Presentations are limited to five minutes, and there are no time extensions will be permitted.

Please note that all of our public hearings and our ordinances each have their own separate comment periods.

Mr.

Shrifman, good evening.

Good evening.

Recently, um staff uh sent me the results of the one percent sales tax survey, and I have a few comments on that.

608 um surveys came back.

The cost of the pro the uh for the contractor etc institute between the county and the and the city was sixteen thousand dollars.

So that comes to about twenty-five dollars per survey.

Uh I don't know if that's uh that is kind of the way it is.

It seems a little high, but of course it's a well-done survey.

Uh one of the concerns I have is who is surveying and uh it's registered voters, but I suspect it's actually registered voters who normally vote in elections because uh one of the questions was are you planning on voting in the general election?

And 96 percent said yes.

Well, going back to the 2022 general election, of the registered voters, there's a 61% turnout.

So I think the survey was tilted towards people that normally vote, which is great, and it's been mentioned that if you don't vote, you don't have a say, but um there is the budget, and the budget includes those people that don't vote who pay sales taxes, and I encourage everybody to vote on these uh important elections.

Uh one of the concerns I have uh is the way the questions are worded.

Question number one for the past 50 years, voters in the Trona County have approved a 1% sales tax, commonly known as the fifth cent every four years.

Revenue from this tax has funded major community projects, including City Hall, the Ford Wyoming Center, the recreation center, numerous fire stations, and critical infrastructure needs, such as miles of street repair.

If the election were held today, how likely would you be to vote in favor of renewing the one cent sales tax?

That that's what's called a push poll.

Now, results are obvious, uh facts are obvious, but facts aren't always appropriate in a non-biased polling.

So that's a concern I have.

The survey, getting to the survey itself, uh it seems that the people that responded were particularly interested in infrastructure, which has been you know, a situation, streets um, water drainage, flood prevention, and other uh technical services, facilities, cybersecurity, and and technology.

So the bottom line is um it I think it's important for voters to know before the election what council from this information and from discussions within council, uh, what direction uh the voters will know before the election because if we don't know what council is planning on spending, it's kind of like asking us to approve sending you the money, and then we'll find out what you're gonna do with it.

So uh if there are memos or there's information that I'm not aware of of as we go get closer to the general election, uh that would be really helpful, and I can share it with people that ask me about it, and I'd be glad to answer any questions.

Any questions for Mr.

Shriffman?

Yeah, go ahead, counselor Sweeney.

So I'm I'm just uh thank you for your comments, but I'm just curious being the set county-wide election.

Um, specifically, are you gonna go to the county commissioners meeting?

Are you gonna go to Evansville?

Are you gonna go to Mills?

And are you going to Barnun, Edgerton, and Midwest with your concerns?

Mayor, uh Councilman Sweeney.

Um unfortunately, your meetings are the same night as county commissioners.

So if you don't see me at one of the meetings, it's probably because I'm going to be asking them, and I'm going to be talking to elected officials in the other municipalities, as well as people that are not in a municipality and getting their input.

Uh county commissioners, as you know, we've there's a lot of people running for county commissioner, and I'll be asking them what their view is of what the um one percent optional sales tax should be used for.

Thank you.

No, you're good.

Good evening.

Hi there.

So my name is Dakota Miller.

Um, so never been here to do one of these things, but uh probably a not on the docket, I'd imagine.

But I was informed recently we may be encountering a data center.

So I want to speak upon that and just express that it is one of the worst things that we can do for this community.

If you like your way of if you like your way of living, if you want to have a future for our children and our children's children, you should not allow for it.

It will harm us more than you can ever know.

It takes away our water.

We need water in order to live.

We are water.

And if we want to survive, especially here, we cannot allow a data center.

We are also near Yellowstone, so we are just asking for a plethora of issues.

So I find it in our best interests that we not approve it.

We have one that's being broken ground in Evanston, which is not far from us here.

Um I do not approve of that.

I also do not approve of the one that is in Cheyenne.

It is proving time and time again across the United States to be a huge problem.

And if we want to continue to live here in Casper within the next 10 to 15 years, we cannot allow these things to be built.

They will destroy everything.

And they are.

They are destroying everything.

For people who support it, for people who decide that it's a good idea that we should have these data centers, understand that you don't need a cat meme to be happy.

You need people and this world to be able to exist.

Supporting things like this will destroy humanity.

It is not a matter of if there's plenty of data out there, and there's plenty of things out there that show that it will do that.

So I ask anyone here or anybody who can approve those types of things to never even think about it being a possibility.

Because if we want our way of life, it cannot be allowed.

Any questions for Dakota?

All right.

Thank you, Dakota.

Thank you.

Appreciate your time.

Thank you.

Okay.

I'm at this time and ask any of the counselors if they would like to briefly respond to any of the matters that were brought up from the communications from person uh persons present.

So I'll open that up.

Yeah, go ahead.

Counselor Pollock.

So I just want to um let Mr.

Stripman know that I I do believe some of those memos will be forthcoming as we continue to uh discuss the resolution that will pass and and some other uh things like that.

I do think uh it may take uh somewhat different form than they have taken in years past, but I do think there will be discussion, conversation about um the priorities and and kind of the general philosophy around which the council uh sees those funds being used, so that there will be some information coming out to folks and and you will absolutely receive it.

So mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh yeah, to tag along with Councillor Pollock's comments.

Uh uh, I I think I mentioned last time that we do typically pass a resolution preceding the um it being on the ballot in the fall election, uh, and that resolution outlines all the different different areas that we'll be allocating that one cent funding uh because to your point it's impair it's important for me and I believe the rest of council to be fully transparent with the community about what they are voting on when they go to the uh ballot box in the fall.

On that note, though, uh we didn't get an opportunity to do agenda review really in our pre-meeting, and I don't see that on our agenda yet.

So I guess I would um you know um, I don't know when city staff expects to have those conversations, but certainly you know, before November.

Um yeah, I guess I uh I'd be interested in having those sooner rather than later to give us a couple months to you know be sharing that resolution with people and make sure that it disseminates.

And so uh I don't know if city staff has an idea of when to expect that.

Uh um, Mayor, through you, uh Vice Mayor Gamroth, we are we've had some early conversation around that, potentially early August is I think where we're leaning, uh depending on how things progress with our uh group we're working with.

Okay.

Thank you.

So I guess stay tuned, Mr.

Shripman in the coming weeks.

Uh and we'll be talking about this uh in a little more comprehensive fashion.

And then uh to Dakota, appreciate you showing up tonight.

You did uh you did well.

Um I know it's always intimidating being up here and uh being on the YouTube and stuff like that.

So I think you did uh completely fine job.

Uh it sounds like you were referring to the Prometheus Hyperscale project that straddles the Neutrona County and the Commerce County lines.

That is something that is not within our jurisdiction.

You know, we could certainly pass letters and support or in opposition.

Uh we haven't really had a you know real comprehensive discussion on that.

I have my own hesitations about the project, but uh I would encourage you if you feel strongly about this.

Uh probably our counterparts at the county commission is the best body to be uh voicing those concerns to because they're gonna be the ones that um are you know passing votes uh that have any sort of influence over that project, but I do appreciate you being here.

Any other comments?

And I'll just reiterate that too, because that's gonna be my same sentiments.

Um city won't have too much to do, if anything, besides letter support.

Um, but I appreciate you coming up here and expressing your concerns about the data center.

Uh again, just reiterating what the vice mayor said, county commission would be a really good place to go.

And they meet, they do meet on Tuesday these days as well, not mistaken.

5:30.

So yep, and they're just right across the way here.

Yeah.

Okay.

anybody else?

Oh, yeah, I can't, we don't take any more questions.

I'm sorry, after we move that.

So thank you.

Okay, let's go ahead and move on.

Thank you for everybody that came up.

Please read the consent agenda titles.

Established July 21st, 2026 as the public hearing date for consideration of an ordinance approving the annexation and zoning as M2 General Industrial 4.2 acres, more or less located at 2585 and 2595 Ryan Evansville Road.

Creating the Robertson Road edition number two, located at 3346 Chuck Wagon Road, and a zone change of the proposed Robertson Road edition number two from AG Urban Agriculture to R3 to 4 unit residential.

New restaurant liquor license number 55, Rockbond, Casper LLC doing business as City Works Cafe, located at 162 South Walcott, and new restaurant liquor license number 54 Frida's Mexican restaurant of Casper LLC doing business as Frida's house Mexican food and established September 1st, 2026 as a public hearing date for consideration of a resolution certifying that the annexation of 4.2 acres, more or less located at 2585 and 2595 Brian Evanshill Road complies with Wyoming statute section 15-1-402.

Thank you.

The chair entertained a motion to by minute action establish the public hearing dates just read.

Moved by Councillor Sweeney, seconded by Counselor Bond.

Any abstentions or NAVOs?

I would like to abstain from items six, A, one, C, and D, please.

Any other abstentions?

Okay, please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With Councillor Pollock's abstentions noted and all of those voting aye, the motion passes and I'll declare the public hearing open for the consideration of an ordinance approving a vacation and replat final plat and zone change for the Shepherd of the Hills edition uh subdivision.

Uh Mr.

City Attorney, do you have any exhibits?

Thank you, Mayor.

I do exhibit number one correspondence from Liz Becker to Janine Jordan, dated May 21st, 2026.

Exhibit number two, affidavit of publication from the Casper Star Tribune dated June 29th, 2026.

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 those individuals to issue speak in favor of the ordinance to please approach the lectern.

Anybody that wishes to speak in favor.

Good evening, Mr.

Bourne.

Good evening.

My name is Dale Borin, and I'm an elder in charge of the building and administration of the Shepherd of the Hills Presbyterian Church.

Several years you've seen many churches in Casper, half a dozen I can name, that have closed their doors.

Our church is healthy.

It's at the corner of Wyoming Boulevard and Poplar, 4600 South Poplar.

But we have a columbarium.

And so looking at these churches that probably never intended to close, I thought it was wise to try to see.

I mean, if that property were to become a truck stop, what would they do with our columbarium?

And we feel an obligation to those that have over the years purchased a niche and have placed their loved ones or themselves into that columbarium.

So I uh called at the time it was Carter and APR and asked him.

We came up with three different scenarios that maybe we could of something we could plan to do with this columbarium.

One of them was to ask the city if they would be interested in making this pretty nice piece of property into a park and taking care of the columbarium.

Carter came and he brought Zulema Lopez.

And uh much to my surprise, they were very interested in this piece of property as use of the columbarium park.

And the so we have over the course of the past few years uh talked with the city uh about transferring this property to the city in return for uh the city taking care of our columbarium in perpetuity.

So that's basically what what we're doing.

And I think tonight we we've we've got the phase one, we've done the surveys, we've done everything that I think that the city has required.

I don't know if Craig Collins is here or not, but we've got this replat as part of the process.

And so I'm just here to answer any questions.

Great.

Thank you.

Any questions for Dale?

Awesome.

Thank you, Dale.

Thank you.

Anybody else who wish to speak in favor?

Okay.

At this time, I would ask any individual that wishes to speak in opposition to the ordinance to please approach the lectern.

There being no others to speak for or against the ordinance.

I now declare the public hearing closed.

Please read the ordinance by title only.

An ordinance approving a vacation and replat, final plat and zone change for the Shepherd of the Hills Edition Subdivision in the city of Casper, Wyoming.

Thank you.

The chair would entertain a motion to approve on first reading the ordinance just read.

So moved.

Second.

Move by Councillor Pollock, seconded by Councilor Haskins.

Discussion by the council.

Yeah, Councillor Sweeney.

Microphone.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um, I looked through this, but I didn't quite understand, and I didn't realize I could have called you.

Um but um how many acres or was it less than an acre?

You want to come?

Would you mind coming up?

Please, yes.

The cemetery tract is 1.4 acres, and the entire tract, including the church, is uh just under four.

Yeah.

And how many uh sites are already there, I guess.

60.

60, okay, their niches that's in a columbarium, it's around, it's granite or marble, and it's it's each got these pineapple shaped niches.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Dale.

Any other questions?

Or any discussion?

Yeah.

So what would be our plan to continue out with with that?

Um, you know, I know we've got what one at the cemetery at Highland Park.

Or two, yeah.

Yes, thank you.

Three weenie.

So um, as the church elder described, this has been in progress and has been uh vetted by our parks and recreation section, including the cemetery folks.

Um, the plan would be to bring the columbarium there into the city cemetery system.

It's actually timely uh and fortuitous.

There is a need for additional um, I guess I would say capacity, and this columbarium will serve that purpose for us.

So we would take it into city inventory and manage it in perpetuity, yes, we do with all other cemetery assets.

Okay.

Thank you.

Yeah, the discussion.

I would just add that I think this is a great um, I remember when Carter and Zulima had brought this uh to us, and I think this is a really good opportunity to um work with you guys and be able to be able to take this on.

So thank you.

Please our gratitude as well, Dale.

Sure, we win.

Yep, exactly.

Thank you.

All right.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Please read the ordinance on third reading by title only.

An ordinance approving a temporary moratorium on the establishment of new simulcasting establishments in the city of Casper, Wyoming.

Chair would entertain a motion to approve on third reading the ordinance just read.

Uh moved by Councillor Haskin, seconded by Counselor McIntosh.

Madam City Manager, do you have a report?

Um, mayor, I do just briefly um an update on the work of your gaming working group as they have concluded their recommendations in advance of third reading of this moratorium this evening.

Uh, those very briefly, three recommendations are one to update zoning codes to reflect current statutes as of July 1st of 2026.

Number two, to create a local permit requirement for simulcast gaming establishments, and number three, to allow neighborhood land use uh restrictions upon request of any neighborhood or area of the city.

Uh and that request would come to you all, of course, and then the council would take up consideration of any restrictions that are requested from neighborhoods or areas of the city.

Those are the three recommendations of your gaming work group at this time.

Thank you.

Um at this time, council will listen to any public comment regarding this ordinance.

Anybody wish to speak to this?

For or against Mayor.

Um I attended the first reading of this and listened to some of the comments and I thought about it.

Um I'm not a fan of gambling, but um maybe somebody can tell me whether this kind of moratorium had ever taken place for private businesses in uh Casper.

Um according to the May 22nd memo on page two, it says that uh approximately 2.3 million dollars uh in revenue to the city from historic horse racing activities.

That's pretty substantial amount of money.

And uh I I always mention the fact that I think government sometimes gets addicted to smoking, drinking, and gambling.

Um I don't remember a moratorium on the prostitution businesses here in Casper or the out-of-state business that is killing babies here in Casper.

Um I also listened to uh comment made by Vice Mayor uh Gamroth on his experience with people with gambling addictions where they'd lose their homes, and that's terrible, but it's even worse to lose your life.

Um Gen Z comes up a lot because we want to keep our youth here in Casper.

Um, killed a quarter million of um of Gen Z babies.

So uh I don't think I don't know why council couldn't just without a moratorium just look at this situation.

Um I don't know that there's a whole bunch of businesses coming in all at once, that there's a problem with crime or traffic or something else, why a moratorium of six months is warranted.

I think it protects the businesses that are already here if other businesses want to come in.

Any questions?

Mr.

Frickman.

Okay, thank you so much.

Appreciate it.

Anyone else wish to address the council on this ordinance?

All right, discussion by the council.

Open it up.

Rock, paper, scissors.

Go ahead, counselor Smeanie.

Um thank you, council and mayor.

Um this might take a few minutes, but um so I didn't get all of my thoughts totally out there.

But first off, I'd like to say thank you to city staff um on their work thus far about all of this um in moratoriums in particular.

Um also I'd like to thank uh city attorney's office for trying to update different things and as we go along.

Um so on at first on this particular moratorium, uh I really was in favor.

And then we had the first reading uh where John Johnson came in and addressed us.

And that really had an effect on me because uh John's got a lot of businesses, not just here but across the state and in Montana and South Dakota, and um and he understands gambling in it uh in uh these different kinds of machines in a different sense than I certainly do.

uh john's got a lot of businesses not just here but across the state and in montana and south dakota and um and he understands gambling in it uh in uh these these different kind of machines in a different sense than i certainly do um so uh what do we as city council um have the right uh to impose these changes uh and i do believe we do have a uh counsel does have a duty and a right to protect the public but we but do we have a right to tell an existing owner of a property that has a full liquor license that they cannot sell to a simulcasting HHR operator if we preclude those operations within a certain area and I'll use specifically the old Yellowstone district that's what it boils down to is my my real concern um as as we move if we do move forward with this with the working group is uh and unfortunately the timing of tonight's meeting um uh I I know I I have talked to the office uh owners twice now and have talked to Pete Maxwell neither could be here tonight um and that's that's their main concern is if an operator came in and we had done through through the moratorium process and in the end uh downtown in old yellowstone district is um I'll use it's not not the right term but zoned out um in the in the long run then what right do we have to tell them of course they can sell uh but they can't sell to um simulcasting is what it would boil down to um on the issue of grandfathering um uh we did discuss that at the last working group meeting and so I got a better understanding uh if they have in place uh simulcasting now um they could uh be grandfathered but if they have skill based games they they cannot uh they can sell to somebody anybody they can sell it's they're not being restricted um but they aren't protected under grandfathering was simulcasting um so i'd like to further draw your attention to um uh miss all is uh during the first reading handed out um basically it's um a uh case that was brought Wyoming Downs versus uh the uh sweetwater county commissioners and I believe you all got a copy of that but there's just two things uh that struck me uh and I don't know I'm obviously not an attorney um I'm I'm very good at washing dishes commercially but that's about it um but um but in on page nine eric on um uh at the at the very top and this is uh a court case that our turn our current attorney general who also was on the our Supreme Court but at that point he was uh the judge in the uh eighth district judge Keith Countz um at that point in time he was uh in the eighth to judicial district which heard this case um and one one of his in the decision was um uh and they they couldn't find uh quite anything that fit the case except from out of state this was an appellate court in Illinois that uh municipal zoning authority is not a proper vehicle to control or restrict competition uh it goes on to say the competition should be managed by market forces not by the local government which should not be placed in the position of deciding whether more or less competition is a good thing and I say this uh it there's additionally on page 11 in another case quoted the law is well established that a probable probationary ordinance must be general and uniform in its operation and that it tends to create a monopoly uh it cannot be sustained um and that's more or less what this case was about was holding out another operator and so um I'm um I and I only bring that up not not as a case of smoke and mirrors but some of the

Uh it cannot be sustained.

Um and that's more or less what this case was about was holding out another operator.

And so I'm um and I only bring that up not as a case of smoke and mirrors, but some of the things that I worry about in passing this moratorium.

So I'll start reading from my notes instead of trying to wing it.

Um I realize that this case might not really apply now that we have Senate file 45 that went into effect July 1st, just a few days ago.

And I want to tell you that FELS provided a copy uh of this to council at the first reading, I believe.

If not, uh I'd I'd be glad to get a copy of it to you.

Um I also want to let you know that Rock Springs passed on third reading June 16th, um their ordinance, which is um pretty pretty tailored, I guess, and again, I'm not an attorney, around Senate file 45.

Um, and they passed that on third reading June 16th.

So the title of that ordinance is an ordinance of the City of Rock Springs, Wyoming, amending Title 11, business regulations of the code of ordinance of the City of Rock Springs, Wyoming by creating a new chapter 11 entitled Simulcasting and Paramutual Local Approval, establishing a local approval process for simulcasting and paramutual wagering, including historic horse racing terminals.

And I think we'll get to that.

Um I I truly believe we we will get to this.

Um, you know, through the working group, through council, through staff.

Um, and I bring this up because uh during the last working group, uh Wallace uh had a copy of this and um uh in it's it's a pretty thorough document.

Um so um and then um so I why why do I bring this particular Rock Springs up?

Do we need a moratorium or should we pursue looking at the Rock Springs ordinance and move on from there?

So um, you know, I don't have uh the expertise to bring a lot of amendments forward because that would be the obvious next question is do you have some amendments that you'd like to see um in um and I don't um have any recommendations.

I don't know, um I I obviously will be voting no, uh, but I wanted you to know these things, and I'll draw your attention to our moratorium.

Um section one on page three, a temporary moratorium is hereby imposed prohibiting the acceptance deeming complete processing review or approval of any applications or permits, permits, licenses or land uses entitlements related to the establishment and new simulcasting establishments within the city.

This moratorium shall also apply to any applications that were submitted but not finally approved, but I I don't I don't believe there are any uh invested under the applicable law prior to the effective date of this ordinance.

No person or entity shall establish commerce open, operate or otherwise initiate any new simulcasting establishments within the city during the term of this moratorium, regardless of whether such use would otherwise be permitted by right exempt and review or not require any permit license or land use.

The last thing I'm very concerned, and that's why I read that, is that we don't uh in my terms, nobody else's fence out anyone.

And I'm concerned with the ability of any business being able to sell to someone that may that would like to sell, that we might preclude from so doing with our new restrictions.

Um I appreciate the time there.

Uh if you've got any questions, um, I'm I'm certainly open.

Um I recommend um I recommend no vote, but um does it do us any good to table to a date certain so that we can better study um Rock Springs.

Um see if they're on the right track from what I've been told they are.

Uh but um uh that's that's well, I'll leave it, leave it there, Mayor.

Thank you.

Eric and uh you give us guidance.

I think Pat's alluding to trying to do uh requesting, I think, to table it um to a date certain.

So is that what you're suggesting?

Um mayor I'm concerned about making a motion.

Uh once I do it that do that, then there's not a lot of discussion.

And I I don't mean to limit uh council.

Okay, correct uh mayor, uh counsel.

So um if you could clarify that with guidance, uh there's a lot.

Sorry, I'm not so I'm happy to respond.

Counselor Sweeney had just mentioned would it do us any good to maybe to a date certain push us to a date certain.

If he makes that motion, I think he sounds like a table that I can I can never get it right.

Yeah.

Yeah, sorry.

Um, and I don't know if that is something that I think he's suggesting if that's something if we did it now, then we just wouldn't be able to have any discussion uh for the rest of this ordinance, correct?

Yeah, mayor counsel, I think I think that's correct.

So a motion to continue to a date certain, I don't believe it's debatable.

Is that correct?

That's not good.

So it would not be debatable and so then subject to the vote on that motion.

If it was successful, then it would be uh continued to a date, certain there'd be no further discussion at this time.

So procedurally, that that's how thank you.

Yeah, go ahead.

Thank you, Mayor.

And uh thank you, Counselor Sweeney, for your comments and also for your work on the committee.

I apologize for my own.

Um, you know, I know there was a spreadsheet sent out kind of trying to solicit some of our input and feedback, and I I never did that.

So I apologize.

Uh, happy to give some of it here though.

Um in regards to um uh you know, the thoughts of tabling to a date certain.

My here's my concern with that is uh the primary reason I've been supportive of a moratorium up to this point is because I don't feel like the framework that we have in place provides us the protection that I think we need and our community deserves in regards to the promulgation of these sorts of establishments.

My worry is that if we, you know, you mentioned not having the expertise, I don't have the expertise either.

And uh that was part of the goal of this moratorium, at least from my perspective, is that it gives us the time to develop that expertise to solicit input from people that do have that expertise, like Lit Nick Larmandy, who came and spoke to us uh a few weeks back.

Um I feel like we are not informed enough at this point to approach this in a really data-driven way.

And so that was one of my primary reasons for supporting the moratorium, is it would give us that runway to develop and uh leverage that expertise.

I uh acknowledge to Miss Alice uh when she was here last.

I don't see her here this evening, but I do agree that this tool, you know, this is a blunt tool.

It's not I like to be a lot more surgical in my policymaking, and I'll acknowledge this is not a surgical tool.

And for that, uh, you know, uh I think that's regrettable.

I wish I had a better tool in my toolbox, but not having the expertise, not having the time or the bandwidth to come up with something better.

Uh, this is really the only tool that I feel that we have at this point to give us the time to create a better framework uh for handling this into the future with respect to um uh you know, Mr.

Johnson having came and spoke to us in the past.

I have a great deal of respect for him, as it sounds like you do as well, uh, as an entrepreneur and a businessman, and uh certainly has found a lot of success in our community and others.

And certainly has found a lot of success in our community and others.

He stated that he was a proponent of a very pure laissez-faire type of uh you know political economics.

Uh said he would be against any and all liquor license caps, and respectfully to Mr.

Johnson and uh perhaps yourself if you agree with them, I just disagree.

I I think there is a time, place, and purpose of um, you know, legislation to protect uh, you know, I'm I'm free market up to the point that it affects public health.

And I think this is one of those areas that we do need to be careful about nodding not letting the market simply dictate what our community can support because the market doesn't care what public health impacts there are.

Uh it it's uh only goal is uh to make profit for the folks uh interested in it.

My guess is you and probably even Mr.

Johnson, if he was here to ask, would be against, say, for instance, um I I know there was some recent legislation prohibiting China from buying up land around FE Warren base and uh setting up certain operations there that could be used for uh surveillance purposes.

If we were completely laissez-fair, hey man, whoever wants to buy the land and has a checkbook, they're allowed to do it.

But in that case, uh in many other cases, I can think of we determined, or at least uh in this case, the legislature determined this isn't this is an issue that we should not leave entirely up to the free market.

We do have an obligation to protect the public health and national security by regulating this.

And uh so obviously this is a little bit different circumstances, but I I still believe this is an issue that warrants some really responsible legislation to make sure uh that you know our community does not have so many of these establishments that it does come at significant expense and sacrifice of the public health.

And so that would be my only rebuttal.

I do, you know, uh again to reiterate, I don't think this is the best tool to do it, but I'm hoping with the six months that we uh potentially are allowing ourselves, we'll come up with better tools.

That's my hope.

Um and uh certainly desire in passing this moratorium.

And so um I think those are my comments.

Thank you.

Counselor Pollock.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um generally speaking, I I think that I I agree with Kyle on a number of points.

Um I I think that since I've been on council, this has been an issue that has been brought up to me by constituents, not you know it consistently.

It's not it's not necessarily frequent, but it has been a persistent sort of rumbling and issue in the community that sort of um I would say rears up when there's any new activity uh in this in this area.

Um I think from my standpoint, structurally this industry has the the policy around this industry and the the policy tools that municipalities have had um related to this industry have been problematic from the beginning, which has sort of put us in this position where we we're feeling ill-equipped to um to sort of guide the development here to the to extent, or or I should say guide our guide the community um and and the you know the ways in which we we can develop the community um and and how this fits or does not fit within um that development.

I so I agree um that I think that a moratorium is um is appropriate.

I do feel though, and I and I tend to agree to some extent with the operators who spoke to us and those folks that um you know I I think scope is um possibly something that I could be moved on.

Um I don't know uh that my concern about this particular industry development extends to every corner of Casper.

Um I think that there are some, you know, for me, I think that there it's a little bit more specific than that.

And I I don't know that we need, you know, I if if there is a way to to make this tool slightly less blunt, um I would be very open to it.

I'm also really don't like to be uh like throw a ringer into the third reading type of person.

Um and apologies for that, but I I wasn't here for the second reading, and then I was I was um sort of waiting to see the results from the um working group committees.

I didn't want to start lobbying grenades while folks were still trying to do work on this issue, and I do I did get those recommendations, but they didn't really attend to the moratorium itself.

They attended to like what do we do after um that?

And so um I I was sort of waiting to see where that came down from from our working group.

Um and so I guess my question to Eric would be um I think that you know, generally speaking, a moratorium needs to be like evenly applied for the most part and broad.

So from your standpoint, are there ways that we can um make it more narrow?

Whether or not we have the political will or interest to do that, I don't know.

But just generally speaking, are there ways to to taper this in a bit?

Um, or do we sort of need to go an all or nothing approach in order to protect ourselves from choosing favorites or you know, whatever?

Uh mayor, counselor, um, I do believe that the council has the uh latitude uh to amend the the scope of the moratorium.

So it specific zoning areas um within the city that we were concerned with new development.

I think it could be tailored and more narrowly.

Um I would say, given some of the discussion about fencing out and some of those other uh attributes, I'm I'm not sure you would get away from some some of the concerns that have been previously raised, but I do think that council does does have that latitude, should it so desire um yeah, I mean I guess I would say that that if there's other interests on council to make an amendment to narrow the scope, particularly geographically, I think is the where where I think would make the most sense.

Uh I would be interested, otherwise, I'll be a yes on this to provide us the time to create the structure that we that we need.

Counselor Bond.

Welcome.

Thank you, Mayor.

Um I I will be voting for the moratorium.

Uh and I just want to kind of talk about some of the reasons.

I think when I look at the recommendations that the work group came up with, uh, you know, number one, uh my rationale.

I'm I mean, I've been trying to look for reasons to to be opposed to the moratorium.

And I can't, I'm not seeing the downside for a couple of reasons.

Mainly because it I think we need the time, and that's the way I'm viewing the moratorium is just to give us give the council time, give the staff time to accomplish a couple of pretty important things.

Senate file 45, which is the state legislation that that authorizes the municipal authority around gaming, um, is you know that just went into effect.

So I think we need some time to kind of um digest that and alignment with that state statute.

That's the first recommendation.

Second recommendation is to establish a permit requirement for simulcast gaming establishments.

Okay, that's number two.

Those those things are could be pretty easy.

The third recommendation is the one where you know we already have zone zoned areas for for commercial business and so forth where gaming is permitted.

Um the third recommendation um talks about um the city manager mentioned these very briefly early on, but um it says that uh that uh the council will take up consideration of land use restrictions for gaming establishments upon request of any area or neighborhood demonstrating a clear majority of landowners uh are in favor and providing supporting evidence of the contrary impact or condition that gaming would cause.

So in our conversation with the work in the work group, that that was that gave us, I think at least me, I won't say I'll say gave myself uh some some comfort in that, okay.

If if there's a certain area of of town and the property owners, say it's the Yellowstone district or the downtown merchants, where they don't want gaming to their opposed to gaming being near their businesses, um, that they have the opportunity to at least voice that.

It doesn't mean we have to adopt it, but we you know it gives us a chance to get a pulse on the sense of the of the community and the property owners that that are in those those areas.

Um so again, I will be supporting the moratorium.

And I guess my last point about the moratorium is that uh I I think I'm right, and correct me if I'm wrong, but it's a six-month moratorium, 180 days.

Uh, but we have the option to if we accomplish our work in say two months or three months, we could end the moratorium early.

So it gives us an out.

It doesn't tie us to you know, shutting down life as we know it for six months.

Uh, but we could end it much, much much sooner if if we get the things outlined that we that we are proposing.

Thank you.

So I have voted no for this, and I still am gonna vote no.

Um, because I would like to see it narrowed down, like counselor Pollock said too the scope.

If we don't want it on the second street downtown, then which we all know they don't, majority of them, then let's say not downtown on 2nd Street, where it's a family venue where kids and everybody is walking around, but we can't we should not, I don't feel that we should exclude every part and go to every corner of Casper, similar to what she was saying.

Um, I think that we really are starting to teeter on the line of economic protectionalism, um, in a sense picking winners or losers of who can do what.

And so I am not gonna do it.

I mean, like the Miss Alice said too when she was here, she said no other, no new gaming has even established since 2022.

No other things.

I'm pretty sure that's what it had written in there.

And these places that do have it aren't even using their allotted amount that has already been heavily regulated by the gaming commission.

So for the city to, you know, if it's health, public safety, all that kind of stuff, um, welfare concerns.

I don't feel that this is one of that that falls into where we should have a city wide moratorium on this.

I agree we have to maybe still talk about it and do it, but again, I don't want to say yes to this moratorium when it's for the whole entire city, narrow it down, be more specific.

But we're also these businesses that do have it in, like gaslight or you know, many others down there, it's an activity and it's fun for those people who like to have gambling.

So I just don't feel either, and that's a different subject that we need to tell people how they can spend their money and where they can spend their money.

They're gonna do it anyways, and then it's gonna be a prohibition again, right?

Like no alcohol, prohibition, no gaming, prohibition.

It's gonna go underground.

People are gonna do it if they want to do it.

Where there's a will, there's a way.

But I get that being in the city with a family-oriented area, such as right downtown 2nd Street, I'm for that.

And the discussion, and then you can still we hasn't been built since 2022, nothing new has come, and we still have plenty of time within that scope to talk and discuss and maybe zone areas or you know what we need to do.

But I don't agree with this.

Um, I'm gonna see if we have counselor how I think we decided moratorium is a required word.

We can't just call it what we're looking at it as, which is a pause.

We're not trying to stop businesses from coming, we're putting a pause.

Because unlike Rock Springs, we don't currently have an ordinance prepared yet, which means the pause needs to happen, so we can.

And I do like the direction that Rock Springs went.

But like we decided in the working group, and the reason I'm not suggesting we narrow the scope, the things that we are sure we want to address zoning is for everybody, not just downtown.

The permit potential and possibly looking at things that could address mental health issues, like the trainings that we have been throwing around, those things would be for the entire city, which is why the working group didn't bring forward let's narrow it down.

We did put in that caveat that if Yellowstone District or 2nd Street business owners want to bring something and say this is important to us in most of us, not 17 of us that did a survey, but most of us do want this, then we are definitely open to addressing that.

But also the moratorium puts a pause for that to be an opportunity where council doesn't make that decision, they make that decision, which is why we did bring that forward from the working group.

Hey, these are things we want to look at.

We are in agreement in the working group that no, we don't want to restrict business.

We're not making it an adult entertainment, or at least we haven't brought that up at this point.

But do we want to talk about potential for parking?

Do we want to look at specific zoning?

And yes, the zoning commit commission committee, the zoning people do have some things they want to clean up that we want to do, but all of this has to happen during the moratorium before another business comes in.

So the pause is purely so that we can clean up our stuff before someone gets here so that they can't say, well, we already did it.

So too late.

Sorry, we don't have any parking for you.

So the pause needs to happen.

And yes, we are all still going to hurry.

And yes, I think ultimately we're gonna come up with maybe a permit, definitely an ordinance, all of it will be clean, and no, I still don't think it's gonna take us all of six months.

That's just the number that we gave ourselves because we can't legally give ourselves six months.

But the goal is still for that to be in less than six months, quick and easy and not making any rules for any businesses unless all the other businesses ask us to.

So I'm still in support of this because we're working so very hard to make it clean and beautiful and wonderful and non-restrictive, but also taking into consideration the things that as a council and as a community, we do think are important.

Thank you.

Anyone else?

Yeah, Vice Mirror, sorry.

Thank you, Mayor.

Uh uh I I did want to offer one point of clarification.

Uh Council, you mentioned uh gaslight social downtown, my understanding is they have skills-based games in there, and uh I do want to make a point that the moratorium does not include skill-based games, so uh folks could still utilize that if they wanted to.

Um I just wanted that noted since uh Councilor Sweeney's brought that up in the past.

Um that's all I have at the moment.

Okay, so I'll do a couple different things um here.

First, I know Counselor Pollock, I think uh Counselor Jensen also expressed this about is there any appetite for an amendment that would bring kind of bring it back to say let's reduce the scope around what we want to do?

And I kind of have an idea of what that would look like.

I guess I just kind of want to see if there's any appetite for that before we try to put some type of an amendment forward for that.

Yeah, Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor.

That was the other thing I wanted to state.

Um, you know, for me personally, I think downtown uh DDA and OID have made it very clear to me uh through my liaison work on both of those boards that you know that's an area they would like to see uh you know a perpetual moratorium on, and so I think for me personally, that's an easy uh, you know, I don't want to see it there.

Uh and I think uh that's the majority opinion of my constituents as well, as well as the stakeholders in that area.

But my concern with um creating those amendments on the fly in third reading, as counselor Pollock alluded to, I don't think that makes for very good quality policy, uh just in practice to be doing it that way, and so I wouldn't support it because you know, they're so often unintended consequent, you know, if we pass a third reading this evening, carving out simply downtown, we still leave ourselves open and vulnerable in my opinion to, you know, I can think of a number of occasions uh a number of locations right now that have a liquor license in a pretty residential area of town or another area that I think would be sensitive to this sort of industry, and if the moratorium was not in place, you know, I'm there's areas of town uh like councilor Pollock stated that uh you know, I think uh is appropriate for this sort of business, and uh through our work over the next six months if this moratorium passes, I would love to see us be very intentional in regards to identifying and designating where those areas are.

But uh again, I can think of a number of locations that are currently utilizing a liquor license that are outside of downtown, say Frosti's barn liquor uh being one of them.

Uh they're outside the jurisdiction of the DDA and the OID currently, they would not be subject to this moratorium if we carved out just downtown, but I bet that's still a location that all of those stakeholders and the majority of my constituents would not want that gaming to take place.

And so um I I just think we need to be really intentional about it.

And so just uh philosophically, uh, I don't think that is typically the result of making amendments on the fly during third reading, and so that's why I wouldn't support it.

Thank you.

Yeah, go ahead, counselor Sweeney.

So we are if I could ask a question of staff and the city attorney.

So if I made a motion to table to a date certain sometime in September.

And I'm not making a motion at this point in time.

Does that eliminate the working group?

Or can the working group continue?

Um we just wouldn't have a moratorium.

Go ahead.

Uh mayor counselor.

So I think whether there's a moratorium or not, uh, the work of the working group can can continue to proceed and will need to proceed for a number of reasons that have been mentioned here, such as updating um our ordinances, um, some antiquated definitions in light of the new uh legislation.

I think uh passage of Senate file uh 45 um outlines uh a permit that has to be um issued by the city uh for new establishments and then ultimately renewals, and so we'll need to to work on that process to codify it.

Um I was kind of looking at um is with regard to a motion under Robert's rules of order to continue to a date certain.

Technically, it's only available until the next available meeting, and so two weeks.

So following the strict rules of Robert's um rules, uh it would only be until the next July meeting.

Um if I could ask a clarifying question to that, is there a way to table to uh a date certain, say September 15th.

Um Mayor, Counselor, I I think under Robert's rules, uh, to my understanding, it tabling is essentially continuing it to a date certain, and so tabling it indefinitely is is not really an option.

So I think the best we're looking at is two weeks down the road.

Any others.

Okay, uh I'll just just be real brief.

I'm gonna be voting for the moratorium.

I don't and I don't want to re hash everything that um I do think it's a a thoughtful pragmatic approach and for us to kind of come up with a um I've always said good governance is you know good planning is good governance, and so um we'll be doing that.

We're not anti-business.

Um I think all of our voting up here uh would also um show that we are very pro-business in the city of Casper, especially with what the growth has shown um in this city with what we've done.

Uh I just feel like this is gonna be a good opportunity for us to um take a step back and being able to do um our due diligence.

Um and I do agree with Counselor Haskins.

I don't feel it's gonna take the six months, um, but I think that it uh would would be a um a smart idea for us to do this.

Um also in the sentiment of a community and the citizens, I know there are a lot of people that have become somewhat fatigued with gambling establishments.

I get that a lot of that feedback um from a lot, and so um I think this is a good opportunity for us to listen to that uh and be mindful.

Okay, any amendments?

Oh no, go ahead.

So, Mayor, I I would just like to uh thank you for indulging me absolutely in uh allowing uh all the council to have I mean I I could have and it would have failed uh to pass the the table uh motion, but I felt this was a much more effective way so that everybody could uh have their say in um uh but I'll still be voting no.

Um, I think I'll then apologize, but I have mutton busting to get to the yes, you do thank you.

Okay, any amendments.

All right, please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With counselors Jensen and Sweeney voting nay and all others voting aye, the motion passes.

Thank you.

Have a good time, button busting.

All right, please read the ordinance on third reading by title only.

Chair to entertain a motion to approve on third reading the ordinance just read.

Move by Councillor Hackett Haskins, seconded by uh moved by Councillor Haskins, seconded by Counselor Bond.

Council will now listen to public comment.

Would anybody like to come up and comment on this third reading?

Okay, any discussion by the council.

All right, please cast your vote.

Yeah, we're mobile vending.

Yeah, sorry.

I know I'm like please record the vote.

Mayor, is Councillor Pollock abstaining.

Oh sorry, we're voting on you're good.

Sorry, for some reason I thought you abstained and left for some reason.

Sorry, that's why I was waiting when you're out, and I'm like, oh.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Council now discuss the resolution regarding the purchase of Fout Fire Heavy Rescue Apparatus.

Because this is not on the consent agenda, it will be open for discussion by the council.

Please read the resolution by title only.

Authorizing the purchase of a Fouts Fire Heavy Rescue Apparatus from True North Cascade to be used by the Casper Fire EMS.

Thank you.

The chair would entertain a motion to approve the resolution just read.

Second.

Move by Council uh Councilor Mackintosh, seconded by Councilor Haskins.

Uh Badam City Manager, do you have anything to report on this?

Um I do, Mayor.

Counselor Zoom, as you know, the city's current rescue one vehicle is 16 years old at the end of its useful life.

Um you did appropriate $900,000 from one cent sales tax.

Um, of course, also referred to as our fifth local uh countywide tax.

Um the cost of this new apparatus is below that approved budget at $869,981.

I'll just close by noting that the vehicle is being purchased through the Source Well Cooperative Purchasing Program.

Uh this program is a good way for us to ensure that the city gets the best value price and still utilizes a competitive uh procurement process.

So uh with that, we are happy to answer any questions.

Okay.

Any discussion by the council or questions for city staff.

All right, please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

Council will now consider consent resolutions.

Please read the consent resolutions by title only.

9b1 approving amendment number two to the contract for professional services with WWC for additional water and sanitary sewer utility inspections related to project number 21-018.

9B2 authorizing an agreement with 71 Construction Incorporated for the Center Street Underpass Storm Sewer and Concrete Improvements Project.

9B3 authorizing an agreement and change order number one with American Contracting LLC for the Comb Gate and Controller Replacements Project.

9B4 accepting a sanitary sewer easement from Cody and Jessica Klein Living Trust, Larson Revocable Trust, and Carrie Hawthorne Grantors.

9B5, rescinding and replacing resolution number 26-02, providing for the naming of legal depositories and investment firms for 2026.

9v6 authorizing amendment number three to the agreement with Farnham Incorporated for construction manager at risk services for the North Platte River Restoration Isaac Walton Reach.

9B7, authorizing amendment number two to the contract for professional services with civil engineering professionals incorporated for the North Casper Athletics and Recreation Complex Improvements Project.

9B8 authorizing a contract for outside city water services with Kate Caleb J.

Dill and Catherine A.

Dill.

9B9, authorizing a revocable license agreement with Evansville for access and utilities located at East Yellowstone Highway and proposed gambler road within city owned rails to trails corridor.

9B 10, a resolution authorizing a contract for professional services for transit services for the city of Mills, a Wyoming municipality for fiscal year 2027.

9B11 authorizing an agreement an agreement for construction management services with Samson Construction Company Incorporated in the amount of $15,000 for the new Metro Animal for Services Agreement with Clean Club 307 LLC for custodial maintenance services.

9B15 authorizing submission of an application for federal funding through TAP administered by Y Dot for the purpose of the 13th Street Pathway Project.

9B16, authorizing city council to appoint Keith Robert Nakbar as a provisional judge for the Casper Municipal Court and enter entering into an employment agreement.

9B17 authorizing an agreement with Battle Ridge Builders, LLC for construction of the North Platte River Pedestrian Bridge.

9B18, granting an access and utility easement for maintenance of overhead and underground utilities at the Casper Business Center.

And 9B19 granting an access easement to serve the properties and business of Block 8 City of Casper edition.

Thank you.

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

Moved by Councillor Bond, seconded by Counselor McIntosh.

Thank you.

Any abstentions or nay votes?

Please cast your vote.

Please record the vote.

With all counselors voting aye, the motion passes.

We'll start with you, Counselor Larson.

Counselor Bond.

Counselor Pollock.

I can provide a brief update on two committees that I uh attended this week.

So we alluded, Kyle alluded to the Metro quarterly Metro Task Force meeting that we had earlier last week.

It was last week.

And then we uh really in terms of new business, um, predominantly got an update on some improved education and outreach initiatives that are taking place up there.

So um, generally speaking, it sounds like that um there's been a lot of effort and it um focus on that and have made some some great progress in um several different um community education and outreach initiatives.

So um we also discussed um we we get a generally a weekly um report from Jody at Metro, and um we asked that those start getting um placed into your packet every um week.

So um might be don't know if it'll be the week of or a week behind or or what the time it will be, but in any case, you should start seeing a relatively frequent metro update, which provides kind of just a peek into number of intakes, number of adoptions, just some kind of um a little more detailed information about what's happening up there at any given time.

So I've found them to be helpful.

I know Kyle has mentioned several times how helpful they are, so um, just get those uh so that you can all be seeing them.

It will be in the information packet.

Um, yeah.

And then um my other meeting was the uh Fifth Cent task force.

Um so we did review the results of that survey, which um I think should be getting a report on relatively soon.

Um, and also generally speaking, I would say the survey results were basically in line with what we've seen in many years past.

There were no nothing that resulted from that survey that really jumped out at me as some any dramatic change um in the sentiment of of the community related to Fifth Cent.

So I found that to be uh positive because um, you know, ultimately every four years the community has supported that um that initiative.

And so um I I think that our survey results again didn't didn't notice anything that that made me feel like there's been a dramatic shift um in the community's sentiment around that um since we last um put that on the ballot.

Uh so we will be just discussing within that group um as sounds like was mentioned sometime in August, be getting a little bit more detail about um you know how how we want to approach the resolution and and um that sort of thing, but but ultimately I would say that definitely made me feel like uh community support is is there.

Um, understands the um what has been done with that uh with that tax over the years for the most part, um and and has pretty similar priorities to what they expressed to us four years ago.

Uh so no no major um developments on that front.

So um anyway, I think I think that's really the the bulk of the interest of those two meetings.

Thanks.

They did a wonderful concert for the 250th.

And it was a little cold and chilly, but Wyoming nights and persevered and the park was packed.

So it was great.

And then just happy parade day.

It was so fun to see so many people in the community out there being happy and getting engaged and just made your heart feel good.

So it was fun.

Yeah.

Also, happy parade day.

It was it was fun to see everybody that came out for the parade.

It was the streets were well well lined with lots of little kids waving.

It was fun.

Also, I want to give a huge shout out to uh city staff, especially Zulema and Park and Rex.

I had the uh misfortune or opportunity to help uh put together a uh community event.

And so what dropped on my plate was to get all the uh permits and get the band shell reserved and everything.

I had no idea where to start.

Shot out an email to Zuleema.

She sent me to the right people.

We got it all taken care of.

Um the event turned out wonderful.

We had one little miscommunication glitch that shot out an email to Zulima and we took care of it in a matter of minutes.

And uh so it's always great working with our staff.

I had forgotten one vital part as old men do when they get older.

Um I forgot to get the permit.

So thankfully, a couple of Carla and Fleur gave me a little nudge and I got that taken care of.

But I it was a learning experience.

So if you ever uh have to put together some a big thing for the community, it's it's fun.

So but it turned out great.

So that's all I got.

Thank you, Mayor.

Have just a couple things.

Had a homelessness coalition meeting two weeks ago at this point.

Uh they reported uh the folks around the table, the stakeholders and providers reported a huge increase in people with food and also clothing insecurity.

Uh Salvation Army said they are seeing 10 to 15 new families every time they open their doors for food.

This was talked about a lot at the meeting.

I read uh Reuters article, I believe it was later that same day.

So unfortunately, I wasn't able to get feedback of that group quite yet, but I'll certainly ask them at our next meeting.

But that Reuters article showed that Wyoming was one of the hardest hit states impacted by federal cuts to SNA.

Uh it led to an 11.6 reduction in utilization this year.

Uh this is despite a 4.6% error rate that we um you know established last year, which is well below the 6% error rate mandated by the federal government.

So I am curious if that 11.6% reduction in utilization is going to you know force uh our food banks and pantry providers to shoulder more of that burden.

So that's something that I'll definitely be tracking and asking for feedback from those groups so that we as a council can stay informed and in the loop on that.

Um, there's a couple other gaps and services that they identified.

It was mostly clothing.

It sounds like there's very few people in the community offering clothing.

Uh sounds like rescue treasures is no longer offering vouchers for it.

The free store previously ran by the housing authority at the College Heights uh church is uh you know, folded, they're not doing that any longer.

I believe Hein Grounds has a community closet, and from my recollection of that conversation, they were pretty much the only place in town.

So I guess if other folks are offering community closets, uh, I think Central Wyoming Center also has a closet for the folks in their rehab program, but sounds like those resources are few and far between.

So I guess let us know so that we can disseminate uh the places in town where folks can get clothing to be presentable, you know, when they're interviewing for jobs or uh their current clothing just isn't cutting in anymore.

And then uh a lot of the meeting was Christy Oester from the Netrona County Collective Health Trust.

Uh, she gave an update and kind of a demo of the situation table, which is a group of stakeholders and providers that um get together to kind of address our super utilizers, uh, the folks that are demanding a lot of public services, just trying to make sure those people get into treatment or uh get connected to resources so that they are not you know getting picked up for public in talks every other day by the police department or something like that.

Uh so it was helpful to you know understand how that group works and the work that they're doing.

Councilor Pollock mentioned the Metro Animal Shelter Task Force meeting.

Again, most of what we discussed was addressed in pre-meeting.

I did want to give Jody a shout out, though.

Uh, you know, I I really think the shelter has made a lot of progress under her leadership.

Um, you know, she's only been there for a couple years now, but uh some of the facts or the stats that were shared with us, you know.

Um uh I got this uh you know, all these numbers in front of me.

I see youth and youth and a euthanizations, they're down uh like 60 percent in the past five years.

Our adoption revenue has gone up fivefold uh in the past two years.

Uh Jodi was quick to you know give credit to our work to we uh uh uh you know fairly recently adjusted fees, adoption fees, and so that led to some increased revenue.

But also, I just think she's done a really good job establishing kind of a new culture there, working really good with our community partners and folks from out of state that come up and uh help us to adopt out animals.

And so just the uh the way people talk about Metro now compared to when I first stepped on council six years ago is very different.

And uh, you know, I I think there's a lot of people who deserve credit for that, but certainly Jody being one of them.

Um and then I also wanted to uh thank Casper Fire EMS.

Uh it sounds like we were all at the parade this morning uh in various capacities, but my daughter and I rode along with them in the fire truck this morning.

Uh we've done that a number of occasions.

Uh but when I showed up this morning, it you know, um, there was no uh there was no plans to uh do squirt guns or anything, which is what we've done in the past.

It's what I promised my daughter we'd be doing.

And so I was certainly going to be in trouble with her if we didn't have uh, you know, that opportunity.

And so I just want to thank those guys not only for letting us ride in the truck, but they scrambled last minute to get us some bladder bags with some of those squirt nozzles.

And uh we had a really good time shooting people out in the crowd.

Uh and I know the kids, you know, the kids really enjoy that.

So I just want to thank those guys for scrambling last minute.

They also do the pancake breakfast in the morning.

So got breakfast and uh, you know, our uh first responders are great cooks typically.

So appreciate the breakfast as well.

It's one of my favorite things to do.

That's all I got.

Thank you.

Um, I'll be real brief.

I was able to welcome the Air Force Academy Band, um, which was really, really good.

They were amazing.

I mean, it was very chilly.

So, but they were they were great.

And it was very, very full.

Lots of people.

Uh, a couple meetings on Friday of uh CBC task force and a BBP task force meeting on Friday.

So we'll be busy there.

Um I think that's all I have.

Next meeting of the city council will be a work session to be held at 4:30 on Tuesday, July 14th, and a regular council meeting to be held at 6 p.m.

on Tuesday, July 21st.

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

We have attorney client privileged matters to discuss.

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

So second.

Move by counselor McIntosh, seconded by counselor Pollock.

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.

A greater than two-thirds majority of the council present.