OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Rock Springs Council Meeting Summary 2026-02-04

City Council — Wednesday, February 4, 2026
BodyRock Springs, Wyoming
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, February 4, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:42:48

Transcript — Verbatim
0:01

On the 26th, got to go to the combined communication meeting over at the sheriff's office.

0:08

They did the election of officers.

0:12

The 27th, I got to go to the snowman stroll down at the Bunning Freight Yard.

0:17

They had, I believe, six or was it eight new snowmen.

0:23

It was very, I mean, a lot of people down there.

0:25

The art was wonderful.

0:28

On the 28th, I went to the box art committee meeting at the chamber.

0:32

And want to put out there that they're getting ready to work with Pacific Power on some uh new boxes.

0:40

So they'll be putting out the word to local artists for submissions to put on the uh some of the power boxes around town.

0:49

Uh the 29th, got to go to the job fair at the Holy Spirit Catholic School.

0:54

That was great.

0:55

They had two little groups, older, I think it was third to sixth graders, and then the first littles, they called them the kindergarten through second graders.

1:03

Uh going around talking.

1:05

We had the fire department, the police department, uh, I think veterinarians.

1:11

We were there.

1:12

The most popular uh job that these kids were looking at.

1:17

They all wanted to be firemen or veterinarians.

1:20

So we shouldn't have a shortage of any of those in the coming years.

1:25

Uh yesterday uh went to the agenda meeting, and this morning uh I went through here at City Hall with a program-based budget budgeting presentation in the mayor's office.

1:38

And it looks like uh it's something that looks really good for the city to work on uh the yearly budgets.

1:45

It's uh I think it's gonna make it more transparent and based on priorities.

1:54

And that's all I've got.

1:56

Thank you.

2:00

Thank you, Your Honor.

2:01

Yeah, I've had a pretty busy two weeks also.

2:05

I see we made statewide news.

2:08

Thank you all.

2:09

Good job.

2:11

Good job.

2:13

So uh the usual, I uh talk to my constituents, Zoom meetings, uh, old timers civic center, government meeting.

2:23

Uh, some new stuff I'm working on is economic development, tourism, and outdoor recreation.

2:30

I checked out our uh mountain bike trails, and there's about four miles worth at the college, which I was kind of surprised about.

2:39

And they tell me it's very casual, relaxing and fun.

2:43

Uh there it's right in town and with easy access.

2:46

And then there are about 21 miles of mountain bike trails over at Wilkins Peak.

2:53

And they tell me those are really awesome.

2:55

You know, I've rode motorcycles over there, but not mountain bikes.

2:58

So if you want some more information on that, contact the Sweetwater Mountain Bike Association.

3:04

You know, spring is coming, bikes, bikes are really hot, especially e-bikes.

3:09

Also, uh Commissioner Jones is involved with the Wyoming Trails program, so I'll be getting a hold of him and seeing what we can promote around here.

3:19

I'm always studying health and wellness, and my number one nutritional tip is controlling your blood sugar, your insulin, and your pancreas is where insulin comes from.

3:29

Too much sugar is toxic to the bottom bought body.

3:32

But the most interesting thing I ran across lately is the weight loss drug Ozimbic.

3:39

It works by signaling the pancreas to put out more insulin.

3:44

It works good until it doesn't.

3:46

It wears out your pancreas, then you're in big trouble.

3:49

So I say be very, very careful if you're using Ozambic.

3:53

You could die.

3:54

I also studied uh Nick Green Raynor.

3:57

Remember him?

3:58

He's the one that murdered his parents, sliced their throats, and uh Jordan Peterson.

4:03

He's a famous Canadian scholar.

4:06

Both were on psychiatric drugs with very bad bad endings.

4:11

So be careful getting on and getting off psychiatric drugs.

4:15

Please, please, please study nutrition.

4:19

Also, uh gut health is very important for mood and immune health.

4:24

Your gut is 30 feet long and starts in the mouth.

4:27

So oral hygiene is very important.

4:30

I was talking with my dentist about going to the schools and talking to students about taking care of their teeth.

4:38

He has some great ideas and said he would talk to his association that he belongs to and see what can be done.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████26%
Engineering And Infrastructure██████████████████18%
Public Engagement██████████████14%
Fiscal Sustainability███████████11%
Gaming Regulation███████████11%
Economic Development██████6%
Budget Equity Analysis████4%
Affordable Housing███3%
Cannabis Regulation███3%
Summary of Proceedings

Rock Springs City Council Meeting Summary 2026-02-04

On February 4, 2026, the Rock Springs City Council convened to review council updates, public testimony regarding zoning changes, and a legislative budget session update from Senator John Colb. Key agenda items included approving the consent agenda, discussing the controversial state property tax reform and backfilling efforts, and approving resolutions for the airport terminal project financials, fireworks contracts, and Bitter Creek restoration engineering. The council unanimously approved several liquor license transfers, new parking fees for the airport, and a zoning map amendment, while delaying action on proposed setback ordinance revisions to allow for further public input.

Consent Calendar

  • Unanimously approved the minutes of the January 20, 2026, City Council meeting.
  • Unanimously approved correspondence items, including a letter from the Archie American Legion Post 24 and a memorandum from Merchant McIntyre Associates regarding a $5 million allocation for Bitter Creek mitigation.
  • Councillor Zotti highlighted the 22 to 1 return on investment generated by the Merchant McIntyre partnership.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Doug Gresham: A military veteran and police officer resident of 30 years, expressed concern regarding the proposed Ordinance 2026-02 (new setback requirements). He stated that approximately 65% of current homeowners are not in compliance due to smaller lot sizes and larger homes. He argued that enforcing these new rules would force costly removal or relocation of existing structures, including sentimental items, and suggested the planning department is understaffed to police compliance. He asked the council to consider the financial burden of surveys and rebuilding on residents.
  • Laura McKee: Asked for clarification on the timeline for the new program-based budget tool and queried whether snow removal savings would offset next year's deficits. Mayor Mickelson confirmed that savings from the light winter would be carried over to the next fiscal year's budget but noted that the program-based budget tool is still being developed and no specific timeline could yet be committed.

Discussion Items

Legislative Budget Session Update (Senator John Colb)

  • Senator Colb presented on the upcoming short legislative session, noting the two-thirds requirement for bill introduction.
  • Senator Colb emphasized his intent to prioritize local control over gaming licenses and to introduce a bill making it a felony to use vehicles to impede law enforcement travel, citing the Clarion incident.
  • Councilor Malonus challenged Senator Colb's assertion that opponents of property tax reform "can't do math," asserting that 67% of property taxes fund overfunded schools and criticizing the proposed 2% sales tax increase as insufficient without a clear funding mechanism. Malonus expressed support for local association rights.
  • Councilor Zotti criticized the state's "acquisition-based property taxation" (Proposition 13 model) as causing housing stagnation and preventing mobility, arguing the legislature speaks out of both sides regarding tax mills and backfilling.
  • Mayor Mickelson expressed concern that the proposed property tax reduction to zero combined with a 2% sales tax increase is mathematically inadequate and could lead to further direct distribution issues. He reaffirmed the principle that local governments govern best and noted his role in seeking funds for Bitter Creek mitigation.
  • Councilor Pedrie and Councilor Zotti discussed gaming regulations, agreeing that the current lack of uniformity has led to uncontrolled growth and that skill-based games should be restricted from grocery stores and non-liquor areas to prevent them from becoming ubiquitous financial drains.

Airport Update (Devin Brewbaker)

  • Devin Brewbaker reported that the new commercial terminal project was completed in 2025 at a cost of $43.95 million, with only $1.275 million in local cash match ($59.3 million annual economic impact).
  • Brewbaker explained the rationale for implementing paid parking ($6/day, first 4 hours free), citing that 39% of parking users are out-of-county/state vehicles who do not contribute to local taxes, and that this aligns with industry standards to achieve self-sustainability.
  • Councilor Higgerson joked about the airport's return on investment ratio compared to the 22:1 return mentioned in correspondence, while Councilors Demas and Zotti applauded the team's dedication in securing funding and completing the terminal despite challenges.

Bitter Creek Restoration (Resolution 2026-11)

  • Councilor Malonus questioned the status of Segment 2 plans and costs. City Clerk/Staff clarified that the current resolution approves engineering design for Segment 3 only, with Segment 2 design pending separate funding from Representative Hageman's allocation. No costs for Segment 2 are currently established.

Key Outcomes

  • Liquor Licenses: Unanimously approved three transfer applications for Maverick Group LLC (Maverick #5057, #5059, #5286).
  • Airport Parking: Unanimously approved the implementation of paid parking at the Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport starting at $6/day with a free first 4 hours.
  • Personnel: Unanimously approved the filling of a vacant Irrigation Specialist I/II position in the Parks Division.
  • Infrastructure Bidding: Unanimously authorized bidding for the 2026 Street Overlay, Concrete Replacement Phase One, and Crack Seal Phase One projects, noting that specific project locations were not yet finalized but standards-based evaluation would be used.
  • Permits: Unanimously approved malt beverage permits for the 2026 Bud Cup Men's Hockey Tournament.
  • Resolutions:
    • Unanimously approved Resolution 2026-09 accepting the fireworks production contract with Fireworks West International.
    • Unanimously approved Resolution 2026-10 amending the official land use map from HDR to LDR for a specific parcel.
    • Unanimously approved Resolution 2026-11 accepting the engineering agreement for Bitter Creek Restoration Segment 3.
  • Ordinances:
    • Unanimously approved Ordinance 2026-01 (Third Reading) amending the zoning map from R5 to R2 for a 0.609-acre parcel.
    • Deferred action on Ordinance 2026-02 (Setback and Height Encroachments) to the next meeting to allow for further review of public concerns regarding existing non-compliant structures.

Meeting Transcript

On the 26th, got to go to the combined communication meeting over at the sheriff's office. They did the election of officers. The 27th, I got to go to the snowman stroll down at the Bunning Freight Yard. They had, I believe, six or was it eight new snowmen. It was very, I mean, a lot of people down there. The art was wonderful. On the 28th, I went to the box art committee meeting at the chamber. And want to put out there that they're getting ready to work with Pacific Power on some uh new boxes. So they'll be putting out the word to local artists for submissions to put on the uh some of the power boxes around town. Uh the 29th, got to go to the job fair at the Holy Spirit Catholic School. That was great. They had two little groups, older, I think it was third to sixth graders, and then the first littles, they called them the kindergarten through second graders. Uh going around talking. We had the fire department, the police department, uh, I think veterinarians. We were there. The most popular uh job that these kids were looking at. They all wanted to be firemen or veterinarians. So we shouldn't have a shortage of any of those in the coming years. Uh yesterday uh went to the agenda meeting, and this morning uh I went through here at City Hall with a program-based budget budgeting presentation in the mayor's office. And it looks like uh it's something that looks really good for the city to work on uh the yearly budgets. It's uh I think it's gonna make it more transparent and based on priorities. And that's all I've got. Thank you. Thank you, Your Honor. Yeah, I've had a pretty busy two weeks also. I see we made statewide news. Thank you all. Good job. Good job. So uh the usual, I uh talk to my constituents, Zoom meetings, uh, old timers civic center, government meeting. Uh, some new stuff I'm working on is economic development, tourism, and outdoor recreation. I checked out our uh mountain bike trails, and there's about four miles worth at the college, which I was kind of surprised about. And they tell me it's very casual, relaxing and fun. Uh there it's right in town and with easy access. And then there are about 21 miles of mountain bike trails over at Wilkins Peak. And they tell me those are really awesome. You know, I've rode motorcycles over there, but not mountain bikes. So if you want some more information on that, contact the Sweetwater Mountain Bike Association. You know, spring is coming, bikes, bikes are really hot, especially e-bikes. Also, uh Commissioner Jones is involved with the Wyoming Trails program, so I'll be getting a hold of him and seeing what we can promote around here. I'm always studying health and wellness, and my number one nutritional tip is controlling your blood sugar, your insulin, and your pancreas is where insulin comes from. Too much sugar is toxic to the bottom bought body. But the most interesting thing I ran across lately is the weight loss drug Ozimbic. It works by signaling the pancreas to put out more insulin. It works good until it doesn't. It wears out your pancreas, then you're in big trouble. So I say be very, very careful if you're using Ozambic. You could die. I also studied uh Nick Green Raynor. Remember him?

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