OPENPUBLICA · PUBLIC MEETING RECORD
Record of Proceedings

Rock Springs City Council Meeting - August 5, 2026

City Council — Wednesday, August 5, 2026
BodyRock Springs, Wyoming
SessionCity Council
DateWednesday, August 5, 2026
StatusNEW · FILED
Video Record
0:00 / 42:23
Transcript — Verbatim
0:02

All right, congratulations to the United States of America.

0:06

And to the public for which you have Justice Raw.

0:17

Matt, may we please have roll call?

0:20

Counselor Thompson.

0:22

Here.

0:23

Malonus.

0:24

Demas.

0:25

Here.

0:25

Ickerson.

0:27

Zotti.

0:28

Here.

0:28

Hansen.

0:29

Here.

0:29

Pedri.

0:30

Here.

0:31

Bingham.

0:31

Here.

0:32

Mayor Mickelson.

0:33

Here.

0:33

President Hickerson is absent dealing with a family medical issue.

0:38

May I please have a motion to nominate president for this evening.

0:41

Your Honor.

0:41

Counselor Zodie.

0:42

I'd nominate Councillor Thompson.

0:44

Thank you.

0:44

May I have a second?

0:46

Second.

0:46

Thank you, Councillor Petrie.

0:48

Is there any discussion?

0:50

Hearing none, all those in favor, please indicate by saying aye.

0:53

Aye.

0:54

Aye.

0:54

Any opposed.

0:56

Any abstaining.

0:58

The motion carries unanimously.

1:00

Counselor Thompson, you are president for this evening.

1:02

Yes, sir.

1:03

Do I need to move down there or can I stay here?

1:05

It's up to you.

1:05

Do we have debt openings tonight?

1:07

No, we do not.

1:07

Okay.

1:08

So I think you're all right.

1:09

Uh, which brings us to council updates and this evening, and I'll start on my left with Councillor Bingham.

1:15

Thank you, Your Honor.

1:16

So had a busy couple of weeks.

1:19

Uh was able to go to Cheyenne Frontier Days.

1:22

Also attended a uh GOP meeting for Sweetwater County.

1:26

Attended the fair.

1:27

It was great seeing all the candidates out there that are running and getting to speak with them, especially all the sheriff candidates and uh see their platforms and such.

1:37

Want to just commend Candy Pendleton doing an outstanding job with the fair was great, great job, great bands, great attendance too.

1:45

I don't know if anybody was there on Saturday night, but I think the whole town was out there on Saturday.

1:51

So other than that, uh worked on some uh ordinances that were passed along that are gonna address both subdivision and zoning, was able to review the subdivision and get comments and then I still need to get through the zoning information.

2:07

I also received an email today, and just for the council to be aware, I had a constituent reach out to me and uh from Ward Ford is concerned about uh the Civic Center and the resolution that we passed last year concern concerning the closure of it next year or so and requesting potential rescission or amendment to it.

2:29

So that's all I have, Your Honor.

2:31

Thank you, sir.

2:33

Councilor P.

2:34

Gree.

2:34

Thank you, Your Honor.

2:36

Well, just like Councilor Bingham said, the last two weeks have been super busy and a lot going on in town from downtown, uh, the farmers market.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Procedural██████████████████████████████30%
Public Engagement██████████████████18%
Community Engagement█████████████████17%
Arts And Culture████████████12%
Economic Development█████████9%
Parks and Recreation███████7%
Mental Health Awareness███████7%
Summary of Proceedings

Rock Springs City Council Meeting - August 5, 2026

Note: The transcript indicates the meeting occurred on August 4, 2026, but the meeting timestamp provided is 2026-08-05 01:00:21 UTC; the date used in the title follows the provided timestamp.

The Rock Springs City Council met on the evening of August 4, 2026, with Mayor Mickelson presiding. After roll call, Councillor Thompson was elected President for the evening. Council gave updates on recent community events, including the Sweetwater County Fair, rodeo, farmers market, and the ribbon cutting for the silo. The mayor highlighted the upcoming revision of planning and zoning ordinances (17 ordinances, over 800 individual changes, 180 substantive changes) to be heard by the Planning and Zoning Commission in September and council in October. The consent agenda was approved unanimously. Two public comments were heard: Tiana Gandhi on literacy and mental health roundtables, and Mark Piedry on a film screening event. Several routine resolutions and business items were approved, while a resolution regarding the hockey association failed after a vote.

Consent Calendar

  • Approved city council meeting minutes of July 21, 2026.
  • Accepted a thank you note from Rock Springs High School Academy of Public Service.
  • Received the Wyoming Lottery Fiscal Year 2025 Annual Report.
  • Acknowledged the Rocky Mountain Power Wildfire Mitigation Plan Notice.
  • All items approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Tiana Gandhi (community member) described her food bank giveaway (20 books/month) and announced “Three Together” reading events at the C Street Library on August 14, 21, and 28 at 4 p.m., with a leader reading to children. She also introduced “Roundtable Talks” for open discussion on mental health topics such as vaping, smoking, domestic violence, suicidal ideation, and bullying, with four young community members volunteering to speak. She expressed full support for community literacy and mental health initiatives.
  • Mark Piedry (Rock Springs resident) provided an update on a community film project about Amelia Earhart (“Sky Queens”) shot at the airport. He announced a free sneak peek screening at the Broadway Theater on August 20, doors open at 5:30 p.m., featuring a 28-minute film (“Brave Girl Films”) that won two regional Emmy Awards, followed by a 15-minute film. The event will include a Q&A with female entrepreneurs and artists. He invited the council and encouraged early attendance.

Discussion Items

  • Council Updates: Councilors reported attending Cheyenne Frontier Days, the GOP meeting, the fair, rodeo, farmers market, 4-H events, and the ribbon cutting for the silo. They commended the events complex staff and Parks and Recreation. Councilor Bingham noted a constituent concern about the Civic Center resolution. Councilor Malonus expressed frustration about alcohol being sold at a convenience store counter, linking it to mental health. Councilor Thompson mentioned a community donation of $500 for a memorial restoration. The mayor commended the URA and Parks for the farmers market and the effort to fund memorial maintenance without taxpayer burden.
  • Resolution 2026-96 (Annual Use Agreement with Rock Springs Amateur Hockey Association): Originally tabled. Councilor Bingham moved to untable, seconded, passed unanimously. Then a motion to approve was made. Discussion revealed the association had not signed the contract; the fees were $8,000 plus $13,000 (practice fee) totaling $21,000. The association wanted a longer term. The motion to approve failed: only Councilor Malonus voted aye, all others nay. The resolution was not adopted.
  • Resolution 2026-105 (Financing for five 2026 Dodge Durango pursuit vehicles): Councilor Malonus asked if the price included upfitting (lights, radios). The mayor confirmed it does. Approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-107 (Sale of 502 and 504 Main Street to Cody Watts): Councilor Petrie noted that previous constituent opposition delayed the sale, but no other bids materialized. Councilor Malonus questioned the $55,000 reimbursement to Gordon Cross for a building donated for demolition. The mayor explained it was part of the original acquisition agreement. Councilor Bingham noted the requirement for construction to commence within 12 months and substantial completion within 4 years. Approved unanimously.
  • Other Resolutions: All other resolutions (2026-100 through 2026-106) were approved, with one abstention on 2026-103 (Councilor Hanson) and one abstention on 2026-103 (Councilor Hanson). Resolution 2026-102 (MOU with School District No. 1) and 2026-106 (Rocky Mountain Power contract for Bunning Park) were approved unanimously.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent agenda approved unanimously.
  • Housing Authority bills and claims (August 4, 2026) approved with Councilors Thompson and Petrie abstaining.
  • Bills and claims (August 4, 2026) approved unanimously.
  • Salaries (July 22, 2026) approved with Councilor Thompson abstaining.
  • Dog Day splash event at Blairtown Pool on August 9, 2026 approved unanimously.
  • Poor House Saloon extended serving area for August 15, 2026 (8 a.m. to 9 p.m.) approved unanimously.
  • Resolution 2026-96 (hockey agreement) failed: 1 aye, 6 nay.
  • Resolutions 2026-100 through 2026-107 approved as follows:
    • 2026-100 (Lightwire Theater): unanimous.
    • 2026-101 (Concession stand rental): unanimous.
    • 2026-102 (MOU with school district): unanimous.
    • 2026-103 (Young at Heart service agreement): approved with Councilor Hanson abstaining.
    • 2026-104 (Art Benson Entertainment): unanimous.
    • 2026-105 (Police vehicle financing): unanimous.
    • 2026-106 (Bunning Park electrical service): unanimous.
    • 2026-107 (Main Street property sale to Cody Watts): unanimous.
  • Meeting adjourned.

Meeting Transcript

All right, congratulations to the United States of America. And to the public for which you have Justice Raw. Matt, may we please have roll call? Counselor Thompson. Here. Malonus. Demas. Here. Ickerson. Zotti. Here. Hansen. Here. Pedri. Here. Bingham. Here. Mayor Mickelson. Here. President Hickerson is absent dealing with a family medical issue. May I please have a motion to nominate president for this evening. Your Honor. Counselor Zodie. I'd nominate Councillor Thompson. Thank you. May I have a second? Second. Thank you, Councillor Petrie. Is there any discussion? Hearing none, all those in favor, please indicate by saying aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed. Any abstaining. The motion carries unanimously. Counselor Thompson, you are president for this evening. Yes, sir. Do I need to move down there or can I stay here? It's up to you. Do we have debt openings tonight? No, we do not. Okay. So I think you're all right. Uh, which brings us to council updates and this evening, and I'll start on my left with Councillor Bingham. Thank you, Your Honor. So had a busy couple of weeks. Uh was able to go to Cheyenne Frontier Days. Also attended a uh GOP meeting for Sweetwater County. Attended the fair. It was great seeing all the candidates out there that are running and getting to speak with them, especially all the sheriff candidates and uh see their platforms and such.

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