Rock Springs City Council Meeting - September 2, 2026
Rock Springs City Council Meeting - September 2, 2026
The Rock Springs City Council met on September 2, 2026, to address a range of items including a controversial fee waiver request for an affordable housing development, multiple grant applications, equipment purchases, and policy updates. Council heard public comments, approved most consent items and resolutions unanimously, and failed a motion to waive city fees for the Gardens at White Mountain project. The meeting also featured council updates on community events and constituent concerns.
Consent Calendar
- Approved minutes from the August 13, 17, and 18 special and regular council meetings.
- Appointed a community volunteer coordinator (Dionagandi).
- Approved Joint Powers Telecom Board meeting minutes of July 15, 2026.
Public Comments & Testimony
- Janelle Winkle urged the council to deny the $250,000 fee waiver request for the Gardens at White Mountain affordable housing project, citing city budget pressures, potential precedent, and traffic safety concerns on Foothill Boulevard at Arthur Boulevard. She acknowledged the need for housing but argued growth must not compromise fiscal responsibility or public safety.
- Rick Lee (CEO, Rock Springs Chamber of Commerce) introduced Lindsay Baker (new UW Extension Officer) and Chloe Willenborg (new 4-H educator). Both described their roles in community vitality, health, and youth development, and expressed interest in partnering with local services and schools.
- Tiana Gandhi spoke about Books and Literacy Month, promoting a September 5 event with the Wandering Bookshelf and Dirty Color Sisters food trucks, and a September 17 motivational talk by Sam Demma at Rock Springs Junior High.
- Wendell Minkler raised concerns about the recycling center (broken down, future location) and the need for creek cleaning, noting past flood damage. The mayor clarified that the recycling center is governed by a separate board and the U.S. Forest Service is outside city authority.
Discussion Items
- Tabled Item – Fee Waiver for Gardens at White Mountain (48-unit affordable housing development): Council removed the item from the table (motion carried 8-1, Councilor Hickerson opposed). A motion to approve the fee waiver failed unanimously after the mayor explained that city ordinances require the fees to be collected (language uses "shall"). The mayor stated the council would bring forward an ordinance amendment to create a clear process for future affordable housing fee waivers.
- Sewer Inspection Vehicle Purchase (Water Reclamation): Councilor Malonus questioned the $500,000 cost and planned obsolescence. Director Kalcich explained that upgrading the existing van was not cost-effective and that the new equipment is necessary for maintenance and operations, as older technology is no longer supportable. The motion to approve passed unanimously.
- Bitter Creek Pearl Street Levee Study (Resolution 2026-119): The mayor thanked Director Kalcich for identifying the opportunity. The $194,000 study, funded from the stormwater reserve, will determine what is needed to accredit the levee with FEMA. Accreditation would lift a large portion of downtown out of the floodplain, enabling development and increasing property values. Councilor Zotti expressed cautious optimism; Councilor Malonus asked about the selection process (no RFP; consultant recommended by Corps and FEMA) and funding source. The study is expected to take about one year, with potential design and BRIC grant applications to follow. Passed unanimously.
- Local Limits Pretreatment Study (Resolution 2026-118): Councilor Malonus asked about EPA discharge standards; Director Kalcich clarified this study is for pretreatment local limits, not the discharge permit. Passed unanimously.
- March for Life Parade Route: Chief Rispalmer reported he worked with the Knights of Columbus to arrange a 30-minute escort instead of a full parade, addressing public safety concerns. The request as originally submitted was problematic, but the alternative was acceptable. Motion to approve passed unanimously.
Key Outcomes
- Fee Waiver Motion Failed Unanimously: No council member voted in favor. The item will not be waived; an ordinance change will be drafted for future consideration.
- All Other Motions Passed unless noted:
- Housing Authority bills and claims: Approved with Councilors Petrie and Thompson abstaining (spouse employed).
- Salaries for August 21, 2026: Approved with Councilor Thompson abstaining (family employed).
- Resolution 2026-121 (aluminum pigtail retrofit for Housing Authority): Approved with Councilors Thompson, Zotti, and PG abstaining.
- All remaining consent items, new business items, and resolutions (including OPEB report, facility rental policy, police grants, homeland security grants, parade routes, beverage permits, and the stop loss insurance proposal) passed unanimously.
- Council Direction: The council will bring forward an ordinance to establish a clear process for waiving fees for affordable housing developments, including public feedback opportunities.
Meeting Transcript
Your niece and your father or grandfather? Cousin and uh yeah. I knew that they had paid rename, but no, that that those were great films and uh Broadway's, like Daniel said, it's the uh crown jewel of downtown. It's really great to uh see them putting on stuff like that, and they're it looks like they're gonna they're gonna be busy for the rest of the year. I encourage people to go out. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Cancellor Malonis. Thank you, Your Honor. Uh I also attended that movie presentation, and it was some great movies. And what I really liked at the very end was they had a little question and answer period with all the wonderful ladies, and uh they talked about doing hard things, so I really thought that was good. I had a lot of uh constituents talk to me about the golf course and these uh waiving these fees. We're gonna talk about that tonight. Also, I went to a uh proclamation this morning about suicide. Uh that's a real big issue around here. It's a complicated problem. I'm not sure of all the answers, but one other thing I did is I went to a nutritional seminar put on by Carol Iverson, very smart local lady. She's uh had some good ideas, but one of the number one things I took out of it was our gut health. She talked about 70% of our immune system is built in our gut, and also a big part of our emotional support system, serotonin, oxytocin is built in the gut. So uh I think that's a a good place to start for some people. Nutrition. And the last thing was uh two weeks ago before I came to the city council meeting. I swung by the creek back there and they had a a backhoe cleaning out the creek, getting all the debris off the grate. I'm surprised that grate is still in place. We're gonna have more problems with that. Also, uh my building got flooded. Ever since that 60-inch line was put in front of my building, I've had problems. So I took a little walk over to Bitter Creek and seen where it discharged into the creek, and to say I was amazed is an understatement, but we maybe we got to take a look at that discharge to reduce some pressures. And uh that was it. Thank you. Thank you, Counselor. Cancelled Demas. Thank you, Your Honor. On August 19th, I did a ribbon cutting for Tanger Tanger Bank here at 301 2nd Street. On August 20th, I attended Brave Girls at the Broadway Theater, which consisted of Sky Queens and Mountain Roots. On August 22nd, I volunteered at the Blues and Brews. On August 24th, I had a joint powers combined communication board meeting, and we dealt with SSN being returned on DL driver's license for wanted people. On August 25th, I attended Rick Bethwood's retirement get together. August 27th, I did Y Dot 2026, Wyoming Aviation Economic Impact Study at the college. And on August 28th, I did the Stardust Entertainment ribbon cutting at the White Mountain Mall. Thank you. Thank you, Counselor. Councillor Hickerson. Thank you, Your Honor. Um this last couple of weeks I attended a webinar about the TEA and MRG grant requirement updates. I attended the aviation economic impact study. I attended the Joint Powers Telecom Board meeting. I uh talked to several constituents about the housing project and more about the golf course and how we budget for it. Other than that, that's it. Thank you, Councillor.
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