Sheridan City Council Regular Meeting – December 15, 2025

The Sheridan City Council met on December 15, 2025, for a regular meeting that included a community update from the Chamber of Commerce, a staff update on budget revision, and a public hearing on the final plat of the Bucking Iron Business Park. The council also approved the consent calendar and employee handbook updates, and tabled the Bucking Iron plat to the next meeting.

Consent Calendar

• Approved the consent agenda, which included reappointments to the Planning Commission (Jeff Peterson and Ryan Franklin), Board of Adjustments (Joseph Crump), Tree Board (Zach Hauk and Peter Weinbergs), Sheridan Public Arts Committee (Greg Gloomin, Zoya Perry, Aaron Butler, Sarah Mentok), and Fire Department Civil Service Commission (Aaron Lindman), as well as minutes from the December 1, 2025 regular council meeting and claims. Councilmember Lumen recused herself from the appointment of Zoya Perry.

Public Comments & Testimony

• No public comments were made during the designated public comment period. However, during the public hearing on the Bucking Iron Business Park, Eric Mansell (property owner and applicant) and James Schmidt (owner of County Trash and potential lot purchaser) spoke in opposition to the city staff recommendations requiring extension of water line and paving of the internal road, citing high costs and lack of necessity.

Community Update – Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce

• Teresa Dedmore, CEO, and Aaron Sopko, board president, presented the Chamber's annual update. Highlights included: distribution of 8,500 community directories and 1,900 welcome bags; digital reach of 3,112,500 (up from 250,000); member directory visits of 293,868 (up from 26,563); job posting views of 63,139 (up from 33,188); 84 attendees at small acreage management lunch programs; approximately 1,000 attendees at Chamber lunch programs; 1,700 attendees at business after-hours events; 185 attendees at the Ignite conference; 216 students participating in Manufacturing Month tours; 526 Leadership Sheridan County alumni; 103 ribbon cuttings in 2025; and $192,793 in Chamber Bucks issued in 2025 (cumulative over $1 million in five years). The Chamber also highlighted partnerships with EDTF, Travel & Tourism, and DSA, and plans to engage younger business members (ages 20–39). Councilmembers expressed appreciation for the Chamber's work and discussed collaboration among community organizations.

Staff Update – Budget Revision Timeline

• City Administrator Stuart McCray presented the budget revision timeline for FY26. The revision reflects a general fund increase of $2,778,697 and a GPET fund increase of $73,509, primarily due to unspent allocations from FY25 (including vacancies) and new revenue (e.g., interest from ARPA funds). The public hearing is scheduled for December 22, 2025. Council members asked clarifying questions about the sources of funds and the impact of unfilled positions.

Discussion Items

• Public Hearing – Final Plat of Bucking Iron Business Park (PL-25-33, Resolution 31-25): The subdivision is a 20-acre county parcel located in the joint planning area, proposed to be divided into six industrial lots. City staff recommended three conditions: (1) extend water infrastructure, (2) sewer may be served by decentralized system since centralized is not available, and (3) the internal road (Bucking Iron Circle) shall be paved. The applicant argued against these conditions, citing high costs (estimated $350,000+ for water, $200,000+ for paving, total up to $1 million), lack of cooperation from an adjacent landowner for an easement, consistency with a prior similar subdivision (WLM, approved without water), and adequacy of existing wells (tested and approved by DEQ). James Schmidt spoke about affordability concerns for his business. Council members debated the need for fire protection, the feasibility of future improvements, and the importance of consistency. After discussion, a motion to table the item to the next regular council meeting (December 22, 2025) passed 4–2. The council requested additional information on past similar subdivisions (e.g., WLM and Gillespie) and the fire department's approval letter.
• New Business – Employee Handbook Updates: Human Resources Director Heather Doak presented two updates: adding a compensatory time off policy (employees may convert overtime into 1.5x compensatory time, up to 40 hours per fiscal year) and changing the attendance policy from two to three consecutive days without contact before considering resignation. The council approved the updates unanimously.

Key Outcomes

• Consent calendar approved (unanimous).
• Employee handbook updates approved (unanimous).
• Bucking Iron Business Park final plat tabled until the December 22, 2025 regular meeting by a vote of 4–2. Staff will gather additional information on comparable subdivisions and fire protection requirements.
• Council member reports included updates from CETA (meeting date pending), Critical Air Service Team (no new developments; Gillette airport closure may boost Sheridan loads), Water Services (discussion on water rights acquisition and projects), and Sheridan Public Arts Committee (replacing weathered signs, testing new materials).