Wyo4News staff, [email protected]
January 3, 2024 — At the January 2, 2024, Rock Springs City Council meeting, the council unanimously accepted a resolution accepting, approving, and establishing a City Council policy regarding decorum and civility during public meetings, which can be viewed here. It was decided that there would not be time limits put on public comments but rather rules set about how public comments are conducted.
Also at the meeting, Larry Hickerson was elected as the new Rock Springs City Council President, permission to seek bids on the repairs of the lockers at the Rock Springs Family Recreation Center, which were originally installed in 1985, was approved, and the council received a bid from Wyoming Sign in Mills, Wyoming, for the Wayfinding sign program for the amount of $815,330 with a bid bond.
During the public comment period, Clark Stith, Wyoming House of Representatives representing District 48, addressed the council and spoke about several things, such as the $52 million extra dollars that are left over from the Direct American Rescue Plan Act to be available for the legislature to divvy up for water projects, broadband, tourism, or anything adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Stith is also on a subcommittee of the Joint Appropriations committee to try and come up with an outline of how the state will divide that money up.
Stith spoke about how this Thursday and Friday will be Governor Gordon’s last task force meetings on the BLM’s Resource Management Plan. The Governor is hoping the task force will generate a report for Governor Gordon to submit the state’s recommendations and objections to the BLM Resource Management Plan.
Stith also spoke about a potential bill of his that would make it easier for existing downtown Rock Springs buildings to be brought up to code so that businesses can make use of the buildings in an economically viable way.
Stith then updated the council on some things he found in regard to the financing of the Bitter Creek Project and how, in 1924, the Union Pacific Coal Company and the City of Rock Springs were involved in the Bitter Creek Diversion Project as a joint venture despite the state’s position that the coal company was not involved in the project.
After Stith’s public comments, several members of the Rock Springs City Council thanked Stith for the work he has been doing regarding his efforts to improve downtown Rock Springs, the research he has done on the Bitter Creek Diversion Project, and for keeping them informed on what is happening in the State Legislature.
