TORRINGTON – The Torrington City Council convened for its first October meeting on Oct. 4 at the Torrington Council Chambers. Mayor Randy Adams was present with Councilmembers Dennis Kelly, Ted Kinney, Richard Patterson and Kate Steinbock.

Brayden Connour with Goshen Economic Development presented a request for support to the Torrington City Council on behalf of Goshen Economic Development.

“Thank you, Mr. Mayor, members of the council, thank you for allowing me some time this evening to visit with you guys about economic development and the quarter-cent on the Nov. 8 ballot,” Connour said. “(Economic development is) the expansion of the local tax base to achieve economic prosperity without increasing taxes. I think that’s key, we’re not out to increase taxes, we’re just out to increase the tax base.”

Goshen Economic Development is a non-profit corporation funded by the membership and the quarter-cent sales tax. They are the owner of the Cold Springs Business Park and are the marketing agent for the City of Torrington Industrial Park.

“I think first and foremost is that top one, ‘develop and expand local businesses in Goshen County,” Connour said. “That’s what we are here for.”

Connour told the council while one of the goals of Goshen Economic Development is to recruit new businesses to the area, their primary focus is to develop and expand local businesses.

Goshen Economic Development has funded $85,268 in projects for the City of Torrington: a fuel dispenser project in 2022, the purchase of the Homesteader’s Museum building in 2021, the purchase of a storage building in 2020, fencing at the soccer fields in 2019, Main Street audio equipment purchase in 2018, recycling equipment purchase in 2017 and golf course equipment purchases from 2012-2016.

Additionally, Goshen Economic Development has helped fund Main Street events such as Third Thursdays, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, Mother’s Day events, Trunk or Treat and the Ag Breakfast. 

“I’m sure all of you know our past president, Kelly Sittner, if you ever talk to him, he will tell you, adamantly, ‘this is not a tax, this is an investment,’ and we wholeheartedly agree with that,” Connour said. “Just another wrap-up quote is, ‘stagnation is not in the recipe for prosperity.’ I heard that in a conference once and I thought it resonated well.”

Connour said Mayor Adams had signed a letter to the editor in support of the quarter-cent sales tax and economic development. 

Leann Mattis presented a special event permit and fee waiver to the council for the 2022 Safety Treat and Trunk or Treat event slated for Oct. 31 from 5-6:30 p.m. 

“We are planning on, once again, holding the Safety Treat/Trunk or Treat event, which I believe has been going on for over 20 years now,” Mattis explained. “I’m just excited to do this event again.”

Mattis said she and other members of the Chamber had circulated a document throughout Main Street asking for support of the event. Mattis and her team acquired signatures for almost all downtown businesses. The few who did not sign in support were closed at the time the document was circulated. 

“I hope the weather cooperates,” Patterson said with a smile. “This is a fantastic event. I know my grandkids always look forward to it and you know it’s a big deal for all the kids in town. It’s just a great event. I support you doing it.”

“It’s safe,” Kinney added. “I can’t say how many kids we’ve had come by the house after they’ve been downtown and talk about the parents that talk about, ‘it’s a safe place for the kids to be.’ That’s awesome.”

Adams pointed out the police department, fire department and streets department had also been greatly involved in the planning of the event and expressed his thanks for their involvement. 

“It’s a great event,” Police Chief Matt Johnson said. “It’s just so fun to get the chance to hang out with kids and give them a safe opportunity to have some fun on Halloween. We moved the time down a little bit, so that we are careful not to interrupt business hours for folks, and that works out better with the street closure and downtown parking anyway. It’s going to be a great event and we are grateful for economic development hosting with us and making it happen.”

The council unanimously approved the request for the permit and the fee waiver.

Johnson also provided an update on the Homecoming Parade scheduled for Friday, Oct. 15. He said the pep rally would no longer be in the park. Rather, the rally will be held at Torrington High School in the gymnasium. Johnson said the decision came in an attempt to make the event safer for the young children attending who previously walked the streets around downtown with their classmates and teachers to get to Torrington City Park. 

City Clerk/Treasurer Lynette Strecker and City Streets and Sanitation Superintendent Ed Hawley presented a request to award the bid for a new crane with a truck and dump body to Ken Garff Cheyenne for the truck and chassis only. 

Hawley said the truck and chassis would make it easier to handle dumpsters, and especially dumpsters with heavier loads. 

Strecker said bids were opened on Sept. 14 at 2 p.m. The bids came quite a bit higher than what they were anticipating, so the city staff looked at the crane and truck and decided to move forward with purchasing the truck only, at this time. Hawley said lead times are currently around 550 days out and prices are increasing as time goes by. 

Hawley said the city sent out 15 bid requests for the truck and chassis, but only received one bid in return. 

The council unanimously approved the bid in the amount of $66,740.

During the mayoral information portion of the meeting, Adams reflected on the improvement in COVID related illness reduction throughout the county.

“As of today, Oct. 4, the number of positive COVID tests in the last week has dropped from more than 50 a couple months ago to seven,” Adams said. “There are no patients currently being treated at Community Hospital for COVID related illness. Public health report[ed] a COVID related death confirmed in Goshen County bringing the total to 58. A good sign for our community, though, is that Goshen County has been moved to the low-risk category.”

Adams announced the “Boo-seum” will return from 6-8 p.m. on Oct. 28-29 at the Goshen County Homesteader’s Museum. Visit the Homesteader’s Museum Facebook page for more information. 

Also going on at the Homesteader’s Museum, the Goshen County Visitor’s Center will be moving from its present location at 21st and Main to the Homesteader’s Museum. The change comes after members of Goshen Economic Development determined the visitor’s center would be more appropriately located at a major entrance to town as opposed to the center of town. Connour told the council earlier the visitor’s center was not bringing people into downtown Torrington, rather, it was just there when they arrived downtown. 

The next meeting of the Torrington City Council will take place Tuesday, Oct. 18 at 7 p.m. in the Torrington City Council Chambers at 436 East 22nd Avenue.