TORRINGTON – Mayor Herb Hoby called the City of Torrington Town Council meeting to order at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 21. The purpose of the meeting was to conduct regularly scheduled business for the town. Council members in attendance were Dr. Richard Patterson, Dennis Kelly, Shane Viktorin, and Wayne Deahl.

After the meeting was called to order, councilmen Kelly led the council and meeting attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance and the group quickly moved on to the mayor’s informational items where Doby spoke to the community about Memorial Day, thanking the cemetery work crews for their hard work. Doby also extended congratulations to the graduating students and their parents. 

“The Torrington Municipal Pool is set to open on Saturday, June 1,” Doby said. “I want to especially thank Dennis Estes and Mike Lira and Chis Becker for all of their creative, intelligent, and hard work in preparing the pool for opening.”

Doby went on to thank those who helped behind the scenes in helping with the pool.

“The City of Torrington and the citizens of Torrington work hard to provide a top-notch swimming opportunity for all,” Doby continued.

The council moved on to approval of the consent agenda which included the May 7 council meeting minutes as published. 

Councilmen Deahl informed the council there was a misspelling of his last name in the minutes. An amendment was to correct the spelling which was seconded. The motion to accept the consent agenda carried.

The council moved to the approval of the agenda where Doby added the additional item of discussing the fees for the golf course RV park, item 1a under action items.

There were no speakers for the public forum portion of the meeting.

Moving on to informational items, where the council takes no action, the council heard from Jeremy and Amanda Cherrington on emotional support animals. 

“Around April 2023, we started hearing from several different friends and community members that it was approved to be able to have up to four hens inside city limits,” Cherrington said. “We quickly learned that these little girls (chickens) were helping my whole family with their mental health. They were the bright light in an extremely hard and dark time for everyone in our household,” Cherrington said.

Moving on to action items, the council heard from Luis Correa, Torrington fire chief regarding the air compressor and fill station for SCBA for the Torrington Volunteer Fire Department where Correa recommended the approval to purchase an air compressor and fill station. 

“Our fill station for our SCBA (self-contained breathing apparatus) air pack is an essential piece of equipment that we are in need of. This current one has severed us for about 20 years if I was told correctly,” Correa said. “We are no longer able to get parts to service it and at this point, we are without a way to fill our air packs, our bottle, for our breathing apparatus to go it (to fire).”

The council had a brief discussion before making a motion to declare an emergency which carried. 

Deahl then made a motion to approve the purchase of the air compressor and fill station which was seconded by Viktorin and the motion carried.

The next item on the agenda was the amended item 1a, discussing the fees and rules for the golf course RV park.

David Dent, manager of the golf course, presented the council with a set of rules he would like implemented at the golf course RV park. Dent also explained the liquor rules at the course.

“The fee of $25, that is the same fee we charge for the spot at Pioneer Park,” Doby asked Dent who shook his head in affirmation. 

A motion was made to approve the fee and rules as presented for the golf course RV park which carried. 

Moving on to action item two, the council heard from Doby regarding a request from Vyve Cable TV Franchise to extend the franchise, commencing June 1, 2024, and terminating May 31, 2027. The temporary extension of the franchise approved by the city council on May 4, 2021, will expire on May 31, 2024. 

“The stuff I was aware of Eddington and the past mayor and council had discussions with Vyve because we had some issues,” Dennis Estes, buildings and grounds superintendent said. “They have been a very good partner since those issues were brought up. It’s way better. Staff would be in favor of the extension.”

Council followed recommendations and a motion was made to approve the extension of the franchise from Vyve Cable TV, which carried. 

On item three of the action items, the council moved on to special events permit where Moriah Harkins with the Torrington Farmers Market requested a special event permit for a series of second Saturday Torrington Farmers Market events to be held on August 10, September 14, October 12 from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. in the city lot five parking lot. The market requests a waiver of the special event permit fees. 

Council had a brief discussion with the police department on traffic control.

“They are starting to set up at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning and the event starts at 7 and is over at 10 so the amount of traffic and pedestrian issues we would have downtown would be very limited,” Torrington chief of police, Matt Johnson said. 

The council then determined if the farmer’s market events would fall under the non-profit status for the permit waiver. 

The council approved the waiver for the farmer’s market events.

Moving on to item four of the action items on the agenda, the council heard an ordinance relating to regular meetings where the council heard from mayor Doby.

The ordinance would move the city council meetings from the regularly scheduled time of 7 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. which carried with a 3-2 vote.

Under the action items, item five, the council approved the annexation of the Wireless Addition ordinance on the third reading and the council approved the ordinance establishing I-1 zoning for lots one and 2 of the Wireless Addition, item six, on the third reading. 

Moving on to action item number seven, where the council heard an ordinance relating to the Power Purchase Agreement with Municipal Energy Agency of Nebraska (MEAN) on the second reading.

A motion was made to approve the ordnance on the second reading which carried.

Under item eight of the action items on the council agenda, where the Torrington Police Department requested approval for the purchase of two used vehicles to serve as a command vehicle and a patrol vehicle.

“This is essentially a continuation of the discussion we had at the last budget meeting related to vehicles at the police department,” police chief Johnson said. “We have the money in this budget year, and we believe both vehicles will be available during this budget year, and it makes sense to go ahead and move forward with the purchase of those vehicles during this budget cycle.”

“If the council approves this tonight, in 2025, there will only be one request for the purchase of a police vehicle in 2025?” Doby asked Johnson.

“We have changed that from two vehicles to one with the offset of purchasing these two used ones,” Johnson explained.

“On the 2016 Durango, it says the vehicle is a former emergency management vehicle for Goshen County. I assume we are buying that from Goshen County,” Kelly said. “On the other one, a 2010 Tahoe, it says that this vehicle is a former EM (emergency management) vehicle for the City of Torrington. Who are we buying it from?”

“That would be the subject of the executive session this evening,” Johnson explained.

A motion was made to approve the purchase of two used vehicles for the police department which carried.

The council moved on to item nine of the council agenda where the council discussed resolution number 2024-3, authorizing submission of five Wyoming Homeland Security grant applications for the purchase of essential equipment for the City of Torrington.

The item carried. 

Under action item ten on the agenda, the council heard from Lynette Strecker, clerk/treasurer, and Jeff Harkins, director of public works on authorizing submission of an application to the state loan and investment board for a long through the state revolving fund on behalf of the governing body of the City of Torrington in the amount of $2,500,000, resolution number 2024-4.

After a brief discussion, a motion was made and seconded. After a vote, the motion carried.

Moving on to action item 11, the council heard from Harkins on authorizing submission for an application to the state loan and investment board for a loan through the state revolving fund on behalf on behalf of the governing body for the City of Torrington, in the amount of $2,700,000.

The item carried.

Moving on to item 12 on the agenda, the council heard an ordinance pertaining to the 2025 fiscal year budget, on the first reading.

A motion was made by Patterson and seconded by Deahl. After the vote, the ordinance pertaining to the 2025 fiscal year budget carried.

The council moved on to approve the bills from May 8 to May 21, 2024, for item number 13 on the agenda.

During the public comment portion of the agenda council heard from fire chief Correa gave his fire report. 

“Since the last time we met, we have had a few calls,” Correa said. “We have had a couple of busy days.”

Chief Johnson spoke to the council on the police department hosting a DARE camp for Goshen County students entering sixth grade.

The council moved into executive session for discussion on a potential donation and adjourned thereafter. The next council meeting will be June 3 at 5:30 p.m.