YODER – The Yoder Town Council was called to order at 6:49 p.m. on Monday, October 14 for a special meeting prior to the town’s regular council meeting. Present were Mayor Norman Feagler, councilmembers Amanda Folge and Jenna Krull were present along with clerk/treasurer Lillian Green, town maintenance supervisor Rod Weyrich, and town attorney Colby Sturgeon. Bob Oaks and Josh Haffner were absent.

Feagler led the council and community in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance and Fogle made a motion to accept the special meeting agenda, approving a liquor license for CBJ LLC, which was seconded by Krull. 

Craig Evans, part owner of Jamie’s, spoke to the council about the town’s only store which requested a liquor permit.

“Jamie (Tippets) did all of this,” Evans said. “Right now, we are just looking at probably just doing the packaged liquor to start with and maybe opening up for beer and a hamburger. Not going full-blown bar.” 

The council had a brief discussion on the liquor distribution area and permit guidelines and Evans advised the council for the time being, the beer cooler would be in the back and customers would have to order it noting there needed to be a separate serving area which needed to be locked on Sunday. 

“When you have packaged liquor, it has to be, when it’s paid for, it has to leave the premises,” Feagler explained. “Now, if you’re talking about later on, on the patio, then you can serve one beer or two beers, but it can’t buy a six pack and go out on the patio and drink it.”

Evans advised the council the limited liability company is applying for a full liquor license in case they change plans. 

Folge made a motion to grant a liquor license to the store, Jamie’s, which was seconded by Krull. The council voted to grant the permit. 

The special meeting was adjourned at 6:53 p.m. and the council stood in recess until the regular meeting.

The regular meeting was called to order promptly at 7 p.m. 

A motion was made to approve the agenda with the addition of a report from Benchmark and a motion to accept the September 2024 meeting minutes was made thereafter. The council then moved on to approving the special meeting minutes and the bills for September including AFLAC and half of the expenses for generators. 

Weyrich explained the generators were purchased from a grant and the funding should come into the town in October. Weyrich expressed the town would be reimbursed. 

“We applied for that Homeland Security grant and that was approved back in June or July and the funding is going to come in in October for the actual projects. I have to pay half and when I order it, I have to give them some money so it might be a lot quicker to get this in and get it done,” Weyrich explained. “We will get reimbursed.”

Green reported the handicap curb cost less than anticipated. 

“I would also like a make a note we went and had in the budget for $4,500 for the handicap curb. That project is done and we actually came in under budget,” Green explained. “It was $3,411.”

Fogle motioned to approve the bills and Krull seconded the motion. 

Next the council moved on to public comment where there were no participants.

Moving on to new business, the Town of Yoder presented Elsie Gray and the Yoder Volunteer Fire Department plaques of recognition. 

“Elise, the town is very appreciative of the public service that you have done for the town. Not only as a town council member but a member of the community so at this time, I’d like to present to you this plaque of appreciation for you and your service,” Feagler said. “Thank you.”

Lacey Burkart accepted the plaque of appreciation on behalf of the Yoder Fire Department.

“In appreciation for the work the fire department does in our community, as well as the safety to the children at the crosswalk up here, we present our plaque of appreciation for the fire department in our community and what you have done for the safety of the children,” Feagler said.

Under new business, a motion was made to accept the ordinance 175 on the second reading which passed in a vote. 

“We had the first reading in September and now we will do the second reading in October,” Feagler said.

Although a presentation on lodging tax was listed on the agenda, Green notified the Feagler no one was present to give that report. 

Benchmark spoke to council about the new map system with corrected town mapping. 

“It will be another few of weeks before it’s actually done and recorded at the courthouse. Everything is done. The names are up to date and I think I’ve got everything in here that needs to be,” Benchmark explained. “We are going to put it in the mail, send it to the bank in Casper for their signature.”

Weyrich will collect signatures of residents once the document is complete.

Fogle made a motion to accept the final presentation of the changes made which was seconded by Krull. The council voted to accept the changes. 

The council then moved on to old business where they discussed cyber security and moving dumpsters. 

Green spoke to the council about the town’s cyber security, noting the town now has monitoring. 

“We had a firewall but we didn’t have anyone monitor it so now we have someone monitoring it,” Green explained. 

“We have some other things we are trying to improve too but it takes time to do it,” Weyrich said. 

“Moving the dumpsters is the next item under the old business. I have talk to Rod (Weyrich) about that and Rod has talked to TDS,” Fealger explained.

Weyrich explained a town resident had asked for the town to move a dumpster 20-30 feet from, one side of the street to the other.

“I visited with Bob (Oaks) the other day and I visited with him about the dumpster thing. We talked about it,” Feagler said. “It’s like anything else that we do, if you open the door for one, when does it stop? Bob’s not in favor of moving the dumpster and I agree with him. If thing circumstances change in the future and someone is absolutely handicap and can’t get to the dumpster, then Rod and I talked about it this morning.”

The council agreed, the dumpsters should remain where they are. 

Moving on to the maintenance report, Weyrich explained he had begun to get things ready for winter.

Under legal items, Sturgeon had no items to report. 

Emergency manager and grant coordinator, Justin Burkart, was unavailable and fighting fire. 

Under administrative items, Green mentioned the next meeting date would be on Veteran’s Day. The council made a motion to move the November meeting to November 12 which was seconded and approved by the council. 

Green told the council about the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) open house on October 30 at 1:30 p.m. where residents of Yoder and any interested party can bring questions and comments regarding air quality, starting at the Yoder Community Center, weather permitting. 

Green also explained the town’s Trunk or Treat festivities on October 31. Krull also expressed there will be a tournament at the school and schools are inviting community members to drop off extra candy at the school afterward. 

Green explained there was a church meeting starting on October 20 at the Yoder Community Building at 10:30 a.m. Green explained the group has a cleaning deposit on hold while they rent the building should the town need to clean the building. 

With no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:32 p.m. and the next meeting for the Yoder Town Council will be November 12 at 7 p.m.