Commercial kitchen now available for rent at the Lovell Community Center
Local cooks will soon have a place to prepare their product for sale in the form of a commercial kitchen at the Lovell Community Center.
A proposal for the public to use just the kitchen at the community center was included in the Community Center Fees and Usage Agreement considered by the Lovell Town Council at the council’s November 12 meeting.
In presenting the agreement to the council, Lovell Clerk/Treasurer Colleen Tippetts and Town Administrator Jed Nebel asked if the council would be open to people just renting the kitchen and not the rest of the building, noting that food for commercial sale must be prepared in a certified commercial kitchen.
“Do we offer that?” Nebel asked. “It would allow small businesses to take that next step. It would be a good thing to have available to the community.”
In initially presenting the community center agreement to the council, Tippetts said the agreement needed to be simplified, noting that charging a separate usage fee and kitchen fee is confusing to people, adding that the kitchen fee is for having food in the center even if the kitchen isn’t used. She suggested one fee as a usage fee at $200 per day unless just the kitchen is used as a commercial kitchen, noting that over the last two years just two center users didn’t need food when using the main room(s) of the center.
Nebel also suggested a rule that a deposit will not be refunded if an event is cancelled less than five days before the event is scheduled.
The council voted to approve the usage agreement with the suggested changes.
Garbage fees
The Lovell Town Council last week took the second step toward increasing garbage collection rates, passing on second reading companion ordinances – 1016, 1017 and 1018 – dealing with the garbage rate issue, which came up during a recent audit of the town finances. In the audit, CPA James Seckman said the town was falling behind in the enterprise fund that builds over time the ability to purchase a new garbage truck, trash receptacles and other equipment.
Town administrator Jed Nebel said during the October meeting that the last increase in garbage rates took place in 2008, and since then the cost of receptacles, fuel, labor and garbage trucks has risen substantially. He said he compared rates in Greybull, Powell and Cody and noted that the proposed increase would raise an additional $4,000 per month, which would “get us out of the hole” and raise enough money to replace a truck every few years.
Nebel said the proposed increase would increase the residential garbage fee by $3 per month and the business fee by $5 per month. One-family residences would be charged $23 per month for garbage services, rooming houses, multi-family dwellings and apartment houses $25 per month and business establishments, hotels and motels $25 per month. The increases are handled in Ordinance 1016.
Ordinance 1017 would repeal a section of the town code pertaining to collection districts and collection days, and 1018 establishes collection hours as being from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Nebel presented the council with a comparison of rates from other communities, noting, “Even with this increase, we are very, very competitive if not under most other communities.”
Added Mayor Tom Newman, “We were advised by our auditor to do this so we can replace our garbage truck in five years. We really don’t have a choice. We need to build our reserves back up.”
Nebel presented a waiver of conflict of interest with the North Big Horn Hospital District since the town and district use the same law firm, as well as a memorandum of understanding between the town and hospital district for the Lovell Police Department to provide security at the hospital. He said the waiver of conflict of interest has to be approved first, and the MOU would follow at the December council meeting.
The council voted to approve the waiver of conflict of interest, which Nebel said will allow the town to work with the district on the MOU.
Water savings
Public Works Director Adrin Mayes reported that, since Wilson Brothers repaired the water leak at Third and Jersey in April, the town has saved just over 1 million gallons of water per month for a cost savings in purchased water from the Shoshone Municipal Pipeline of around $20,000 per year, adding, “We’re not paying for water that just goes into the ground.” He said the water pipe has likely been leaking since 2006.
Mayes also reported that a contractor hit the water main on Idaho Avenue in October, and the town public works crew had the line repaired and water restored to customers in the area by 5 p.m. that day.
“The crew did a great job,” he said.
In other business November 12:
• As part of phase two of the Constitution Park Project, the council approved Pay Request No. 5 for Midway Construction and Dirt Work in the amount of $59,307.50.
• The council approved two catering permits for events at the community center, the Bull Pub for a November 16 fundraising evening for newly crowned Miss Rodeo Wyoming Dusty Miller and Aud’s Four Corners for a December 7 First Bank of Wyoming Christmas Party.
• Tippetts presented the council with an insurance valuation report performed on town hall, the community center and the water tower at the request of the town’s insurance provider to update the value of the covered structures.
• Nebel presented the grant agreement between the town and the Wyoming Business Council for a $10,000 micro grant for planning and developing a mountain bike trail system at Cottonwood Canyon east of Lovell. He said he would like town attorney Alexa Rolin to review the grant agreement, and the council voted to approve the grant agreement contingent upon counsel’s review.
• Nebel informed the council that employee evaluations were almost completed, noting that the evaluations “opened up a lot of good conversation for department heads and employees alike.”