Local motorcycle rodeo on hold for 2024

A proposed motorcycle rally in North Big Horn County discussed at the February Lovell Town Council meeting might not happen locally in 2024, promoter Tom “Buck” Klindt told the council last Tuesday at the regular March meeting at town hall.
Klindt provided an update on his plans for an Iron Cowboy Days motorcycle rodeo and said the Lovell rodeo grounds are scheduled to be used for another event on his preferred date of July 27, and he said the Cowley arena, Park County Fairgrounds in Powell and the NWC Trapper Arena are also unavailable.
He said the Meeteetse arena might be open but noted it is “a long way out of the way.”  There’s also a 30-acre property just south of Cody on the Meeteetse Highway called the W Arena, he said.
Klindt said he would like to see if he can book the W Arena for 2024 and promote businesses in the north Big Horn Basin area while seeking business sponsors, then donating proceeds to the Lovell Rodeo Club and/or another charitable organization. Then he would see if the event could be held in Lovell in 2025, possibly rotating among Lovell, Greybull and Worland in future years.
Public works
Town public works director Adrin Mayes gave the council an update on his crew’s latest work, noting that Rocky Mountain Power installed the streetlight at Railroad and First and the Lovell crew is gradually replacing Main Street streetlight bulbs with LED bulbs as they burn out, calling the LED lights brighter and more efficient.
Mayes said the crew discovered a “pretty sizable” water leak of around 50 to 70 gallons per minute at Third and Jersey and has talked with Wilson Brothers Construction about getting the line repaired, noting that the water at the intersection shouldn’t be off for more than four to six hours during repair.
He anticipates that the new garbage truck will be delivered in April.
Water rate increase
The council passed on third and final reading Ordinance 1009, which establishes a $1 base rate for most residential water customers on top of the base established by the Shoshone Municipal Pipeline and increases the usage rate by $1.50 per 1,000 gallons.
The town is enacting the rate increase due to a recommendation by CPA James Seckman, who told the council following an audit last fall that the water fund was short in reserves.
The rate increase may take effect as soon as April.
Budget work
The Town of Lovell administrative staff has begun work on the 2024-25 fiscal year budget, and the council passed Ordinance 1010 for the annual appropriation on first reading by title only. Town administrator Jed Nebel directed the council to the budget worksheet, adding that the requests from different town departments have the town “substantially over budget” but added that the initial budget is always “a wish list” and that he and town clerk/treasurer are always careful with revenue projections until they hear from the State of Wyoming.
The council will review numbers at future work meetings, Nebel said.
The council also passed on first reading Ordinance 1011, which Nebel said updates the town code regarding telecommunication system franchise agreements. He said the ordinance is in line with a franchise agreement with TCT, which he is working on with TCT officials.
Next up was a resolution – 2024-1 – to reallocate budgeted funds within the general fund for the 2023-24 fiscal year. The resolution moves remaining funds in the Annex Expenses and Annex Maintenance Agreement line items – no longer needed with the police department move to the Third Street building – to the Police Department Equipment Purchase line item to provide for new duty equipment for the LPD.
The council approved the budget resolution to transfer funds totaling $22,100.
In other action March 12:
• The council voted to send a letter to the Big Horn County Clerk requesting that the county conduct the 2024 election for the town.
• Two catering permits were requested and approved for the community center, both involving Aud’s Four Corners: a permit for the North Big Horn Hospital Foundation Evening with Friends event on April 27 and the Ali Wagner wedding on May 4.
• Nebel informed the council that the Foster Gulch Golf Course board is requesting $40,000 in the budget this year, up from the current $30,000, for capital improvements on the course and in the clubhouse. The extra allocation would be used for the clubhouse deck and repairing cart paths.
• The council voted to send a letter of support to WYDOT for a Wind River Corridor Study, which would explore an alternate route into the Big Horn Basin from Fremont County.