Paintball course mulled at Lovell council meeting

With a conference basketball game against Cody being played a few blocks away at the same time, and with a senior son playing for the local team, Lovell mayor Tom Newman guided the Lovell Town Council through the agenda in short order last Tuesday, Jan. 14, covering more than 14 items in 25 minutes.

Of perhaps the most interest was a request by local paintball aficionados Dustin and Ali Wagner, who are actively engaged in a paintball league that takes them all over the country with their family.

The Wagners are hoping to find some land, perhaps land owned by the Town of Lovell, on which to build a paintball course.

Ali Wagner, a provider at North Big Horn Hospital, said she has spent a great deal of time with people who compete in paintball and said the sport can be good for mental health and addiction recovery. She said the Wagner family recently traveled to Florida for the Paintball World Cub, and she would like to establish a league in Lovell that is non-profit and open to anyone.

“I would like some town owned land to get started, and we could also have a community garden on the property,” Wagner said, noting that she was before the council seeking permission to look at the possible utilization of space on town land, adding that all paintball paint is biodegradable.

“This could be a draw for the community,” she added. “The closest place with an airbag field is in Anaconda, Montana, or Denver.”

Town administrator said he will work with the Wagners and suggested some bottom land next to the Shoshone River or the rodeo grounds.

Sheriff Ken Blackburn attended the meeting and spoke in support of the idea, saying he’s in favor of any opportunity to “bring the community together and create a positive experience for youth.”

First-of-year business

The meeting began with new councilman Mike Grant and re-elected councilwoman Carol Miller taking their oath of office, administered by town clerk/treasurer Colleen Tippetts. Tippetts then read the disclosures of financial interest in local institutions for members of the council and town administration.

The council voted to declare the Bank of Lovell, Big Horn Federal, First Bank and WYOSTAR as official depositories and the Lovell Chronicle as the official newspaper.

Garbage rates

The council passed on third and final reading Ordinance 1016, which increases garbage rates for customers in town as recommended by the annual audit of town finances. Nebel said he created a new rate schedule based on the number of dumpsters, saying the schedule is “equitable across the board.”

Under new business, the council approved a catering permit for Aud’s 4 Corners for the Lovell Rodeo Club auction at the community center and approved the annual agreement with WEBT//Willis Towers Watson Insurance Services West for employee health insurance.

Tippetts presented the list of uncollectable debt list, accounts that can never be collected because the account owner is deceased. The council voted to approve the short list of just two accounts.

Nebel presented a land donation to the council from the former development organization Shoshone Valley Inc., which has been dormant for many years. The land is south of Rose City West and east of the senior citizens center. The council voted to approve the 1 1/3-acre donation and authorize a title search.

Under general information, Nebel said he has been approached by citizens interested in touching up the two murals in town, noting that the group is hoping to form a committee and raise funds for the project.

Public Works director Adrin Mayes said the pumps at the sewer lagoons have been quitting because towels flushed by residents have been getting stuck in the pumps. He urged people to not flush towels.