10 I The Lovell Chronicle I May 19, 2011
www.LovellChronicle.com
School District One selects new health insurer
BY BOB RODRIGUEZ
Dealing with a laundry
list of matters needing at-
tention, including a recom-
mendation to sign up with
a new health insurer for eli-
gible full-time employees,
trustees of Big Horn School
District One devoted near-
ly three hours to business
Tuesday night, May 10, in
the Burlington School li-
brary.
The board, absent
Trustee Ed Riding, went
into an executive (confiden-
tial) session in a room near
the library to discuss "per-
sonnel and property" at ap-
proximately 7:08 p.m. im-
mediately after Chairman
Dave Monk called the meet-
ing to order. Executive ses-
sions are closed to the press
and public. Returning to
the library around 7:55,
the board then began its
open gathering at 8, mak-
ing no comments regarding
the closed session, and the
meeting lasted until 9:50.
All items needing board de-
cisions were approved 6-0.
Superintendent Shon
Hocker announced the re-
tirement of Sandra Mes-
sick, who teaches at Rocky
Mountain Elementary
School. She will be honored
for her 28 years service as
an educator during a retire-
ment party at the school on
Friday, May 20, from 4 to
6 p.m. Among other items,
she will receive from the
district a brass bell with a
wooden handle, emblematic
of what teachers once used
to ring to signal the start of
classes for the day.
The superintendent
also announced that middle
school teacher Mike Higgins
has been chosen as the dis-
trict's teacher of the year.
If he completes an exten-
sive application form from
the Wyoming Dept. of Edu-
cation to compete as state
teacher of the year, he will
receive a check for $1,000
from WDOE.
Following a presenta-
tion by Conner Jones, an
eighth-grader at Burlington
School, the board agreed to
ay half the expenses, up to
1,049, to assist him with
his trip to National His-
tory Day in Washington,
D.C. June 12-18. Conner
took second place for Wyo-
ming in the junior division
at State History Day, and
was first in regional com-
petition. His paper was on
the Nuremberg Trials held
in the aftermath of World
War II.
Hocker presented a let-
ter from U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi
(R-Wyo.) congratulating
the Future Business Lead-
ers of America team from
Rocky Mtn. High School for
its first-place award from
the state as an outstanding
chapter. Monk also issued
congratulations for the "fine
work" by the students.
The board accepted the
preliminary budget for the
2011-2012 fiscal year that.
will begin July 1 subsequent
to a presentation by district
business manager Richard
Parker. He offered an ex-
planatory outline noting
that the tentative overall
total is $12,105,710. Hocker
said later that the figure is
similar to the current fiscal
year budget, and that it re-
flects neither new revenue
nor cost-of-living increases
by the state.
The preliminary bud-
get has to be adopted by
the board by July 1. Hock-
er said that trustees will re-
view figures during the in-
terim. He indicated that the
June meeting is planned
for the new district office,
the former site of the Big
Horn Academy in Cowley.
During his outline, Parker
provided the following cat-
egory figures: approximate-
ly $380,797 in food service;
$854,925 in capital projects;
special revenue of $1.2 mil-
lion including federal mon-
ies; and major maintenance
funding from the state in the
amount of some $437,310.
Parker also said that
school lunch prices will re-
main the same next year
at $2.55 per meal for high
school and middle school
students and $2.25 for el-
ementary pupils. The dis-
trict supplements food costs
at approximately $100,000
per year.
Trustee Brett Crosby
told Parker that he would
appreciate more budget de-
tail than that initially pro-
vided, and the latter said
that it is forthcoming. Some
30 pages of figures will be
involved, he added.
At Hocker's recommen-
dation, with additional ex-
planatory support from
Parker, the board OK'd
changing the health insur-
ance carrier from the Wyo-
ming School Boards Associ-
ation Insurance Trust to the
Wyoming Educators Benefit
Trust. Essentially, the ad-
vice is based on premiums
due to rise 12.48 percent
and a decline in coverage
next fiscal year. The insurer
change will take effect with
the start of the 2011-2012
fiscal year.
Coverages and carri-
ers have been studied and
compared, Hocker said. He
explained that although
overall coverage under the
WEBT will not be quite as
good under WSBAIT, the
district should be able to
contribute enough next
year to lower out-of-pocket
costs for those covered. That
would result from the state
providing around $250,000
after the district pays about
the same amount to WS-
BAIT for its current policy
buy-out.
Trustees Brett Crosby
and Paul Rasmussen ex-
pressed concerns at the need
to make the shift so rapidly,
but their fears were allayed
by Hocker and Parker. The
superintendent said that
WEBT representatives will
provide data for employees
during school visits, and
that the basic information
was provided at each cam-
pus to help explain the need
to change, and what's in-
volved. Addtionally, Trust-
ee Koleen Sponsel indicated
that commonly, when large
organizations that help pay
insurance premiums pres-
ent proposals for change,
it's not up for debate.
Regarding the district
website, Hocker compli-
mented the work of Erin
Stiver-Henson, who began
working in January as com-
munications specialist. The
superintendent stated that
her employment has proved
to be "money well spent."
Visitations to the site have
risen dramatically, he said,
from around 65,000 hits to
135,000 per month. "It's fun
to look at" and people like
it, Hocker said.
In other matters, the
board:
Authorized prepara-
tion of a buy/sell agreement
to transfer title of the va-
cated Byron High School/
Elementary School, exclud-
ing the free-standing shop,
and adjacent surrounding
property boundaries to be
determined.
Approved purchasing
a copier for RMES with a
lease purchase agreement
through the Bank of Lovell.
OK'd participation in
the WRS 457 plan (Wyo-
ming retirement).
Accepted the resig-
nation of Dave Beemer as
RMMS boys basketball
coach.
Agreed to the resigna-
tion of Amanda Norris as
RMES paraprofessional.
Approved the employ-
ment of Hans Hawley as an
English teacher at BHS.
Gave the nod to mod-
ify wording in 14 district
policies covering a wide
range of topics; adopted on
first reading 11 IHBA Spe-
cial Education policies; and
OK'd on second and final
reading elimination of Pol-
icy File GCCAA/Extended
Sick Leave.
Lovell Council: South project to get August start
BY DAVID PECK
With work continuing on
easements and final plans, it
looks like work on the South
phase of the Lovell Water
and Sewer Infrastructure
Project won't begin until
early to mid-August, project
engineer Frank Page told
the Lovell Town Council at
the council's regular May
meeting last Tuesday.
Presenting his month-
ly report, Page said plans
have been submitted to the
USDA Rural Utilities Ser-
vice for final review, but he
said the grant can be used
for such things as the annu-
al Lovell Police Dept. bike
rodeo and other safety edu-
cation project.
The council voted to ap-
prove the SRTS agreement
and authorize Mayor Bruce
Morrison and Town Clerk
Valerie Beal to sign it.
Lovell Inc. Director Sue
Taylor reported that asbes-
tos abatement on the Lovell
Incubator and Lovell Inc.
building by Safetech, Inc., of
Billings will begin May 23
and that Lovell Inc. is mov-
is still working out the fi- ing into a temporary office
nal easements to that areJohnson Home and Land
required before the project
can go to bid. He said he
was to meet with the hospi-
tal board Tuesday night and
noted that the easements
for the Wyoming Nation-
al Guard Armory property
have gone to the Wyoming
Attorney General's office for
review.
"We probably won't get
into construction until early
to mid-August, contingent
upon easements and final
documents being in place,"
Page said.
The council discussed
the 2011 Safe Routes to
School grant award of
$5,000, which is designated
for education this year, with
further construction like-
ly waiting until 2012. Page
until the abatement and the
ensuing building remodel-
ing is completed.
The council voted to au-
thorize the mayor to sign a
contract with Safetech for
asbestos abatement in an
amount not to exceed the
company's bid of $7,325.
Taylor reported that
bids for the remodeling of
the building came in higher
than the project estimate,
but she said the architect
is working with the appar-
ent low bidder to reduce
some costs. Since the as-
bestos abatement bids came
in lower than expected, she
may request a reallocation
of funds for the remodeling
project from the Wyoming
Business Council.
She also discussed with
the council the environmen-
tal review on the old hospi-
tal property on 10th Street,
noting that a survey of the
property is needed to sepa-
rate out the portion of the
lot to be retained by the for-
mer property owner. The
council voted to authorize
the staff to seek cost propos-
als for the survey and to ob-
tain a title commitment.
Water tank project
The council discussed
pay requests the town re-
ceived from contractor Spie-
gel and Son for the water
tank painting project. Proj-
ect engineer Rob Croft of
Engineering Associates ex-
plained various change or-
ders and pay estimates hav-
ing to do with remobilization
after the painting crew had
to cease work early in the
project due to accumulated
ice inside the tank.
With Pay Estimate No.
2 already on the list of bills
for payment, having been
approved at an earlier meet-
ing, the council voted to ap-
prove Change Order No. 2
and authorize the payment
of Pay Estimate No. 3 for
the project to Spiegel and
Son for $18,557.40.
POLICE FEES
The council discussed
proposed fees for services
recommended by Chief of
Police Nick Lewis. Lewis
recommends
1) Finger printing fee --
$5 per card
2) Vehicle unlocking --
$10 per vehicle
3) Serving of non-crim-
inal no-trespass order -- $5
per order
4) Notice to quit (evic-
tion notice) -- $10 per notice
5) Notary service for
non-criminal papers -- $2
per paper
Councilman Brian Dick-
son said he worries about
the town's liability in open-
ing car doors and also won-
dered if the service competes
with the private sector. He
said he would like to inves-
tigate the proposal further
and meet with Lewis before
taking action, and the coun-
cil voted to table the agenda
item.
In other business Tues-
day:
The council voted to
approve a severe weath-
er plan for the communi-
ty proposed by Emergency
Management Coordinator
Keri Wilske after the plan
had been reviewed by Chief
Lewis.
Two ordinances were
approved on third reading:
Ordinance 915 establishing
definitions for overlay and
planned unit development
and Ordinance 916 estab-
lishing a planned unit de-
velopment zone for the com-
munity.
The council voted to
approve on second read-
ing Ordinance 917 repeal-
ing the portion of the town
code establishing a muse-
um board with the current
Lovell-Kane Museum Board
wishing to operate separate-
ly from the Town of Lovell.
With the process un-
der way for the 2011-12 bud-
get, the council voted to ap-
prove the budget ordinance
and the annual tax levy or-
dinance on first reading.
The council voted to
approve a liquor catering
permit for the Four Corners
Bar for a wedding reception
at the community center
on June 11-12 and three li-
quor related resolutions: an
open container permit for a
fenced-off area outside the
Four Corners for the cancer
fun run on motorcycle rally
from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on
Saturday, June 4, an open
container permit for the
Four Corners for Mustang
Days on June 24-25 and a
modification of hours permit
for the Four Corners dur-
ing Mustang Days to allow
operating hours from 6 a,m.
on June 25 through 6 a.m.
on June 26.
After discussing the
WAM-JPIC joint powers
agreement for town health
insurance the council voted
to approve the amended and
restated agreement with
the Wyoming Association of
Municipalities and autho-
rized the mayor to sign the
agreement. The council lat-
er voted to renew the WAM-
JPIC employee health care
plan.
Councilman Brian
Dickson asked for input on
proposed resolutions coming
up at the annual WAM busi-
ness meeting in June as the
town's voting delegater
May!;!Morri0n asked
whether the!i:council qout&
use Skype to include C)un-
cilman Scott Allred in coun-
cil meetings, since he is
working on a special project
in Colorado for his employ-
er, Wyoming Lime Produc-
ers. Town Attorney Sandra
Kitchen said he could cer-
tainly monitor the meeting
through Skype and partici-
pate in discussion, but the
link would not qualify as
him actually attending the
meeting.
Dickson reported that
he is the new First Vice Pres-
ident of the WAM Board of
Directors.
The council scheduled
a budget work meeting for
7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 24,
preceded by a special meet-
ing at 5:30 p.m.
Fetzer fundra
A fundraising party
for Powell resident "Uncle
Ray" Fetzer Jr. is scheduled
for this Saturday, May 21,
from 1-4 p.m. at the Eagles
Lodge in Powell.
Fetzer was diagnosed
with throat cancer in Feb-
ruary and had surgery April
15 at St. Vincent Hospital
in Billings. His recovery
and length of treatments
has forced his retirement as
a salesman at Garvin Mo-
tors in Powell.
iser planned
The fundraiser is being
held to help with his med-
ical and travel expenses.
There will be a silent auc-
tion, bake sale, face paint-
ing and live music per-
formed by Craig Olson.
Donations for the fund-
raiser can be mailed or tak-
en to Fetzer's daughter De-
jah Helfrich at 234 W. Third
St. in Powell. For questions,
e-mail Helfrich at dejah_
helfrich@yahoo.com or call
307-202-1754.
Bighorn Canyon N RA seeks oral histories
Do you have memories
about what the Bighorn Riv-
er was like before the Yel-
lowtail Dam was construct-
ed? Did you or someone you
know work on the Yellowtail
Dam? Did you know Eddy
Hulbert or own some of his
works?
If so mark your calen-
dars for Saturday, May 21
and Sunday, May 22, when
University of Montana grad-
uate student Jonathari Hall
will be at the Cal S. Taggart
Visitor Center in Lovell con-
ducting interviews with resi-
dents who have information
and or stories to share about
local history
Hall is interested in in-
formation in the following ar-
eas: 1) history of the Bighorn
River and its inhabitants be-
fore construction of the dam;
2) building of the Yellowtail
Dam; and 3) the life and work
of Eddy Hulbert. If you feel
you may have information to
share regarding these topics
please plan on visiting with
Hall from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
If you wish to schedule a
specific time to conduct an in-
terview with Jonathan Hall
please contact the park's co-
ordinator for this project,
Cindy Norum at 307-548-
5409. This project is a con-
tinuation of the River Before
the Dam film showing that
occurred at the Hyart The-
ater in March of 2011. The
goal of this project, Bighorn
Canyon History: The River
Before the Dam, is to form a
more complete collection of
the history of the area and
its residents.
For information con-
cerning Bighorn Canyon Na-
tional Recreation Area, Big-
horn Lake, or help planning
a visit, visitors may contact
the Cal S. Taggart Bighorn
Canyon Visitor Center at
307-548-5406, the Afterbay
Contact Station at 406-666-
2452, or visit our website at
www.nps.gov/bica.
MUSEUM OF AERIAL
FIREFIGHTING PRESENTATION
June 2 7 p.m.
Greybull City Hall 24 South 5th St.
A presentation will be held and public input will
be accepted for a proposed Museum of Aerial
Firefighting designed for the South Big Horn County
Airport and the adjacent Wyoming Department of
Transportation rest area. All are invited to attend
the presentation, review the proposed conceptual
plans and feasibility study, ask questions and offer
comment about the proposed Museum project.
matenals can:
:ihtarchs.com/muse
i m,aei±fi
Join us on the 20th of
each month for cookies
and punch to celebrate
our 20th anniversary!
Thank you to our
patients [or your
continued support and
choosing 'Quality Care
Close to Home!'
BIG HORN HOSPITAL CLINIC
1115 Lane 12 Love[[, WY 548-5201
www. n bh h.com
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