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WORLAND – Facing a loss of $317,000 in reserve revenue by December without emergency action, the Worland City Council met Tuesday evening to address new tipping fees instituted by the Washakie County Solid Waste Disposal District Board, and the possibility of an emergency ordinance to raise city sanitation fees. “The fact that they [Washakie County Solid Waste] have doubled their revenue needs to be examined,” Mayor Dave Duffy said during the open meeting.

The Worland Solid Waste District began assessing tipping fees on Sept. 1, charging $15 per cubic yard to dump at the landfill for district residents. In order to meet the fee structure, the City of Worland would have to raise the current $15 monthly fee, or else take a drastic hit to their $1.1 million sanitation budget.

On Tuesday, City Attorney Kent Richins highly recommended an emergency ordinance, authored by him, that would raise sanitation fees to $30 per month, effective after the October City Council meeting. The first reading of the ordinance could be ready as early as next Tuesday, when the council meets to approve the monthly bills. The meeting is at 7 p.m. at city hall.

Richins reminded the council that the landfill operates as a state agency, and must maintain meeting and budget records, and that the landfill must advertise rate increases. Richins further stated that the Solid Waste Board’s inability to advertise changes in their fee structure or hold a public hearing could open up the city to contesting that the Waste Board’s increased fees would be “null and void.” “I’m not comfortable with the fees,” Richins stated, “They need to substantiate them.”

“Are you proposing we not pay our bills [to the landfill]?” inquired Ward 2 Councilman Dennis Koch.

Richins explained that if fees are examined and assessed at a different rate, then the city could receive a rebate, and that he would like to hold a meeting with the Solid Waste District.

Mayor Duffy introduced the option of retrieving some revenue by starting a city-wide recycling program, much like the one in Rawlins, currently making revenue from reclaimed paper and metal. Ward 1 Councilman Jim Gill replied, “If it feels good, I’m not for it. Just because it reads good in the paper.”

The council also discussed getting a city council member on the board of the Solid Waste District, to represent the city’s interests.

Richins stated that he would like to contact the Solid Waste District Board and request a copy of their board minutes and records as he had not seen any notice in changes in rates. Without the records, Richins claimed that any changes could be considered “price fixing” on behalf of the Solid Waste District, and once again, their fees would be null and void.

During a follow-up telephone interview Wednesday, Attorney Richins stated that to his knowledge, no member of the council had ever visited the landfill office to inspect available records. “I don’t even know what they have out there,” Richins replied.

In accordance with Wyoming State Statute 16-12-104 (a), and as evidenced by records maintained with the Washakie County Clerk, the Washakie County Solid Waste Disposal District keeps all records on file at the landfill office. A Public Records Notice received by the Clerk’s office on March 28, 2014, stipulates that all public records are available for public viewing Monday through Sunday, 7 a.m. until 6 p.m., at the landfill office.

On Wednesday, Landfill Manager and former Worland Public Works Director Gene Cliame sat down with the Daily News to look over the records kept on file. Cliame presented Waste District meeting minutes dating back to 2008, Department of Environmental Quality and Wyoming state audits, landfill budgets and bills, and manager’s reports dating back several years. “When we first went to the city council,” said Cliame, “we reminded them that keeping the three mill levy not only keeps cost down, but creates accountability. We’re operating a facility here with the best interests to the taxpayer, because we’re using public money.”

When asked why the landfill hasn’t shared the on-file records with the city council, Cliame responded, “Nobody’s asked. Why wouldn’t we show out records? As you can see here, we have nothing to hide.” When asked if the landfill would comply with the council’s requests for copies of the files, Cliame replied, “We would be glad to show the records. Look, we live in a world of increasing dishonesty. We have nothing to gain from that.”