Northern Wyoming News - Serving the Big Horn Basin for over 100 years

WORLAND — Golfer Brenda Stutheit and former mayor LaVertha Gotier came to the Worland City Council Tuesday requesting that during the budget work for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, the city consider a permanent restroom at Green Hills Golf Course.

The front nine restroom was removed earlier this spring and replaced with a portable, Americans with Disabilities Act compliant, restroom. There is still a permanent restroom on the back nine but Stutheit said it was built in the 1950s and is not always useable.

Public Works Superintendent Brian Burky said the city and Go Play Golf LLC, who manages the course, will be working on the back nine restroom to make it functional but admitted “it’s no prize.”

Stutheit asked the council why Newell Sargent Park is getting a new restroom, when it already has a nice, workable restroom? She said the golf course has between 8,000 to 8,500 players throughout a season on the course.

“It’s a beautiful golf course, now we have porta-potties, we have no drinking fountains. It’s kind of embarrassing and we are having a big tournament on the women’s side. I’m kind of embarrassed that we only have porta-potties to offer these ladies to come in. I know guys can go use the bushes. I think you’d be embarrassed if us ladies went and used them, but you may be finding that,” Stutheit said.

Stutheit emphasized that people purchase memberships as well as pay daily green fees to use the golf course. She said there were 26 tournaments held last season with about as many planned this year.

“If we want people to come to Worland, to the golf course, we need to upgrade the facilities that we have out there and show them the pride. When they come here they spend money at the hotels, restaurants and downtown,” she said. “We have the oldest bathroom of any of the park system and we are the last one that maybe will get new bathrooms out there.”

Mayor Jim Gill said, “I don’t want you to get the perception that council doesn’t support the golf course. We are subsidizing it to a great extent, but our revenue sources our shrinking.”

Councilor Mandy Horath said the budget committee has only had one meeting this year working on the next fiscal budget. She added that when the porta-potty was put in at the front nine it was with the understanding that it was likely a temporary situation as the city looked at options for a new restroom.

She added that the city also allocates nearly $200,000 to the golf course.

Burky said the bathroom going in at Newell Sargent Park is a pre-fab building being shipped in that has lower cost and lower maintenance.

Burky noted that new drain fields will probably be needed for new restrooms at the golf course.

Stutheit said her understanding was that she needed to come before the council in order for the council to consider the request in next year’s budget. “I just want it to be considered.”

She added that she believes the golf course is the most used of any of the park spaces in the city. Several council members disagreed, noting the multiple uses at Newell Sargent Park including baseball, softball, soccer and football.

SALES TAX

—Horath reported that three entities dropped out of consideration on the sales tax — Worland Youth Learning Center, Washakie Development Association and Washakie County Youth Alternatives. She said the organizations met Monday to work on percentages for the remaining seven groups at the end of the meeting they are at 105 percent.

The city of Worland agreed to decrease the amount they have been receiving from 45 percent to 40 percent. Horath noted they were the only ones to decrease the amount, but added there are seven entities instead of six.

Worland Community Center Complex requested to remain at 28 percent, Ten Sleep requested to remain at 15 percent, the Worland Fire Department requested 10 percent, both the Worland and Ten Sleep senior centers requested to remain at 5 percent and the Crisis Prevention and Resource Center requested to continue with their 2 percent.

“We’re comfortable at 40 percent, I don’t think we’re going to have to cut anymore,” Horath said.

OTHER BUSINESS

In other business at Tuesday’s meeting:

—Brian Russell with the State Forestry Division congratulated the city for being a Tree City USA for 33 years, following Mayor Gill’s proclamation of April 27 as Arbor Day. He also presented the city with a Tree City USA flag. The city has a plaque in city hall and a sign on the north entrance of the city.

—City Attorney Kent Richins reported that on April 4, under the direction of the council, he wrote to the Kodiak company, the company that the city purchased the airport snow removal broom from. He received a call from Kodiak representative who indicated they would be willing to work with the city regarding a warranty for at least the shaft for a full season. Richins said the Kodiak representative said the shaft, which broke several times, was redesigned and the new one that has been installed in the broom should work.

Richins said he requested a warranty for more than just the shaft for a full season but has not heard back.

—Burky reported that all park restrooms will be open starting on Friday.

He also reported he is going to try a used sweeper as part of a possible lease-purchase option, noting that while the current street sweeper is not that old, it has not worked well on Worland’s city streets.

—Gill said he received a call from a resident asking the city to help with getting GPS units to use U.S. 16 rather than the Lower Nowood as the main thoroughfare to get from Ten Sleep to Yellowstone.

The next meeting for the sales tax committee will be May 1.