McGinnis resigns
$1.6 million balefill contract awarded
by Cat Urbigkit

Sublette County Commissioners held their second meeting in their new meeting room in the newly refurbished county courthouse complex on Monday, with Commissioner Bill Cramer absent.

County Road Superintendent Richard Pearson and Travis Sour reported on county road department activities, with Pearson noting crews had recently started on the Mickelson Lane project, and bladed Paradise Road and Pocket Creek Road.

Pearson, newly appointed to the position, said he's been trying to get a handle on the roads and crews, adding that he and Sour will soon be attending a training seminar for first-time supervisors.

Frank Grimes of Nelson Engineering reported that after opening and reviewing the bids for construction of a balefill facility, it was his recommendation that the contract be awarded to low bidder DePatco of Saint Anthony, Idaho, in the amount of $1,625,747. The commission accepted the recommendation and awarded the Idaho company the contract.

Grimes said the company had the lowest qualified bid, adding that he had checked the company's references as well. Grimes noted that the contract does not include the square baler or the conveyor, because the commission had already taken action to lock in the price of those items last December.

Susan Kramer of Sublette Citizens for Recycling checked in with the commission, providing a report on the amount of recyclables the effort is keeping out of the landfill. While the commission has been concerned that what began as a volunteer effort continues to grow and require more government resources, Kramer pointed out that the amount of recyclables saved from landfilling has grown as well.

Kramer indicated in the last fiscal year, 260 tons of material was recycled. Kramer said that 9,539 tons of refuse from Sublette County was buried in the landfill the same year, in addition to 19,228 tons from Teton County.

The commission held several executive sessions to discuss personnel issues during Monday's meeting. The first was held with Sublette County Attorney Van Graham, the second with waste management supervisor Mike McGinnis, and the third was with Grimes, who has worked with McGinnis on technical issues involving the landfill and planning for the balefill facility. The commission did not comment on what its discussions were about, other than to say it involved personnel. McGinnis left the room after his executive session, and did not return when the commission re-entered open session and continued discussing landfill business with Grimes.

Commission Chairman Gordon Johnston later said McGinnis had just tendered his resignation and the commission had accepted it.

The commission also received two bids for construction of lycimeter, which is an underground monitoring pond that will constructed in lieu of installing a liner under the refuse pit, according to County Clerk Mary Lankford.

RS Bennett Construction is the apparent low bidder with its $44,319 proposal, of two bids received. Since Commissioner Betty Fear is married to Rod Bennett, she left the room while Grimes was reviewing the bids with Commission Chairman Gordon Johnston. In her absence, Johnston noted his intention to give Bennett the go-ahead, but said he will confer with Cramer via telephone about the matter.

In other business, Lankford reported that the county has received a grant from governor's office for federal homeland security. The $14,406 grant is for law enforcement terrorism prevention for the county coroner's office.

Lankford also noted that the defunct Cora Y mosquito abatement district needs to be officially dissolved. Lankford said she received a letter from the Attorney General's office noting the district has to be dissolved.