(Dubois, WY) – County 10 sat down with all the mayors across Fremont County to discuss their wins and losses of 2023 and their goals for 2024.
Below is a transcript of an interview with Dubois Mayor Patricia Neveaux that has been edited and condensed.
County 10: What are your wins from 2023?
Patricia Neveaux: We had a great year last year.
She provided two lists of items the Town accomplished in 2023. Their wins are as follows from the lists:
- Implemented reinstatement of the Dubois Police Department.
- Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Emergency Upgrade (completed).
- Concrete and Stair Repair/Replacement at Town Hall (completed).
- Dennison Lodge Structural Modifications – Pending bids from contractors.
- Adopted a revised Municipal Court Bond, uniform bail and forfeiture schedule in conjunction with the implementation of the Dubois Police Department.
- Sewer Main Extension – Summer 2023 sewer main extension project in the alley east of Barber Street (completed).
- Town of Dubois Fire Hydrant Replacement Project – Awarded to Peak Excavation (completed).
- Applied for a U.S. Dept. of Justice – COPS Hiring Program (CHP) for law enforcement funding.
- Applied for a U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security grant for communications and data equipment to be used by the Dubois Police Department.
- Dubois Museum MOU – Dennison Lodge – Negotiated an MOU with the Fremont County Museum (Dubois) to take over management of the Dennison Lodge.
- Authorized the purchase and installation of new audio equipment in the Dubois Town Hall Council Chambers with future installation of a visual system (ARPA funds) – installed and in use.
- After 30+ years of not having a signed MOU, followed up and coordinated with the Headwaters Community Arts and Conference Center board to to reach an agreement for a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
- Finished and implemented the Economic Development half-cent excise tax procedures and began issuing grants.
- Awarded a $125,000 grant from the Department of Justice to assist in paying wages for additional police officers.
- A grant through the Wyoming Energy Authority was approved for the installation of LED lighting at Town Hall.
- Wastewater Treatment Plant Re-lining Project – Pending bids from contractors.
- Horse Creek Road Pavement Project (completed).
- The Governing Body approved and authorized Dubois Volunteers, Inc. to raise funds and install a pickleball court in Town Park.
- Three additional police vehicles have been purchased. Equipment installation was graciously donated by the National Museum of Military Vehicles, Tank Restoration Center.
- Received a U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security grant for communications and data equipment to be used by the Dubois Police Department.
- Economic Development half-cent excise tax grants have been awarded to four recipients as of 12/1/23: Dubois Chamber of Commerce, Moose Willow Soap Company, Pioneer Yoga, Headwaters Community Arts and Conference Center, and the Dubois Mercantile USA.
- Apprenticeship program being implemented through the National Rural Water Association and the Wyoming Association of Rural Water.
- Assisted applicant in applying for a Fremont County MOVE grant (1/2 cent tax) to enable Tiny Tot Adventures Childcare to relocate to a town-owned building, which was awarded Dec. 19, 2023.
- One cent sales tax funds used for pavement crack sealing in Town Park and parking lots. Applied magnesium chloride to gravel streets.
- Reclaimed the Horse Creek Road corner parking area and installed curb and gutter.
- Overgrown wills and brush cleaned up around the Riverwalks.
- With a combined effort, the Town of Dubois, DAWGS, and the Forest Service, Pete’s Pond area was cleaned up with a waterline installed for irrigation.
- Repaired ditch erosion on McKinley Drive.
- Rotomilled the alleys.
- Cleared and cleaned Taylor Creek drainage.
- Culverts installed in areas of North Heights Subdivision.
- Enable an area along the west side of Town Hall for parking.
C10: What about losses in 2023?
PN: The Meckem Street Project. We couldn’t get the additional funding that we needed through SLIB. We had two loans through them that we turned back because of the cost to the taxpayers. Our payback would have been at 45 percent. So the cost to the taxpayers would have been phenomenal. I didn’t want to do that to them. So we have a shovel-ready project if we can get the funding. That’s the biggest loss that we had.
C10: What are your goals for 2024?
PN: We received a grant for the town building, and we’re upgrading our lighting to hopefully reduce our costs and utilities.
The Dennison Lodge stabilization. That’s a big project. So the Dennison Lodge had an addition put on it – the west wing. And it is falling off of the east end of the building because it was never really connected. We have finally got a bid for that. They’re gonna shore up underneath to meet the original building. And at some point, this year, after that is done, the town will sign an MOU with Fremont County Museums. We’d like to donate the building to the museum. Right now, we have an MOU in effect with them that the museum here is in control of the building and they rent it out. They keep the funds. Right now we’re still doing the maintenance and trying to do the upkeep on the building. And once the stabilization is done, we’ll be moving forward donating it. We’re excited about that.
We have cell number three in our lagoons at the wastewater treatment, we’re having it re-lined so that cell three will be up and running by the end of summer. That was a big, little over $800,000 project that we received grants for.
One cent funds for roads and paving projects. We have three for this calendar year that we will be using those funds for.
We have a hot mix plant coming up. Working on a different project. So we can save some money and not have to mobilize a hot mix plant.
We’re looking for funding to help build a new town building to house our large equipment. We have a piece of land that we already own. The dog pound used to be on it, and since the humane society has changed their way of doing business here, they look for fosters. So we’re going to try to use that piece of property to put a large steel building up to house some of our equipment.
We’re applying for an Emergency MRG (Mineral Royalty Grant). We have a water line in the highway on the west end of town that’s in desperate need of repair. If we have a fire like we did in 2010 in the downtown area, and there’s a restriction in the water line from our west tank. And we can’t get the water from the west to the east end of town. If there’s ever another catastrophic fire like that, it could be horrible for our community. So, we’re applying for that grant because right now, it is an emergency. We need to get that repaired, just in case.
We’re working with Forrest Kamminga, State Trails, and we’re working towards building a small two-track on a piece of town property by the rodeo grounds to allow us access to the BLM.
Then, we have the fly-in again this year. That’ll be our fourth fly-in. I’m working with the airport board and a new committee is trying to be established so that one person isn’t going to be totally responsible for that project, which is how it’s been for the last three years.
That’s my year.
To view all the mayors published so far, click here.