(Lander, WY) – The Fremont County Commissioners convened for a regular meeting on Tuesday, June 29th, at the Courthouse Commissioners’ Chambers.
In addition the Wyoming Department of Transportation’s State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) presentation, the County held a retirement party for County Coroner Mark Stratmoen.
“You’re the go-to guy, we appreciate your forward thinking,” Vice-Chairman Larry Allen stated while addressing Stratmoen. “We wish you well and thank you for everything. You’re done!”
Stratmoen’s last order of business has been shedding light on an ongoing issue with Department of Health (WDH), Vital Statistics Services, commonly called Vital Records.
The WDH issued a statement refuting his claims, and in what might be one of his last acts as Coroner, Stratmoen has responded to their statement with the following:
“Last Friday on June 25th, the Dept. of Health released an ‘interesting’ response to my notice on Vital Records improperly changing death certificates, considering that I quoted in my release their own rule they broke in altering a cause of death without permission. Their response did not really deny the issue but danced around it. After several months of failing to correct a violation that is about as straightforward as seeing someone running a stop sign, this does not appear hopeful.“
“As this is the last day prior to my retirement that I can officially follow up on the issue, it is in the public interest to know that nothing has been done at this time by the State to resolve this, or pursue accountability in the matter. Leaving this to the families involved in a death to worry if their certificates are accurately represented, is a terrible lack of responsibility from State officials, who appear to have forgotten that they work for the public welfare and interest.”
“Evidently, it will be up to that public as a whole and individually to demand from their state elected officials and the agencies that they oversee, the accountability that is the public’s right to expect from their government. Citizens should know that even though I have retired, the coroner’s office and Fremont County will continue to pursue this, and assist in any questions or verification needed by the people we represent.“
“It has been my honor to serve for over two decades as a deputy, then elected coroner of Fremont County. I am deeply thankful to the public for that opportunity.”
The Commissioners have also issued the following news release from the meeting:
- A CONTRACT BETWEEN FREMONT COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND FREMONT COUNSELING SERVICE FOR MENTAL HEALTH EMERGENCY DETENTION AND PLACEMENT SERVICE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 WAS APPROVED.
- RESOLUTION NO. 2021-16 “TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT ACCESS ROAD AND EASEMENT FEES” WAS APPROVED.
- RESOLUTION NO. 2021-17 “PLANNING DEPARTMENT FEES” WAS APPROVED.
- THE ANNUAL COMPENSATION AGREEMENT FOR COUNTY/UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING PERSONNEL WAS APPROVED.
- A COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN WYOMING DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION AND FREMONT COUNTY WAS APPROVED FOR FUNDING FOR THE HILLCREST DRIVE STRATEGIC PLAN.
- A WELLNESS COORDINATOR AGREEMENT AMENDMENT NO. 1 WAS APPROVED THAT WILL CLARIFY THAT ALL DATA GENERATED WILL BE THE PROPERTY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
- THE BOARD RATIFIED THEIR DECISION TO ACCEPT THE FREMONT COUNTY FIRE WARDEN’S RECOMMENDATION TO ISSUE A FIRE BAN, EFFECTIVE JUNE 23, 2021, UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE IN FREMONT COUNTY, WHICH EXTENDS ONLY TO PROPERTY WITHIN UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF FREMONT COUNTY AS EACH MUNICIPALITY REGULATES LAND WITHIN ITS OWN BOUNDARIES. THE COMMISSIONERS URGE THE PUBLIC TO FOLLOW LOCAL ORDINANCES CONCERNING FIRE AND FIREWORKS.
- RESOLUTION NO. 2021-18 “FY 2020-2021 BUDGET AMENDMENT NO. 12” WAS APPROVED FOR BUDGET TRANSFERS.
- THE BOARD APPROVED THE ALLOCATION OF TITLE III FUNDS, FOLLOWING A 45-DAY COMMENT PERIOD, FOR SEARCH AND RESCUE ($15,000) AND FIRE PREVENTION PROGRAMS ($25,300).
- THE E-911 SURCHARGE OF $0.75 PER PHONE ACCESS LINE (LAND AND CELLULAR) WILL REMAIN THE SAME, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF LAND LINES WITHIN THE CITY OF RIVERTON WHICH ARE UNDER THE JURISDICTION OF THE RIVERTON DISPATCH CENTER.
- THE FREMONT COUNTY GOVERNMENT FY 2021-2022 BUDGET WAS APPROVED.
- JUDITH HUBBARD WAS APPOINTED TO FILL A TWO YEAR TERM VACANCY ON THE FREMONT COUNTY HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION.