WHEATLAND – Last week the county commissioners approved a request to support the local Wyoming Child and Family Development (early childhood center /head start) program. The commissioners agreed to contribute a $5,000 match to the program in addition to a waiver of property taxes for the non-profit organization.

Before their decision, Wheatland Early Childhood Center director Liz Goddard spoke on behalf of the program.

Wyoming Child and Family Development (Wheatland and Guernsey Early Childhood Centers) provide free developmental screening to children birth to five years of age, to assess cognitive, motor and language abilities by highly qualified licensed professionals. There are also visual and hearing screenings.

The centers not only provide a head start preschool program, but for those who qualify for early childhood intervention services, some receive special education and individualized education plan (IEP), specialized therapy, and transition assistance into the local school district. The center also has a home-based therapy program.

One of the Wheatland Early Childhood Center’s family support providers, Peyton Cannon, said she was first introduced to the WECC when she sought out the center for their developmental screenings. Cannon said she received good council on how to help her child progress, which she did not realize she could do at the time. “I learned some good parenting tips to help that I didn’t know before. I have seen value in my home for the WCED services,” she said, adding, “Some things are just like, ‘I never thought to approach it like that,’ …And the growth that [my child] has made has been fantastic.”

“One of our biggest strengths are the community ties we [maintain], like with the school district; …One of the things my staff excels at breaking down the technical language for families, so they understand what is going on, and they also teach families how to help with therapy at home,” Goddard added.

Answering an inquiry by commissioner Jeb Baker if there was an “alarming number” of children needing special education services in comparison to past years, Goddard confirmed, while enrollment is down at the center, there has been an increase in the number of people who qualify for the center’s programs.

While Goddard emphasized she doesn’t know for sure the reason why since there has not been enough time to study the reasons; she does have theories.

“We’re still dealing a bit with COVID. Several [of these children] were babies that were born during COVID so they didn’t get some of that socialization. Our standards (for assessment) have not changed (so that is not a factor). What we screen and how they qualify for services. We are seeing a lot of kids that are handed a tablet or a screen and aren’t spoken to as much or – so when you have that you don’t have that face-to-face kids don’t’ see how to move your mouth, etc.. Some of those children are qualifying for speech services….A lot of kids were isolated for a long time, and we are seeing those kids now,” Goddard surmised.

The local early childhood centers are part of WCFD’s 10^th district in Wyoming encompassing Platte, Goshen, Converse, and Niobrara counties. In Wheatland, there is an average of around 150 children screened, with 65 recommended for IEP or special education / therapy services from the center. The value of all services provided is approximately $1 million, Goddard said.

“Our goal is to provide screening to all children in our county, birth to age five,” Goddard said.

After discussion with county maintenance supervisor Jim DeWitt, the commissioners authorized him to put up for bid a half- ton truck and a dump truck. The vehicles will be added to the list of items road and bridge has up for auction on the public surplus auction (viewable from the link on the county website’s homepage: plattecountywyoming.com).

The county will be looking for another used pickup for the maintenance department utilizing funds set aside in the budget for maintenance equipment purchases. 

DeWitt reported, sprinklers at the courthouse and library were turned on for the first time this spring, and there were five leaks from Christmas lights at the library that were repaired. The portion of the evidence room remodel at the detention center basement was completed; the sheriff’s office will be putting in the new lockers, then window trim will be finished. Additionally, DeWitt said the rest of the flush-control buttons for the detention center will arrive in the next few weeks, and the retrofit installation will take up quite a bit of his crew’s time in May.

Progress is being made in the upgrade of the Platte County Library; several boxes of cables and wires have been delivered onsite and will be installed the week of the 21^st. After that, DeWitt anticipates the county’s IT contractor, WyoLogic,  will complete the technical connections and upgrades of the library’s computer and IT system.

The county has chosen not to renew a further extension of contract with MC2 Engineering, the grant writers the county hired to research and apply for grants to benefit the county. Last fall they had extended the contract with MC2 for their assistance in pursuing an up to $2 million EPA grant to help fund the Palmer Canyon Road bridge replacement (across the Laramie River) and other county projects.

Regarding that specific grant, county clerk Malcolm Ervin said “I still have technically not heard a ‘no’ yet,” county clerk Malcolm Ervin said.

The plan going forward is to hire a local grant writer on an as-needed basis.

County planner Doug Dumont told commissioners there will be a public workshop at the next planning and zoning meeting (Tuesday, May 2 at 7 p.m.) to discuss potential requirements for some form of certificate to be required for structures under the $1 million threshold.

Dumont said the assessor, construction companies, and hopefully the commissioners will attend the workshop.

After hearing public comment and discussion with county planner and applicants Craig and Pamela Evert, commissioners approved a request to replat Lakeshore Tracts 

The request was to combine two tracts to resolve an issue with an existing building housing water for the subdivision was straddling the border of the lots seeking to be amended. Neighbor concerns revolved around wanting to ensure the access road would continue to be available to continue to be used by other Lakeshore Tracts subdivision property owners, even if the newly combined lot is sold.

The conditions set forth by the county upon approval of the replat affirms the eight-foot right of way access will remain as a private utility and access easement. The conditions also require a notice on record to state none of the roadways are maintained by Platte County, and all access are to remain private and their maintenance the responsibility of the landowners.

Commissioners also approved a resolution 2025-009 to extend county road 110A near Cherry Hill off Antelope Gap Road, east of Wheatland. The road on the section was given to the county as a 40-foot easement by Craig Baker previously, for the purpose of accessing a parcel where communication towers are located. The resolution also ensures the new county road will remain private, with no county maintenance or service obligated. (Patrick and Sherri Cullen were designated as being responsible for maintaining the road).

The resolution further guarantees access for maintenance of the communication towers and emergency personnel. No public access will be permitted.

Planner Dumont reported briefly on the April meeting between county departments (road and bridge, planner, and emergency management) with the NextEra Energy Resources project manager for the Chugwater wind project.

“It went well, and it looks like they are going forward full force,” Dumont said.

A bid was awarded to Design Construction in the amount of $80,237.60 for striping the approximately 109 miles of paved roads (1/6 of all the roads in Platte County). The roads which will be striped will be roads deemed high-risk or heavy traffic, based on crash data from the state. The area planned for striping will be Lakeshore Drive near Glendo since it is a high-traffic area, particularly in the summer.

County road and bridge supervisor Chris Bookout reported to commissioners, the new county snowplows were sent back to Ameri-Tech for repairs after critical issues were found in a test run of the custom-fit box of the dump box.

Bookout said in a test run of the functions of the dump truck portion of the plow trucks, it was discovered the wrong type of bolt were used for installation of the box, and there was an issue with cylinder placement. When raising the bed to dump a load of gravel, the bolts sheared and the whole bed moved back three or four inches.

 “Ameri-Tech is doing everything they can to make it right; the manager drove the damaged truck to Casper and they are going to change out all the bolts – they are going over it with a fine-tooth comb. We will do the same when we get it back,” he said. “They have been very good about it.”

After the first truck is changed out, the other plow will go to Casper for the same bolt-replacement treatment.

The public is welcome to observe commissioner meetings in person (in the commissioner’s room of the courthouse) or via zoom (link available on the county website). Commissioners meet the first and third Tuesday of every month, beginning at 9 a.m.