GLENDO – Following a public survey and meeting about the community center renovation, progress is being made in the planning phase of building a community center in Glendo.
After a survey of citizens was distributed in multiple ways to the citizens of and surrounding Glendo (an extimated 350 residences), 19 people responded to the survey. The resulting list was addressed at a community center committee meeting in early January with a workable plan presented to the council.
Councilwoman Heather Schoning, the committee chair, said she additionally talked with the state health inspector to ensure any planning was not out of line with public safety rules and regulations.
The main results for the survey was a commercial kitchen, ADA accessibility, PA systems, and potentially serving meals for seniors at the community center.
Addressing the question of serving senior meals at the community center, Schoning said one guest at the committee meeting was a representative from Services for Seniors, Inc., who oversees senior meals in Glendo. It was agreed things are working well, and a contract is in place, for the meals to be served at the Catholic church in town, and there are no plans to change that.
As far as a commercial kitchen, to comply with health and fire regulations, if a kitchen is put in, it has to have a three-bay sink, a hand sink, a commercial refrigerator and a B1 hood system. A residential stove would be acceptable, but a dishwasher was not recommended.
Following up on the December council meeting when town attorney Eric Jones said there may be an issue with the wording on the specific purpose excise tax passed by voters which is providing the funding for the new community center in Glendo, attorney Jones said his discussion with the county attorney Doug Weaver and county clerk Malcolm Ervin was positive for this project.
“Essentially we are on the right track to salvage what we can, but it does not make sense if we have a building that cannot be renovated safely and spend all this money jacking up and putting a foundation in,” Jones said. “[They] agreed, ‘why waste taxpayer money…’ You want to try to save some of what the intent was (with the word ‘renovation’ in the excise tax resolution) – to save some of the character of the building. But to waste money…is not in the taxpayer’s best interest.”

The council unanimously passed a motion to remove the existing condemned building and salvage useful materials to the best of their ability and rebuild a community center meeting the community needs.
After the motion, there was discussion on next steps, and it was decided there needs to be more information collected and lists made of specifically what will be salvaged from the old building, where it will be stored until it can be used, how it will be incorporated into the new building, and who will be doing the various aspects of the project. Schoning said she would like to see the council meet with the committee to help come up with a timeline and direction in how the details can be worked out.
Mayor Susan Juschka said she had inquired with the bank about a possible loan for the project until the tax funding is able to finish coming in. “They were very optimistic,” she said, adding there should not be a problem getting the loan.
Before passing claims for consideration at the Glendo council meeting, there was discussion about the fee charged to subscribe to the use of credit card services, which mayor Susan Juschka said the town is still looking for a better place to have credit card services.
The town has a new speaker system, which Schoning said, “worked quite well at the Christmas parade.” A form will be created for anyone wanting to use the speaker system to fill out and assume liability for damage, missing pieces, or misuse. The unit is available at town hall.
Councilwoman Kelly Jones reported she’s getting suggestions and questions about the 20th year of the Glendo Fly-in, which may be scheduled for September this year. She also said she is working with clerk Kelsey Crabtree to find the best way for the town to clean up the map for the cemetery and digitize it. Jones said she welcomes suggestions.
Clerk Kelsey Crabtree said a walk-through was conducted by Visionary through the town to see the results and any damage which occurred after last summer’s installation of communication cables throughout the town. “I think we went through everything but the two properties [one of which] was supposed to be addressed the day of Christmas by Serve Pro. He told me yesterday it was not done. We’ve left messages and emails (with Visionary) to see where we go from here.”
[Steve Eller] confirmed phone calls to multiple numbers and emails to Visionary have not been returned, as of the meeting on Jan. 8 and he is unsure when there would be a response.
Attorney Jones told Crabtree and Eller to include him in the email so he can follow up with them as well.
On the subject of water, Schoning inquired about the status of separating accounts to permit sewer and water taps so a development infrastructure fund can be made, which will give the town the ability to show matching funds for acquiring grants.
Crabtree said the Wyoming Water Development Commission (who paid for and oversaw the study on the entire Glendo water system) had reached out three different times, asking if the town had made a decision on its water grants. If the town didn’t give a response soon, they would “be put at the bottom of the list.”
Mayor Juschka said the council can look at the options again, but “at this time we haven’t received final paperwork [or maps] from the strategic master plan.”
At the Oct. 28 public meeting to share results with the community, AVI engineering, the engineering company conducting the study, said they would have a complete master plan to the town before the end of December.
Attorney Jones told the town clerk to also include an email to him regarding that situation so he can follow up on behalf of the town.
The council tabled the Tipswood building permit request, so the public works supervisor can measure to make sure the construction plans will be far enough away from the town’s water meter on the property.
Concluding the meeting, Herschel Prewitt from Frontier Furniture in Wheatland presented some price quotes and material samples to the council for consideration to replace flooring at the fire hall. The council did not take any action regarding the flooring at the meeting. Mayor Juschka said she wanted to make sure the fire department gave their input before a decision would be made.