New leadership for Chugwater sworn in

Lisa Phelps
Posted 1/15/25

CHUGWATER – After years of serving the town of Chugwater in various leadership positions, Mayor Carol Ash conducted the swearing-in of newly-elected councilmembers Josh Hansen and Viki Klein …

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New leadership for Chugwater sworn in

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CHUGWATER – After years of serving the town of Chugwater in various leadership positions, Mayor Carol Ash conducted the swearing-in of newly-elected councilmembers Josh Hansen and Viki Klein before handing over the gavel to Josh Hopkins in his first term as mayor. Ash also presented outgoing councilman Joe Schirmer with an official certificate thanking him for his 10 years of service on the town council.
Ash said she plans to move into more of a position of retirement in her professional career and spend more time traveling. She expressed her appreciation to the community, the decades of assistance from town attorney Eric Jones, and the council, adding, “I am behind Josh [Hopkins] 100 percent. It’s time for a new perspective for the town, and I think [he] will do a great job.”
Re-convening the meeting with the newly-elected body in place, mayor Hopkins said, to begin, he decided he is going to follow the council agenda format ordained for Chugwater in 1919 which includes an outline of various committees who could make reports during the meeting. Seeking legal guidance from attorney Jones throughout the process, the new mayor created a finance committee and appointed councilwoman Klein, Ron Hall, and Connie Hall to the committee which will give the council regular reports on the status of the town’s budget regarding revenue and expenditures.
Hopkins appointed councilman Steve Kelley to the water/sewer committee and councilman Hansen to the streets and roads committee and stated his intent to create a communications committee at some point in the future, but no appointment was made at the Jan. 6 meeting. With unanimous approval by the council, councilman John Burns was appointed to the statutorily required planning and zoning board. Burns will head the committee, and further appointments will be made in the future, Hopkins said.
“Present petitions” is another agenda item they mayor is reviving from the 1919 town minutes, which Hopkins explained is what is currently known as public comments. “It is for anyone who wants to petition to speak to the council about any issue,” he said.
At the meeting, Cathy Wilson Souza told the council the local Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) chapter received a flag which was flown over the capital in Washington D.C., and there was a small ceremony held in December to replace the old flag with the donated one.

Wilson Souza, Chugwater librarian, also gave her yearly report of statistics from the town’s library. Last year there were 673 patrons and 87 monthly book club participants, 427 books and periodicals checked out, 20 cards issued to new patrons, and 178 uses of the public computer and copy machine.
Mayor Hopkins read and signed a proclamation recognizing Jan. 9, 2025 as National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. The proclamation stated in part, “law enforcement officers of every rank and file have chosen a profession that puts their life on the line every day for their communities, [serving the public with demanding and often unappreciated tasks.] “It is fitting that we express our gratitude for the dedicated service and courageous deeds of law enforcement officers and their contributions they have made to the security and well-being of our citizens.”
In “pertinent communications” (again, revived from 1919 – basically mayor/council reports) mayor Hopkins reported he attended the December water study’s monthly meeting and was informed of the background and current status of the Wyoming Water Development Commission’s 100 percent grant-funded study of Chugwater’s entire water system. Hopkins explained the town’s system has three town wells and two holding tanks which are part of the study which is analyzing the system and will give a full report and make recommendations to the council on what does or does not need to be fixed, repaired, or updated.
The water study is also creating an interactive GIS (geographic information system) mapping of the entire water system, including all valves, meters, hydrants, manholes, etc. which could make managing the system easier for the public works department. Water manager Pete Delgado said the cost of analyzing the tank’s condition via professional tank divers was able to be included as part of the water study, and the possibility of the much-needed SCADA system updates being included in the study is being looked into.
“We will keep you (the public) up to date on the progress,” Hopkins said.
In other business, after discussion of the condition of some equipment in the town’s inventory, the council approved a motion to put up to bid for removal or disposal, a 1987 GMC dump truck, a four-wheeler, a lawn tractor and two weed eaters, which are all in need of extensive repairs.
The council also approved the purchase of salt/sand mix for the town’s roads, approved an annual agreement with Prairie View Community School to snowplow the school’s roads,
After lengthy discussion, the council approved a motion to officially end a long-standing lease of 405 acres of ag land where one of the town’s wells is located. The lease will be officially ended 30 days after the current lessee is notified but will be renewed in 30-day increments until such time as another appropriate, updated contract can be made.
Mayor Hopkins explained, the lease is 20 years old, and though it was mentioned there may be a newer lease than Hopkins was able to find on file with the town, he believes the lease needs to be updated, and it would be appropriate to open the lease up for bid – potentially increasing the town’s income with a more up-to-date market price per acre on a new lease. Hopkins said the current tenant would be welcome to put in a bid for the acreage as well.
The mayor also said he would like to formally investigate the cost and benefits of conducting a traffic study to give baseline data for future decisions concerning street repairs and investments. Following a half-hour executive session to discuss personnel, the council unanimously appointed Cindy Kahler to the town clerk position. Hopkins said the current clerk, Jody Ash had rendered her resignation effective Jan. 6, creating the opening. The mayor said the town would also advertise for a town clerk assistant, who would be trained by Kahler to eventually take over the lead position.