About the City
By Councilman Kingery

Continued:  Our other two enterprise funds are the water fund and the waste water fund.  Our water fund will need attention within the next few years as we have an 18-mile pipeline that needs to be replaced soon.  It will be expensive, and we are already looking at funding help with this project.  This was one of the topics discussed at the recent WAM Conference in Cheyenne.  Replacing the pipeline is the most important issue coming up with our water fund.  

The waste water fund is our fourth enterprise fund and takes care of our sewage system.  We believe it is in good shape for the foreseeable future so we hope it will not need much of our attention other than normal maintenance.  Notice that we also have both of these funds on our monthly city bill because they are separate accounts.  We pay to have the water delivered to us, and we pay to have it taken away in a slightly "used" condition!

National League of Cities/Service Line Warranties of America
In an earlier article, I told you about the upcoming insurance policies that will be made available to you through the National League of Cities.  We approved this in our Feb. 28th City Council meeting, so in the not-too-distant future, you should start receiving information from them about the external water line.  It will have our City logo to help you recognize it as legitimate mail.  One of the nice aspects will be the use of local contractors to do the work, which helps our economy by keeping the money closer to our community.  Be sure to look over the Terms and Conditions carefully so you know what is covered and what is not.  

For example, the sewer contract (which will be coming to you later this fall) has a restriction on “Orangeburg” sewer pipe, which at this point is not covered under a sewer line policy for repairs or replacement.  The problem with the Orangeburg is there is no way we can tell if you have Orangeburg pipe, and the City will not pay for digging it up to find out!  The best guide we can give you is that if your home was built prior to or in the 1950s, it probably has Orangeburg pipe; if it was built in the 1960s, it might have; after the 1960s, it probably does not have Orangeburg pipe, but don’t sue me if I’m wrong!  Another option might be to contact the City of Douglas Public Works Department at 358-9750 and see if they have records of work done in your area; it may give you an indication of what you have.  Administration is currently working with the warranty company to have this restriction removed.  We will keep you posted.

A report from the Douglas Historic Preservation Commission included information about Camp Douglas that operated here in Douglas during the World War II.  They have recently completed the installation of a new roof.  They have also been working on crosses and markers at the Pioneer Cemetery.  If you haven’t visited these two places recently you might find it interesting to do so.  Contact Sherri Mullinnix at the city office to get access to Camp Douglas.  I believe the Pioneer Cemetery is always open but be cautious of muddy roads in the springtime. 

A gentleman named Alex Felton applied for a permit to have a small scale car dealership at 230 Yellowstone Highway and needed a variance permit from the city of Douglas.  He still has to get the necessary vehicle dealer license from the State of Wyoming.  If this comes about the dealership will be locating just to the south of the UPS depot.  Might be interesting to see what he will bring!

We tabled the city ordinance about recreation vehicle parking for some further study.  We have received feedback from citizens for and against the ordinance.  Please voice any opinions you have to us as we continue to study it.  Some people think we have a problem and others think we don’t!  As with most rules this is brought about by a few people that either don’t think about what their actions mean to their neighbors, or just don’t care.  Keep in mind that your neighbors may not see your parking of recreation vehicles quite the same as you do.  What is attractive and valuable to you might block their view and seem to be a nuisance near their home.  A friendly visit with them might help in coming to a more satisfactory situation.

What do you think about some of the groups that help with problems within our community?  (Converse County Coalition, Boys & Girls club, and many others)  Does it make sense to only expect the more generous citizens to help them?  Or does it make sense to ask everyone in the community to share in helping them, since the problems are “our community” problems?  Should the city of Douglas help them financially?  Are these groups that help with community problems somewhat the same as the problem of streets, water systems, garbage disposal etc.?  Is it something we should all help with since we all benefit from them?  What do you think?  lkingery@cityofdouglas.org