Dissolution of Aladdin Water District suspended

Having agreed on the changes that need to be made for the Aladdin Water District to function effectively, members of its new board and the county commissioners have agreed to allow it to remain on the books for a probationary period of one year. The dissolution was proposed a couple of months ago, after the county was made aware that the district had failed to comply with the Wyoming Department of Audit’s reporting requirements.

A letter penned to the new board by County Attorney Joe Baron outlined the conditions that must be met in order for the commission to feel confident in the district’s continuation. These were discussed at a continuation of a public hearing for the dissolution of the district on Wednesday.

“I just wanted everybody to know what they are getting into, and I think they understand that,” commented Commissioner Jeanne Whalen during the hearing. Whalen had requested the continuation last month, feeling that there were some unresolved questions left to be discussed.

The items in the letter included the selection of a full board, which Baron noted has already been solved now board members have been appointed, and the filing of all historical documents with the County Clerk’s Office, which he said has also been done. The election process for the next round of board members will begin by November 2.

Board members confirmed that the work they have been doing to fix the issues that caused concern for the county commissioners also includes beginning the process of hiring a bookkeeper. Budgets for this and next year have been prepared to cover all expenses and the board has hired a water operator to perform sampling on the water.

From this point onwards, the district board will be required to file all documents on a monthly basis, including minutes of monthly meetings, treasurer’s reports, contracts and memorandums of understanding. Baron also noted that the board needs to determine the actual boundaries of the district with himself and the county assessors.

The new board was also asked to complete board training, which is something the county commissioners require of all persons who serve county boards and districts. Whalen suggested offering the same 90-minute online training given to everyone else, which issues a certificate of completion at the end.

Some discussion was held during the hearing as to whether the district could provide water to outside customers. Though this could be difficult with the distribution capacity of the current two-inch line, Commissioner Fred Devish suggested looking into an upgrade in the future to increase the number of users contributing to the district.

“The more people pushing the wagon down the road, the easier it is on everybody,” Devish commented, later adding, “I don’t think you want to be shortsighted.”

The new board now has one year of probation to complete the remaining tasks that will bring the district up to the standards required by the county. If they have not been met by this deadline, the commissioners may set the matter for a dissolution hearing on or before April 7, 2022.