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LARAMIE CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING Community Development Block Grant, Cedar Street Property January 8, 2013 Public Hearing was called to order by Mayor Paulekas at 6:00 p.m. City Council present: Vicki Henry, Jayne Pearce, Roger McKinley, Lee Kempert, Joe Vitale, Klaus Hanson, Joe Shumway, Paul Weaver, and Dave Paulekas. Absent: None. The City Clerk’s Assistant read the notice: THE LARAMIE CITY COUNCIL IS SEEKING PUBLIC INPUT AND PUBLIC COMMENTS ON A PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) APPLICATION. THE CITY OF LARAMIE IS INTERESTED IN OBTAINING FUNDING FOR THE PURPOSE OF ELIMINATING THE BLIGHT CREATED BY THE DETERIORATION OF THE OLD REFINERY FACILITY LOCATED AT 971 N. CEDAR STREET IN LARAMIE BY RECYCLING THE CONCRETE INTO ROAD BASE AND DISPOSING OF THE DEBRIS REMAINING ON SITE FROM YEARS OF DUMPING AND THE ABANDONMENT OF BUSINESS OPERATIONS. THE GRANT REQUEST CONTEMPLATED WILL NOT EXCEED $350,000. Mayor Paulekas asked if there were any public comments. “Doc” Thissen, Photographer, who volunteered to document the site for the Conservation District, stated the site is in horrible condition, an eyesore to those living in the area or driving by. Example include pigeons that have contaminated the site, oil spills, holes in the ground, an unmaintained tunnel system which is prone to collapse made out of brick and mortar, broken concrete and rebar materials which are a safety issue. Sonya Moore, 857 N. Hodgeman, spoke in favor of the project, noting there had been several fire and police calls. She also noted that before it was fenced off people had used it as a dump site, which the City had cleaned up several times, and she looked forward to the demolition and reuse of the property. Jodi Guerin, City Grants Analyst, related there were packets available with the comments received on this project as of noon today relating support of the project and concerns about the safety of the area, along with the grant application. Tony Hoch, Laramie Rivers Conservation District, Environmental Geologist, explained the purpose of the project, that they have been working on this project for over a year, having purchased the property in January (2012) from Hubert Nichol, in Wheatland, who has similar areas in Wheatland. The Conservation District felt that no one was going to clean the site up, decided to take on this project and be eligible for cooperation with EPA and the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), there are programs that the public cannot apply for, and they have received about $120,000 from EPA to do environmental characterization, and have been working closely with the DEQ in their volunteer remediation program. The goal is to have the structure flattened, reclaimed with good soil and grass, and have the title free from liability, hopefully within a year or two. They need this infusion of cash to get this project started quickly, versus using a mill levy to fund the project, which would take several years to accumulate funding for the project. He has not heard affirmatively of any funding coming from WYDOT, he has been in contact with the district engineer, and related the projected Harney Street Overpass will cross the southern third of this property. The District’s goal as the current landowner is to move forward with the land, get it cleaned up for the public health and safety. When WYDOT does their legal taking of the property, they will have to pay the full value of the property, rather than the value of the property at its current state. They have about $120,000 invested in the five acres of the site, with the lots next to them are going for about $100,000 an acre. He stated it was likely the board would use any gain to develop the property further, and/or possibly developing their own facility in Albany County. The District is part of the local liability pool, the project was taken on knowing there would be liability issues, and they are in the volunteer remediation program with DEQ to go through this project in the only way to remove the liability from this property, and the building above ground can be demolished. He further stated the refinery operated for ten ---PAGE BREAK--- LARAMIE CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC HEARING Community Development Block Grant, Cedar Street Property January 8, 2013 years, ninety years ago so there are not a lot of pollutants directly related to the refinery, and did not expect any extraordinary efforts to be needed for remidiation. Public Hearing was closed at 6:12 p.m. Respectfully submitted Sue Morris-Jones, MMC, City Clerk