Nonprofits Pitch Their Projects To City Council

The Elks Club is seeking $125,000 to make the sidewalk by their historic building compatible with the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Casper Mountain Biathlon Club is seeking nearly $800,000 more than that for the first phases of the biathlon and multi-sport complex.

These clubs and 15 other nonprofit organizations pitched their projects to the Casper City Council on Wednesday. Next Wednesday, council will hear from another 16 organizations.

Council allocated $8 million of optional one-cent sales tax No. 15 revenues over the next four years for community projects. Natrona County voters renewed the tax in November.

Council member Bob Hopkins said the groups must be 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and they must serve a public interest. "Those are the kinds of thing we have to watch    and we've got to make sure we spend the money as wisely as we can."

The largest requests, Hopkins said, are for $2 million for the Wyoming Medical Center's replacement of Masterson Place for temporary housing for family members of patients at the hospital, and $2 million for projects of the Platte River Trails Trust.

The Casper Housing Authority is seeking $1 million to renovate the Lifesteps Campus, and the Wyoming Food Bank of the Rockies also wants $1 million.

The total amount of requests is about $13 million, Hopkins said.

Robert Rosser, president of the Casper Mountain Biathlon Club, said the club is asking for $911,000 for a full 30-point .22-caliber biathlon range, and the initial paving of a 5-kilometer roller-ski loop for the 42-acre venue.

"We'll be able to get, for example, U.S. Paralympic Nationals in January of 2016," Rosser said. That could lead to being one of two venues in the country for International Paralympic Committee World Cup events in December 2017, he added.

Randy Hein, a trustees of the Elks Club said the club wants to construct an ADA-compliant entryway on a city sidewalk to its historic building. "We don't have a lot of money to be sinking into sidewalks and curbs and gutters and street repair."

During the Elk's club presentation, Hopkins said he wondered whether it would be legal to allocate public funds for a private club even if the project was on adjacent public property.

Hopkins later said that was part of his guiding philosophy.

"Most of council is looking for things that will do good for the community, and serve the most people with the most need," he said.