Casper to seek grants for flood prevention, law enforcement technology

CASPER, Wyo. — At Tuesday’s Casper City Council work session, councilors and city staff planned to request a handful of grants from U.S. Rep. Harriet Hageman, including grants for flood prevention infrastructure, police equipment and more.

Per city documents, the grant applications go directly to Hageman for her to include in her specific allocations of funding. Hageman makes the decision which funding requests to personally support, and then those requests go to various committees and subcommittees for support, then appropriated through the federal budget.

If approved, the city gets the money in the form of a federal grant.

Councilors considered pruning the list of requests at future meetings, but ultimately decided to make all six proposed requests and then make decisions based on what Hageman will say is feasible.

“I’m fine with punting to another session, but I’m also fine with submitting these six and seeing what [Hageman] picks up,” Councilor Amber Pollock said. “Then we have another decision point if we proceed. … Her’s are a 0% match, so there’s not a lot of harm in asking for those. Then if it’s ‘yes’ to one and ‘no’ to the other five, then we can come back and develop a strategy.”

The council agreed to apply for a $3 million grant for flood prevention and stormwater infrastructure. According to city documents, the city’s current flood prevention system is aging and faltering.

“The current system is aging and struggles to handle heavy rainfall, leading to potential property damage and disruptions,” a municipal memo states.

The city will also be seeking a pair of $3 million grants for law enforcement improvements.

One of the grants, if approved, will be used for improvements at the department’s firing range. It will be used to increase the range’s capacity and add additional safety features. The grant will also help pay for advanced simulation technology that city staff say will help prepare officers for the line of duty.

The other law enforcement grant will be used to purchase technology that will help the department analyze public safety data. Should it be approved, the grant would fund drones, live-action virtual simulators, body cameras and digital forensic equipment.

Councilor Kyle Gamroth voiced concerns about over-militarization of the police force.

“I really … think our police department should be community policing,” he said. “I don’t want to have a bunch of drones whizzing up in the air, [and] I would want to understand how you see virtual reality and these other things. I don’t want our police department to get more militaristic.”

Up to $4 million in grant money will also be sought to partially fund the rehabilitation of the North Platte Sanitary Sewer Interceptor, which carries 70% of Casper’s wastewater. The interceptor was installed in 1984, and city officials say it has seen heavy corrosion and needs extensive work to avoid “catastrophic failures.”

City reports say a recent sinkhole emergence in January is an example of a failure that has already occurred.

Casper will also seek a $3 million grant for safety and capacity improvements along Robertson Road. The street was recently identified as a location of heavy congestion in the Casper Area Municipal Planning Organization’s long-range transportation listening session. Oregon Trail Elementary School and other facilities along the road add to the congestion in the area, city staff say.

If approved, the city will use the money for street widening, repairs to the Robertson Road bridge and other traffic improvements to the street.

Gamroth voiced hesitancy about street widening, saying that adding lanes to roads often doesn’t actually solve issues of congestion.

“I don’t want to keep adding lanes to accommodate more traffic,” he said. “It seems like it’s been done in other cities for decades where they just keep widening streets, and traffic will always find a way to fill that capacity.”

Gamroth added that the area is also heavily used by pedestrians, and he’s worried that widening the road could make the area less safe for foot traffic. Despite the reservations, the council ultimately agreed to move forward with pursuing the grant.

Up to $800,000 will be sought for new fencing around the facility that houses Casper’s buses. The current security fence is an 8-foot, chain-link fence with a padlock gate. The proposed fence will be 12 feet tall and will feature electronic gates and security lighting.

The grant would also be used to construct a car port–style roof across the top of the bus yard.

Councilor Matt Larson asked when the city might expect to receive the grant funds, should the requests be approved. Mayor Ray Pacheco and Pollock responded that the process is usually a lengthy one.

Editor’s Note: This story has been updated to clarify Rep. Hageman’s role in the grant-seeking process.