Natrona County Commission Again Tables Reservoir Agreement
For the second time in as many meetings, the Natrona County Commission tabled the 25-year agreement about managing the Alcova, Pathfinder and Gray Reef reservoirs.
The five commissioners Tuesday agreed to put off approving the agreement with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation until March 1, saying it needs clarification with some issues and the public needs to be notified about them.
The bureau owns the reservoirs and the immediate surrounding shorelines where thousands of fun-seekers camp, swim, picnic, rent cabin and trailer spaces, rent boat slips, and shop, drink and eat at the marinas. The bureau has an agreement that the county can charge fees for these amenities and use those revenues solely to make improvements at the reservoirs.
The current agreement ends May 18, and the new 25-year agreement goes into effect the next day, County Parks Director Dick O'Hearn said after the meeting.
The commissioners are concerned about the language regarding the boundaries around the reservoirs and what land is to be managed by the county, O'Hearn said. "In 25 years, a lot of things have changed."
Some of the changes have to do with the agreement documents that contain more regulations and maps such as one for the Alcova trailer park, he said.
The reservoirs have become increasingly popular, according to traffic counts, and camping and shelter reservations and fees, O'Hearn said. "It's unarguable, I think, that there are some more users out there, day users, campers, shelter reservers."
In other business, the commission approved the annual renewal of all but two of the county liquor licenses up for renewal:
- Alcova Resort LLC, doing business as the Alcova Lakeside Marina.
- Grace Partners LLC, doing business as Sky Terrace.
- The Shoe, Inc., doing business as The Horseshoe Bar.
- Henderson Revocable Trust, doing business as the Lazy 8.
- Northern Dreams.
- Debra Peterson, doing business as the Rimrock Bar.
- On the Rocks, Inc., doing business as the Sunset Grill.
- C. Leann Moses, doing business as Mountain Home.
- Richardson & Richardson Inc., doing business as Hiland's Bright Spot.
- Ronald Strang, doing business as Black Gold Grille.
- Casper Boat Club.
- Casper Country Club.
- Black Ops Inc., doing business as Sloane's General Store.
- Pathfinder Boat Club.
- Natrona County Fair Association, doing business as the Central Wyoming Fair and Rodeo.
Natrona County Clerk Renea Vitto recommended, and the commission agreed, to table two permits.
The Casper Mountain Resort, LLC, doing business as Trailhead Lodge, applied for a restaurant liquor license, Vitto said. It recently changed its name to the Casper Mountain Inn and Country Store, and some of the business' paperwork is still with the Wyoming Secretary of State, she said.
The other tabled license was the retail liquor license for C.C. Cowboys, doing business as Rack's Gentlemen's Club. Vitto said the State Liquor Division has put the business on a sales tax hold. If the business does not pay its sales tax, it cannot purchase liquor.