Council sells 2 more Frontier lots, extends discount offer

The Town of Greybull has sold it fifth and sixth lots in its Frontier Subdivision, with lots 22 and 23 coming off the board at Monday night’s meeting of the town council.
Robert Williamson nominated the lots for sale, meeting the town’s asking price of $18,000 per acre.  Lot 22, at 1.86 acres, went for $25,110, while Lot 23, at 1.88 acres, sold for $25,380. He will now need to build at least a 750 square foot dwelling and connect it to town water within five years and also connect electric service through Big Horn REA within one year of closing.
The lots are the fifth and sixth to sell in the 37-lot subdivision, which is located east of town behind what’s commonly known as Tin Can Alley.  All of the lots in the subdivision are more than an acre in size and access to it is from Basin Garden Road.
All six of the lots that have sold to date qualified for a 25% discount, which the council agreed to offer up front as a way of hastening development.
At first, the plan was to offer the discount on only the first four lots and to sell the remainder at full price.
But with the lots starting to move, the council appears willing to extend the discount into the foreseeable future. At Monday night’s meeting, the council agreed to extend the 25% discount to the sale of four more lots, which would bring the total to 10.
Councilman Jeremy Kottman went a step further, saying the discount should apply to all remaining lots — not just the next four.   “Let’s get rid of them,” he said, adding, “The thing should never have been built up there in the first place.”
Adding to the council’s angst is the fact that the town is now on the hook for unmetered lot fees which it must pay to Big Horn Rural Electric.  The monthly base facility charge is $44 and the deal brings in eight lots per year, which adds up to a $4,224 annual hit to the town.
Short-Term Rentals
The council passed on third and final reading Ordinance 885, dealing with short-term rental units in residential areas, as well as Resolution 500, establishing an annual renewal fee of $150, without discussion — but not before hearing from two residents who were critical of the new regulations.
Some key provisions of Ordinance 855 are as follows:
• Anyone who applies for a conditional use permit is subject to a nonrefundable $200 application fee and must show evidence they notified all property owners within 300 feet.
• A limit of 20 was set on the number of permits that the town can issue for short-term lodging units.
• If there are protests against the issuance of the permit, signed by 20% or more of the lots within 300 feet, the permit may be issued only upon the affirmative vote of no less than 75% of the council and with a simple majority vote if less than 20% object.
• To remain in effect, the conditional use permit must be renewed annually, at a fee of $150.
• The ordinance would give the town the opportunity to revoke the CUP if the rental is negatively impacting the neighborhood.  A public hearing to determine whether that’s the case would be called if the town receives three complaints within a six-month period.
As he’s done in the past, Walt Rivers called the ordinance “unnecessary” and urged the council not to approve it. Rivers said he and his wife “came here to get away from superfluous regulations,” that the short-term rental he owns creates no more traffic or neighborhood disturbance than any other residential property in town and it should not be subject to the $150 annual renewal fee.
Darrell Cooper added his voice to the conversation on Monday night, asking the council for the rationale behind the ordinance. He was told it’s because there’s no language in the town’s existing ordinances that regulates short-term rentals in residential districts. “This makes it possible to have AirBNBs and to regulate them,” said Councilman Gerald Crist.
Cooper told the council he owns a 209-acre property on the west edge of town, just beyond the Burlington Northern railyard.  On it sits a trailer house that he intends to remodel with the intent of turning it into either an AirBNB or a rental unit. The property is within the town limits, but zoned for agriculture. Because of that, it would fall under Ordinance 885.
“We’re going to have to cross that bridge when we get there,” Cooper said.
appointments
Mayor Myles Foley announced his annual appointment.  The list included Randy Royal as municipal judge, Kent Richins as town attorney, Bill VanGrinsven as building inspector, Carrie Hunt as emergency management coordinator, Chris Dooley as mayor pro-tem and water commissioner, Gerald Crist as the council’s liaison to the museum board, and Blaine Jolley as the council’s liaison to the rec district board.
At the request of Councilman Jeremy Kottman, Foley tabled the re-appointment of Chuck Spragg as fire chief. Kottman simply asked for more time, saying that firefighters intend to hold their annual election in the coming weeks.
Foley appointed Cassie Wright, Lupe Gallegos, Patricia Hanson, Nicole Geis, Holton Harter, Dana Carroll and Carrie Hunt to join him on the Grow Greybull/Economic Development/Lodging Tax board.
Jessica Fink, Ashley Coenen, Mason Irvine and Carroll were appointed to the Greybull Tree Board.
Other business
In other Monday night business:
• Following up on last month’s presentations by representatives of the Greybull Museum and Bighorn Basin Geoscience Center boards, Hunt asked the council if it would be supportive of her applying for a SLIB grant for the construction of an addition onto the east side of the museum.
Spokesmen for the two boards outlined a vision in which they would simultaneously raise money to 1) acquire casts of some of the best-known dinosaur fossils discovered in this area and 2) construct an approximately 3,000 square foot addition to house them.
Council members gave Hunt the green light to apply for SLIB funding, which would be earmarked for the construction.
• The Big Horn Regional Joint Powers Board  (BHRJPB) has informed the town if its intent to increase rates by 10%, from $11.50 per EDU to $12.65 per EDU.   The board is expected to approve the increase at its next meeting. If approved, it would increase the town’s annual contribution from $201,480 to $221,628.
If the council would like to pass that rate increase onto its customers, it would amount to about a 2.3% hike, said Hunt.  July 1 is the targeted effective date.
• The council approved a variance request for Timothy Higgins and Jennifer Moss, who live at 617 S. Sixth St.  They needed the variance because they intend to build an 8-foot wood privacy fence around their property.
• The council supported a memorandum of understanding that designates Big Horn County as the permitter and inspector of septic systems within Greybull town limits. Septic systems aren’t permitted in town, so the MOU applies only to Frontier subdivision and the Greybull Business Park.  Paul Thur, of the county’s land planning department, said residents will benefit from the change, suggesting it will be more convenient.  Right now, the path to a septic permit for landowners in those two areas runs through DEQ officials in Cheyenne and Lander.