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Cooperative Extension Service Communications and Technology Department 3354 1000 E. University Ave. Laramie, WY 82071 (307) 766-6342 • fax (307) 766-3998 • www.uwyo.edu |
For Immediate Release
Story Contact:
Glen Whipple: (307) 766-5124
Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site www.uwyo.edu/agadmin/news/news.htm
Date: Jan. 19, 2006
UW Cooperative Extension Service assists Wamsutter development effort
A collaboration effort among Sweetwater County, the Wyoming governor’s office, the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES) and private companies is designed to energize community development efforts in the oil and gas town of Wamsutter.
The groups are jointly funding a community development specialist, to be hired through the CES, to assist with infrastructure growth in the development-stressed south-central Wyoming town. The community’s available housing is virtually nil, and its100-year-old water and sewer systems are straining under a population that increased from about 300 less than two years ago to more than 1,200 now.
The CES was approached by the governor’s office in October to see if there was anything it could do to help community development efforts, said Glen Whipple, associate dean in the UW College of Agriculture and director of the CES.
“The community is going through dramatic changes in population and demands on its services,” said Whipple, who added the CES was only one of several agencies the governor’s office had contacted.
According to Whipple, the governor’s office is familiar with other CES community development efforts, but this would be the first designed to assist in the development of an entire town.
“They are also aware of the potential CES has to bring resources of the University of Wyoming to bear on the problems faced by the community and people,” Whipple noted. “We have a very rural community-interested governor’s office. They started to look for solutions inside Wyoming and found us.”
College of Agriculture Dean Frank Galey said the effort is part of the college’s mission to build cooperative relationships with Wyoming counties. “There is a pressing need, we have the potential to build a partnership, it’s part of our mission and we had a part of a CES position slated to go into Sweetwater County,” he said.
Sweetwater County, CES and several private companies are providing funding for the position, which has a starting salary range of $45,000 to $60,000.
Wamsutter Mayor Bill Hippe said he and the town council are grateful to all who have taken an active interest in Wamsutter. He said some estimates put Wamsutter’s population at 6,000 in 10 years.
“We have been sitting here for several years making do the best we can with nothing,” said Hippe. “Now, we have the opportunity to take some of the resources coming our way and develop a community that hopefully is going to be viable for years to come.”
No matter what happens, he sees a positive outcome. “When you look from where we are starting, it can’t get any worse.”
A newspaper article describing the cramped housing market and infrastructure woes caught the attention of the governor’s office, said Hippe. “His office initiated the efforts.”
Even though Hippe took offense to that newspaper article, he said it raised points the community needed to address. The development position will identify areas in need, develop plans, and obtain grants to take care of those needs over time. “This person will work in conjunction with the mayor, town council and the county and state agencies that can help us,” Hippe said. “I hope the person can initiate some of the long-range plans and get the citizens of Wamsutter involved and push the community in the direction they want it to go.”
Sweetwater County commission Chairman John Pallesen said his county’s landscape has changed since three years ago when there was economic doom and gloom. “No jobs, schools were closing,” he said. “All of a sudden the price of natural gas and oil go up and three years later there is a resurgence of energy activity in Sweetwater County and the state.”
When that happened, energy-focused Wyoming communities faced development stresses. Counties may not see taxes from oil and gas fields, which are initially sent to the state Department of Revenue, for up to 18 months. He said counties approached the legislature for help for towns affected by energy development. “We said as a county commission we’ve got a small community in our county going through some pretty rough times,” said Pallesen. “Wamsutter was a small, sleepy little gas town and all of a sudden the boom is in their backyard. Sweetwater County is contributing a lot of money to the state coffers. It’s natural, when we see one of our towns in the county struggling, to want to help all we can.”
The community development position grew out of a meeting in Wamsutter with the governor’s office, he said. “Gov. Freudenthal suggested the extension service and we went from there.”
Wamsutter caught the governor’s eye as a place that is becoming a hub for energy development in the state, said Lara Azar, the governor’s press secretary. “Its population has more than doubled if not more since last summer, and it looks to keep climbing. At the same time, it didn’t inherently have the resources to deal with the impacts of development an increasing population would bring.”
More permanent housing would add to the town’s tax base and allow the town to address its aging infrastructure. Its three water wells, all more than 100 years old, were drilled by the Union Pacific Railroad to service its steam engines. With the departure of steam locomotives, Union Pacific gave the wells to the town. The town did drill a new well in 1976 but did not have the revenues to run a water line to it.
Last year, Sweetwater County passed a sixth-cent sales tax, which is raising about $1.2 million per month, to provide about $3.8 million for infrastructure development. Pallesen said energy companies are also helping Wamsutter with services and money.
According to Pallesen, Sweetwater County will commit funds for one year toward the position. “Usually, cities do their own thing and counties do their own thing. We felt we were going to help out for a year. By then, Wamsutter will be on its feet. It will be interesting to see what happens after the first year.
“Thank goodness for the governor and for Glen (Whipple) for diving in right away and getting this thing going and helping people out,” Pallesen added. “We are helping out a town in our county that is raising most of the cash for Sweetwater County and the state. There is no downside that I see.”
On the Web: http://www.uwyo.edu/UWces/
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