On the agenda: Lander Minutes — data center (Aug 11)

STATE OF WYOMING
COUNTY OF FREMONT

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LANDER, WYOMING
OFFICE OF THE FREMONT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AUGUST 11, 2026
OFFICIAL REPORT

The Board of Fremont County Commissioners met in Regular Session at 9:00 a.m. with the following
members present: Larry Allen, Michael Jones, Clarence Thomas, and Ron Fabrizius. Jennifer Wilson was
absent County Clerk Julie Freese and Civil Deputy Attorney Nathan Maxon were also present.
Michael Jones moved, Clarence Thomas seconded, to approve the agenda with changes. Motion carried
unanimously.
Clarence Thomas moved, Ron Fabrizius seconded, to approve the minutes from the August 3, 2026 Mill
Levy Setting and the August 4, regular meeting as presented. Motion carried unanimously.
Michael Jones moved, Clarence Thomas seconded, to accept the bills for payment. Motion carried
unanimously.
Bills are listed in the following format: Vendor Name, Department, Description, and Amount. Alexander Excavation-Riverview
Road Reconstruction-Road Project -$1,784,733.52; Anda Inc-Public Health-Supplies-$531.20; Artery Construction Inc-Road
Material Inventory-Contract Services-$44,368.92; Bill Jones Plumbing & Heating-County Buildings-Supplies-$135.25; BMO
Financial Group-Segregated-Credit Card Charges-$61,955.06; Center Of Hope-Opioid Legal Settlement-Fees Agreement$82,125.00; Cloud Peak Counseling Center-Health & Welfare-Title 25-$5,850.00; Communication Technologies Inc-Support
Services-Maintenance Agreement-$3,258.06; Dubois Frontier The-Segregated-Advertising-$152.30; Dubois, Town Of-County
Buildings-Utility Services-$152.22; Dustbusters Enterprises LLC-Road Construction-Contract Services-$11,686.69; Eagles Hope
Transitions-Opioid Legal Settlement-Fees Agreement-$3,000.00; Generation X Inc-Road Construction-Guardrail Install$84,400.00; Generation X Inc-Transportation-Remove Barriers-$5,000.00; Geotec Industrial Supply-Road Material InventorySupplies-$68,990.00; HDR Engineering Inc-Gabes Road Structure-Road Project-$11,035.00; High Plains Power, Inc-County
Buildings-Utility Services-$1,275.35; JH Computer Solutions LLC - TCI-Computer Services-IT Maintenance -$489.50; J-U-B
Engineers Inc-Riverview Road Reconstruction-Project Services-$68,702.18; Master's Touch LLC-County Treasurer-Print & Mail
Service-$890.13; Mountain States Lithographing LLC-County Elections-Supplies-$288.08; NMS Laboratories-County CoronerServices-$2,458.00; Norco Inc-Segregated-Supplies-$644.59; Office Shop Inc, The-County Sheriff-Copier / Printer-$5,962.38;
Post, Raymond-Planning-Car Wash -$9.16; Relx Inc.-County Attorney-Research Subscription-$711.00; Riverton Ranger TheCounty Sheriff-Advertising-$39.00; Shoshoni, Town Of-County Buildings-Utility Services-$100.00; Teton Pathology PC-County
Coroner-Services-$675.00; T-Mobile USA Inc-Segregated-Cellphone Service -$441.87; W A C O-County Commission-Event
Registration -$300.00; W A C O-County Treasurer-Event Registration -$300.00; Workpartners-Health Benefit Plan-Membership
Fees-$880.00; Wyoming Behavioral Institute-Health & Welfare-Title 25-$3,770.00; Wyoming Dept Of TransportationSegregated-Wydot Fuel -$11,141.36; Wyoming Office Attorney General-24/7 Program-Program Fees -$1,926.00; Wyoming
Waste Systems-County Buildings-Trash Removal-$3,784.62; Wyoming.Com-County Elections-Internet Services-$94.00.

Michael Jones moved, Clarence Thomas seconded, to approve the Title 25 payment to Fremont Counseling
Service in the amount of $5,200.00. Motion carried unanimously.
The following items in the Signature File were reviewed. 1) Assessor, Abatement Summary. 2) TCI Contract,
motion withdrawn for attorney review. 3) Ron Fabrizius moved, Michael Jones seconded to approve a lease
agreement between Fremont County Government and the State of Wyoming, Department of Administration &

Information, General Services Division for the Department of Health, Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) office
within the County Courthouse beginning August 1, 2026, through June 30, 2030, at no fee. Motion carried
unanimously. 4) Ron Fabrizius moved, Clarence Thomas seconded to approve Public Utilities Right-of-way Easement
Application number 2025-173U for Lost Cabin Road, from RT Communications, LLC. Motion carried unanimously.

There was no Priority Mail to review.
Public Comment period was held, with no comments presented
Treasurer Jim Anderson was present for personnel and requested a temporary contract position to assist
with the audit. Michael Jones moved, Ron Fabrizius seconded to approve a temporary contract position in
the Treasurer’s Office to assist with the audit at $35 per hour without benefits. Motion carried
unanimously.
Michelle Sloan was present for a discussion regarding Big Ridge Lane. Sloan stated that properties along
Big Ridge Lane lack recorded easements or right-of-way’s, creating potential landlocked parcels, including
her own. She stated the road has been in regular use since roughly 1960 by tribal residents on adjacent
lands. She is requesting a legal easement and noted a title company’s prior confirmation of an easement at
the time of purchase in 2008. This now appears inconsistent with current county records, leaving them

County Commissioners Minutes
August 25, 2026

Page 2

legally landlocked and concerned that a neighboring landowner might block access to their property.
County Planning Director Steve Baumann joined the conversation and stated that historical commissioner
records show intermittent county maintenance. However, foundational statutory steps to establish a
county road are missing from the official record. The only map on file (Road 351) misidentifies the roads
location. A request was made to Deputy County Attorney Nathan Maxon to research the issue and present
options to the Board. Clarence Thomas noted an MOU with the tribes and that they may be able to add this
road to their established roads.
Planning Director Steve Baumann presented the Atnip Acres Subdivision east of Highway 287 and Lyons
Valley Road. The subdivision will divide the current parcel into two lots. Michael Jones moved, Ron
Fabrizius seconded to approve the Atnip Acres Subdivision, dividing the current parcel into two lots.
Motion carried unanimously.
Chairman Larry Allen discussed a data center being built by Aethel Energy near the gas plant on Lost Cabin
Rd in Lysite.
Fire Chief Ron Wempen provided an update on the Weiser Knoll Fire on South Pass and Johnny Lee’s
Corner. It has burned an estimated 16,000 acres with limited containment due to high winds. Over 70
volunteers across Fremont County are helping, with no injuries reported. No primary residential structures
have been lost or damaged. However, a Conex storage container and an old barn/shed that they could not
access were lost. Substantial fence and power infrastructure damage was noted, with repairs to power lines
underway. BLM has jurisdiction as the fire is on BLM, State, and Private land. Clerk Julie Freese joined
Wempen to discuss dissolving the Fremont County Fire District Joint Powers Board. Wempen requested
approval to formally dissolve the joint powers board, an entity formed in the early 1980s to finance and
manage firefighter training and the Wyoming Fire Academy before the State took full ownership and
operation. The board has since met once or twice annually, has no funds or assets, and has filed annual zero
budgets. Michael Jones moved, Ron Fabrizius seconded to approve Resolution 2026-22 to dissolve the
Fremont County Fire Joint Powers Board and appoint the Fremont County Board of Commissioners as
Trustee to dissolve the district. The motion carried unanimously. Wempen mentioned that due to extreme
fire danger, the planned fuels mitigation mastication project is on hold. He proposed reallocating current
Title III funds to purchase a six-wheel ATV equipped with a 100-gallon tank and pump for off-road
firefighting, at an estimated cost of $54,000, with deployment anticipated by spring.
Library Director Anita Marple presented their Fiscal Year 2025-2026 annual update.
A follow-up conversation was held about Eagleview, a high-resolution aerial imagery company, its funding,
and the time-card demo. Treasurer Jim Anderson noted that the Eagleview cost could come from a General
Fund, 1690 account. This account also supports pool car payments and the postage machine used by
multiple departments. It was noted that any revenue from outside sources, such as fire districts, Weed and
Pest, Title and Insurance companies, could be kept in this account as well. Michael Jones moved, and Ron
Fabrizius seconded, to approve Eagleview funding through the General County Budget. Motion carried
unanimously. The Board had follow-up questions about the time-card demo that Clerk Julie Freese will
research prior to a decision.
TCI Owner Justin Hohner was present for an IT update. An MOU has been received and is being reviewed
by Deputy County Attorney Nathan Maxon. It is scheduled for board discussion at the next meeting.
Clarence Thomas moved, Michael Jones seconded, to go into Executive session for personnel and/or
potential litigation at 11:20am. Motion carried unanimously. Michael Jones moved, Clarence Thomas
seconded, to go out of Executive session at 11:35am Motion carried unanimously.
There being no further business, Michael Jones moved, Clarence Thomas seconded, to adjourn the Regular
Meeting at 11:40am and reconvene for a Regular Meeting on August 25, 2026 at 9:00 a.m. Motion carried
unanimously.
A full detailed report (informational only) and the official minutes are posted on Fremont County’s website
(www.fremontcountywy.gov). The meeting recording can also be accessed via YouTube (Fremont County,
WY Commission).
/s/
Larry Allen, Chairman
Fremont County Commissioners
ATTEST:
/s/ Julie A Freese, Fremont County Clerk and Clerk of the Board