City of Kemmerer Administrator Brian Muir called into the Weekday Wake-Up on Thursday, May 4 for his monthly report. Muir discussed a $1 million grant from the State Lands and Investment Board (SLIB) that is being used to build roads around the WY Development, LLC Track 3, formally known as Canyon Road Holdings. The project is expected to included 200-250 multi-family apartments and homes. Muir also expanded on how the city is handling the short term housing needs for the expected influx of construction workers at TerraPower’s Natrium Nuclear facility.

(0:00) Luke Dell and Dan in the house. Good morning. Good morning.

Good morning (0:14) 738 (0:15) 36 rather this morning on the weekday wake up heading into our first guest interview segment of the day today in our monthly report (0:21) From the city of Kemmerer administrator Brian Muir on the air today Brian. Good morning (0:27) You guys survive in the wind the the May wind in southern Lincoln County (0:33) Well, actually it hasn’t been as bad (0:35) It was really bad about three weeks ago when they were trying to put the panels on (0:40) On the chest and fill facility out there, but it slowed down enough for them to get moving on that (0:45) So that’s getting closed in the the bones you could see before but now you’re starting to see panels and it’s so (0:52) Maybe you’re getting more than we are up north (0:56) Well, not not really I’m probably we had we had a couple storms come through but you know nothing (1:01) Yeah (1:01) Well appreciate your time as always Brian and and a chance to catch up with what’s happening in in southern Lincoln County in the city (1:08) of Kemmerer wanted to talk about (1:10) Today bring up because it was brought up in public meeting. It’s been discussed for a while the housing projects (1:17) specifically the Canyon Road and Gateway housing projects and funding from SLIB to help pay for (1:23) Some of the infrastructure and we know we’ve known that you and I have discussed this before that the sewer needs with the influx (1:28) Of workers and everything like that (1:30) so maybe let’s let’s back up and go to the beginning here Brian if we could and talk about these projects and and and when (1:36) SLIB and and that funding kind of came into the picture (1:40) so (1:42) I’ll just yeah the one housing (1:46) Project that you mentioned it was it’s called Canyon Road, but it’s now (1:49) The owners change it from Canyon Road holdings to (1:54) Wy or for Wyoming, of course development LLC and that is the the track three is what it is for the apartment (2:02) It’s actually going to be it’s looking now like they’re going to have anywhere from 200 to 250 (2:11) Multifamily apartments and townhomes that’s kind of their their direction and that is the project that got a 1 million dollar grant (2:19) from (2:20) SLIB for unmet housing needs with an unmet housing needs grant and actually I think was back in January when when (2:29) We submitted our application and got it approved by the council.

So and it was thankfully approved and it’s (2:37) It’s actually going that funding is going towards streets for that tracks three for the roads (2:43) into that and (2:45) Little subdivision there, so gotcha. Okay, so that clarifies quite a few things (2:50) And so I guess the concern that was brought up was the the public funding going to help a private development (2:57) So walk us through that process and how the council’s looking at this (3:02) well (3:04) the (3:04) You know, I guess as I remember there was five million dollars available for infrastructure for unmet housing needs and (3:15) We just simply applied for it we applied for (3:18) even more but obviously there’s a lot of other communities that were interested in and (3:25) so we (3:27) Submitted the application and (3:30) Had some help from the county of course in trying to apply for it because we don’t have a full-time grant writer (3:36) And so the county (3:39) Helped get us the the funding (3:42) By coming to the council with the idea and it does benefit the benefit (3:46) It does benefit the developer, of course (3:49) But it also benefits the city more than anything and we we are required to be the pass-through in order to get that funding (3:55) So it it ends up helping the citizens and residents in the city of Kemmerer in in many ways (4:02) So so the roads around the development, but the the roads themselves will be city streets, correct? (4:08) Yes maintained in the city these will be city streets that they’re going to build and then we’re going to take over so gotcha (4:14) and it makes it so that we can have more housing available because we have (4:18) obviously we have a (4:20) both permanent and (4:22) Workforce housing needs in the community. So it the bottom line is it helps us (4:27) in getting more housing options and (4:31) also (4:32) More where residents means we can expand our tax base as well (4:35) So what it’s a it’s a win for us a win-win.

I win I guess you could say (4:42) For the whole area. So well Brian it kind of it kind of goes hand in hand (4:46) you were talking about the the construction process ongoing for Terra power and of course their test and fill and then (4:52) Excavation work underway for the actual nuclear island as of a couple of years ago (4:57) And so that’s that’s underway and going (4:59) Housing has been a been a big discussion on this whole project for a long time (5:02) Not just for the the new permanent workers (5:05) But specifically the temporary workers and trying to find that balance of how we’re going to house all these people (5:10) For just a short time. And so how are you looking at? (5:14) How’s how’s the city of Kemmerer and southern Lincoln County looking at that currently? (5:19) well (5:20) from a lot of angles (5:23) a recent development is obviously (5:27) We also just passed the gateway PUD phase 1a (5:32) Which I just found out it’s going to have 20 homes (5:36) That are going to be brought in.

That’s the plan. They’re going to be excavating (5:40) Come next week. They is their plan.

There’s two big excavators out there at the site right now (5:45) 20 homes being brought in by fading West pre pre-built homes. It’ll be kind of (5:51) brought in (5:53) And that look, you know like just regular homes as far as I understand. So that’s part of the the equation (6:01) Another part of the equation is there’s another market of homes that we other people are investing in (6:07) the Cumberland Hills subdivision by the (6:10) the Foxes (6:13) Bob and enjoy Fox have submitted application for that.

That’s going to have 42 homes that are larger with larger lots (6:21) Than some of the other ones that we’ve been looking at (6:24) Interestingly enough just that at the end of last week last Friday (6:29) I got yet another subdivision application (6:33) For called gateway PUD phase 1b for 83 homes that are a little bigger than the other ones that they’re going to start on (6:41) so (6:41) Now here’s the other thing you bring up with the temp with the I’ll just call it the construction workforce (6:50) The workforce (6:52) Housing hub is is is another option and we’ve been working with the council and the zoning board on trying (6:59) to prepare for that (7:02) contingency of (7:03) If you know, you’re going to be peaking at 1600 workers (7:06) We may not be able to do all that here in Cameron (7:09) Everybody wants to keep the workers here back telling Tara power would prefer to work the workers stay here as much as possible (7:16) so it’s a (7:18) workforce housing hub (7:19) Which was one of the contingencies in the industrial siting application and that is being seriously looked at and we were adapting our code (7:27) There there’s at least a couple of sites in the city that are being looked at for that (7:31) So those could house a lot of those workers as well (7:34) another angle on this is (7:38) more RV parks (7:40) the RV park and in the manufactured homes that we have a (7:45) An investor that’s expanding the foothills (7:48) To have 83 more units. They’ve already submitted their building application for that. I learned something interesting with all of this.

I (7:56) asked (7:58) around about how (7:59) What percentage of the workers would would come here would likely have an RV? (8:05) And it was interesting about 15 to 25 percent is what it (8:08) based on some (8:11) Feedback I received from Bechtel that’s about 15 to 25 percent (8:15) can can use RVs so (8:18) You know, that’s another way to make it so you don’t have the boom and bust and empty (8:23) Units problem, I think we’re (8:25) Addressing this from all angles and I think the plan is coming together quite well and right now as I’ve said before (8:31) We are just fine. We’ve had plenty of vacancies right now taking care of these workers, which are (8:38) Anticipated to head up to 300 by the end of the year. So (8:41) Multiple angles.

It’s a very complex problem to solve but I think there’s lots of contingencies in place to help us be successful (8:51) Brian Muir Kemmerer City Administrator on the weekday wake up Brian appreciate that explanation (8:55) Thank you for for addressing that anything else when it comes to the workforce or I get while we have you anything else happening in (9:02) Kemmerer regardless that you’d like to highlight today (9:06) Obviously, we’re just finished our streets (9:09) We’re finishing up our elk Street project and and the council were getting ready for budgeting. They’re planning on budgeting a lot of funding (9:16) using some of that impact money (9:18) For streets, we’re going to be probably elk streets getting finished up the section (9:23) We plan this year and then we’re probably going to look at if the council agrees (9:28) It’s finishing the rest of us recall all the way to Canyon. That’s working out (9:32) As far as the other things going on that are exciting (9:37) I’m going to be speaking next week in Idaho Falls (9:40) at the (9:42) Idaho (9:43) advanced energy consortium (9:45) And what they’re going to be talking about I’m going to be on this panel (9:49) They’re trying to elevate the community perspective in conversations around advanced nuclear energy (9:57) Development along what we’re calling the Intermountain West (10:01) Nuclear Energy Corridor which includes us and Southeast, Idaho and all the you know all of Wyoming (10:07) We’re trying to you know if you think about it.

There’s a lot of (10:12) uranium and (10:14) Wyoming and there’s a lot of supply chain issues that need to be dealt with there’s also we have the flagship (10:21) advanced nuclear (10:23) energy (10:24) Projects that everybody’s looking forward to seeing and and we’re all working together to try to learn from each other to try to create more (10:31) Opportunities economically for this whole Intermountain West area, so it’s pretty exciting (10:37) Absolutely Brian Muir Timber City administrator on the weekday wake up this morning Brian as always (10:41) Thank you so much for your time and appreciate the update. Thank you (10:44) You’re welcome. All right.

That’s Brian Muir city administrator for Kemmer this morning on the weekday wake up SVI radio