Lincoln County Commissioner Mel Shumway stepped into the SVI Radio studio on Monday, August 24 for the monthly report from the commission.

Commissioner Shumway recapped the election and Lincoln County Fair, and also discussed road and bridge projects that have wrapped up this summer and what projects are being discussed for 2027.

The following script is AI generated. Minor spelling errors are to be expected.

(0:00) Into this hour’s guest interview segment joining me live in studio Lincoln County Commissioner (0:04) Mel Shumway today, Commissioner Shumway. Good morning. How are you? (0:07) Hey, doing great.

Good morning, Duke. (0:09) You missed out on all the fun that all the all the other people running for election had over (0:14) the last several months. And yeah, I mean, election time is always exciting.

I Yeah, (0:22) it’s not fun. I’ve done it twice. But it is a necessary and I applaud the effort.

(0:28) I love the candidates that put forth the effort to run and step up and run. (0:33) We got to keep in mind, it brings a lot of different opinions, perspectives, (0:37) and ideas for every county seat and stuff. So I appreciate the effort.

And (0:46) I think it’s a good use of our democracy to have the votes. It’s the hardest job interview you’ll (0:53) ever do. No doubt, no doubt at all.

And I wanted to shout out April Brunsky and the all the everyone (1:01) in the clerk’s office because I woke up Tuesday morning on election day thinking, I’m glad I’m not (1:05) a county clerk today. It’s a big job. Yeah, it’s a big job.

And there’s just more scrutiny on our (1:10) elections. And she just handles it well and with a smile. So thank you, April and all of her staff (1:16) out of the clerk’s office and all the volunteers, the election judges and such that sat in and (1:22) helped for a long, long day.

Yeah, absolutely. Some other big events, of course, that have come (1:27) and gone in Lincoln County this summer, the the Lincoln County Fair, another another great fair (1:31) happened in Lincoln County, a great fair. It was exciting.

It was big. It’s growing. So (1:37) lots of fun events.

Boy, the concert was a high energy and a full house. And we really enjoyed (1:44) that my family and I, I the community really enjoyed that. So thank you.

Three nights of (1:49) rodeo. I was only able to get to one rodeo, but it was exciting. Top talent, really good talent.

(1:57) Just just growing and growing. So I really appreciate the effort. I’d really like to thank (2:02) Brandon Taylor, Leonard Wilford, Tommy Erickson, Wendy Kirk, Joe Mackey, Nancy Stafford, Ryan (2:10) Lyman, JC Romeril and Deidre Helm on the fair board for all the many, many hours of work that (2:15) they put in the fair board staff, Clay Larson, Josh Nilled, Connie Wright, and other people (2:21) involved in the fair like Susan West, Becky Vigil, and Christina Hobbs, plus a number of volunteers.

(2:30) It was fun to visit with people. I love the golf carts to jump on and get a ride around the grounds (2:35) and to visit with people. So no, the fair is always huge as big as a great turnout.

So kudos (2:41) hats off and thank you to the fair. The amount of hours that go in to put that together is just (2:47) incredible. So one of these one of these years, I’m going to have them keep a track count because (2:51) I mean, 10s and 10s of 1000s, I’m sure.

So yeah, the fair board did mention that they kind of have (2:57) a good idea on numbers. And we’re, we just haven’t got them yet. So that will be forthcoming.

So (3:02) Lincoln County Commissioner Mel Shumway in studio this morning. Well, commissioners get to some of (3:06) the projects upcoming in Lincoln County and road and bridge, what do they have going on as we kind (3:11) of wrap up the summer season? Yeah, road and bridge. As we know, in in Wyoming, we have two (3:15) seasons winter and construction season.

So Matt McLeod and his road and bridge crew do a wonderful (3:22) job and as able to visit with Matt, and some of the projects that they had going this year, (3:29) chip ceiling about 30 miles throughout the county to the tune of over $730,000. So chip (3:35) ceilings a big part of the budget, dust guard a little over 90 miles with the mag chloride in the (3:43) dust guard, which is very helpful for air quality, safety, and road integrity. The McNeil power plant (3:49) bridge rehab has been completed.

So that was a big project started last September. And it’s all (3:54) wrapped up and completed. So we’re good for another number of years for that bridge.

And that (3:59) one was a kind of an emergency situation, right? It? Yes, that project was hastened on us, we (4:07) knew that we needed to have a rehab on it. And then the state come in and almost sort of condemned (4:13) that bridge. And so we was about 45 days ahead to get to scramble to get that.

And luckily, we was (4:20) able to get that done without too much interruption to the citizens up there. So they made it a three (4:25) ton bridge, which you couldn’t take construction material across, which really put a damper on a (4:30) lot of projects up there. Yes, yes.

In 2027, road and bridge will be piggybacking with why dot (4:37) to mill and fill five miles of county road 207, which is that backside of cokeville. (4:43) It feels the one that you feel like you’re riding on railroad ties. And you ever drive that road? (4:47) Yes.

So we’ll be piggybacking with that. We’re gonna chip seal the shoot Creek Road and the (4:52) call rolled down in camera, we piggyback with why dot that help keep the cost down. And when they’re (5:00) working in our area, we can jump in and work with them.

So we’re they’re gonna match can be doing (5:05) some cost estimates for a few roads in the county, the labarge Creek Road, the fontanelle Creek Road (5:11) and muddy string road, he’s going to do some cost estimates for future road projects on that. (5:17) So there’s always something with the road and bridge. I am Matt’s got a great crew.

I think (5:22) they’re pretty fully staffed and anticipating a big snow year this year. So we hope we hope but (5:29) don’t want to overwork them. But we do hope we get busy snowplowing this winter.

Yeah, absolutely. (5:35) So a lot of projects wrapping up a lot of projects in the works for 2027. With road and bridge in (5:40) Lincoln County Commissioner Mel Shumway in studio this morning.

Anything else on road and bridge? (5:44) No, just just they work hard. They work long hours and we kind of condense our shortened (5:52) construction season puts a lot of pressure on them. So thank you guys and the people in the (5:57) road and bridge department.

Thank you. Of course, this question probably more for why dot but (6:01) just to let Lincoln County residents know the Thane North project, that big highway expansion (6:07) will be happening in the coming years as well. So stay tuned for that.

Anything else? Otherwise, (6:13) Commissioner happening in Lincoln County wanted to know we’ve got our budget set (6:17) and budget numbers are done and set. We’ll we passed that resolution last budget meeting. So (6:25) budgets are always (6:28) tight.

revenues always squeak by but we do a good job. Our departments do a good job. (6:35) So thanks to everyone involved in the budget process, our departments, the special districts.

(6:42) We’re down probably $4 million in our budget from 2024. So we are cutting the budget as much (6:50) as we can, trying to keep services as well as we can. But it’s it’s a delicate balance and a fine (6:56) dance, but it’s a necessary one.

Commissioner Mel Shumway, Lincoln County this morning on the (7:02) weekday wake up. Well, Commissioner, as always, thanks for your time. Appreciate it.

Thank you. (7:06) It’s the weekday wake up this morning on the SBI radio network.