Teton County commissioners voted unanimously to commit up to $850,000 for a fire-suppression system to be incorporated into the Hoback Junction Water and Sewer District’s water infrastructure project.

Fire Marshall Raymond Lane briefed the board on prior steps: the county previously allocated $75,000 for design in FY2026 and consultant Nelson Engineering estimated construction of suppression elements at about $800,000. Lane said the design will provide at least 60,000 gallons of storage and deliver roughly 500 gallons per minute for two hours through a gravity-fed storage arrangement supplemented by a pump.

Lane told the board the Hoback district sought a formal county commitment because the Wyoming Water Development Commission (WWDC) and the State Loan and Investment Board (SLIB) require clear local matching or partnership assurances when considering grants and loans. Deputy County Attorney Gingreg and staff explained the district’s WWDC grant application is part of the state legislative process and that SLIB loan consideration is scheduled in November; those funding outcomes affect the project’s finance package.

Commissioners pressed staff about accounting and separation of funding streams. Director of Public Works Heather Overholser said the county expects this fiscal-year design money to be expended now; construction funding of roughly $800,000 is expected in FY2027. Staff said Nelson Engineering will invoice fire-suppression items separately, and the county has set up a discrete fund (Fund 37) to track project expenditures so the water-quality project and fire-suppression funding remain distinguishable.

Several commissioners emphasized the broader need for similar water/suppression infrastructure elsewhere in the county, observed that some costs are lower when suppression is added while the district is installing pipelines, and discussed SPET-style ballot approaches for future, broader suppression investments. Commissioner Probst said the county should consider a programmatic SPET mechanism to fund suppression projects across multiple neighborhoods.

Action: Commissioner Probst moved to approve and sign a resolution committing, in addition to a previously committed $3,000,000 toward construction of the water supply system, additional funds toward constructing a Hoback fire suppression system not to exceed $850,000. Commissioner Gardner seconded. The motion carried unanimously.

Ending: Staff will continue coordination with the Hoback Junction Water and Sewer District, Nelson Engineering, WWDC and SLIB; staff will track fire-suppression invoices separately and report back to the board as grant and loan outcomes become known.