Riverton council urges federal support for Wind River Job Corps, adopts resolution

RIVERTON, Wyo. — The Riverton City Council voted unanimously June 17 to adopt Resolution 15-25 expressing the city’s support for the Wind River Job Corps Center and urging continued federal funding for the nationwide Job Corps program.

The resolution follows a May 29 federal pause on enrollments and operations affecting 99 Job Corps centers nationwide and a temporary restraining order filed by a group of operators; Center Director Matt Davis told the council a New York judge extended that order to June 25. "We got a lot of staff who are worried, and we got a lot of students who are homeless and don't have places to go," Davis said, describing the center’s role as both an employer and residential training campus.

Why it matters: The Wind River Job Corps Center is a residential, federally funded workforce-training program that serves young people from around the country and is the only Job Corps center in Wyoming. Speakers at the meeting said the center supplies local trades workers and interns, employs local residents and provides career paths for students who do not fit the traditional high-school-to-college route.

Council discussion and public testimony focused on local consequences and next steps. Former state and federal officials, local education and higher-education leaders, community members and former Job Corps staff urged the council to act. Brad Tindall, president of Central Wyoming College, said his institution was preparing contingency plans in case federal funding is not restored but emphasized the priority was to keep the center operating. "First and foremost, we're here to support Job Corps," Tindall said.

Several speakers described direct student impacts. Fred Putre, a teacher at Wyoming Indian High School and a former Job Corps instructor, described a student who "absolutely blossomed at Job Corps" after she left his school and said the pause had removed an option for graduates who had already planned to enroll. "They made the choice for Job Corps, and that choice has been completely removed," Putre said.

Elected officials and council members stressed advocacy. Council members said they had reached out to the federal delegation and planned to forward the adopted resolution to neighboring municipalities and county-level organizations. The resolution text urges the state and federal delegation and the governor to advocate for continued funding and for a careful, targeted approach rather than a blanket closure of centers.

Formal action: The motion to adopt Resolution 15-25 was made by Councilman Mike Bailey and seconded by Councilman Kyle Larson. The record shows the governing body voted in favor; the mayor declared the motion passed. The resolution will be transmitted to other local governments and the city intends to encourage constituent contacts with federal representatives.

What remained discussion-only: Speakers and the council repeatedly urged direct contact with federal delegates and noted the temporary restraining order in New York but did not claim a specific federal decision date beyond the court action described by Matt Davis. Several commenters recommended coordinated outreach by neighboring towns and county bodies; the council committed to forwarding the resolution and pursuing outreach but took no legally binding additional action beyond the resolution at the June 17 meeting.

Community context and next steps: Testimony described the center as a local employer and workforce pipeline for trades such as heavy equipment operation, diesel mechanics and petroleum technicians. Council members said they would ask organizations across Fremont County to adopt similar resolutions and planned to press the federal delegation and state officials for support. The timeline and outcome depend on federal processes and court rulings beyond local authority.

Ending: With broad public support and unanimous council backing, Riverton’s action adds a municipal voice to local advocacy for the Job Corps center. The city’s resolution is intended to be shared with neighboring jurisdictions and federal representatives as the legal and administrative processes continue.