Casper council advances Westridge street project; residents dispute notices, damage and assessment math

The Casper City Council on May 6 approved first-reading ordinances to confirm assessments for Local Assessment District (LAD) 159, Westridge Improvements Phase 1, and to create LAD 161 for Westridge Improvements Phase 2 while residents raised concerns about notification, yard damage and how individual assessments were calculated.

The measures, which passed unanimously on first reading, formalize estimated homeowner assessments of about $452,727 for Phase 1 on a $2,260,000 project and an estimated $391,000 assessment share for Phase 2 on a roughly $2,240,000 project. City officials said those assessment totals are estimates and that property owners can pay in installments over up to 10 years at a statutorily set interest rate.

The council’s action moved the projects forward after several Westridge-area residents spoke at a public hearing. One homeowner who said they learned about the assessment only after closing on their house told the council, "I may not have bought the house if I would have known this." Another resident who said they work as a plumber disputed the sewer lateral footage used in the assessment and questioned why the notice had been addressed to a previous owner.

City Engineer Tom Brower told the council the project is not yet advertised as complete and that outstanding items remain on the contractor punch list. Brower said the city is holding retainage and that crews will be required to finish outstanding work before the contractor receives final payment. "The project... will not be advertised as complete until all the punch list items are done," he said, and invited homeowners to call engineering so staff can verify measurement or billing disputes in the field.

City Manager Jay Carter Napier described the scope and the city’s approach to assessments, saying the amount assessed to neighbors for Phase 1 "is in the amount of $452,727," and explaining that assessments are intended to cover the private elements of the project—flat work in front of properties and private laterals—not trunk water lines or street asphalt. Carter Napier said staff documents each property with photo journaling before work begins so the city can determine whether later damage is project-related and therefore should be corrected by the contractor.

Residents asked why some buyers appear not to have received notice and whether the city could do more to alert realtors and title companies. City Attorney cited Wyoming statute 15-6-406 in describing when assessment liens attach to title and noted the lien is recorded after the assessment roll is finalized; he said staff would review whether additional front‑end notice measures are appropriate. Councilors asked staff to follow up with title companies and realtor associations to reduce surprises for buyers.

Councilors and staff repeatedly emphasized that individual assessments reflect only work considered the property owner’s responsibility (curb/sidewalk work and private service laterals) and that, where errors are alleged, the city will re-measure and correct calculations if appropriate. Carter Napier said payment options include lump-sum payment, a chosen installment plan, or the standard 10-year installment allowed by statute at the statutory 3 percent interest rate.

Discussion at the meeting also clarified that Phase 2 will include more work in alleys and that, depending on the block, sewer work may be less of an assessment item in that phase because much of the sewer runs in alleys rather than beneath the street in front of homes.

The council advanced both ordinances on first reading and staff said construction scheduling and final assessment rolls will follow the design and bidding phases. Residents with outstanding questions were advised to contact the city engineering department so staff can document specific yard or sprinkler damage and add unresolved items to the contractor punch list.

If repairs are judged to be the contractor’s responsibility, engineering officials said the contractor will finish them before final project acceptance and release of retainage. The city reiterated that property owners may ask to pay assessments immediately or elect installment plans managed through the city treasurer.