Neighbors urge delay on proposed booster station as council approves budget funding water upgrades

Craig Roberts told the Rawlins City Council during the citizens participation period that he and neighbors were surprised and upset by the proposed location for a new water booster station, saying they first learned about the plan from local media rather than from the city. "I read about it in the Saratoga Sun," Roberts said, reading a letter from neighbors Philip and Denise Vigil that asked the city to "postpone all decisions or approvals related to this project until meaningful public engagement can occur." Roberts said a petition circulated among adjacent homeowners collected 11 signatures and asked the council for written notice and a dedicated public hearing.

City staff and council members responded that the booster station is among prioritized water projects and that more information had been shared directly with residents in recent conversations. During the budget presentation Laura, a city staffer who presented the second reading, told the council the proposed FY2026–27 municipal budget "includes 4 and a half million dollars for 3 water fund infrastructure upgrades, including the emergency booster station." The budget also credits $750,000 for street overlays and smaller line items such as a $20,000 cemetery irrigation update.

The exchange highlighted a tension between residents’ calls for broader public notice and the city’s characterization of the work as time-sensitive infrastructure. Roberts said neighbors fear impacts on property values, noise and traffic and asked for full disclosure of environmental studies, site justification and alternatives; he requested a formal public hearing with adequate notice. City officials told the council they had met with nearby residents and provided explanations in recent days but acknowledged the neighbors’ desire for clearer, earlier communications.

Council members did not postpone the project at the meeting. Instead, the council approved the second reading and waived the reading of the FY2026–27 budget after an amendment to include $101,250 for nonprofit allocations; the amendment ultimately passed and the budget reading moved forward. The budget’s water-fund allocations make funding available for the emergency booster station, though project-specific permits, notices and any required environmental reviews remain to be completed as staff finalizes implementation.

The council did not take a separate, final vote to approve a specific booster-station site at the June 2 meeting. Council members directed staff to continue coordination and to provide additional information; residents who spoke requested a dedicated public hearing and full disclosure of studies and alternatives before council action on the site.