Torrington Council approves special-event permit, SRO agreement and applies for SCADA cybersecurity grant

The Torrington City Council on July 21 approved a series of routine and regulatory items, clearing a special-event permit for a downtown classic-car show, authorizing an intergovernmental school resource officer agreement and voting to apply for a state cybersecurity grant for the city electric utility.

Mayor called the meeting to order and the council unanimously approved the consent agenda and an amended agenda that added an immediate item to consider suspending a liquor license. The council then considered five action matters that drew most of the meeting’s discussion.

Scottsbluff Valley Street Rods, a nonprofit car club, requested a special-event permit for a downtown classic-car show in September 2026. Chief of Police Matt Johnson described traffic, safety and logistics planning and said the club must deliver a certificate of liability insurance and obtain merchant signatures before the event. Johnson itemized estimated city costs for staff time and services at $470.34 — including about eight hours of streets staff and five rollout trash cans at $20 each — and said the club expected to provide portable restrooms and follow previously used safety protocols. The council voted to approve the permit contingent on receipt of the insurance certificate, merchant notices and payment of the $470.34 in additional city costs; the standard $200 special-event fee was waived.

The council approved an intergovernmental agreement with Goshen County School District No. 1 to continue assigning Officer Alex Irons as a school resource officer at Southeast Schools and LaGrange. Chief Johnson said the district pays the officer’s costs in full and includes a 15% administrative/service payment to the city to cover training, payroll and related overhead. Johnson noted the arrangement also depends on a jurisdictional memorandum of understanding with the sheriff’s office to allow the SRO to operate outside Torrington city limits.

Emergency management coordinator Chuck Canyon briefed the council on a State and Local Cybersecurity Grant Program application to design and install a supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA) network for the city electric utility. Canyon said the city requested an estimated $528,000 to build a baseline supervisory system, add intrusion-detection and monitor voltage and amperage at substations; he described the figure as a guesstimate drawn from vendor estimates and photos of existing equipment. Canyon emphasized the request requires no local match and said the application had passed an initial screening. Council members asked about risks of connecting substations (fiber or radio) and whether networked supervision would increase vulnerability; Canyon and Electric Superintendent Scott Sides said the initial installation would be supervisory rather than full remote control and would be built to current cybersecurity standards. The council approved resolution 2026-09 authorizing submission of the grant application and the mayor will sign the resolution.

Finance staff presented resolution 2026-10 to amend the FY2026 budget after unanticipated fire-department expenses — primarily air-conditioner repairs — caused the department to exceed its appropriation. Treasurer/finance staff explained the city would use higher-than-expected sales tax revenue to cover the shortfall and identified bills totaling about $6,842.27. The council approved the budget amendment and the mayor will sign.

Under the amended agenda item 4A, licensing staff reported the state liquor-division had a sales-tax hold on Thirsty’s (licensee Adrian Garcia). Staff said state statute permits the local licensing authority to suspend a license while a tax hold is active; Chief Johnson described the procedure for serving a certified suspension notice. The council voted to suspend the license until the sales-tax hold is cleared and directed police to serve notice to the business.

Councilmembers then approved city bills for the period listed on the agenda and heard a brief fire-department report. Fire Chief Jeff Schick said the department had seven recent calls and anticipates substantial training through late July and August. Public commenters thanked local organizations — including the Shriners Club and Pinnacle Bank — for donations of pool passes and noted upcoming community events including an ice-cream event from the police department.

Votes at a glance: The council approved the special-event permit for Scottsbluff Valley Street Rods (contingent on insurance and merchant signatures); approved the SRO intergovernmental agreement and authorized the mayor to sign; approved resolution 2026-09 (SLCGP/SCADA grant application) and resolution 2026-10 (FY2026 budget amendment); and voted to suspend Thirsty’s liquor license pending resolution of a state sales-tax hold. All recorded council actions passed by voice vote with no recorded nays.

What’s next: Staff will collect the required insurance certificate and merchant signatures for the event permit; the mayor will sign the SRO agreement and the two resolutions; police will serve the suspension notice to the liquor-license holder; and the city will await a decision on the SCADA grant application.