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Commissioners withdraw county participation in Learning Center CDBG
Summary
The Hot Springs County Board voted to withdraw county participation in a Community Development Block Grant for the Learning Center after staff said the environmental review must be completed by Jan. 31; Central Wyoming College has offered to fund a full-time on-site employee, but a draft MOU is not finalized.
The Hot Springs County Board of Commissioners voted Jan. 20 to withdraw the county's participation in a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for the Learning Center building.
County Clerk Becky Kersten told commissioners the environmental review for the grant remained in progress and "must be complete and submitted to the WCDA by January 31, 2026." Barbara Rice and John Anderson told the board that Central Wyoming College had committed to funding a full-time, on-site employee in Thermopolis and intended to expand adult education locally, but the draft memorandum of understanding outlining salary-sharing was not finalized; Kersten clarified that "the County is not a party of the draft MOU."
Commissioners raised concerns about long-term management, utilities and who would operate the building; those governance and operational questions led Commissioner Tom Ryan to move that the county withdraw from participation in the CDBG for the Learning Center building. Commissioner Paul Galovich seconded the motion and "Motion carried." The action removes the county as a participant while discussions with Learning Center and CWC representatives are anticipated to continue.
The withdrawal affects the county's role in the pending grant but does not by itself cancel any commitments described in the draft MOU between CWC and the Learning Center; the MOU was described in the meeting as not finalized and the County stated it is not a party. The county record shows the environmental review deadline and the decision to withdraw; next steps were limited to the commissioners' interest in meeting with Learning Center and CWC representatives to explore options.
