January 12, 2023 |
At the December 20th Carbon County commissioner’s meeting, a plot of land donated to Rawlins in 2019 has been returned to county control for the second time.
In June of 2017, Rawlins city manager, Scott Hannum, obtained a $187,000 grant from Wyoming Game and Fish to install a community fishing pond on the “Tin Can Hill” area of the city. In December of that year, Carbon County Commissioners agreed to deed the land to the city of Rawlins with the stimulation that the project begin within 2 years.
The 18-and-a-half-acre plot is located across from the Carbon County Fairgrounds, behind the county jail. Carbon County Clerk, Gwen Bartlett, described why the county has taken the land back.
According to a copy of the deed provided to Bigfoot 99, the land was only to be used for a park and fishpond or “similar public purpose.” The Rawlins city government was unwilling or unable to make any improvements to the land before time elapsed.
After the land reverted back to the county, Rawlins officials expressed interest in continuing the arrangement. Bartlett said the county agreed to give the city another chance.
Three years have passed, and the city has yet to do anything with the land. During December 20th’s county commissioner’s meeting, Commissioner Sue Jones moved to authorize Chairman John Johnson to sign a Notice of Revision, returning the land to county control. Commissioner Jones also asked Bartlett to send a letter to Rawlins officials stating they may request the land again in the future. The Carbon County Clerk said the deal isn’t off the table.
Bartlett said she wanted to make it clear the reversion clause was “simply a procedural thing” and no hard feelings exist between county commissioners and the city of Rawlins. Bartlett said Rawlins officials simply weren’t ready to proceed with the project, but they may approach the county again in the future.
