MONDAY, September 21, 2026|
Photo – Carbon County Senior Center in Rawlins – Bigfoot99 file photo
County officials are frustrated by new federal rules tied to an older project.
In October 2022, the Carbon County Senior Services was awarded a Federal Transit Administration grant to repave the Rawlins Senior Center’s northern parking lot. The Wyoming Department of Transportation partnered with the federal agency to administer the funding.
Speaking at the August 25th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting, County Clerk Lisa Smith announced that she had received a Notice of Federal Interest for the parking lot project. Clerk Smith said under the agreement, the county must inform WYDOT before selling or transferring ownership of the property.
Commissioner John Johnson asked how long the agreement would last. Clerk Smith said she was uncertain. While the county is unlikely to sell the property, Commissioner Johnson suggested having Deputy Attorney Ashley Davis clarify the timeframe before the Board signs the agreement. The commissioners agreed to postpone a vote until they could determine WYDOT’s precise requirements for the property.
The matter was revisited during the September 15th Board of Carbon County Commissioners meeting in Baggs. Deputy Attorney Ashley Davis reported that WYDOT has started a new process to promote cooperation between the state agency and local governments on federally funded projects.
Attorney Davis said the Notice of Federal Interest acts as lien, or a legal claim against a piece of property that secures a debt. She said WYDOT appears to be using the agreement to avoid pushback from the federal government.
As for the length of the agreement, Attorney Davis said a WYDOT representative indicated the project is expected to have a 20‑year useful lifespan. While not specifically mentioned in the contract, the attorney said WYDOT’s claim to the property may end after that 20‑year period.
Attorney Davis said she informed the WYDOT representative that the project was completed over the course of two years, 2022 and 2023, without any mention of the state agency retaining an interest in the property. She said the WYDOT rep simply reiterated that it was a new policy.
Attorney Davis said the Board can choose not to sign the agreement, but they may be required to repay the $440,000 in federal funding used for the senior center parking lot project. Commissioner John Johnson expressed his disappointment with the last-minute change.
Commissioner Johnson said the Board could challenge the legality of the late addition, but a court case would likely be costly.
Commissioner John Espy said to prevent misuse, the Trump administration has imposed stricter requirements on all federal funding.
Since the Notice of Federal Intent wasn’t part of the original grant agreement, the Board of Commissioners chose not to sign the contract at that time. Instead, they instructed Deputy County Attorney Ashley Davis to contact Wyoming Attorney General Keith Kautz’s office for guidance.
