FRIDAY, July 31, 2026|
Photo – Map of proposed 5K during WAM conference – Courtesy City of Rawlins
The City of Rawlins will apply to host the 2028 Wyoming Association of Municipalities conference.
During the July 21st Rawlins City Council meeting, Mayor Jacquelin Wells introduced a measure to submit a proposal to the Wyoming Association of Municipalities to have the city host the 2028 summer conference. The Wyoming Association of Municipalities, more commonly known as WAM, is the statewide organization that represents Wyoming’s cities and towns and provides training, legislative advocacy, networking, and support for local governments. WAM also holds annual summer and winter conferences in different municipalities around the state.
City Clerk Lynn Shearer explained that WAM submitted a request for proposals, or RFP, for cities to host the 2028 summer conference. Clerk Shearer said she drafted a proposal to put Rawlins forward as a candidate.
Clerk Shearer said Rawlins last hosted a WAM conference in 2003.
She said Carbon County School District One administrators have agreed to hold the event at the Rawlins High School. The city clerk said the facility has enough space to accommodate all aspects of the WAM conference.
Shearer said the city must provide lodging for 350 attendees. The clerk said she has been in contact with motels and short‑term rental operators to arrange the necessary accommodations.
Shearer said WAM also requires the host city to hold a large dinner reception for all the guests. She said the Wyoming Frontier Prison has volunteered to serve as the venue, and the city will provide tables, chairs, and outdoor heaters.
Shearer said other municipalities that have held WAM conventions have organized special events, such as a 5K race for attendees. If Rawlins is chosen for the 2028 conference, she said she would like to arrange a marathon on the Continental Divide Trail, noting Rawlins is the only Wyoming city situated directly on the 3,000‑mile route. Runners would start near the high school and head north out of the city on Highway 287 before turning left onto the Continental Divide Trail. Shearer suggested providing commemorative gear for participants.
Shearer said vehicles can be stationed along the route to pick up racers and return them to the starting point.
She said vendors, exhibitors, and other groups from across the county have also agreed to join the WAM conference, extending the event beyond the city.
The city clerk said Rawlins is often seen as simply a stop along Interstate 80, but she noted it also sits at the midpoint of the Continental Divide Trail and is known for its place on the Lincoln Highway and for serving as an airmail stop in the 1920s, a point she wants WAM attendees to recognize.
Following the discussion, the Rawlins City Council unanimously voted to submit a proposal for the city to host the 2028 Wyoming Association of Municipalities summer conference.
Documents provided by the city show that hosting a WAM convention can cost between $19,000 and $43,000. However, some of those expenses can be covered by WAM and through guest registration fees.
