EVANSTON — Uinta Senior Center Inc. (USC) Executive Director Glenn Roach and members of the board of directors Amelia Rutner, David St. Priest and chair Mike Davis attended the Evanston City Council work session last week to request financial assistance for the center.

Roach began his presentation on Tuesday, April 8, by giving a brief history of the center, issues it has faced in previous years with embezzlement and mismanagement and the current status. He listed the programs the center provides, both in Evanston and in Bridger Valley, including: meal delivery, in-house meals that totaled 83,000 in 2024, in-home care, transportation, activities and safety check-ups.

Volunteers donate at least 50 hours monthly and 120 to 130 meals per day are served. The cost of meal preparation is approximately $15 per meal and the center only charges seniors $5 per meal. Roach said the center also feeds homeless people and transients and if someone can’t pay the $5, they can still get a meal.

“We are here because we need your help,” Roach said. “The cost of fuel, food and wages are not going down. This board and myself have worked hard to overcome the earlier problems I mentioned. We are losing some state grants, which come from federal monies that are being cut. In order for the center to be successful, we need community involvement. We owe a lot to our senior citizens; they paved the way for us, and we need to provide for them now.”

Roach said the center is in the process of approaching the town councils in Bridger Valley, the Uinta County Commission and other organizations to request financial help. They also apply for 16 different grants, and the board has had to fight to keep those grants because of the earlier noncompliance; however, Roach said, their recent audit showed they are in compliance with everything.

USC board chair Mike Davis said, “When I joined the board of directors, I didn’t know what I was getting into. We’ve come a long way. We deliver 12,000 meals a month and my wife and I help with deliveries. We are asking you for $100,000, but we will appreciate anything.”

Evanston City Attorney Mark Harris asked if the board had approached the county commission for help as well and Roach responded that the county gives an in-kind donation of $1,000 per month by providing maintenance on the building and reduced rent.

There was a continuing discussion about the poor conditions some seniors live in, the fact that most of them are long-term residents of the county, and that a large majority cannot afford to pay for their meals but are fed anyway.

Mayor Kent Williams concluded the discussion.

“We appreciate what you are doing, and we are going into our budget discussions soon,” he said. “We don’t know yet what we will be getting with the legislature’s decisions, but we will keep you in our discussions.”

Steve Ewing and Jon Davis, volunteer workers on the steam engine 4420, and Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) Chair Joan Nixon were next on the agenda.

Ewing spoke for the group and asked the council to renew and modify the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and HPC. The modifications Ewing requested would be to remove the clause in MOU (part F) which gives the city the right to choose to move the engine out of Section 2 for any reasons they determine.

He also asked that the artifacts taken out of the metal building the city tore down be put inside Section 2 of the Roundhouse to protect them from the weather.

“Those artifacts contribute historically to the Roundhouse,” Ewing said. “They will need a concrete pad to sit on and we are asking the city to do that. We would like the MOU to be a 20-year agreement to allow us to finish the work on the 4420. It is difficult to determine an exact time of completion, as some parts that were stolen or removed will take research to find replacements. We are looking for more of a partnership with the city; the city could do more promoting of the engine at little or no cost. We are committed to finish this work and have put in hundreds of volunteer hours — and the city has not made it easy for us.”

Williams asked what the city could do differently, and Davis said they could allow them to park their vehicles next to Section 2 so they could unload equipment easily, and volunteer Glen Bell, who has trouble walking, could park closer as well.

“The original MOU was made to allow work on the engine inside the Roundhouse,” Williams said. “I want to leave clause F in the MOU to give the city the right to move the engine out if an economic business opportunity wanted to come in to use Section 2. As far as the artifacts, that should be a separate MOU.”

Ewing said they are working with the federal government on requirements so the engine will be safe to use when work is completed. They hope to be able to eventually get tracks and use the engine for a tourist attraction.

Councilmember Jen Hegeman said, “I think the MOU should be a 20-year agreement; the Roundhouse is Engine 4420 and Engine 4420 is the Roundhouse. Old trains are an international industry. That engine is our history. Also, we need to get those artifacts inside and let the state historic office know they are protected.”

Evanston Community Development Director Rocco O’Neill said he had met with Ewing, Davis and Nixon and they had sent a draft of a new MOU to Harris. Harris said the council would get the draft by the end of the week. 

Williams concluded the meeting and said, “We will review the draft and go from there.”

At the regular meeting of the city council on April 1, business consisted of approving the following resolutions: renewal of the city’s group medical plan with Wyoming Educators Benefit Trust (WEBT); two lease-purchase agreements with De Lage Landen Public Finance LLC for equipment for the Purple Sage Golf Course; and a proposal and contract with Westech Equipment Company for completion of the city’s fuel management master system for the city’s fuel station.

A motion was also approved to ratify a quote from All West Communications for a static IP set-up and internet installation for fiber connectivity at the Uinta County Detention Center (UCDC) as the city has a dedicated server with UCDC.