The Kemmerer City Council met at the City Hall on Monday, Sept. 25. All council members were in attendance. 

Kathleen Carollo of the Kemmerer Rotary Club presented to the council the Kemmerer Rotary Club's design plan for updating the billboard on Highway 189 coming into town. The billboard will display attractions and important places in town. 

"This is great that the Rotary took on this project," Kemmerer mayor Anthony Tomassi said. 

"The billboard that's there now has been there for nearly 10 years," Carollo said. "We would encourage other organizations to work on billboards for the other entrances into town."

Carollo mentioned the signs that advertise the JCPenney homestead and store, which are in need of updates. 

"There is a grant in the works to update the JCPenney signs," Tomassi said.

Wanda Newman of the revamped Kemmerer-Diamondville Chamber of Commerce was also present to ask the City of Kemmerer if they would be interested in joining the Chamber. Newman is on the board, and Ellen Potter is president of the board.

"We're lowering membership fees to accommodate small businesses," Newman said. "We're also lining up speakers to come present about starting and keeping a business up, because there's a lot more to it than people may think when they first want to start up a business."

The Chamber of Commerce meets the first and third Monday of every month at noon in the Triangle Cabin.

Mayor Tomassi asked Newman about the Chamber of Commerce's current goals. 

"We're all volunteers, and we're working on putting together a directory of local businesses, and we're building a calendar of events," Newman said. 

The council praised the Chamber volunteers for already putting together a website. 

"We're also looking to join the state and national Chamber of Commerce organizations," Newman said. "This goes a long way in comparison to the past."

"It'd be great to have a fully-functioning Chamber of Commerce in Kemmerer," Tomassi said.

"I'm impressed that (the Chamber) is all run by volunteers," councilman Eric Rudy said. "I think they should be commended for that, because that takes a lot of time."

Several full or partial fee waivers for organizations to hold events at the South Lincoln Training and Events Center were approved. Organizations that requested a full or partial waiver included the South Lincoln Medical Center, Kemmerer High School, the Muley Fanatic Foundation, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Living Water Community Church, and Holiday Magic Boutique. 

"I do have some issue with 100 percent fee waivers," Tomassi said. "I understand that we do get good PR and some advertising for the center from these events, but at the same time we're always telling these other organizations that we don't have enough money to support them.

"Waivers are a one-time thing," councilman David McGinnis said. "What I understand is that this doesn't set a standard for next year."

The council members thanked those who attended the meeting and thanked the representatives of the Rotary Club and the Chamber of Commerce for their efforts in helping the community. 

The Kemmerer City Council meets next on Monday, Oct. 9, at 7:00 p.m at City Hall. The public is always encouraged to attend.