WHEATLAND — Economic wellness in Wheatland is holding steady, according to Platte County Economic Development director Tracy deRyk. 

“There has not been much movement this month; things have remained even-keeled,” she reported. “School enrollment is at 891 students in the district as of January 2024, and only one less house was for sale this month. Construction permits issued were very similar to the previous month and our local unemployment matches exactly that of the state at 3.1 per cent.” 

As a point of interest, deRyk cited a recent article by former poliltician and attorney Tom Lubnau highlighting the exodus of young people from Wyoming. His statements are based on research he has compiled, comparing the number of students enrolled in schools as compared to the number of young people moving to Wyoming as new residents. 

“You would think if people are moving in, school enrollment would increase, but it isn’t,” deRyk noted. Some statistics provided by Lubnau indicate it is not younger individuals or families moving to Wyoming, but older people. The young are leaving. deRyk was interested in knowing the council’s opinions about these findings, although, according to deRyk, Lubnau’s research was not followed by solutions. 

"I don’t disagree with his findings,” Mayor Brandon Graves said. “But the lack of perspective on a viable reason for this or ideas on how to reverse the process is lacking. His statistics are good; and very interesting.” 

A lack of solution-oriented perspective was a “big miss” in the article, according to Graves. 

While solutions were not discussed in Lubnau’s findings, deRyk mentioned he hinted at a part two by stating in the original article it was ‘part one.’ 

“Hopefully there is a part two coming with some further insight,” deRyk said. “Drawing a comparison to Wheatland is something I think we should have our eyes on. The most recent consensus in 2020 showed that we are down county-wide by 60 people. Our population has shown a dip.” 

deRyk went on to explain she had recently been accepted as a grant reading with the Wyoming Community Foundation; which is an organization that Wyoming Intertie is working with. 

“Wyoming Intertie is the company putting in the transmission lines [crossing through Platte County] and they are a huge supporter of grant funding,” deRyk said. “When I talked to the Foundation about being a grant reader, I did not want that to preclude my being a grant writer. The Foundation said there are enough people on the committee to excuse me from reading any of our own grants.” 

deRyk will also be attending a Wyoming Energy Authority meeting soon in addition to a Wyoming Business Council meeting. The Wyoming Business Council has developed a data base where members input the infrastructure workings of their county and in deRyk’s case, Platte County and Wheatland specifically. 

“When businesses are interested in relocating this database is one of the first places they check,” deRyk added. 

The first reading of Ordinance 849 was delivered which outlines the continuation of the optional 1% sales tax. Resolution #31-2024 in the budget amendment has allocated $173,190.00 for the Wheatland city swimming pool, the Little League backstop, the Fire Hall and Legion baseball in-field, with a contract approved with T&C Landscaping & Dirt Work. 

The public is always welcome to join the next council meeting which will be held April 8, 2024 at 7 p.m.