THANKS TO OUR COMMUNITY PARTNERS
CASPER, Wyo. — The Downtown Casper Business Association pressed the City Council on Tuesday to adjust open container boundaries, calling current limits confusing for patrons and inequitable for business owners.
Kyleen Stevenson-Braxton and Kristy Bussey, co-presidents of the Downtown Casper Business Association, made the request, pointing to specific streets excluded despite being in the downtown core. Stevenson-Braxton said under current rules, a person leaving certain businesses could walk legally in three directions but would violate the law if they chose the fourth.
The co-presidents also asked that the city attorney redefine premises to mean the entire open container boundary rather than individual establishments.
The downtown Casper open container areas. (City of Casper)
Councilor Amber Pollock, who said she would recuse herself from a vote due to her ownership of Backwards Distillery, critiqued the city’s current strategy. She said the council has taken a flawed approach from the beginning by creating what feels like a bar crawl atmosphere rather than focusing on retail density.
“I think the point is to activate downtown and that includes all the retail, and using open container just as a way to help people travel more freely around downtown while they’re enjoying beverages and visiting retail locations,” Pollock said.
Later in the meeting, councilmembers agreed to revisit the rules. Councilor Brandy Haskins, noting the widespread use of the open container policy at last weekend’s Funky Junk street fair, requested the council bring the topic back to a work session.
Vice Mayor Kyle Gamroth supported the idea but stressed the need to also evaluate the extended daytime hours on Thursdays and Fridays, which he felt had been overlooked in recent discussions.
“I would kind of like a full-scope conversation about hours and boundaries,” he said, adding he planned to seek feedback from the Downtown Development Authority and local merchants on whether businesses actually see a benefit from the 11 a.m.–5 p.m. open container hours on those weekdays.
More Casper City Council Coverage
Mayor Ray Pacheco suggested the council pass a standing resolution on June 2 to maintain the currently extended hours, while dedicating the first June work session to redrawing the physical boundaries before a final vote later in the month.
Speaking to the weekend fun, Pacheco said one of his greatest takeaways from serving on the City Council is the work in helping to get David Street Station off the ground.
“It’s a crown jewel here for us in the city, and Funky Junk just solidified that for us,” he said.
Also speaking during public comment was resident Ross Schriftman, who questioned the city’s reliance on sin taxes for revenue and voiced concerns about the upcoming vote on the optional 1% sales tax.
Councilor Pat Sweeney defended the use of the optional tax. He questioned where the police department would take youth in crisis if facilities like the Youth Crisis Center weren’t supported by the funds, saying he believes the nonprofit support is a correct and necessary use of the money.
So if you like our restaurants and our new big-box stores, thank a high school student that plays sports.
Councilor Michael McIntosh
Prior to the meeting’s adjournment, the council celebrated the financial impact of regional events. Councilor Michael McIntosh shared a report from Compete Casper detailing a newly signed four-year contract to host eight Wyoming high school sports tournaments. The tournaments are projected to generate a $24 million impact on the local economy.
“That means that about five restaurants, five hotels, and two or three retail establishments are able to stay in business because of these tournaments,” he said. “So if you like our restaurants and our new big-box stores, thank a high school student that plays sports.”
Pollock updated the council on the Hogadon Basin Ski Area following a tough winter season. While user groups reported 60%–70% declines in their ability to host events and practices, she said they were overwhelmingly supportive of the mountain staff’s efforts during a low-snow year.
“Pretty much across the board, each user group appreciated how much work was going into creating the conditions that were available that kept the basics of what those groups were trying to accomplish intact,” she said.
Pollock and Sweeney also previewed upcoming utility costs, reporting that the Regional Water system’s preliminary rate model shows a steady 3% wholesale rate increase for the coming fiscal years. Sweeney said river water restrictions had recently been lifted, meaning Regional Water doesn’t anticipate placing watering limits on Casper residents this summer.
