Community members packed the latest city council meeting, where Kemmerer City Councilmember Brantley Popp expressed gratitude for the community’s presence.

“It was wonderful to see a packed house,” Popp said. Despite a light agenda, discussions stretched well into the evening. “Obviously these were big, important topics for the community,” Popp said.

The meeting began with a presentation from Sabot, a consulting firm specializing in jail and detention center compliance, regarding the potential establishment of an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) detention center in Kemmerer.

“This presentation was the hot-button issue of the night,” Popp said.

During the lengthy presentation, Sabot fielded questions from both councilmembers and residents. However, the responses did not resonate well with some of the audience.

“The answers were not that appealing; they were not that impressive to us,” Popp told the Gazette, adding that both the council and the community were largely opposed to the idea.

Sabot’s cofounder, Darren Chiappinelli, detailed the regional need for approximately 900 detention beds and outlined facility requirements, including proximity to Salt Lake City, access to medical services, 50 acres of land, and city water capacity for 100,000 gallons per day.

Acknowledging potential infrastructure challenges, Chiappinelli said, “We would have to figure out financial solutions to fix that problem.”

When asked why Salt Lake City was not considered, he said, “There has been some friction between ICE and Salt Lake.” He also noted that Uinta County’s population had declined to host a facility.

Councilmember Mark Quinn reminded the consultants that community approval is essential. He then inquired about the intended detainees, to which the consultants responded that while international terrorists were unlikely to be housed at such a facility, most occupants would be illegal immigrants.

Popp, while supportive of growth and economic development, remained unconvinced. “It is not a good fit for Kemmerer; it is not something I agree with,” he said, emphasizing strong community opposition.

“The council decided we are not going to touch this at all,” Popp said. “The ICE detention facility is not going to happen here. There is no need to worry about it being built in our community.”

Popp further argued that the facility’s drawbacks outweighed any potential benefits.

The meeting shifted to the continuing open container ordinance debate as council proceeded with the second reading of a proposed revision to the ordinance, which would allow alcohol consumption in designated areas within city limits. Concerns about public safety led to a discussion on restricting the policy to the Triangle area rather than permitting open containers citywide.

Brittney Ritter, Director of Prevention Services for Lincoln County, presented statistics highlighting public safety concerns, particularly impaired driving.

“Lincoln County, for the past few years, has been one of the top-three highest counties for DUI rates in the state,” Ritter warned.

Residents also voiced their concerns, including Tamara Thompson, who emphasized the potential negative consequences of lifting restrictions.

“Putting in paperwork to have an event and letting law enforcement know there is going to be an event with open container is a good idea. We should keep it contained. We should keep it regulated,” Thompson stated.

Councilmember Bill Price acknowledged the importance of community input, saying, “It’s the will of the people. We will get more information at the next meeting when we do the third reading.”

Popp clarified the proposed changes.

“Essentially, there would be an open container zone in the Triangle area only, leaving the rest of the city untouched.”

The final reading of the ordinance will take place at the next city council meeting.

“That is when we go over the terminology and finalize things and make sure it is right,” Popp said.

He reassured concerned residents that restrictions would still apply in areas frequented by children.

“These changes will still prevent open containers in areas like the Little League fields and the fishing ponds where kids are but allow the Triangle more freedom to be an entertainment district where people can have open containers in that area,” he said.

The first reading of the ordinance passed with a 5-2 vote, while the second reading saw increased support, passing 6-1. Popp encouraged continued public engagement.

“Whether they are for or against the change, we would like to hear from them,” he said, urging residents to attend the next council meeting on Monday, March 24.

Councilmember Marlin Batista remained opposed to an open container policy but signaled some willingness to consider modifications.

“I’m OK with tweaking it to make it more favorable to business needs,” Batista said, though he remained firm in his opposition to fully eliminating the restrictions.