Chamber of Commerce Program Features Town Mayors

At the May 8 Sheridan County Chamber of Commerce Luncheon held at the Historic Sheridan Inn, the program included updates from the Mayors and City Administrators from Clearmont, Dayton, Ranchester and Sheridan.

There was also an update from the Sheridan County Commissioners, as well as presentations were Emergency Management Coordinator Jesse Ludikhuize and Dave Schwend of Spring Creek Mine north of Sheridan.

This story will feature the three town mayors, and the next story will feature the City of Sheridan and Sheridan County.

Mayor Chris Schock of Clearmont took the floor first and talked about the town of Clearmont. He said that some people think that being a mayor in a small town is easy, but it is not always the case. A small-town Mayor has to be Human Resource Department, City Planner and City Engineer all rolled into one.

One thing Schock said, and all the mayors agreed upon, was the fact the Sheridan area is experiencing growth, and the infrastructure needs updating.

He also talked about Clearmont Day, which will be held on June 22. “It’s going to feature the Iron Riders this year,” Schock said. The Iron Riders were a group of Buffalo Soldiers in 1887 that rode bicycles from Fort Missoula, Montana, to St. Louis, Missouri as an Army experiment to determine the effectiveness of moving troops by bicycle. The group rode through the Clearmont area.

Cliff Reed, Mayor of Dayton, talked about some of the improvements the town of Dayton is undertaking.

He said they are working on the waste water treatment plant. He said they are waiting on parts to complete the project. He added that the water filtration system is over 45 years old, and is in need of repair.

He also said that the town is ‘blessed’ with the town employees, and he wanted to thank them for all they do.

Peter Clark, Mayor of Ranchester, talked about some of the challenges that Ranchester is facing, and some of the growth that is happening there.

He talked about another subdivision that construction has begun on, and it will have a fourplex that already has a waiting list. He added they recently annexed 24 more acres into the town for future development. He said that the Tongue River Brewing Company is now open, and he invited folks to come out and enjoy a brew. He said the Caboose Airbnb is almost ready, it just needs some fine tuning.

Infrastructure was a major concern among all the mayors, as Sheridan County is growing rapidly. More on Sheridan and Sheridan County will be addressed in another story, with City of Sheridan Administrator Stu McRea and Sheridan County Commission Board Chair Nick Siddle.