Position Articles

Below are articles I have published on Social media but have here for all to read. Click on the title to expand the Article. 

I was asked about charter 1 during Flaming Gorge Days. I’m making this video to clear my answer due my own poor perception of what I thought at the time our form of government is. 

Transcription: “It’s a common perception in council-administrator cities like ours: people feel the elected Council is just rubber-stamping the professional administrator while the voters are completely cut off from the actual decisions.

When I was first asked if I supported Charter Ordinance No. 1, I answered honestly: “I believe the people we elect should be in charge.” I was told to think about it — so I did.

After researching the 1985 ordinance, I now fully support our council-administrator form of government. The elected City Council has clear authority and real oversight. The Administrator serves at the pleasure of the Council and can be removed at any time. A vote of 4-2 is all that is needed. A mayor-strong form it is much more difficult as the council needs to have cause to impeach a mayor. Less oversight 
I was wrong to rely on perception instead of facts. Transparency and accountability are the keys to overcoming that disconnect — and I’ll make sure the Council delivers both.

As your Ward 3 Councilman, I promise to always do the work to understand the truth. I will stay informed, push for full transparency, and make sure there’s open public debate whenever we select a new City Administrator.

The voters are in charge — and so is the Council you elect. 

We are a Bedroom community.?
I hear this a lot from our local leaders when they oppose new businesses. But is that really the full story?
We've got mining and chemical jobs right here. We're the county seat. I-80 runs right through town. That's not a bedroom community – that's an opportunity we're leaving on the table.
Pure resistance to business means fewer dollars for roads, water, and services. It means higher bills for the rest of us.
I'm not saying we should let anyone build anything anywhere. I'm saying we need to be smarter. Let's protect our neighborhoods AND use our location to keep taxes and utility rates under control.
That's the balance I'll bring to city council.

Green River already has a solid foundation for public input. Our City Council workshops and regular meetings give elected officials and staff time for detailed discussion, and they give residents a formal chance to speak. That system works well for a lot of people.

But for many of the men and women who keep this town running — the Trona workers, oil and gas crews, and others on rotating or long shifts — a fixed evening meeting at City Hall simply isn’t realistic. When your schedule doesn’t line up with the calendar, it’s easy to feel left out of the decisions that affect your own community.

Research on shift workers shows that one of the strongest drivers of engagement is simply being involved in decisions that affect them. When people feel they have no practical way to be heard, frustration grows. When they are given a real chance, companies see better morale, lower turnover, higher productivity, and stronger loyalty.

That’s why I’m proposing we build on what already works by adding a complementary approach:
Hold listening sessions right at the businesses — on-site where our workers already are. The city administrator can assign a small task force (city staff plus one or two available council members) to go out to the worksites, listen carefully, take notes, and bring a clear report back to the full council and into our existing workshop process.
I’m calling on our local companies — the Trona plants, oil and gas operators, and other major employers — to partner with the city and open their doors for these sessions. This benefits everyone. When employees feel heard, engagement rises and workforce stability improves. It also strengthens the relationship between business and the city.
The current workshop structure stays in place for detailed discussion and decision-making. These on-site sessions simply make sure the voices of the people who work the shifts that keep Green River going are part of that conversation.

Once the door is open, employees need to walk through it. Show up. Speak up. Take advantage of the chance.
As your councilman and candidate, I have created a website as a starting point where anyone in Green River can email me directly — share concerns, ask questions, and get a real response — on their own schedule. It will be expanded with more development over time. I will also push the city to expand accessible options city-wide so no one has to feel locked out again.

Green River works best when the people who keep it running aren’t shut out by the clock. Let’s keep the good structure we already have and make it reach farther.

The new Dollar General location sat empty and untouched for far too long—until now. Watching a real business finally take shape there is exactly the kind of development our community needs.

Look at the western stretch of Flaming Gorge Way: too many vacant lots just sitting there. We need more of this. Supporting businesses that serve visitors to the Hampton Inn and Travelodge would be a huge win for our local economy.

Another opportunity right under our noses? The UP Railroad Depot the city controls. Let’s explore using bonds to attract outside investment and create business rental spaces that can work side-by-side with the Tomahawk in our downtown.

Green River has the potential. Let’s fill the empty spaces and build something stronger together.

I am a candidate for Green River City Council, Ward 3. One of the practical ideas I am bringing forward as someone who hopes to represent our ward is the creation of Wanderlust Days — a semi-yearly festive weekend that combines community cleanup with the joy of exploring our trails, wilderness, and outdoor spaces.
Inspired by the spirit of Flaming Gorge Days, Wanderlust Days would be a true celebration: people coming together not only to clean what others left behind, but to reconnect with the power of nature right here in our backyard.

What I Propose Wanderlust Days to Be
A lively weekend held twice each year that includes:
Organized cleanup of trails, mountain-bike areas, roadside spots, and wilderness lands
Clear before-and-after photos and haul documentation so every effort is transparent and legitimate
Public recognition of the biggest verified haul
Three award categories judged by a board made up of City Council members, Sweetwater County representatives, and appointed citizens:
Business
Private / Individual or Team
Environmental Awareness

Family-friendly activities, trail exploration, group rides or hikes, and community gathering moments that celebrate why we love these places
The cleanup would remain the heart of the event, but the overall atmosphere would be festive — a time when Green River residents focus on both stewardship and the simple power of being outside.

My Call as a Candidate
As someone who hopes to represent Ward 3, I am calling on:
The City of Green River to consider endorsing and helping organize Wanderlust Days as an official community celebration
The City of Rock Springs to join as a partner in this shared regional effort
Sweetwater County government to partner and help form a mixed judging board of council, county, and citizen members
The State of Wyoming to recognize and encourage this kind of local, citizen-driven outdoor stewardship

I am also calling on all waste management companies, transfer stations, landfills, and disposal operations that serve Green River, Rock Springs, and Sweetwater County to participate fully:

Provide free disposal during the event weekend for material collected by citizens and volunteers
Join the celebration themselves by organizing their own cleanup crews and taking part in the collection efforts alongside the community
Use their professional knowledge and experience to help make the haul measurements fair, accurate, and consistent so the biggest-haul recognition is based on real, verifiable results

In addition, I am inviting other major local industries — including oil and gas companies and the trona industry — to take part. These industries are a vital part of our community and economy. Their participation through volunteer crews, equipment support, sponsorship, or direct cleanup efforts would strengthen Wanderlust Days and show shared responsibility for the lands we all live and work around.
I am making these calls as a candidate — not as a sitting council member. If the voters of Ward 3 give me the opportunity to serve, this is one of the practical ideas I will work to advance through formal resolutions and partnerships.

Why This Matters

Limited local options for certain bulky waste have contributed to ongoing illegal dumping on our trails and public lands. Wanderlust Days can turn that problem into a positive, festive tradition that rewards the people who show up, educates the public, strengthens our outdoor culture, and builds real partnership between citizens, local government, the waste industry, oil and gas, trona, and other local employers.
I invite the City of Green River, the City of Rock Springs, Sweetwater County, the State of Wyoming, every waste management company and disposal operation, and our oil, gas, and trona industries to consider this idea. Let’s create a new local tradition that celebrates both responsibility and the power of exploring our nature.

Respectfully,
Clifford Vanderpool
Candidate for Green River City Council, Ward 3