Natrona County Library faces $20M in repairs for aging facility

CASPER, Wyo. — The Natrona County Library’s aging infrastructure and a projected $20 million in necessary repairs kicked off the Natrona County Board of Commissioners work session on Tuesday, prompting calls for a community-backed solution to either renovate or replace the facility.

Library Board of Trustees President Chris Mullen and Vice President Cathi Carr presented findings from the 2025 County Facilities Report, saying the building is much older than the report indicated, with portions dating back to 1910 and 1925. The report identified upcoming expenses, with Mullen projecting nearly $20 million in expenditures over the next 20 years to keep the building functional.

“We have been kind of Band-Aiding this facility now for decades and when something goes wrong, we try and fix it to the best of our ability,” Mullen told the board. He added that while the report listed the restrooms as a total failure, library staff also identified the building’s aging elevator and exterior brickwork as urgent priorities.

Carr emphasized that the library board was not immediately asking for funding, but wanted to make sure the commission understood the gravity of the deteriorating systems. “It’s not a matter of if, it is when,” Carr said. “And we want you guys to be aware of those because as the commission, it is your responsibility to maintain our library system.”

Commissioners acknowledged the library’s plight but pointed to the county’s broader financial realities. Commissioner Dallas Laird said many county buildings are facing similar aging issues and suggested any push for a new library would require a massive public campaign. “I don’t even know where that money would come from,” he said. “I’d really like to see you put on one big giant first-class presentation to the public because there’s a lot of people that are behind a library.”

Commissioner Peter Nicolaysen agreed, saying a massive capital project would require collaborative funding strategies. “I think it’s going to take a number of creative heads to get together and to propose a package deal,” he said. “But it does have to be something that makes sense not for the commission, but to the public, too.”

In other presentations, VisitCasper CEO Annette Pitts provided an update on the county’s visitor economy and highlighted more than $300,000 invested in improvements at Hell’s Half Acre, including a new boardwalk, viewing platform and restrooms. She said Natrona County benefits from a healthy mix of leisure travel, meetings and sports events. “Tourism is growing, but it’s very sustainable here,” Pitts said. “We have such a nice diversified tourism product. We don’t have all of our eggs in one basket.”

Information Technology Director Eileen Hill also briefed the board on the county’s evolving cybersecurity and artificial intelligence policies. She said the county is working to establish an AI governance team to navigate the complexities of adopting new technologies safely. “What I’m learning in this journey is that it’s shifting from adoption — ‘do this, do that, don’t do this’ — more to governance,” Hill said. “What are we doing with it? What risks are we introducing into our systems and our data, security-wise or legal-wise?”