I love how simple phone calls can lead to incredible opportunities—I was talking with Kit and Donna about their interest in Cheyenne, to build residential housing and commercial facilities. From our conversation, I learned about a company they are working with in Colorado that would be a perfect fit for Cheyenne and all of Wyoming. I hope this chance encounter ends with significant conversations and maybe a new manufacturing facility located in our beautiful city.
In the past year and a half, our City Council has spent many Friday afternoons in work sessions. The purpose is to make sure all the council members have the same information and the opportunity to ask questions. I love it because it is also informative to the community about what the City Council is working on. This past Friday the subject was about outside water and sewer user agreements. These are for county developments that want city water and/or sewer services. I have mixed emotions about these agreements. On commercial agreements, job creation, and economic impact make these interesting. On the housing side, increased density may be a negative to the city financially. We have asked the University of Wyoming to help the city understand the financial impacts of using city utilities to increase the density. We should have the answer by the end of March. Until we understand the true costs or benefits, I believe the city should not set a precedent by granting residential outside user agreements.
Friday night was fun. First, I helped dedicate the William “Bill” Dubois Park on Randall Avenue. Bill was Cheyenne’s historian and a great friend to many. We were pleased by the great crowd who came to honor him. My thanks to Bob Farr and Agneta for all they did to help get this park through the city’s new naming process. It is so cool that the park is adjacent to the historic Dubois Subdivision. Bill’s grandfather designed and built the seven homes in the area. A proper honor for a great man!
Later that evening, Judy and I attended an honorary commander dinner on the Air Force base. I am paired up with Colonel Dines, who commands the Mission Support Group. I think of him as the mayor of the base. He does many of the same things I do. I love this program, as it helps the civilian community understand the important mission our military partners do every day. Colonel Barrington is the base commander and is a big supporter of this program. I am proud to be a part of this amazing program.
On Monday morning, the planning administration of Laramie County held its annual snow plan meeting. I was not able to attend but wanted to let you know how well everyone works together to make sure we respond as a team, in the event there’s snow. The city, county, LCSD1, state officials, and others have a plan and partnership to keep our roads clear and passable, during snow events. Hopefully, there won’t be any more snowmageddons like the one we had in March of 2021.
I am constantly amazed by the number of folks who want to invest in our community. Many of them come by and share their visions with me. I had Ron, Isaac, and Rod come by to share what they are doing in the county, and how it might complement what the city is planning at the Belvoir Ranch. I wish them and all entrepreneurs luck.
What a difference a year makes! A year ago, we held a press conference to announce the Capitol Avenue Bronze Project. Our goal was to put a bronze on every corner of Capitol Avenue, from 16th Street to the Capitol; 28 in total. This week, we celebrated the one-year anniversary with another press conference. I was so pleased to announce that we have exceeded pass our goals. There’s a total of 30 bronzes between Capitol, 17th, and Carey Avenue, with another 30 in the process of being created—$1.4 million of art, donated by a beautiful group of donors. Many of these folks are donating to remember a loved one; ensuring their memory will survive for years to come. As always, a special thanks go to our great committee: Dixie Roberts, Caren Murray, Susan Samuelson, Jeff Wallace, and chairman Nathaniel Trelease. Harvey Deselms has been the project’s curator. An extra, special thanks also go to the many contributors who have made this possible.
I spoke of the heartbreaking conversation I had with the Commander of Global Strike, regarding the racism military children of color are facing in our schools. On Wednesday, I met with a leadership team from the base and a member of the school district that is leading the equity and inclusion efforts at our schools. I came away with a better understanding of the issues and feeling like as a community we can and need to do better. As a resident of Cheyenne, I want to live in harmony with all members of our community, no matter their color, race, religion, disability, sex, or orientation. Kids shouldn’t dread going to school because others don’t like them for reasons they cannot control. It’s heartbreaking to me and I hope to you. It is up to all of us to make the decision that enough is enough and step up and lead. My question is what are you going to do to help solve this problem?
I believe in celebrating when you can. We did so on Wednesday afternoon. We broke ground on the first of three new fire stations on Converse Avenue. As a way of thanks, I would personally like to thank the City Council for having the vision to prioritize public safety and make the decision to put these stations on the 6th Penny Sales Tax. Second, and most importantly, the voters for their overwhelming support of this vision, and last, Chief Kopper and his team who have worked so hard to shepherd this project to the point where we can start building. John Edwards and Bob Wirth are local landowners and businessmen who own land essential for our fire station program. Their properties were in the perfect place to make our response matrix work. They did not have to help us, but they did, to help their city. I am constantly amazed by the civic trusteeship in our community.
Cybersecurity is a big deal and something we should all take seriously. Governor Gordon and I each signed proclamations encouraging Cheyenne and all of Wyoming to educate themselves and prevent cyber thieves from stealing our personal information or worse. I was impressed by the group of people at the signing who have dedicated themselves to protecting our communities. However, when you have nation-states like Russia, China, and North Korea making cyber-attacks every three seconds, we must be aware and take precautions. The Technology Task Force from the city attended and is working to help make the city and all our residents safer in this cyber-environment.
The Metropolitan Planning Organization is planning for the eventual upgrade of Powderhouse Road, from Dell Range Boulevard and Highway 85. We had a public meeting to start the process of getting residents’ input. I was so pleased to see over 120 people show up to share their thoughts and get educated on the plans going forward. The building of the new Saddle Ridge School really makes this review necessary. It is cool to see the city, county, and MPO working together to make this roadway safer.
In lighter news, I hope this great weather keeps going. I love summer and am dreading the snow and cold. A great fall is just what we all need.
If you have a question for me, please send an email to media@cheyennecity.org. I’ll continue to answer your questions or concerns in the following Mayor’s Minute column.
Trending Now
Q3 Health Check for U.S. Small Businesses
