I learned Thursday morning former mayor Leo Pando passed away. Mayor Pando served our city for more than 30 years. First, he served on our police force and retired as a detective after 20 years of service. Then later in 1988, he ran for City Council and was elected as a Ward 2 councilmember. After four years serving on council, he ran for mayor in 1992 and defeated Mayor Schaeffer to earn the job. He successfully ran for re-election four years later and remained on the job for a while. I got to know Mayor Pando when I helped oversee the 5th Penny Sales Tax campaign during the time COST, a group against taxation, was trying to stop the ballot measure. He was such a great guy and will be truly missed. Please remember to keep his family in your prayers.
Last Friday, it was my honor to attend the change of command for the USS Cheyenne, our name’s sake fast attack submarine. As I shared last week, the boat is in dry dock getting refueled and refitted to provide decades of service to our country. Commander Sam Bell was the commander many of you may have met during Frontier Days last summer. I loved the way he and the crew worked together, and because of their top-rate performance, our vessel earned the Battle E award for being the best submarine in the squadron! Since the change of command, Bell has transferred to Washington, D.C., to continue his career on land. Likewise, Commander Kyle Calton took over as the new skipper of the Cheyenne. As of today, Calton faces the challenge of timelines and deadlines before work on the boat is completed and awaits the opportunity to have USS Cheyenne rejoin the fight. I have attended many change-of-command ceremonies at our local base. However, the Navy does things very differently. Nevertheless, it was an honor to represent our city. I look forward to welcoming Kyle and the crew this summer at the rodeo.
This week, I spent a lot of time talking about housing again. Bracken and the crew from Wasatch Development came by to give an update on their project just west of Converse Avenue. They are in the first phase of a 500-unit apartment building project. While that news was exciting, the discussion about affordable housing was even more spectacular. I have been trying to understand the math to replicate the Low-Income Tax Credit funding that currently builds the majority of affordable housing in our state. The team did a great job filling in the blanks for me. As you drive down Converse, you will see one of the multi-family developments that will make such a difference in our community. I know you will be impressed.
I have talked about my visits to Searing Industries over the past couple of years. Searing Industries takes coils of steel and manufactures steel beams and pipes for commercial applications. Lee Searing was in town, and I was able to join LEADS for lunch and catch up on the progress of his new expansion of their factory in the Swan Ranch Business Park. The 40,000-square-foot building will allow the company to make smaller tubes and hire more Wyoming workers. Lee shared his love for horse racing and Wyoming. He shared that his choice to build in Cheyenne has turned out to be a great decision, as they have more business than they can handle, and our city has embraced their employees. Advanced manufacturing is a growing sector of employment in our city, and LEADS has been a big part of making it happen. I am excited to see what Searing does next!
When the last 6th Penny Sales Tax was put before voters, $2.5 million was approved to conduct a study of our municipal building. The municipal building was built in 1978 and has not received any major maintenance since. I hope to use the money to fund a study; to determine what our building needs are today and what they will be in the future. Once we know our needs, our team will decide if our current building can be retrofitted to fit the needs or if we should be looking at building a new facility. I will keep you informed as we go through the process and reach our goal of bringing the plan to voters for the next 6th Penny vote.
We are hard at work on the budget right now. Hence representatives from the Laramie County Senior Center stopped by to discuss their budget requests for the next fiscal year. Last year we contributed $50,000 to help fund their operations. The senior center is currently under the Cheyenne Housing Authority. However, they have determined it’s not the best place to be housed. Therefore, they’ve decided to set up a new 501(c)(3) to help run the day-to-day operations. This year they are asking for an additional $50,000 for the center’s operations and $250,000 to ensure the new non-profit’s stability. Since the last 6th Penny Sales Tax vote, the senior center received the voter’s approval to build a new building to better serve seniors in our community. By September 2024, they hope to cut the ribbon for that building and welcome seniors through their doors.
The Wyoming Tribune Eagle has sponsored the Community Spirit Award since 1998. Unfortunately, COVID-19 kept the past three winners from being recognized. We remedied that issue this week at the Old West Museum. Harvey Deselms, who was the 2020 recipient, Judge Ronn Jeffrey for 2021, and Dixie Roberts for award year 2022 were all bestowed statues in honor of their volunteerism. I liked Dixie’s definition of civic trusteeship, ‘paying rent for the space we occupy.’ She definitely has paid her rent in Cheyenne with all the organizations she has impacted. Likewise, Harvey has made such a difference in the public art world we have in Cheyenne. Just drive down Capitol Avenue, and you will see the difference his bronze statues have made, reverberating the beauty of our community. Ronn has spent the past 50 years serving our youth and their families. He started Youth Alternatives many moons ago, and that program has helped more than 50,000 families. To me, this award confers residents like Jeffrey, Roberts, and Deselms in Cheyenne’s Hall of Fame.
One of my goals when I was elected mayor was to modernize the way the public could interact with our city. The only way most transactions could be completed was to physically come to the municipal building, fill out the paperwork and write a check. Today, the City Clerk’s and Planning departments are ready to do business online, including the ability to pay remotely. OpenGov is the new software program that will eventually see most of our departments move online and make them more accessible to the public. This system has required our staff to step up and make our city accessible for residents. Michael Skinner has led the team, and I’m proud of their collective efforts.
Spring has finally arrived, and I hope Mother Nature will recognize that and bring us some warmer temperatures. I enjoy working in my yard and I’m ready to get back to it. Currently, we have three fire stations under construction, and I’m hoping warmer weather will help speed up construction. Our Fire Chief John Kopper has been incredible, and I can’t wait to cut the ribbon on our new stations.
If you have a question or comment 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.
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