This past weekend was amazing for Judy and me! I may not have said it before, but I really want to be a grandpa. My youngest son Jac and his wife Whitney are pregnant with our first grandchild, and we had an amazing baby shower at our beautiful Botanic Gardens last Sunday. It is fun to see your kids grow up into adults you can be proud of, and then watch them become a parent, is beyond words. Hosting our very first baby shower was the perfect time to get family and friends together to celebrate this huge event in our lives, and to provide the parents to be, with provisions for what is to come. Did I mention the gardens were beautiful?
This week started on a great note for me, personally. I was able to swear in Jason Sanchez as our new Director of Community Recreation and Events department. Jason started with the city as a young, summer/temporary employee who trimmed grass in our parks for two years. Eventually, because he worked hard, he got hired full-time. In the years since his full hire, Jason has held increasingly challenging positions, which has prepared him for the role he has today—efficiently running the department. I love the message this sends to our employees; work hard, learn the job and a summer job can turn into a beautiful career. Jason was also my son Jac’s soccer coach when he was a younger guy. My family has loved Jason and his family for many years now. It is great working together with him, as citizens of Cheyenne.
A year ago, we hired a remarkable grants manager. Keeping track of the many grants is a challenge, but our team asked to meet to share a plan and to ensure we are on top of the requirements. Letting the folks who do the work have the authority to implement best practices sure makes sense to me. My discussions with the city council show they agree.
We all know Frontier Days will dominate our lives for the next two weeks. I filmed a video to welcome guests to the rodeo each day. Stu Pierson does great work with what I have to offer him as an actor. It is an honor to welcome our guests to the rodeo and to support the 3,500 volunteers who put on the show.
As mayor, I get to meet a wide variety of folks, and this week was no exception. Lily Griego is the Regional Director of the Department of Health and Human Services. This meeting turned out to be more informative than I was expecting. Lily had ideas about how Cheyenne could leverage her department and others in the federal government. I look forward to taking her up on her offer to help.
The Enhanced Use Lease (EUL) is a private/public partnership that I hope will one day see housing on the land where the Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD) park-n-ride currently exists. We have so many military members traveling to Colorado to live, mainly because of our lack of adequate housing. We have worked with the Air Force to reopen the Request for Quotations (RFQ) process. Our city’s team has met with a local developer who is interested in bidding for the project. We pledged our help to the developer and the local Air Force base to get this EUL successfully completed. We really do need this housing arrangement.
Our Technology Task Force has been meeting weekly for eight months now. I am excited by some of their suggestions for the city moving forward. One big concern the committee would like to address at both the city level and for each of us individually is cyber security. I was pleased that the experts on the task force found our city well-prepared, in this regard. It is something that keeps me up at night. Ransomware, identity theft, and other computer crimes are mostly preventable, and we’re fortunate that we have a task force that wants to help us avoid falling for these cyber-traps. They are planning to hold a Cyber Security Summit in the near future, to encourage all of us to learn and practice good cyber practices.
The Cheyenne Marathon is scheduled for September 18th. Amber Ash is the founder, and she is taking on this enormous undertaking, again this year. She asked to meet with me because a small part of the course is on city roadways. I appreciate the communication as we all want this to be a safe and successful event. Our team will be ready when the gun sounds. If you want to run, there is a 5k, half-marathon, and full marathon.
Before events kickoff, we conduct many CFD preparation meetings. This week, we met with all the first responders, CFD directors, law enforcement, and elected officials. We had more than 50 folks in the room to make sure everyone is on the same page. Traffic plans, parade routes, pancake breakfasts, and park security were on the table and discussed. Our Emergency Management folks have done a great job collaborating and communicating. I am proud of our city team and all they do to make the “Daddy of em All” successful.
The Town of Pine Bluffs hosted the elected official’s quarterly dinner a few days ago, and I was fortunate to attend. I enjoy these dinners, as it allows our governing body to meet our elected friends across the county. One highlight from this dinner was a tour of Pine Bluffs’ Distillery. They buy local grains from within 23 miles of the distillery to create bourbons, rye whiskey, straight whiskey, and vodka. I love seeing Wyoming companies successfully grow their businesses.
I attended East High School, here in Cheyenne. Many of my classmates have moved away, but it is always nice to see them when they visit. Brian Budd is an old friend of mine who has left but comes back from time to time. Thankfully, we were able to squeeze in breakfast this week. He is home visiting his 91-year-old father. I cherish the few minutes we got to spend together.
Judy and I have found our friendship with the CFD General Committee very rewarding. We got a few minutes together before the Western Art Show, where they presented Judy with her badge for the rodeo. We were touched by their kindness.
Speaking of art, Thursday was a big day for the world of art in Cheyenne. Our Capitol Avenue Bronze project saw eight more statues installed along Capitol Avenue and 17th Street. I hope you will take a few minutes to walk the area and see the art that has been generously donated to our city. Also on Thursday evening, the CFD Western Art Show was held at the Old West Museum. The proceeds support the museum and its mission to tell the CFD story. Governor Gordon and his wife hosted a reception at their residence, followed by the art show. As I’ve said before, I don’t have any artistic ability, but I do have an appreciation for those who do, and this year’s show was filled with art that showcased a broad range of western artistry. This event makes me proud to live in Cheyenne.
More than a year ago, the city partnered with the Board of Public Utilities and the state to do a drainage project along 26th street. This project will protect our Capitol and downtown from a history of flooding. Unfortunately, this project took way too long to complete. A perfect storm of problems kept the project from being completed last fall, and we just finished paving Carey Avenue, today. I feel so bad for the neighborhood that had to put up with construction for 18 months. I understand this hurt your quality of life and wish we could have finished in a timelier manner. However, I thank you for your patience and understanding.
If you have a question for me, send it to media@cheyennecity.org. I’ll continue to answer them in the following Mayor’s Minute column.
Story by Mayor Patrick Collins
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