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Cheyenne City Council members on Tuesday approved a $13.4 million budget for the Cheyenne Regional Airport Board after a last-minute discussion about fading landscaping along Airport Parkway and who is responsible for its upkeep. The exchange underscored a broader tension between long-standing maintenance agreements and recent infrastructure investments — a matter that affects curb appeal, water use and municipal budgets.
Airport Director Doug Bullock told the council the airport is moving quickly to address the parkway’s irrigation problems, including restoring reclaimed “purple” water to the sprinkler system. Councilor Pete Laybourn had removed the airport budget from the consent agenda to press for a revised maintenance agreement, saying the corridor’s appearance needs immediate attention.
Councilor Michelle Aldrich backed passage of the airport board budget, noting the city’s prior $3 million outlay targeted pavement and curbs rather than the irrigation equipment that now requires repair.
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Also pulled from the consent calendar was a $384,100 professional services contract with Sunrise Engineering for rehabilitation work on Yellowstone Road and Dell Range Boulevard. Laybourn asked whether the road redesign could enhance the area around the airport’s elk sculpture. City staff said the project will replace existing medians down to Central Avenue but will stop at the airport property line, so any aesthetic upgrades onto airport land are outside the project scope.
The council completed the remainder of its consent agenda in a single unanimous vote. Approvals included final plats for Polo Properties, Darnell Homesite and the 196-lot Harmony Valley subdivision, a microbrewery permit for Jagerhund Brewing, federal grant applications to the FAA for reconstruction of the airport’s general aviation apron and taxiway, and multiple vehicle and equipment purchases for city departments.
What’s headed to committee
Several proposed ordinances and resolutions were introduced and sent to the Finance Committee for review; the Public Services Committee will take up additional land-use and code changes. These items represent budgetary, planning and public-safety priorities that could shape spending and development in the coming year.
- Finance Committee items: ordinance setting employment terms for sworn Cheyenne Police Department officers for the new fiscal year; resolution to write off uncollectible Board of Public Utilities debts; acceptance of a $3.5 million donation from Steamboat Property Owner LLC for affordable housing; and reviews of a real estate purchase agreement with KT Land Holdings, a feasibility study with AVI Professional Corp., employee insurance renewals, a contract modification on the 18th Street reconstruction, and bids for a lube truck and a Safe Routes to School project.
- Public Services Committee items: proposed amendments to the Unified Development Code to define standards for residential carports; a new Regional Entertainment Overlay District and revised standards for gaming centers; an update to the city’s adopted National Electrical Code; and authorization for the mayor to negotiate limited site access and due diligence agreements for the city-owned Belvoir Ranch property.
City staff emphasized that several items touching the airport — from grant applications to the design limits of roadway work adjacent to airport land — will require coordination between departments and property owners. The ongoing discussions about the 1990s-era maintenance memorandum of understanding reflect how older agreements can strain under population growth, changing priorities and infrastructure wear.
For residents, the immediate implications are both visual and practical: improved irrigation and landscaping would restore the parkway’s appearance and potentially reduce dust and erosion, while the FAA grant applications could fund safety and operational upgrades at the airport. The council’s committee reviews will determine timing and funding for many of these initiatives.
The full meeting agenda and supporting documents are available on the City of Cheyenne’s website for readers who want the primary materials presented at Tuesday’s session.
