The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – April 28th

Published on April 28, 2023

CHEYENNE –My kids grew up playing hockey at the Ice and Events Center. Judy and I absolutely loved the experience and the relationships with the other players and parents. This week, staff met with the volunteer leadership group that dedicates so much time organizing youth hockey in Cheyenne. The topic of conversation was the possibility of a junior hockey team making Cheyenne its new home and the upcoming contract for ice time. The only thing I don’t miss about the hockey experience is the horrible smell of a high school goalie’s gear. Our youth hockey program currently has 230 hockey players and growing. 

We had another meeting this week with the director of the animal shelter. We are continually working on the new three-year contract. We are making great progress, and I’m confident we will meet the deadline of June 1 to get this contract approved. I hope to see you all at the Fur Ball on Saturday night.

Speaking of Saturdays, last weekend was dedicated to a celebration of our economic efforts in Cheyenne and Laramie County. LEADS held its annual banquet at Little America. Surprisingly, one line that caught my attention from the keynote speaker is: our number one export is minerals, and our number two export is our children. Jennifer Ford shared our need to invest in the quality of life to retain our young people. A study over the decades shows a steady 50 to 60 percent of our young people leaving the state. My takeaway: we have to invest in our community’s quality of life to grow our workforce and create better business opportunities. 

This week, we also met with the mayors and city managers of Minot, North Dakota, and Great Falls, Montana. We meet quarterly to compare notes on community preparation for the new Sentinel missile system. I lived in both communities growing up, and it is fun to hear how things are going in both cities. From what we know, Sentinel is fully funded to date and on time. We should see lots of activity in the next two years. 

Our city engineer, Tom Cobb, and I spent time together going over the tough decisions that come with infill development. As you know, I am very positive when it comes to diversifying our economy and supporting entrepreneurs. The hard part comes with curb cuts and access to our road systems. I must keep our community safe while supporting small businesses. But I have to tell you, it is a tough balance.

I brag about the volunteerism seen in Cheyenne all the time, including in the “Mayor’s Minute.” I had a community group come to my office with a plan to buy a tract of land, help develop it to park standards, and give it to the city. Wow! However, you know the devil is in the details, but I am thankful for their generosity. There’s a lot of work to do, but I hope we will be able to work it out and add some more green space to our city.

I know it sounds funny, but I am looking at the affordable housing challenge as a math problem. Low-Income Tax Credits (LITC) are the way almost all of our affordable housing gets built. Wyoming only gets $3.1 million each year---and those dollars have to be shared with 23 counties and 70 towns and cities. Therefore, it means we only get about 45 units every 12 to 18 months, which isn’t enough. The difficult math problem arises as we try to find other sources to make up for what we get from the LITC funding. I had a team from Wasatch come by to help me understand how they build this kind of housing without LITC funds. The math is getting clearer, and I am hopeful we will finally get it all figured out. So many people need and deserve an affordable place to live.

I have been a Global Strike Civic Leader for many years now. Dale Steenbergen and Carolyn Ritschard are my wingmen on the committee. Carolyn stopped by to talk about how we can better support the airmen on the base and to provide me with an update on the Adopt an Airman Program.  This program matches local families with first-term airmen. The support of the local families helps the airmen adapt to their first base, and from what I’ve learned, the families who participate in this program gain so much from the mutualistic relationships. I hope some of you might consider becoming a part of this program and adopting an airman.

Our municipal court has unfortunately gotten busier. This has necessitated the addition of a full-time public defender. The law requires the city to provide defense counsel to those who can’t afford to hire their own attorney. We are so excited that Andrew Sickenberger has accepted employment with us. His first day on the job will be this coming Monday, May 1. He visited me earlier in the week so I could meet him. He’s a huge man who used to play offensive tackle in college, moved from the east coast to attend law school at the University of Wyoming, and fell in love with our state. We are excited to have him on our team. 

I got a sneak preview of the recently completed bronzes slated to be installed on Capitol Avenue. Our Capitol Avenue Bonze Project has exploded with over $1.5 million in statues donated to the city. Vice Admiral Francis McInerney was born in Cheyenne and was a much-decorated naval commander during WWII and the Korean War. George Rainsford came west in the 1870s. He designed homes that are still found in the Rainsford Historical District, aptly named for this distinguished fellow. Joel Turner sculpted both pieces. I’m proud of the folks who have taken on our vision for public art and have so successfully guided the effort. We are planning a dedication for June 10, with details to come. 

Captain Keslar is the senior captain of our police department. He has served Cheyenne for the past 25 years after retiring from the Marine Corps. I enjoy meeting with long-term employees--- to hear their stories and thank them for their amazing tenure. His son just joined our police force and won the top shot award this past year. Public service runs in their family.

I finally got to meet with Dr. Kathy Emmons, Ph.D., who is the executive director of our health department. She shared the challenges of running a public health agency. The challenge of finding and retaining health care professionals, a 300 percent increase in pharmaceutical drugs, lower revenues due to the slow economy, and cuts in state funding. Judy and I have used their services for vaccines to allow us to safely travel. It is a great amenity for our city and county, and I wish her and the team all the best.  

Childcare, or the lack of childcare is a real problem in Cheyenne and our state. I had lunch with a team that has developed childcare centers in 40 states and is excited by the opportunity Cheyenne presents. It is exciting to have companies look at Cheyenne and see a great place to invest and do business. I’m especially excited about the subsidized childcare some of the companies provide. I know there is a need.

My fingers are crossed that the Broncos will find a couple of gems from this year’s draft pick and finally beat the Chiefs this season. I am tired of wearing Mahomes’ jersey every time I lose a bet. I think our police chief would look good in Bronco Orange!

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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