The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – Aug. 16, 2024
Published on August 16, 2024
This week’s Minute started on the base with the retirement ceremony of our friend, Colonel John Hundley. He is finishing a 32-year career serving our nation. He started off in the Army before joining the Air Force in 1999. His last assignment here in Cheyenne was the Deputy Commander of the 90th Missile Wing. I always get emotional at these events, especially when they are saying goodbye to their Air Force teammates and expressing love for their families. John served as the military chairman for CFD, and I am excited that he and his wife, Mary, have decided to build a home and stay in Cheyenne. The Air Force is losing a true professional but we’re getting a great addition to the city.
City Council held a work session to get an update on the old airport terminal. It was built in 1960 and has been empty since we built the new terminal in 2018. The terminal’s historic architecture includes a hyperbolic paraboloid roof, which is one of only three remaining in America. Tim Bradshaw, the airport director, talked about the core and shell being strong, but the remaining infrastructure like HVAC, electrical, plumbing, etc. needs to be updated. The hope is to attract a restaurant to replace the Cloud 9 we all loved back in the day. We also heard about Cheyenne’s robust aviation history and the hope to incorporate it along with the addition of an art component. We owe it to future generations to find a way to save the building and bring it back to serving our community. The $3 million price tag is the biggest challenge.
I love the folks who are investing in our downtown and restoring our historic buildings. This week, the Bell Building owners held an open house to celebrate the new windows that replaced the plywood covering the façade for the past few years. The building looks so good. It is amazing how much it costs to do a façade update like the one done on the Bell Building. I’m not sure what the future holds for the building but thank you, Amy and Dan, for making this investment in our downtown and for the beautiful facelift that improves our downtown curb appeal in such a dramatic way.
The Wyoming Children’s Society mission is to build healthy families through adoption, and to advocate for birth families, children, and adoptive families. They have been doing it for 113 years. Saturday night, Judy and I attended their annual dinner and auction. I am a softy, and the stories really got to me. Dave and Melanie True were honored for their amazing support of this mission and for their beautiful adoptive family. Thank you to all the families who have given so much love to so many wanted children in our community, state and nation. I can’t think of a more beautiful gift!
Tyler Nelson is our IT director, and he has been working for our city for 25 years now. It is amazing how much the industry has changed in his career. IT not only has to support our team at the city, but also guard against cybercrimes. I appreciate Tyler’s service and expertise. A robust IT department is not an option, it is a necessity.
Jerry Watson is an old friend and downtown businessman. He owns an old building that used to share a common wall with a city building. We met to discuss the maintenance and repairs needed to restore the wall. It was great to catch up with Jerry and I appreciate his tour explaining to me what is needed.
I asked for a meeting with the Harvard Growth Lab to continue our conversations about housing and how we might use regulatory changes to help our development community build more houses. I always enjoy the conversations even when I don’t agree with their recommendations. They make you think and consider what is possible. Alain, who worked in this area for the World Bank, and Dr. Protzer from Harvard were confused by some of our zoning regulations. It brought home to me the need to simplify our rules so Cheyenne residents can successfully navigate the process.
I had the opportunity to play golf in the LEADS tournament. Hanging out with the two Toms and Brent and playing a game I love was a welcome respite. We played so well – I think I am still smiling. We got done just as the rain started – a perfect day.
I challenged Ed Gallavotti to raise money so we could add a bronze of Vernon Baker in our downtown. Vernon was born in Cheyenne and was given the Medal of Honor for his heroism in World War II. I was given his book by a friend from the VA a number of years ago. It detailed the challenges Vernon and his fellow Buffalo Soldiers faced while serving in a segregated outfit. Reading about the challenges and his heroism made honoring him with our bronze project a must. I am happy to report the bronze is in the clay stage and we have raised most of the funds necessary to make it happen. Thanks to the veterans’ groups and everyone else who has helped with this project.
Our Greenway planner, Jeanie, has been working to get the land and easements to allow the Greenway to expand across our city. I signed a document this week that reaffirms how great the people and companies are in Cheyenne. Lowe’s Distribution gave the City an easement so we can run the Greenway by their property. So many people see the benefit the Greenway brings to our city and have stepped up to help us find a way to build it. Thank you, Cheyenne!
School is about to start. It always brings the concern about student safety walking to school and home at night. You may have seen the construction near three schools this summer where the city is working to make that walk safer. The new Coyote Ridge school has a new traffic signal, making the intersection safer for drivers and pedestrians. HAWK signals are designed to stop traffic and allow pedestrians to safely cross the street, and we are installing them on Western Hills Boulevard for McCormick Jr. High, and Pershing for Baggs Elementary. New technology is no replacement for drivers staying alert and avoiding distractions, especially near our schools. Let’s make that commitment this year.