The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – July 21st
Published on July 21, 2023
CHEYENNE − Welcome to my favorite time of year, Cheyenne Frontier Days (CFD)!!! Holly went over the schedule with me for the 10 days of the World’s Largest Outdoor Rodeo and Western Celebration, and it is going to be jam-packed. I am so proud of Cheyenne and the way we come together to bring a show of this caliber to our residents and visitors. I hope to see you at the park, parade, or a pancake breakfast.
There has been some confusion at Pershing Pointe, a local affordable housing development. A new company bought the complex and hired a new management company that sent leases to the residents far above what they could afford. This confusion scared the residents as there is very little housing available in our community at these rental rates. I met with Ben Taylor, vice president of the new owners-Lincoln Ave Capital. It was reassuring to learn that they were aware of the situation, and he was in town to assure the residents they would be welcome to stay in the complex at HUD-approved rental rates and that they were planning a $8.5 million renovation. Affordable housing is in such demand it was important we did not lose this 160-unit complex to market rent. My mission is to save our current affordable housing and to find developers to build more inventory.
Last Saturday morning, I stopped by the Habitat for Humanity ReStore for their open house. The highlight of the day for me was the opportunity to dunk Councilman Johnson in the dunk tank. I bought a bunch of balls, and to my chagrin, I missed every throw. Seeing him smile at my poor aim was tough, but the money earned for Habitat made it worth it. Habitat has big plans to help folks into home ownership, and we want to support that mission.
I have written about the Arboretum and the discussions to turn the area into a state park potentially. This past Monday, a team did a site review of the opportunity. This is an important step in the state process of creating a new state park. Jessica Friis from our Botanic Gardens and Arboretum gave a great tour of the area to orient the team to the history and beauty of the Arboretum. I am excited to see what the site selectors think of the project; more to come.
Our local United Way has a new Executive Director, Kris Whitfield. I was pleased that she and Mark Young stopped by to check in and make sure we were all on the same page. The city and county both collect money on the 5th Penny Sales Tax, and we contract with the United Way to help vet the applications and make sure our money is invested in the most effective way. With new leadership, we wanted to make sure all the deadlines and responsibilities are being covered in a timely manner. The United Way is making a huge difference in helping so many folks in our city and county. I appreciate their partnership.
Tuesday night was a milestone for the Collins Clan. It was the first haircut for our grandson Chels. Amy Balland cut our son Jac’s hair for the first time 28 years ago, and at 11-months-old, his son became a customer. It is so fun to experience things for the first time through his eyes. Judy and I are proud grandparents.
I first met Mark Stege as a customer at my bike shop. Since then, he has been a great partner working as the Vice President of Wyoming Black Hills Corp. Mark retired this past Wednesday after 30 years of service. The good news is he and his wife will be staying in Cheyenne and continuing to give back to our community. I wish them a great retirement!
The Rotary Club has had a mission to improve our city for 100 years now. I participated in a great announcement on Wednesday during their weekly luncheon. (Drum roll, please!) The Rotary Foundation is planning to buy 12 acres of land along Dell Range, just west of the mall, and plans to donate it to the city for a new park. This area will help with a water quality project we have been working on, as well as developing some park amenities for the whole city to enjoy. I appreciate the vision the club has to make this kind of difference in our city. The next step will be to approve the MOU by the city council, and master plan the area.
The town of Albin hosted this quarter’s elected officials’ dinner. These dinners are a great opportunity to see folks you don’t normally get to spend time with and discuss what’s happening in our county. Assessor Todd Ernst, Commissioner Buck Holmes, District Court Clerk Diane Sanchez, and I shared a table, and I enjoyed the conversation about their agencies. We really are blessed to have such great folks in our county.
Stu Pierson has worked for different rodeos for 40 years now. He recorded my video greeting to be shown at the CFD rodeo this year. It is an honor to be able to thank rodeo fans for choosing Cheyenne, and I’m hoping Stu was able to catch my good side.
I think the official start of Frontier Days begins Thursday night at the CFD Western Art Show and Sale. Judy and I walked the show and marveled at the quantity and quality of the art on display. Artists come from all over the area to display and hopefully sell their art. I love to talk with them and learn where they came from and what got them into the art world. I do feel a bit bad, as I might have pushed Kim Sutherland into buying a beautiful painting of a white horse. I do like spending other folks’ money, and Kim and Larry are great sports and supporters of nonprofits of all kinds. I know the horse will look great in their home or office.
I read in the paper that July 16 was the 44th anniversary of the tornado that hit Cheyenne. It brought back some very vivid memories for me. I was working for Redco Construction remodeling Buffalo Ridge School and was driving on King Arthur Way right into the path of the tornado a couple of blocks away. Needless to say, it was a tense situation. The destruction was immense, and the loss of life was devastating. I hope the anniversary will remind us of the power of mother nature and our need to be prepared to react at a moment’s notice.
If you have a question or comment for me, please email media@cheyennecity.org. I’ll continue to answer your questions or concerns in the following Mayor’s Minute column.
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