The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – May 21st
Published on May 21, 2021
CHEYENNE – Last Friday my wife and I were watching TV when I received a facetime request. When I answered, our son Jac and his girlfriend, Whitney, were on the screen with a beaming smile. Whitney held up her left hand and showed off an engagement ring. We have two sons, and finally I have my first daughter! A happy day!
Earlier that day, I was on F.E. Warren Air Force Base to receive a briefing on the Thunderbird show scheduled for the upcoming Frontier Days. I was concerned that with the runway replacement the show would have to be cancelled. Great news, our local airport officials have helped the Air Force get use of the Fort Collins airport to land and hangers to protect their aircraft. We are going to experience a great air show. Working together, they got it done.
Last Saturday we woke up to a dreary day. I headed out to the Civic Commons to meet a hearty group of volunteers to do a Day of Giving community cleanup. It was overcast and raining, but a few dozen folks came ready to work. We cleaned up along Crow Creek around Optimist Park. It was amazing how much trash the wind blew in and transients have left behind. I am hopeful that everyone will choose to clean up their neighborhood and improve our curb appeal.
I am a bit of a mileage nerd. I have been driving a hybrid since 1996. My latest plug-in hybrid is over five years old, and I am geeking out over the 124.4 miles per gallon I have averaged since the purchase. No gas purchased since January. It will not go in the snow, but it rocks the mileage. Simple things make me happy.
Monday, I met with the Board of Public Utilities (BOPU) board of directors. It was nice to see them in person and thank them for all they do for our city. We talked about city revenues and our budgets. The board is made up of five residents who commit to a six-year term to make sure we have the best water system in the region. With their 135 employees they deliver on that promise.
Tuesday morning, another too early meeting with Dave Bartlett from the School District. It is amazing how many things we collaborate on. This time it was to discuss our radio systems and making sure their personnel and our public safety teams can communicate. I so appreciate the opportunity to work together.
Tuesday afternoon was an opportunity to meet with the downtown partnerships, specifically the DDA. Amber Ash, their executive director, has announced her resignation and we met to talk about how to move our downtown forward. I believe Amber has been great for Cheyenne and I will miss her. Thank you Amber.
Wednesday morning, we were at the LEADS board meeting, 7:00 a.m., sigh! It was the first in-person meeting since COVID-19 started. We met in the new Blue Federal Credit Union building. That building is amazing. What an addition to our city. Betsey and the crew at LEADS are making such a difference in our economy. It is fun to be in a room full of folks all working to grow our city and the jobs available for our residents.
I spent a few hours calling the members of the City Council this week. I had a list of seven items to touch base on, and it was a great chance to catch up on what they are all up to. I have said it before, but I love working with this group. We do not always agree but we are having fun working together. The last two weeks we have met every day working on the budget, they are dedicated.
We’ve had a couple meetings to get the Affordable Housing Task Force and the Technology Advisory Council ready to go. Brenda Birkle and Eric Trowbridge have so much energy and passion for making Cheyenne a better place. I am in debt to them for agreeing to help lead these efforts. You will begin seeing updates in the third quarter of this year.
We met with the Cheyenne Public Employee Association (CPEA) leadership to discuss a proposed change to our Personnel Commission process. While we are not yet on the same side, these employees did a great job of representing the position of our employees. The question is: should we stay with our current system or change to an Administrative Hearing Officer process like the one the State uses? Stay tuned for how it turns out. The Governing Body will make the decision in the next couple weeks.
Friday morning, we met with the Wasatch Development Group. They own 14,000 apartment units across the country and have determined Cheyenne is the best place for their next development. 460 units built over two phases will definitely put a dent in our housing situation. Swimming pools, fitness facility, playgrounds, and green space make this look beautiful. Excited anytime a company wants to make an investment in our city. They are ready to put shovels in the ground.
Friday, we had a lunch work session to hear from ERES and 307 Land Development. They are investigating the possibility of building a 4,000-seat arena and hotel complex to bring conferences and events to the capital city. The public-private partnership was received with cautious optimism from the council. We will continue the conversation and see where it leads.
Our question this week comes from Patricia Meares. She asks “I was wondering what was going to happen with the old airport building, it is becoming an eyesore in our neighborhood. Thanks”
The old Airport Terminal is not owned by the City of Cheyenne. I spoke with Tim Barth, the Airport Director. He shared that they began working with the FAA two years ago to determine how to use the building in the future. What is in question is will the FAA determine the future use, or the Airport Board? I am hoping they can get that question answered soon so the planning on the terminal’s future can be decided. Our Airport Board understands the importance of saving the building and getting it back in use. A quick update, they are proceeding well on the runway replacement. The snow and rain are not helping, but we should have air service back late summer.
If you have a question for me, send it to media@cheyennecity.org. I’ll continue to answer them in my following Mayor’s Minute column.
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