Cheyenne City Council Meeting - May 12, 2025

The Cheyenne City Council met on Monday, May 12, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Council Chambers and via electronic conference. The meeting was called to order by Mayor Patrick Collins with all nine council members present. The meeting adjourned at 7:02 p.m. The council considered a consent agenda, public hearings, several ordinances on third reading, resolutions, and other business.

Consent Calendar

• Approved unanimously: minutes of April 28, 2025; resolution expressing support for acceptance of real property from Sloan Lake, LLC (No. 6462); resolutions for blight finding (later removed), annexation certification (later removed), Belvoir Ranch Master Plan (later removed); resolution authorizing MOU with Cheyenne Frontier Days; approving Downtown Development Authority budget; annexation certification for east Cheyenne tracts; adopting revised Board of Health fee schedule; temporarily reducing parking fees at Jack C. Spiker structure; approving sanitary sewer and water outside user agreements for Sutherland's Fun Family Fitness and Icerock Wyoming; professional services agreements for Dry Creek railroad project, High Plains Arboretum, and Safe Streets for All; contract renewals for employee health and dental insurance; purchases of modular vehicle barriers ($1,529,264) and mobile lifting systems ($185,878); bid awards for 2025 City Overlay #1 ($1,349,869), 2025 Miscellaneous Concrete ($642,479.86), and Christensen Road modifications ($566,499); and referral of the Dell Range Overlay bid to Finance Committee.

Public Hearings & Testimony

• Public Hearing – Spice Zone Indian Restaurant Liquor License: No public comments; hearing closed and referred to Finance Committee.
• Public Comment on Resolution #12 (201 Agreement Exception): Tanya Keller, representing property owners, requested a third postponement to navigate the outside water user agreement process. She noted the sellers had already paid fees once and were seeking a waiver.
• Public Comment on Annexation Resolution #15: Exie Brown, Ward 2, spoke on behalf of residents opposed to being annexed into the city. Concerns included loss of ability to burn trash, desire to keep wells, and worry about road paving. He urged the council to respect property rights.
• Public Comment on Belvoir Ranch Master Plan: Mark Christensen, AVI P.C., consultant for the master plan, described it as a guiding document with a five-year horizon, subject to amendment as conditions evolve.
• Public Comment on Winery Liquor License: Jackson Laybourn, owner of Wagonhound Wine Company, expressed gratitude for the council's support in opening a wine bar in the historic Heinz building.

Discussion Items

• Solid Waste Fee Schedule (Ordinance #4621): Third reading. Approved 7-2 (Councilmembers Aldrich and Moody voting no). The annual update adjusts sanitation fees for residential and commercial properties.
• Graffiti Abatement Pilot Program Repeal (Ordinance #4622): Third reading. Unanimously approved to repeal Chapter 12.28, which had sunset.
• Home Occupations UDC Amendment (Ordinance – Second Reading): Council debated a substitute amendment (May 7 version) that would allow animal grooming, body art, and piercing as home occupations. A second substitute (May 9) would restrict them to the resident only. The substitute motion failed, and the main motion to approve on second reading passed 7-2 (Councilmembers Laybourn and Rinne voting no). Councilmembers expressed concerns about neighborhood character and commercial dilution, while others supported small business flexibility. The item will return to Public Services Committee for further refinement before third reading.
• Fiscal Year 2025-2026 Budget Ordinance (First Reading): Appropriating moneys and fixing tax rates. Referred to Committee of the Whole.
• Water and Sewer Rate Ordinance (First Reading): Establishing revised rates and fees as recommended by the Board of Public Utilities. Referred to Finance Committee.
• 201 Agreement Exception (Resolution #12): After a third postponement request, Councilmember Rinne moved to postpone to May 27, noting that inaccurate information had been given to applicants. The motion carried 8-1 (Councilmember Segrave voting no). Discussion included the need for an outside user agreement to allow future annexation.
• Blight Designation (Resolution #6463): Finding and declaring certain areas as blight for redevelopment. Approved 7-2 (Councilmembers Aldrich and Moody voting no). Planning Director Charles Bloom provided data on tax increment collections from existing URAs, totaling approximately $20,829 for the Hitching Post area, $5,072 for Heinz in the Hole, $17,533 for 15th Street, and $776 for West Downtown. The blight designation does not freeze or divert taxes but opens the urban renewal toolbox.
• Annexation Certification (Resolution #6464): Certifying compliance for 95 parcels (44.56 acres) in northeast Cheyenne. Approved 8-1 (Councilmember Moody voting no). Councilmembers Aldrich and Emmons reported attending a public meeting where concerns were addressed. Mayor Collins clarified that annexed residents are not required to hook up to city water/sewer, roads will not be paved unless owners pave, and non-conforming uses are grandfathered.
• Belvoir Ranch Master Plan (Resolution #6465): Unanimously adopted. The plan serves as a guiding document for managing the city-owned property, with a five-year horizon for goals and policies.
• Winery Liquor License – Wagonhound Wine Company: Approved unanimously (Councilmember Laybourn recused due to conflict of interest as father of the applicant). Jackson Laybourn thanked the council.
• Appointments to Mayor’s Council for People with Disabilities: Dr. Teresa Simkins-Aris, Marie Hamilton-Morganroth, Amy Simpson, and Robert Jacobson were unanimously approved. Councilmember Aldrich noted they had been cleared for fines owed.
• Announcements: The next regular meeting will be held Tuesday, May 27, 2025, due to Memorial Day. Public hearings were announced for that date regarding annexation conditions and a liquor license for Cheyenne Hokkaido Ramen.

Key Outcomes

• Votes:
  • Solid Waste Fee Schedule: Passed 7-2 (Aldrich, Moody no).
  • Graffiti Abatement Repeal: Passed unanimously.
  • Home Occupations UDC (2nd reading): Passed 7-2 (Laybourn, Rinne no); substitute failed.
  • 201 Agreement Exception: Postponed to May 27, 2025 (8-1, Segrave no).
  • Blight Designation: Adopted 7-2 (Aldrich, Moody no).
  • Annexation Certification: Adopted 8-1 (Moody no).
  • Belvoir Ranch Master Plan: Adopted unanimously.
  • Winery Liquor License: Approved unanimously (Laybourn recused).
• Referrals:
  • Budget Ordinance to Committee of the Whole.
  • Water/Sewer Rate Ordinance to Finance Committee.
  • Spice Zone liquor license to Finance Committee.
  • Dell Range Overlay bid to Finance Committee.
  • Multiple consent items referred to Finance or Public Services committees as noted.
• Next Steps: The Public Services Committee will refine the home occupations amendment for third reading. The 201 agreement exception will be reconsidered on May 27. The annexation public hearing is set for May 27.