Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, and welcome to the December 10th public hearing on the six penny sales tax.

Let's start with uh calling of the roll.

Mr.

Escobel.

Mr.

Layborn.

Here.

Mr.

Moody.

Here.

Dr.

Rinney.

Present.

Mr.

Seagrave.

Present.

Mr.

White.

Present.

Mr.

Wolf.

Here.

Dr.

Aldrich.

Mayor Collins.

Here.

Dr.

Emmons.

Present.

One member is absent.

We do have a quorum.

That's awesome.

You know, it's not on the agenda, but let's rise and say the Pledge of Allegiance, please.

I pledge allegiance to the United States of America.

And to the Republic for which it stands.

One agent undervisible with liberty underall.

Review of proposed six penny projects.

Cheyenne fire rescue, station two replacement relocation, station six replacement relocation, replacement of three fleet apparatus and loose equipment, two type, one engines, and one straight stick ladder truck, and miscellaneous equipment.

City Council, Downtown Improvement Projects, Reed Avenue Corridor, and Remodel of Cheyenne Auxiliary Pumping Station, Community Recreation and Events, Greenway Maintenance and Johnson Pool Renovation, Engineers Office, Road Maintenance, Outside Entity, Airport and Arts and Aviation Center, Planning and Development, Greenway Reconstruction, Police Department, Digital Equipment and Software for Operations, Firearms Training Facility Improvements, Multipurpose Rescue and Response Vehicles, and Multi-based Storage Building and Public Works, Addition and Rmodel of Exciting Municipal Building.

Thank you.

That was a long list.

So over the last few months, the city council has been holding work sessions to start talking about different projects that we might want to put onto the uh six penny sales tax as an opportunity to educate ourselves and also to educate the public and let the public know what we were working and thinking about uh for our next six penny sales tax.

Uh so we thought maybe we would start the meeting today with our chief of staff, Amber Ash, doing a short presentation on the projects that have been uh uh brought to our attention, and then we'd open up to the public to talk about those projects and uh and then the governing body.

And the purpose of this uh meeting, I think today is just to uh uh get on to the record all the projects we're considering, asking the public if there's anything more that we need to add.

And um looking forward to hearing your feedback.

So with that, Chief of Staff Ash, please.

Hey, um well, good evening, Amber Ash, Chief of Staff for the City of Cheyenne.

Um, so tonight I've we prepared a high-level overview of the different city projects that are being considered for the six penny.

Again, this is just the city's projects, so it doesn't include any county product projects or um projects for the smaller communities.

Um this overview will serve as a refresher for those who attended the work sessions and then just provide some basic information for those who were unable to participate.

Um, to keep things efficient and allow ample time for public engagement.

I'm presenting the overview rather than having each director come forward individually.

However, the respective directors or their designees are all here this evening and they will be available at the end to answer any questions that you may have.

Um so before you is the general six penny cycle process.

Um we currently anticipate that collection will be completed in the first quarter of 2026.

Um the municipal resolutions must be submitted to the board of county commissioners for approval by April 6th, and the board must approve those propositions no later than May 5th.

Election notices will then be published and early voting will begin on July 21st with election days scheduled for August 18th.

Roughly they're by department, although that's not true in all cases either.

Um so first up before us today is the Cheyenne Fire Rescue Station 2 replacement to improve response times in high growth areas on the south side.

To improve response times in high growth areas on the South Side, Cheyenne Fire Rescue is requesting 11 million for the construction of a new station two on the property the city recently purchased at 503 West College Drive.

We've already completed a concept design that incorporates lessons learned from the three fire stations built under the previous sixpenny ballot.

If this project moves forward, we'll issue an RFP or a request for proposals for the design phase, followed by a construction manager at risk procurement after the ballot outcome is determined.

This station is a higher priority than the next station being proposed, which is station six.

The estimated cost for this station is $9.77 million.

If the project advances, we will issue an RFP followed by the construction manager at risk procurement if the ballot wants the ballot outcome is known.

Relocating the station will significantly improve response capabilities in the high risk and high growth areas on the north side of our community.

Shime Fire and Rescue is requesting $5.02 million to replace three apparatus pursuant to the purchase order $25-00E425 that was approved by City Council earlier this year and was issued in response to bid number E-4-25.

This request includes two new multipurpose response vehicles, specifically type one pumpers, and one new 107-foot heavy-duty aerial ladder.

The total cost reflects the trade-in value of a 2008 Pierce Pumper, a 1998 Pierce Pumper, and a 2001 Pierce Aerial.

Each of these items has a defined useful life, and we expect replacements will be necessary by 2030.

Replacement of 90 sets of turnout gear and 40 port and 50 portable radios are Cheyenne Fire Rescue's top priorities in the equipment replacement category.

The total equipment cost for these two items is 1 million dollars.

The pool permanently closed on August 10th due to leaks and increasing operational cost.

The redesign facility will include modern aquatic features and technology, full ADA compliance, zero-depth entry, a new bathhouse and concession stand, and increased capacity to better serve the community.

It's worth noting that in 2021, voters approved 250,000 for engineering and design work to support either the re renovation or replacement of the pool.

Renovating the museum at the depot, providing secure storage for trash cans and dumpsters, and setting aside $1 million to begin repairs of curbs and gutters, curbs and sidewalks throughout the downtown area.

These figures are preliminary estimates based on similar projects previously completed by ECRE, and these have not been sent out for bid.

$4 million is being proposed for the renovation and restoration of the pump house.

This project will repurpose the existing building by removing outdated and incomplete additions, including the garage and northern extension, and reconstructing it to a core and shell condition.

Site improvements will include grading, parking, landscaping, and utility upgrades.

The existing structure will be fully gutted, rehabbed, and repaired, resulting in a building ready for a tenant to complete the interior build-out.

This approach preserves the historic character of the pump house while adapting it for modern use.

This project will be implemented pursuant to the 35% design and is contingent upon final approval of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad.

Its objective is to transform the corridor into a safe, accessible, and vibrant space while addressing critical infrastructure needs.

The proposed improvements will resolve long-standing stormwater and utility challenges and enhance multimodal access for pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles.

These upgrades will bolster public safety, support future growth, and improve overall liverability in the area.

The total estimated cost of the project is $14.9 million, which includes a 20% contingency to account for design refinement, market fluctuations, and inflation.

This project and its estimated costs can be phased based on availability of funds.

Road maintenance.

The city maintains over 373 miles of streets and currently receives $5 million annually from the fifth penny optional sales tax for pavement maintenance.

This funding is insufficient to keep pace with the growing demands of our expanding infrastructure and population.

Proactive maintenance, including crack sealing, contract patching, wearing courses, and mills and overlays, is essential to preserve streets and prevent costly reconstruction.

We're seeking an additional $3 million per year for a total of $15 million to extend the life of more streets, enhance safety, and provide a higher level of service for residents.

The airline MRG.

Voters approved $2.25 million on the 2021 sixpenny ballot to fund the airline minimum revenue guarantee or MRG.

On this ballot, $1.2 million is being proposed to continue supporting the MRG, which ensures two daily flights on a 50-seat regional jet between Cheyenne and Denver, operated by Skywest Airlines.

The continued MRG funding supports Cheyenne's growing aviation sector in the broader local economy.

Aviation contributes to Larming County's economy in multiple ways.

In 2020, Air Visitors contributed $6.98 million in economic activity.

Over $2,200 jobs are supported by Cheyenne Aviation.

Maintaining these flights ensures ongoing connectivity, supports tourism and business travel, and sustains the economic benefits generated by air travel in the region.

Next up is the Arts and Aviation Center.

The Arts and Aviation Steering Committee is requesting $3.9 million for phase one of an Arts and Aviation Center at Cheyenne's historic airport terminal.

The project will preserve the terminal's mid-century modern architecture while providing space for Legend AeroServe, retail and dining, aviation exhibits, and an arts center.

Funds will address critical needs such as roof repairs, environmental hazards, mechanical upgrades, and accessible public spaces.

CRE is requesting $3 million to maintain Cheyenne's 48-mile greenway system, including funding for three full-time staff.

Proposed improvements will enhance safety, accessibility, and user experience, addressing foundation and wall repairs, lighting replacement, pavement repair and resurfacing, flood control, bridge maintenance, and mowing.

This investment supports outdoor recreation, alternative transportation, and connected community spaces throughout the city.

Planning and development is seeking $3.5 million to expand Cheyenne's greenway system.

Key projects include reconstruction of the Yellowstone Underpass, the city's oldest underpass, which faces drainage and culvert challenges due to its location in the bottom of Dry Creek.

The total project cost is estimated at $2.5 million.

Currently, Greenway maintenance funds are being used to complete a $5% design to assess challenges and refine cost estimates.

Additional projects may include connecting the Greenway on the new YDOT Parsley Boulevard Bridge to the existing network and completing the connection along Crib and west of Johnson Junior High.

The Cheyenne Police Department is requesting $3.7 million for digital equipment and software upgrades.

This includes AI software integrated with body worn cameras and car cameras that sync with the body worn cameras and online evidence storage and updated electronic control devices.

$1 million is proposed by CPD for firearms training facility improvements.

This includes construction of an indoor simulation shoot house for advanced operational training.

Additionally, the pistol deck will be asphalted to enhance safety, reduce maintenance, and improve training efficiency.

CPD is also requesting $975,000 for two tactical multipurpose rescue and response vehicles.

These vehicles will support officers in responding to potential threats, natural disasters, and severe weather hazards.

Our current MRAPs are not suited to modern police duties.

CPD, uh multi-base storage building, CPD vehicles and trailers are currently stored at multiple locations alongside other agencies.

$500,000 is being proposed to allow for centralized storage of all large police equipment.

This consolidation would provide a secure and protected area for evidence processing.

Municipal building remodel.

A total of 27 million dollars is being requested for the renovation of the municipal complex, which combines repurposing existing structures with a new addition to provide a strategic and effective solution.

The new addition will enable controlled access, create a prominent entry point, and enhance public engagement.

Why a new ADA compliant elevator core reduces the need for major structural changes to the existing building?

Interior rig configurations will improve adjacencies, circulation, security, and overall functionality, creating a modern and efficient workspace for users by maintaining essential core areas and upgrading infrastructure to meet contemporary standards.

The projects offers a cost effective and practical approach that aligns with long-term planning and resource allocation.

Additional costs include renovation of the retention buildings for facilities maintenance, geotechnical testing and corrections, furniture fixtures, and equipment, moving relocation, and a follow-on operations and maintenance fund.

Previously, voters approved $2.5 million for design of a new or renovated municipal building on the 2021 sixpenny ballot.

The spatial analysis was completed, and we are currently contracted with Plan 1 architects for the final design.

Total cost.

Because the city's share of the ballot is 74.25 million.

Not all projects can be funded.

Most cost estimates are based on professional planning documents.

While we recognize the significant pressure on the governing body to fund as many projects as possible, we would ask that whichever projects are selected to be fully funded to ensure successful completion and long-term value.

Before we open it up for a public hearing for those participating online or who prefer not to speak in public, or those who wish to speak in public but also want to, an online survey has been created.

The QR code displayed on the screen will take you directly to the survey.

On a side note, as of 4 p.m.

today, we have already received 178 responses to the survey.

On the homepage, click on the council agendas and minutes toggle and then scroll down to the section labeled work sessions and click on the blue toggle labeled 2025.

Oops.

Let's go back.

Thank you for your consideration tonight.

And again, we're here to answer any questions that you may have.

Thank you, Chief of Staff.

That was uh succinct, but very inclusive of all the information.

And uh so at this point in a public hearing, what we'd like to do is just invite the public to come up.

We have two microphones on one on either side.

If you'd come up, just identify yourself and uh let us know your thoughts on the projects that we've um brought forward so far.

If you have other projects you think the governing body should look at, uh, we're here to listen and to learn.

So please come forward.

Brian, somebody needs to step up.

You'd be first.

Mr.

Ridgway.

We've missed you, sir.

Welcome back.

Thank you.

Uh Jim Ridgway, 3615 Moore Avenue in Cheyenne.

And mayor, um, through you to the council members and the staff.

I'll just kind of go down and make comments as review of the proposed, and I looked at it a little bit this morning.

Um, Mr.

Ridgway, can I have ask you to aim that microphone closer to you?

Um, we can hear you fine, but people online can't, and this would really help their experience.

Okay.

Oh, much better.

Okay.

The first question would be the station six replacement.

And that's the one that's out by uh McCormick Jr.

High, correct?

Yeah, it is, sir.

And a replacement of that.

Um I don't live in that neighborhood, but when that fire station was built, it was built for that specific, kind of like for that neighborhood and for Western Hills that's across the interstate.

If we're going to take a fire station and we're going to move it several miles to the east, how are you going to justify the, I guess, a response time to those neighborhoods that are that it's replacing, I guess.

That would be kind of a concern of mine.

Right.

Okay.

The other one is the uh replacement of the uh the fire trucks.

I would would have vote for that.

I would have, you know, approve that.

And I know there's some advanced ordering.

You just can't go down and buy a new fire truck.

You know, the lead time now is four years, sir.

What's that?

It takes four years if you put from your order to get them.

And so in order to do that, we had to get in line.

Correct.

And I understand that the the city, I think what you did in the past was you, I'll say borrowed money from the general fund and backfilled it to purchase prior engines.

That's something that uh if I remember that you did.

I think our plan, sir, would be that the hopefully the um six penny sales tax proposition would pass before the trucks come.

So we'll have the cash in order to do that.

Uh the cash comes over a period of four or five years.

So we would front the money and then the tax would pay us back.

That's that's maybe a better word front.

I said borrowed, but you front money from the general fund.

Okay.

Um I do have a question about the uh apparatus and loose equipment, the turnout gear.

Um, I I find it kind of a I guess concerning that you're gonna have that as a six penny uh measure when I think that if it's urgent that they have it now, that you could use general fund money to buy the the fire personnel that gear, not have them wait for six penny money to come in and get filled up.

Mr.

Ridgway, they're they're not expired yet, but the expiration date on those things is coming, and so we're trying to be proactive and make sure we can afford them when the time comes.

Correct.

But the the city does have general fund money that they could use to purchase that, correct?

We do.

Okay.

Thank you.

Uh the other with uh the uh question on the the large, I guess it's a hundred foot or 110 foot ladder truck.

The city has a a parking space for that.

It's able to fit in one of the stations.

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Uh downtown improvement projects.

So the the question I have, if you go back to 2021, I think the the city at that time had 6.1 million for curb and gutter in the downtown area, as well as other projects.

So the the city's already pushed through that money for the downtown areas for like curb and gutter.

I don't think there's a lot left.

The last piece is the contract that we just approved for uh the uh improvements in the depot area, Mr.

Ridgeway.

Um, and I think it comes really close to exhausting all of those funds.

I think there's a little bit left, but there's not much.

Okay.

Uh Reed Abra Court corridor.

I'm not really up on to that.

I I don't get to the west side that much.

I don't really have an opinion.

I don't know if I would have you know support it or not.

I'd have to have more information on it.

I don't really like to volunteer council members, but we have a couple council members that would love to take you for tour if you want to go see what the vision is.

Okay.

Um I'll think about that.

Um, the other one was uh the pumping station.

Again, I don't know uh and what you're talking about is four million dollars to get the facility, make some improvements, and then hope that somebody comes in and develops it or uses it.

Uh when I look at that area there, it it overlooks obviously the train depot on the south.

Um, you have a car dealership that's in that area.

I don't know if it would be suitable.

I don't know what kind of business would want to go in there or the access to it.

You know, it's a nice old building, it's got history, but you know, four million dollars to put into it.

Okay.

Um this is references with the Johnson pool renovation.

Initially, you know, I would have been for that, but there was the the announcement that you're aware of of the Brown family that is gonna develop not only a pool, but a whole facility in that area.

So, you know, having if their facility comes to, you know, to be, I don't think the city should spend 10 million dollars on just a pool when there's gonna have a new facility out there with a lot of amenities in it.

The uh airport arts and aviation center.

I think that was 3.9 million, but the whole cost was 14 million.

So the city's just gonna, I guess, go in, upgrade it, do some work on it, and then turn it over to another group.

I think the idea is the um in the restaurant area to build out the corn shell, upgrade the HVAC, the electrical, and get it ready so a tenant could come in and then lease that area and bring it back to life.

And but the main purpose of it would be to display art in aviation.

Um I think this first piece that you're talking about would facilitate a restaurant going in there so that we could bring the building back to life and bring traffic to it, and the other pieces would go out for grants to start build the the museum and some of the other amenities that are hoped to go in there.

Mr.

Ridgeway, I missed when you talked about the Johnson pool.

That pool is 71 years old.

Um, so it's um if we uh I I appreciated your comments, but I just wanted for the record.

Um it's 71 years old.

So it is definitely something we either have to replace or or to take out.

Um, but we can't keep it alive anymore.

So correct.

I I do that.

But if if if that family and that, I guess trust builds that area there, uh, it doesn't make sense to spend money, either try to keep the pool alive for a few more years or to compete with it because the city charges for swimming.

They may charge something to use their facility as well.

Mr.

Ridgewood, question for you, because I I'd like to know the answer.

Our pool is outdoor, their pool is indoor.

Does that make a difference to you in the summertime?

People need to be outdoors and swimming.

Does it make sense to have an outdoor pool uh and then use their pool in the wintertime?

Um, does that change your or it doesn't convince me?

Okay, it's more money.

I think that if if somebody was really wanting to go to an outdoor pool, they might go up to to Lyons Park.

Uh, but we don't know what the final design is on their facility, too.

Right.

We don't I I know it's an indoor pool because I talked to them.

And that the pool in Lance Park is an indoor pool also.

So that means we would not have a community uh outdoor pool.

And I just didn't know if that was ring a bell to you or or would it make a difference in your thoughts?

Uh no, I would still if the family is gonna develop that with a pool and a facility, I would not support the Johnson pool.

Understood.

Okay.

Uh road maintenance.

Uh again, I would support that.

I think that's important to do as much as we can on the road maintenance.

Um, I do have I have one question on it was the uh one of the facilities.

I don't know which part it's under, but they talked about building a storage facilities for dumpsters and trash cans.

Yes, sir.

And I I didn't understand that why they want to do that.

My in the reason I look at it is my my recycle can, my garbage can I'm currently using has been outside for 15 years.

It it's scratched up and scuffed up, but it still functions.

And I don't know why we would want to spend money to put those cans in there when I think is there a damage that we're looking at or Jason.

This is your project, correct?

Let's get an answer because I honestly don't know the answer to that either, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Sanchez.

Good evening, Mayor.

Jason Sanchez, community reckoning Vince.

So the intent with this was to build an enclosure at the depot to contain the the dumpsters and all of the trash cans we have that we currently store in the parking lot.

Um it's unsightly and uh just trying to find a way to uh build a home for those uh trash cans and the dumpsters.

Thank you, Mr.

Sanchez.

Did that help understand the what the purpose is anyways?

Maybe a little bit.

It it's it didn't, I think in the what I read, it didn't say specifically the depot.

Basically, you're trying to to put them away in between the pickup days.

Um, and I'm not sure do you recall what the amount of money was, Mr.

Sanchez?

Ms.

Um uh mayor through you.

I don't have a cost estimate on a design.

Um and that was noted in the presentation.

Uh, we've we've spent some money doing the first two phases of renovation at the depot.

We did the exterior patio, the cafe, the restrooms on the first floor.

We're currently renovating the second and third floor, and we're doing some renovation on the plaza.

One of the next steps would be the to renovate the museum portion of the depot.

And then I was wanting to uh include some storage, some containment for the dumpsters and the trash cans.

Okay.

All right, thank you.

Thank you.

Mr.

Edgewood, do you have anything else for us?

Uh the other one was the um uh minimum minimum revenue guarantee for the airport.

Uh in the past, isn't it just been a state, city, county contribution for for the money.

Don't we all combine?

Mr.

Joey, that's right.

The state pays uh I think 60% of the total amount, and then the city and the county split the right the remaining part of it.

And this would be for the city's portion of that minimum revenue guarantee.

And then we don't know if the the state's going to continue with that or if the county's gonna correct.

Um I I believe we have commitments from the county to to continue to do it, and uh it's a state program.

I can't speak for the state.

Okay.

And the only other the only other thing I have on that is uh it it's I guess in the big picture, it's not a lot of money.

Uh, but when you look at just two flights to Denver, I know in the past when it's been brought up, they've talked about going to Texas, Las Vegas, doing different things, trying to get more flights out.

Uh so I'm kind of would be on the fence of that.

Uh that airline that comes in is a billion dollar company.

And sometimes I wonder why we have to subsidize the airline to come in.

We should be able to work up something to say, listen, you know, it's good to have traffic coming in here.

You're using it, but why do we have to pay them that money?

So that's a concern for Mr.

Joey.

I had those same exact questions asked.

And uh, you know, the first year we had the minimum revenue guarantee.

I think we spent over two million dollars uh for the uh the airline.

Uh today we're spending just a couple hundred thousand, when I say just in comparison, we're spending a couple hundred thousand dollars a year to do that.

Uh so that shows that the airport uh and the airline is is working and and uh and coming really close to paying for its way.

But what I've learned is that um there's a lot of communities that don't have flights that would love to have ours and be willing to pay for it.

So I don't know that we're ever ever going to get rid of a minimum guarantee.

I hope so, but um, we're gonna have probably some level uh in some time some quarters it's only like five or six thousand dollars.

So we're you know, but they're not using it all, but they want to make sure there's something there in order to be able to keep it going.

But I've had those exact same conversations in my mind and with uh the airport, and I'm trying to learn more about that.

Okay.

Uh the other the other question would be the on the uh last for the uh police department.

They currently use old MRAP vehicles and they want to get, I guess, new new vehicles.

Uh, have to have more information again on a lot of the proposals, more information.

Um, I guess more specifics is what I would look for as a voter.

Uh, when you talk about improving downtown the depot, um, I guess more specifics is going to put out and explain it.

We're gonna do X, Y, and Z.

Uh, the new vehicles to include a picture of the vehicle and explain that, say the old vehicles maintenance is not we're not able to do maintenance on them anymore, or maintenance is more expensive than a new vehicle, something of that nature.

You know, Mr.

Rich, we have got the chief of police here, and I think the problem is is the ones we have are military and they're just too big for working in uh in a community getting down alleys and stuff like that.

But let's have the chief war, David or somebody come up and um and share with us why they're asking for a different vehicle.

Because I think if you're asking the question, I'm sure a lot of people are asking the same question.

Welcome, Chief.

Mark Francisco Shine, please chief.

Uh mayor through you.

I I didn't catch a specific question on those vehicles.

Why do you want UMRAPs since we have?

So in general, um the the old military vehicles are unsuited for really operation in an urban environment.

They're they're way too big.

You can't get under some of the power lines through some of the alleys.

So we've run into a lot of difficulty with that.

Um, we do get some criticism for uh the concept of militarization.

People call them tanks.

Um, they are a much more um complex piece of machinery.

They have air breaking systems and and so forth.

So the the modern concept of rescue vehicles is based on an FI50 chassis, much smaller, easier to get around, doesn't have complicated systems and air breaking systems, easier to work on.

So the modern concept of rescue vehicles is based on an F550 chassis, much smaller, easier to get around, doesn't have complicated systems and air breaking systems, easier to work on in just a much more uh you know, civilian friendly vehicle as it were versus a military militarized um appearance of the others.

And they are getting old.

So the maintenance costs is going to go up on those things.

And then like I said, they are difficult and expensive to work on.

Did that help Mr.

Joy?

It it does.

And uh mayor question uh if it's approved, the old vehicles are those does the city get to sell them and keep the money, or they turn it over to the military.

They do go back to the military.

The city to not buy them in the first place.

It's uh it's a military equipment sharing.

Uh so they could they could go to somebody else that that may think that they need them.

Okay, thank you.

They will definitely will not stay in our arsenal, sir.

Okay.

Well, I thought that they city could sell them and get a few dollars for them.

It would help.

Like that thought.

All right.

Thank you.

That's fine.

Mr.

Joy, thank you.

Anyone else in the audience want to speak?

Ms.

Volk, welcome.

Um Mayor, members of the council, Wendy Volk.

I'm speaking both as a private citizen, um, board member of the downtown development authority, board member uh visit Cheyenne, board member of Cheyenne Regional Air Focus Team.

So I'll be totally transparent there.

I am I want to applaud all of you and everyone that has compiled and curated a very um robust list for the six penny consideration.

I support them all.

I think these are investments we need for long-term longevity.

Um, from the downtown development authority, I love our downtown compared to where I moved back to Cheyenne when I was 30 years ago.

I was 30 years old, and people thought I was crazy.

I had that mouth.

You better watch yourself.

I'm not sure.

But I don't watch my ball.

So 1995, I moved back to Cheyenne.

I was 30 years old, and my mom thought it was a kiss of death to move back to Cheyenne as a single woman.

And I said, No, I love Wyoming.

I miss Wyoming.

And I am going to make Wyoming my home.

I later met my husband.

We raised a family, we've invested in downtown, we've invested in um downtown and other surrounding areas.

We are proud.

Um, my husband's a sixth generation Wyoming family.

I'm a fifth generation Wyoming family, and we would not be here if we didn't believe in what all of you are doing and what all of these departments have put forth as projects.

This is what we're looking for.

We want our children and other young people to come back to Wyoming.

And if we don't have the infrastructure in place, I'm very concerned.

I am proud to report we've had over 220,000 people fly in and out of our Cheyenne New Airport terminal.

And we appreciate the Cheyenne partnership.

We are um seeing the number of passengers that are flying in and out of Cheyenne's airport is phenomenal.

We are one of the fastest growing airports for a new terminal.

We had some disruptions with the pandemic and some unforeseen circumstances.

We also had a new runway that took several years out of commission, but we are proud of the investment this community has made for air service.

I am proud of what we've done in downtown.

30 years ago, we did not have any of the positive traction that we see.

And I want to applaud for all of you in this community for investing in downtown.

Downtown was not where we are now.

We did not have the twinkle lights on 17th Street.

We did not have the depot.

We did not have Fridays on the plaza.

These are things we should applaud, but we also need to take it to the next level.

The west side of downtown has been terribly neglected.

And we have seen in the last few years phenomenal positive traction.

And so the spiker garage, amazing what we have done there as a parking alternative.

So thank you.

I also am truly in support of anything for our police department and fire protection.

We're going to need that.

Cheyenne is on a phenomenal trajectory of what the number of employers and infrastructure projects, um, whether it's industrial, commercial, economic development.

Um, we're gonna have people coming in here, and we may not have the support without six penny project consideration.

So thank you.

And I will uh stand for any questions.

Any questions for our three-time board member?

Wendy, thanks for being here.

Thank you.

Who's next?

Mr.

Bell, welcome.

Thank you very much.

Uh Brian Bow, the downtown uh property owner and at 1506 Capitol Avenue.

Um, I'll serve on the DDA board and uh I'm very pleased to see several um of these plans involve the downtown and the Reed Avenue corridor, which is definitely part of our DDA area wide plan.

Um so I just want to speak in favor of of those and in favor of the uh the um additional funds five million dollars for downtown and uh curb and gutter and um we as as a downtown property owner, that's definitely part of what we're all facing down there.

There's some sidewalks and curb and gutter that definitely need assistance, and we've made some good progress on that so far.

So um I think that the Reed Avenue corridor will eventually tie in very nicely to the improvements that are made at the depot uh via the 15th Street project, which is a another priority.

So um just just in favor of all the great growth that's happening downtown, and also wanted to mention that I enjoy traveling in and out of the airport, and I'm very in favor of uh the ability to continue to do that.

Thank you.

Thank you, Brad.

Did anybody have any questions for Mr.

Bell?

Just making sure.

Thank you, sir.

Mr.

Tubner.

Hi.

Hi.

How are you?

And City Council.

I appreciate the opportunity.

My name's Dave Tupner, and my address is 509 West 17th Street.

Um, here representing I sent a letter to you all, I think a week and a half ago from um some group of investors that were invited to the steering committee meetings around Reed Avenue project.

Um, and kind of had some fun going back in history and using AI actually to see what it it knew about um and what had been documented and cited about the project.

And so it helped me write that first piece um, really, because there is a lot of citations and a lot of documentation of the investment and those kind of things, and then wove in um factors of the West Edge plan that was brought to us 10 years ago.

Um, I remember it pretty well, in that it was a very involved community involved community inputted process, and you all know about it.

Um it uh as a cornerstone of that, um, you guys implemented a lot of key infrastructure that wouldn't have made any redevelopment possible if you hadn't.

And the first one was the 25th, 26th Street uh underground water interceptor for stormwater.

Um we I bought a building on 23rd Street in Snyder, our first building for warehouse 21.

And that was long before the uh stormwater project.

And I'll tell you our basement would always fill um with big storms, and that went away with the interceptor project.

Um, but the vision of the curing the stormwater with that interceptor, and then taking care of the hundred-year flood and the retention pond of civic uh commons, but also making it a nice amenity, um, not just uh a retention pond.

But the plan also had uh as key pieces, uh it was taking care of stormwater.

It was taking care of the uh the blight, but especially the EPA grant that the state received or the city received to take care of this industrial contamination that was all in the soil.

Um the last part of that was uh to create a barrier uh to not try to run out the train, but we're a train town, it's what established us, and so to embrace it and welcome it, it's a beautiful thing, but to create a barrier that of safety um that allows for residential and mixed-use development to happen around it, like we see in a lot of progressive urban environments.

Um so oftentimes when I come up here, I find myself regretting it when I go back home.

Like uh Dave, you like you say stuff like we're not moving fast enough, or we're it's been 10 years and um we haven't done anything.

And uh it's been important reflection of me as I worked on that piece is to realize what has been done um by the city, the city council.

And those projects weren't cheap, but we none of us would have been able to develop if we wouldn't have taken care of some of the contaminants in the soil um and also the storm water.

This train though, um is one of those beautiful experiences where all this uh modern development and concrete sidewalks and streets, and then there's this pivot into history where it turns to dirt, right?

And it is unchanged because it's the railroad's uh property, and then back onto modern uh development on each side.

Um so creating something that is a connecting tissue for the residential neighborhood that sits above and to the west of the downtown to make it walkable, make those residential opportunities to be walkable and bikeable into the downtown, not always having to bring your vehicle, but to activate those communities so that we have a robust downtown that is living down here, not just coming down for the weekends um and or relying on CFD alone to fulfill our downtown's uh opportunity.

So there's been a lot of uh you all know this, so I won't repeat it, put it in the letter.

Um, I did send another letter um today that has more like signatures and a group of representation, just asking you to consider it, and you clearly are.

And so we have a lot of great gratitude for your early investments and the fact that it's on here.

So uh thank you for considering Reed Avenue, moving it forward.

There's a lot of excited investors that will follow that hundred million already invested, um, and hopefully uh another hundred million to pass in the future if it moves forward.

Um lastly, sorry, I get shaky because I'm excited, hold my breath.

Um outside of that, I do support um a lot of these projects are all super important.

Um the city fire and parks and rec department are stellar in Cheyenne, and I support all of those that make good sense.

Um and that airport is a game changer for our business, being able to fly easily in and out of uh the multiple shows we go to around the country.

And so we're grateful for all your considerations.

Big decision for you, but thank you for thinking of Reed Avenue.

Two things for me, Mr.

Tubner.

One is uh when you send those letters, don't forget to send them to the mayor, too.

Um and then the last thing was um when you did the your last day of your music festival and you looked back on a decade and all the businesses that weren't there when you started that were there at the end, you know.

Sometimes I think we we look at our glass being half empty, but I loved that day when you were talking about the 46 businesses that uh weren't there when you first started that were there afterwards.

Um, you know, that there's some really tremendous improvements, even though they're small and slow to come.

Um I loved your half full vision that day.

So thank you for that.

Uh no, thank you for the support.

And without Parks and Rec, that that baby never would have happened.

Um, but a lot of development.

It is amazing, Liz that when you look back at the last 10 years and especially the last seven or eight.

So thank you very much.

Mr.

Mayor, Mr.

Wolf.

Ms.

Mayor, thank you through you.

Um Mr.

Tubner, um couple things.

Uh first of all, thank you for the opportunity.

I've had to talk with you several times in the last couple of weeks since I was appointed about the Reed Avenue project in particular.

Um could can I ask you to speak uh in in more detail about your thoughts about where we are with the railroad and um with the project work that's already be done, been done.

Um and second of all, um welcome your thoughts about how you think we ought to prioritize these projects.

Um we can't do all of them, obviously, or we can't do all of them at the amounts that have been requested.

Um, and you expressed some thoughts to me that I thought were very pertinent about how uh as you think about where investments ought to be made, what what kind of um collateral issues um should we also be considering when we make that decision?

Yeah, thank you for that question.

Um where we're at with the railroad, um, I would say that it's been, as you both, as you all know, two contractors, long process, a lot of challenges in between.

Um, I think the reason the investor group is so bullish is that we finally to a place where um they're uh uh accepting um 30% kind of vision, which hasn't happened before and it's not fully accepted and all those things.

I know.

Um, but that's a big milestone after eight years that we've never ever seen this stage with the railroad.

And they are the ones in control because safety and and it is their property.

Um, so I think that's exciting.

There is still work to be done, and I think uh members of the council mentioned that in emails back to me.

I think that fourth road road closure is real challenging and people are noticing it and uh and talking about it.

Um I don't think it makes it unviable, but I think somewhere between uh the 100% drawings, I think a deeper discussion, obviously, and um more input from the property owners.

Um but we always knew that closures were a part of it.

If we were if you were an investor on the on Reed Avenue or the spur, you it was always a part of the conversation with the first firm as well.

Um there was just talk of like two or three.

Um, so it's grown a little bit.

So while it's not perfect, I think that there's this really big um step of where we're getting closer to an agreement that is really viable and it's that's a give and take.

But I think the traffic calming portion where you develop around residential is really common in urban environments.

So some closures are really good things.

You just don't want to close too many in that discussion.

So really excited and bullish.

It's part of our letter writing, is uh because we've never been here before with the railroad.

So Mr.

Tuper, how about how you would prioritize projects?

Uh yeah, thank you for that one.

Um I'm uh just a believer in you have to spend money to make money, and sometimes you have to spend money for infrastructure.

But if I had to prioritize at this stage in Cheyenne's development, because I think with uh the business part growth and technology firms moving in, I think we and being the top out of the cap uh front range.

I think Cheyenne is well positioned for growth and the need for expansion and and infill and those kind of things are weighty, they're expensive.

So I would prioritize around things that are gonna create tax revenue that are gonna create uh revenue for you to spend um for this growth.

I think uh the city needs it.

And I think uh revenue over liability um at this critical time when I think not that we have uh a spending problem, but a revenue problem instead.

Um, and the city needs to grow and create uh tax-based growth.

So I prioritize projects that are bringing money back to do additional things.

Any follow-up, Mr.

Wolf?

Anyone else for Mr.

Tudor?

David, thanks for being here.

Appreciate you.

Appreciate you.

Ms.

Volk.

Sorry, Mr.

Mr.

Mayor and members council.

I just wanted to add one other thing.

As a lifelong resident, when I was growing up in Cheyenne in the summertime, we had a number of places you could go swimming.

You had the Buffalo Ridge swimming outdoor swimming pool, you had coal swimming pool, you had the municipal pool, you had the country club.

There just wasn't now we're in a very different situation.

Um we now have private swimming pools for outdoor swimming.

We only have the Johnson um pool as an outdoor public facility and and municipal pool has a spray park on the outside of the municipal.

But I want to just say for quality of life consideration, I am very proud that the Johnson pool is under consideration for refurbishment because it is a public.

And I know the question might have been raised about there will be a potential public rec center on the south side, uh, or private rec center on the south side of Cheyenne.

But in terms of a public facility, I I have enjoyed the Johnson swimming pool from the time I was a child um on up to adulthood.

And I I just think from uh quality of life, employers look for quality of life consideration.

And I think that is an awesome consideration that is the you know opportune time to reinvest.

And I also think our greenway is something we did not have when I was growing up in Cheyenne.

We rode our bikes, probably where we shouldn't have been riding bikes on major thoroughfares and took life into our own hands without bike helmets.

The greenway is phenomenal, and we use that every every month of every year and and year round.

And so I just want to say I appreciate those thoughtful consideration.

Appreciate it.

Thank you, Ms.

Volk.

Who also would like to speak to us from the audience?

Sophia Mays, welcome.

Good evening.

Good evening, Sophia Mays, executive director of the DDA.

I'm here on behalf of the DDA with a letter of support for the Reed Rail corridor.

In this letter created with uh a few of my board members, uh we have outlined why we support this project.

It's one of our five catalyst projects in the plan of development that was adopted in 2024.

It was also a 2024 council priority one of those.

It's the return on the investment from this project we believe will be year over year immense.

The amount of investment in this space we've already heard a lot of private investors, business owners uh asking about the progress of this development and the potential for more public private partnerships if there's a committed amount from the six penny is going to be much more likely um with that commitment.

There's some big players that have been contacting me already to see what the progress is and um we're highly highly supportive of this project um as a resident and a member of the public uh I also am part of the uh WIC uh group Wyoming independent citizens coalition I attend regularly and um hearing their stories about Southside and the uh lack of infrastructure and amenities uh it's it's uh heartbreaking and I truly believe that the Johnson pool would be an immense um is is it's critical to to um renovating at this juncture um the South side is also growing there's a lot of investment going on in the south side and to have an amenity like that that's public uh and available for all types of income sources and um and folks will be critical for the South side thank you.

Mr.

Mayor yes Dr.

Emmons.

Thank you Mr.

Mayor through you so um Sophia based on the fact that you said there are some heavy hitters I don't know that was exactly the words but some people that are interested in contributing and based on the fact that we're like 62 million dollars short here um do you think that if we had if we invested less in the Reed Avenue corridor through the sixth penny we would be able to offset that with some of those folks who are interested in uh participating mail case uh to Dr.

Emmons I am not sure at this point I know that the more public investment and commitment we have the more likely we will have private commitments um the more we can leverage and layer funding sources the more we could potentially be eligible for other grants including fund uh federal grants uh I know that the railroad crossings elimination we had applied for the city had applied for a grant for that previously I believe that was funded um to my knowledge yes it was funded um and uh there are other economic developments grants funding other private funds the cultural investments the way that we can layer that will be a lot more flexible and a lot more will give us a lot more creativity a follow up yes ma'am um do you do you think that the folks that you work with have concerns about the fact that the railroad hasn't bought into this 100% are they willing to potentially have us go for this knowing that we don't have full say on this that the railroad still hasn't stepped up to the level that we need them to is that a uh area of concern for your folks may through you to Dr.

Emmons that is always a concern uh you know that full commitment would be is what the private sector is waiting for to um make those investments uh from my understanding BNSF has become more committed to the 30% 35% design plans um and I'll have Director Cobb speak on that a little bit more if he would like uh I the railroad is always a tricky situation um however the more support we the more support we have from the public and um the more we can continue to push this and pivot where we need to to have the railroad considerations accounted for um I know that there are several major properties along that area that are waiting for at least just more assurance um there's been some concerns about the railroad crossings and how many there are but ultimately if that's what the railroad wants then I think it would be best because that project will will increase the values of everything along that corridor um so we are we're we're getting closer every every day thank you so yeah Mr.

Um so we are we're we're getting closer every every day.

Thank you, Sylvia.

Mr.

Laborne, did you have a question?

Yes, I uh I see that Mr.

Cobb is standing up here.

And uh having speaking as the chairman of the Reed Avenue Steering Committee, we've been meeting and discussing this lately.

Um perhaps it's not clear to everyone, and uh certainly with all the delay that have gone on over the years about what is uh possible and what is not.

Um Mr.

Cobb, am I correct?

Can I ask Mr.

Cobb a question?

Okay, sure.

We'll get you an answer.

Yes, sir.

Um Mr.

Mayor, uh am I correct that the 35% design that is now before the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad for comment is the first step that we've ever been able to take, where they evaluated that design and that request.

Uh prior to this, we didn't have that entry into their system, and their system is very bureaucratic.

Um we spent a lot of money and time doing that, but we never had that entry.

So perhaps uh Mr.

Mayor, you could explain uh how we go from 35 to 65 to 90, and then be able to actually uh follow through on what we've submitted.

Mr.

Cobb, does that make sense?

Mayor, yes, through you, sir.

I Mr.

Laborne, I will say this.

It it was a 30% submittal.

It says 35 in the slide, it's my error for not catching it.

It was a 30% submittal.

And what I would add to this comment to you is yes, it's a first time we were actually able to submit anything because we had to have a PE agreement with the railroad in order to move forward.

The PE agreement is simply an agreement that says that yes, we will review it and the terms of that agreement included up to, and we we said at that time the crossing thing has been an issue for a while, but we we stated in there because we knew they were thinking about it up to four.

So it didn't, we didn't specify which ones in the 30% plan.

We have other than the two the two that we already knew, which were 17th, 18th, and Dylan.

And then again, as we work through the process, it was clear that they needed that fourth crossing.

And the way that I will say that we now understand we have received their support in 100%, is I received the letter of concurrence from the BNSF for our FRA grant that says foreclosures, BNSF agrees with the concept of plans and moving forward as shown to us.

So we have demonstrated everything to them as much as we can go.

We don't get 100% concurrence from them until we get to the end submittal.

But I can tell you as the council, this is what they were told, and this is not just our public projects coordinator from BNSF.

It was her boss and her boss's boss.

I had French Thompson in the meeting as well, and he is directly vice president of the BNSF now.

He looked he said very quietly, they all moved forward and said to me, Mr.

Cobb, can you move forward with a 90% plan?

And I said, yes, sir, we could, but I said, Isn't your process 60%?

And he said, I think you could move forward with 90.

And then I'm the one that held back our process and said, wait a second, I think we had need to have some public comment here because this would nobody's seen anything yet.

So I would like to proceed a bit slower.

So this is me slowing it down.

This is the first time I've told this group this message, but I was hesitant about saying moving full forward, because again, nobody has seen anything yet.

So I slowed it down a little bit.

But if that helps you about a decision about where the railroad feels, when they tell us to move to 90%, I think that pretty much says to us where they feel we are.

Um that's I I'm confident I can't tell you 100% in my life that I would bet my life on this, but we've never had this kind of support from them ever.

I've been working on this for the last five years plus.

And so this is a huge step.

I can't under understate it, but I can't promise you that at the end, they're not going to say, well, I don't know.

But I I can only tell you what they've told me, and this is the way I am.

I'm this is this is it.

So sorry, that's all I have, Mayor.

Sorry.

Yes, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, I'm curious if we could get some explanation of the uh FRA grant, which is uh central to as Mr.

Cobb mentioned, this whole project, the amount and the purpose of that grant and what it would conceivably pay for.

Mr.

Cobb uh Mayor, through you to Councilman Labor, sir.

So I I don't have the numbers off the top of my head, but it is for the foreclosures 17th, 18th, 21st, and Dillon, um, including the signalization components, the the the areas that are surrounding it, including curb gutter and islands, and also the fencing from basically 15 or 16th all the way to 24th on both sides of the track.

Um, I can get the numbers for you here in a second if I look on my computer, sir.

You need the specifics, Mr.

Labor.

Um, well, Mr.

Mayor, can I make some comments?

Well, we're gonna do city council comments, but I guess if you want to make them now, I guess that's okay.

Well, thank you.

Uh, Mr.

Mayor, I believe it's probably appropriate since we've learned a lot about the whole project here in the past few people that have come up to speak, and then certainly uh what Mr.

Cobb has just explained to us that uh the opportunity exists in a way that it never existed before, and that uh there is grant money for the safety purposes that he mentioned.

I think that that's uh one point I would really like to make, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh we're not going to be uh closing off these streets willy-nilly.

This is a safety factor.

And those uh arms and their controls uh have to be coordinated.

So I think it's very significant that we have uh 2.2 million dollars left from the uh previous sales tax, and that with the FRA grant, um, we have a very substantial amount of money to proceed with this project.

And I think that uh when we talk about it and we talk about 14 million, I see that uh some of us are more supportive of a lower number to do a phased effort.

Um and Mr.

Mayor, I don't want to close without pointing out uh what that whole West Edge uh project has done and what the drainage work has accomplished, and that is the uh hundred unit apartment house now on a construction a block away from here.

Um I don't believe that would have happened without that infrastructure improvement, and I don't believe that uh when is when it's in full uh occupancy, uh that's gonna be the opportunity for those people that live there to uh frequent uh the corridor, the rest of downtown, and truly is the kind of game changer and investment that we need.

So uh thank you for giving me the opportunity to make these those comments at this time.

Thank you, Mr.

Cobb.

Did you find that number, sir?

Mayor, yes, sir.

I believe it's 2.5 million.

Don't have it down to the nearest cent, but that's the grant component and the match um around 800,000.

So the city has to match out for 800,000.

Sir.

Okay, thank you.

Mr.

Mayor, I have a question about the grant as long as we're discussing it.

I think it's appropriate.

Go.

So Mr.

Mayor, Mr.

Cobb had said the purpose of the FRA grant was um for to help with the signals for the closures, curb gutter, and islands and those areas and fencing.

Does the amount of the grant and our match cover what those costs are gonna be at this point?

And is there that's first part of my question?

Second part, is there anything else that's allowable under the grant?

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Mr.

Cobb, you mayor, through you to Dr.

Rennie.

Dr.

Rening, as far as we know, based on where we at on the 30% plan, yes, it's going to cover the costs that we've identified.

Um the second part of your question, sir.

I'm sorry.

What else is eligible under the grant?

I presume it's Mr.

Mayor, I presume it's just infrastructure, but I didn't know if it was um again.

Is it just like all related to the closures?

Dr.

or sorry, Mayor, through you to Dr.

Rennie, yes, sir.

And there was some more.

They actually made us put in some more design costs if we felt like we needed it, and also some environmental concerns.

So those two components were added into the grant language.

And Mr.

Mayor, if we happen to put in some landscaping in some of those closure areas, could that be covered?

Mr.

Copp.

Mayor, through you to Dr.

Rennie.

I I am not sure, sir.

It's good mostly for safety.

So my assumption would be no, sir.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

All right.

Anybody else?

We're having fun.

Come up for us.

Jennifer, do you have anybody online?

Yep.

I'm having some hands be raised here.

So let me move over here.

Sorry, all alone tonight.

Jackie, you should be able to unmute yourself.

Perfect.

Thank you so much.

And uh thank you for the opportunity to speak.

Um, Jackie Sentrap, uh, Ward One resident.

I just want to make sure that as a Ward One resident, I want to speak in favor for the Johnson pool.

Several of us who grew up and had the opportunity to grow up on the south side of Lincoln Way have very fond memories of that pool.

And uh we're saddened to see it go, but very understandably due to the uh the age of it.

So to be able to host another public opportunity for our community would be amazing.

And I think it would be a huge benefit to the whole community.

Um and happy to see that go forward and happy to support that in any way.

Thank you so much.

It's nice to hear people who grew up are still here.

Thank you, Jackie.

Who else do you have, Jennifer?

Well, they took their hand down.

So going once, going twice.

Okay, hold on just a minute.

Yes, ma'am.

Carla, you could go ahead and unmute yourself.

Thank you.

I'm Carla Gregorio.

I'm the president of Wyoming Independent Citizens uh Coalition.

And I'm here on behalf of our uh group.

Um we do uh a lot of work uh within the nonprofit with no with all volunteer in South Cheyenne.

Um part of our priorities is the beautification and safety.

And one of the things that we've been working actively on is the support of the Johnson pool.

Uh the survey and all the designs was funded by your sixth penny that passed previously.

And uh we are in favor of continuing uh that proposal and that project uh to its completion.

So we are asking that it be highly considered as one of the six penny projects.

It is a public um pool.

Uh we don't know what's going to be happening with that community center, and I don't think you guys should be making decisions on what ifs.

Um the pools there, it's public, it's good for South Cheyenne, it's good for the DDA uh businesses that are right across the interstate.

It's a perfect place to have um a public pool.

So I just want to say we support that and thank you for everything that you do.

Carla, thanks for calling in.

That's it.

All right.

I see a lot of faces that are sitting here just listening, not wanting to talk to us.

Okay.

Doug, did you want to speak?

Mr.

Klunn, welcome.

Good evening, Mayor and uh members of council.

I'm Doug Klon, the city construction manager.

I just wanted to take a minute to speak in support of the additional funds of $15 million that's been requested for the additional uh road maintenance.

And road maintenance is not flashy.

It's not the West End.

It's it's none of those flashy things, yet it's it's a very important part of the infrastructure for the city.

And I wanted to take this opportunity, if I could, just to share a few numbers that I've put together based on the pavement management program that we've been operating here for the last few years, and and the direct result that passing this request in 2021 has brought us to.

So if you would indulge me from 2022 through this year of 2025, we've taken advantage of what was passed in 2021, uh, a 14 million dollar fund.

And we have been able to apply approximately $3 million a year and supplement our budget for pavement management.

And I just got a quick breakdown for you.

Um in the crack seal and slurry seal categories that that previously we were unable to do very much work in.

We've completed $8,186,000 worth of work in these last four construction seasons.

Do you have that in miles?

I can tell you approximately in miles.

Um that would be approximately 90.

It's going to be more than 90 total, but a minimum of 90 centerline miles.

And that 8.1 million dollars is specifically.

Well, not specifically, probably 98% of that is on local residential streets.

We do some crack sealing on the major collectors and arterials.

The slurry surfacing is strictly in residential areas.

Another breakdown that we have are the mill and overlays.

And typically we're going to do mill and overlays on streets that see more traffic.

Um the slurry sales aren't quite up to the standard that we need to handle that traffic and the load.

And also it's going to take place in some residential streets that have gone too far beyond repair to introduce a slurry seal.

So in overlays in that same time period, we have completed 16.9 million dollars in work or are completing.

There are a few projects that are just wrapping up yet this year.

And then there are some other various projects, um, mostly associated with concrete, miscellaneous concrete projects that update, concrete corners, drain pans, ADA, um concrete paving repair.

If we have sections such as uh Yellowstone at Central Avenue that we did a couple of years ago, that concrete category accounted for approximately $3.6 million.

When we total those all up over the last four construction seasons, we've invested approximately $28.7 million in our pavement management infrastructure.

Um, and so I just really wanted to come up.

I felt very strongly about urging your support in this $15 million that Mr.

Cobb has requested.

And I know he got into great detail with you in the work session.

And um, I I just wanted to reiterate that it is a very important thing.

And I wanted to be able to show this council and the public at this opportunity, how we're able to take these funds and use them, not only the fifth penny that finances the majority of this and some Oridges and other other sources, but all fifth penny and then the $14 million that they previously approved.

And I want I want to be able to say publicly that all the residents of Laramie County can be assured that we're using this money appropriately, and we are making a difference, a great difference in our community and in our neighborhoods.

And um I was gonna talk about PCIs, but nobody cares about the details.

Those are technical things, and then I just wanted to take this opportunity also to thank your administration, this council, um, my boss, Miss Ash, for allowing me to do what I do to make this program work.

And more than anybody, I want to thank all the residents of Laramie County for giving us the opportunity to do better.

And that's all I got.

Thank you.

Doug, and that 16 miles of overlays, can you put that in the miles for me?

Do you have a just a sense of how many miles of overlays you've done?

Uh, mayor, I do not have that off the top of my head.

I can get it for you, but I can tell you.

Not a big deal, but I know a lot of times dollars, it's hard to understand, but you know, miles, I think really helps us.

So if you don't mind somebody shoot that number to me, I can give you an average number approximately.

Uh millin overlay runs approximately 1.5 million dollars per mile.

They're gonna vary depending on how much concrete work you have to do, but that's that is why it's imperative that we get this additional funding so that we can keep pushing forward with our crack seals and our slurry seals.

They really are the backbone of our maintenance program so that we don't get in a deteriorated state where we then have no choice but to do overlays.

My quick math is 11.2 miles.

So thank you for that.

Absolutely.

Guys, any question for our staff?

Mr.

Moody.

Yep.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Through you, uh, thank you for that report.

I just want to make comments say that I know my constituents, especially in Sun Valley, you know, by initially in that, they definitely say this is very important, and they definitely have said this is what impacts me personally.

So I know we have the other projects there, but to everybody in the public, this is exactly what our constituents definitely want, especially my constituents, especially in Ward 3, because I know that Summer Rose is Sun Valley have been pretty torn up.

So thank you again for all you do.

We do appreciate it.

I know one of our biggest uh complaints we used to hear about, and we still hear about it some is potholes.

But you know, I'm noticing less of those every year.

So thank you for that work.

Slowly appreciate you, sir.

Uh Mr.

Ernie or Dr.

Any, did you want to speak?

Well, no problem.

Thank you.

Thank you, Doug.

Who else is next?

Who's that future voter back there with you?

Hi, Oliver.

It's nice to see that you came to visit us tonight.

Thank you for being here.

He's trying.

He's about at the end of his ropes.

But Mayor and City Council members, Brennan Westby, 714 West 20th Street, West Viet Brewing.

We originally bought the business with hopes of the Reed Avenue Rail Corridor making it a more walkable downtown, making bringing you know life to that side of downtown and it kind of more or less expanding downtown, making it this huge livable place.

And it's been disheartening seeing the kind of trials and tribulations, but with the renewed, you know, 90%.

Hopefully we can get there, getting that kind of stuff has renewed my faith, and I think has renewed a lot of people on the west edge.

And hopefully we'll create more people wanting to come down and build and renew downtown and renew the west side.

Appreciate your being here.

And thanks for all you guys are doing.

And maybe just for the record, you know, I know it's uh it's frustrating for you guys and everybody else, but when we put that project on the ballot in 2017, you know, I just think that uh there was an assumption that it's a city street.

We own that street, right?

The fact that there's a railroad track going down the middle of it.

Um, we weren't thinking about that, but we learned that we've given that away in was it in 1908 or 1909?

And so um, you know, for the last five years that I've been sitting in this chair, uh, our staff, especially Mr.

Cobb has been working really hard to try to find the secret sauce that the railroad would work with us because the fact of the matter is they don't have to do this, but um, but it looks like they're they're starting to warm up to the idea.

And so I'm very hopeful that there'll be a time in the future where you'll see that walkway in front.

I know you guys put really nice poles up close to your building and temporary poles out there, knowing that someday construction would happen.

And I hope that we'll see real polls out there at the end someday and we'll get that done.

So thanks for being here.

Appreciate all you guys do.

Anyone else want to talk to the governing body about this process and yes, ma'am?

I'm I'm sorry, she took her hand down.

Okay.

Well, maybe we'll go to the governing body then.

And if uh they put their hand back up, we can come back.

But anybody on the governing body would like to speak on the six penny.

Mr.

Wolf.

Uh um, Mr.

Mayor, thank you very much.

Um, is there anybody here to talk about the arts and aviation project?

I wasn't able to go into that presentation and haven't watched it, but um uh I'm I I haven't a bunch of questions about it, including why is it named an arts and aviation project?

Uh and second of all, who's who's behind this?

I mean, who who's who's really pushing this thing forward?

And um, and to go to the uh the question I asked uh Mr.

Tudor is what kind of um collateral investment uh might we be looking at if we go forward with that project.

I live four blocks from that uh old airport terminal and uh I'm real familiar with the landscape there.

Um thank you.

You know, I don't know that uh I see anybody here, but just generally what I know is that uh the old uh restaurant that was there was kind of a focal point.

And the thought would be that they could maybe bring a restaurant back to the middle of that to spur some activity into that building.

And then Sophie, did you want to speak to this one?

Well, good.

Mayor, uh, in another life, I was part of that steering committee um last year.

And uh yes, Sophia Mays, executive director of the DDA for the record.

And um, that is an attempt to, or that it's an initiative to renovate the old 1960s terminal um with historic preservation in mind, and then have a house for the Arts Cheyenne uh Creativity Center.

Currently, they are renting uh space in downtown.

That building is for sale, and I've heard that the owner is being more aggressive in the sale.

And so they're looking to find a more permanent home to be able to house that creativity center.

Um they've done the last I was at the meeting was which was a few months ago.

They have um gone through the building several times.

They've done, they have design work done.

Um, they've been searching for grants, and um, they've gotten a few options and opportunities.

Um, however, just the amount that needs to be done to renovate and um get that terminal into uh safe condition.

There's a custis that needs to be mitigated.

There's a lot of issues with the basement, electrical, uh, the amount that would need to be um provided is is a lot more than they can find in another at this time.

Ms.

Wolf, I could add to that too.

Uh Cheyenne has quite a uh aviation history uh going way back, and uh there was a thought that maybe there could be some aviation museum pieces in there that would uh make it a more fun uh public building along with the art center, and then a restaurant component to that would be kind of the overall uh plan for the building.

Mr.

Mayor, I was just gonna add to that.

The aviation part was the develop of Wyoming Aviation Museum, and as you said, early history and of aviation in in Cheyenne was pretty significant and really pretty interesting.

I mean, we had the first school for, I think they called them stewardesses back in the day.

We call them flight attendants today, uh, but they started here in Cheyenne for United Airlines during World War II.

We had the B-17 tail uh modification that was done here.

I mean, our our aviation history is is quite uh quite surprising.

And uh so that was a way to celebrate that history, uh, a home for the arts, and then uh uh what was the heck was the name of that restaurant?

Cloud Nine kind of tried to re to re-establish that um to bring that building back to life.

And the thought is that the uh rents and the and the money that would come from the restaurant would help support some of the other activities that happen in there.

Um I think the whole project is I think like a 14 or 15 million dollar project, but they were asking for the money to do the uh uh the core and shell to get the restaurant part ready um to start to activate the building.

That's what I remember from our our work session.

Okay.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Uh uh, thank you, Sophia.

Uh I think you're gonna need to resurrect uh Governor Ed Hurzler in order to make make the cloud nine successful.

I can get my Mosier back in there.

I get my Mosier back in there.

Yeah.

Wendy, did you want to speak to this project?

It is a four.

Mr.

Mayor, members of council.

Um, I think if we recall, the new airport terminal opened in November of 2018.

Prior to that, the former terminal was was about to be mothballed, and it is mothballed.

It is sitting vacant, unoccupied, unutilized, and it is you know part of our Cheyenne regional airport um inventory of real estate they own.

But I've heard everyone say, just tear it down.

And it's iconic, it's an iconic building, a part of our hundred-year history of Wyoming and air service.

And it was neat to be part of the process where they brought a private public kind of a think tank to do an imagineering exercise to say how could that building be better utilized?

And I do applaud the efforts of trying to, you know, it's time for us to imagine this building.

It should not be sitting there underutilized.

It's right there in ward one.

It is underutilized.

The longer it sits there vacant, it will continue to deteriorate.

But I think what the intent is is to uh invest in the infrastructure so that we can use it as a public private uh venture so that we can get a restaurant restored, we could have space for art, we could have space for history or museum, and then also any number of possibilities where they were gonna have outdoor concerts, indoor opportunities for meetings.

The old airport terminal was used.

There used to be different um whether there was business meetings taking place in that building, but nothing's taking place in that building right now.

So it can continue to be mothballed, but the majority of that investment, there's federal funds that are invested in every airport terminal around the country.

So our $18 million new terminal predominantly was funded federally, and then we locally also participated that as a community.

So our old terminal is also federally funded as well as locally funded, and it's on the campus of the Cheyenne regional airport.

So I would hate to see us continue to see this deteriorate and fall in further disrepair and it's not have a purpose.

So I would just like to echo support for air service, tourism, economic development.

The building is underutilized, and I see this as a great opportunity.

I'll be happy to answer any questions.

Thank you.

Mr.

Byers Mayor, City Council Randy Byers with TDSI.

But I will certainly add what I can.

Um that would allow an operator conceivably coming in, a lesse coming into that building to have a liquor license.

That particular building again has as has been mentioned, is in the heart of the city, has significant parking already with it.

Access is great.

I think with the right investment, there's a significant opportunity to bring that building back to life, to reinvigorate that area, to have another public node within that district that would uh really happen help that neighborhood and that part of town.

And um, I think there are significant opportunities there.

The discussion previously was about making investments that bring revenue.

This is one of those.

If you invest in that project and they are able to entice a restaurant to come back into that building, there are I believe are significant revenue opportunities for the city and enhancements for that area.

Thank you.

Thank you, Randy.

Uh Mr.

Labourne.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

That is uh definitely one of the uh tantalizing elements that is on the ballot here or proposed to be on the ballot here.

And it is one that I think deserves uh some real uh attention.

I think the most important thing, of course, is to fix the roof, and that's uh certainly not uh can be certainly a responsibility of the airport board to uh maintain it.

But more than anything else, Mr.

Mayor, we've heard a lot of discussion tonight about that uh restaurant and recent mention that there is a uh special license for airports uh that gives that opportunity to uh have that uh special liquor license.

And Mr.

Moser's name came up in this discussion earlier today.

He used to run the bar.

He's now the director of the uh Wyoming Liquor Dealers Association.

And in my discussions with him, he made it abundantly clear that there is special statutory language that would uh prevent uh the very thing we're discussing here, which is a liquor license being able to be used in that facility in that manner.

So I would suggest, Mr.

Mayor, it's very important that we review that.

I think probably the city attorney's office could help us here.

But uh he's discussed this with me, and there is no doubt that there are questions that need to be answered before we proceed to think that we can ever have what so many of us enjoyed for so long uh there at the airport.

I would I would say this, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, when you look at the old West Museum, the uh Botanic Gardens, Grants Conservatory, the Children's Garden, and Eighth Avenue as a whole, it is a natural to make that part of our tourism attraction.

And how that happens uh is an interesting question.

But more than anything else, Mr.

Mayor, I'd like an answer to the question as to whether that liquor license can be applied to this facility under these conditions.

Thank you.

Mr.

Labour, and I can answer that question.

To the best of my knowledge, it can be used because the airport still goes to run charters and different things through there.

And I think what Mr.

Moj was talking about is a terminal by definition has to have passengers coming in and out.

And the intention of the airport is to have two terminals that are active.

The the terminal, uh the new terminal that was built in 2018 for passenger rail or passenger rail, passenger service, and the old terminal would be where they would run their their um uh their charter flights, and when they have the overflow flights from Denver and things like that, they would come in that terminal and go back out that terminal.

And so both would be active and should be able to be able to use that liquor license.

It's a great question though.

Anyone else?

Okay, from the governing body.

Mr.

Mayor.

Dr.

Renee.

Before one last thing, Representative File was having trouble getting online to comment.

So he texted me and asked me to comment that he was in support of both um Reed Avenue and the Johnson Pool.

Thank you, Mr.

Feiler.

Jennifer?

Um, Dr.

Aldrich, do you want to go ahead?

Uh good evening, um Mayor Collins and fellow councilman.

Um I wanted to uh just reiterate what Councilman Layborn said regarding the airport terminal.

I also had a conversation with uh Mr.

Mosher, and he did tell me that that is not eligible currently for that special liquor license at the old terminal.

Um they my understanding is that a restaurant going in there would be able to get a liquor license, but it would not be the one that is set aside statutorily for um airports, and that there were some changes made to that statute um based on the Cheyenne Airports um plans originally and how they had planned to use that liquor license.

So I definitely think we need to do some more research on that.

I also um wanted to remind council members that Mike Castle and Starley Talbot have written some amazing books on that Cheyenne Airport terminal, which does have a lot of history in the aviation industry.

Um one of my concerns with the airport terminal is I I'm curious as to who actually owns that property.

I believe I heard uh Mrs.

Volks say that it is part of the airport's um property, uh rental property or inventory.

And so um my understanding is that the airport benefits financially from their rental inventory and their properties.

None of that money comes back to the city.

Um so I'm wondering if someone can clarify that.

Dr.

Aldridge, I believe um, it is owned by the the airport and it's part of their their property um inventory.

Okay.

I'm just I'm wondering how voters feel about using uh six penny sales tax money for a property that the city is not a city property, it's owned by the airport as part of their rental inventory.

Um, and they would retain the income from that.

I also am under the impression that there is a potential tenant um for the entire building that would preclude the art center from being able to be there.

It's just occurred recently.

So I think that there is a lot more, there are a lot more questions to be answered.

Um, and I'm not sure that there's anyone there tonight that can answer these questions because my understanding is those have both been fairly recent developments.

But um, I would suggest that there are probably a lot of questions we need to have answered before uh we would consider um this project as being one that uh would be of um one that the city would put on the sixpenny ballot.

So thank you.

Travel safe.

Dr.

Emmons.

Thank you.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

Um, being new to this process, can you um explain two things to me?

Um one is are there parameters around what six penny funds can and cannot be used for?

And second, how do we how do we do this process?

How do we make this decision?

Dr.

Do you want to answer that question?

Yeah, I can try, Mr.

Mayor.

I did want to go back to Councilwoman Alders' comments.

The um the voters did approve our match for the funds required for the new terminal came from the sixpenny.

And in addition, we had 800,000 in the last six penny to expand the parking lot.

So the voters have supported doing things for the airport and the airport board.

Um as far as putting this together.

The parameters, I mean, we've expanded those parameters.

This used to be the special purpose option tax, and it was for only special purposes.

And we did things, that's how we built the library, expanded the municipal, um, did the botanic gardens and and the jail and the and um so it was generally set up for things that like one-time expenses that we couldn't build otherwise.

Um obviously other, you know, recurrent expenses have started to creep into it.

And so I don't know if there really are any um any restrictions or parameters at this point.

As far as our process, usually we will um some point have a resolution introduced that we'd have to come up with fairly soon.

Um, usually in the past has been referred to committee of the whole, and you know, then we kind of work it out amongst us.

You know, generally, if you have a starting point, we can make amendments, but eventually we wind up with a resolution and committee of the whole that then goes back to council.

And after that, once we've decided on ours, it goes to a joint committee of the city, county, burns, alpine, and pine bluffs, and they kind of hammer out the um different packages or bundles that you see on the ballot.

Um, mayor, or correct on that?

No, I think that's right.

Um, you know, I think it's a really good question that you ask.

And uh, I know Mr.

Brody's listening, and so uh maybe by the end of the week I'll have him send out the state statute and exactly what can and cannot be in the restrictions.

I know when it was first came out, there were it was very limited to like more infrastructure type projects.

You had to be very specific about what the project was in the dollar amount you're asking for.

And once that dollar amount was reached, this the tax stopped.

And um uh actually um we worked with uh Mr.

Bird, representative Byrd back in the day, um, because one of the the challenges we have is we could build roads, but we couldn't fix roads.

And it was like you're we're building, we have these huge investments in roads, but we don't have enough money to maintain them.

He ran a bill for us that allowed road maintenance to become part of that.

And I think since then there's been some softening in the way that uh uh six penny sales tax funds can be used.

Um, but we'll get that um we'll we'll get him to send a memo out to all of us so we can be very specific in that how that goes.

Um the reason it's it's an August election, but the reason we have to be done pretty quickly is the county has a very long process to go through uh the the ballot and getting it read, going through the public process of putting it out for public notice, and then uh in July we have the uh the early voting.

And so we'll have to have all of our work done here, probably in the next probably 60 days will have to be done.

And then the county starts their process.

Um and we do have a collaborative group.

Typically, it's two members from Albert and Pine Bless Burns, Cheyenne, and the county commission, and they get together and they choose um the ballot propositions and how they'll be worded and what things are grouped together.

And so that's a collaborative process through all five governing bodies.

And some things will be um will be standalone projects, other things that are infrastructure-oriented or public safety-oriented will be combined into different propositions.

Um, and that's typically how we've done it in the past.

And things that are outside of those two areas, um, like community enhancements and stuff, sometimes we'll have a small uh ballot proposition together, but a lot of those other items will be put on as separate ballots.

Um, so they'll be there voted up or voted down.

An example would be like our gymnastics building last time or our road money.

Uh, one went up and one went down.

Mr.

White, did you have a comment?

Yes, just uh two quick things, Mayor.

Thank you.

Um, through you, um kind of addressing the uh uh whether or not a liquor license can be used at the old terminal.

Um there's no person I have greater respect for than Mr.

Mosier.

Um, as you pointed out, he is the head of the liquor dealers, but he's not the head of the liquor commission.

And so I think the head of the liquor commission would be certainly someone uh we should consult with as we uh try to gain clarity on that issue.

Um second, and you know, we all know the process.

Um, when the six penny resolution is introduced to committee of the whole, there will be more ample uh public uh more opportunities for public comment throughout the process.

There'll be an opportunity for folks who couldn't attend this tonight or or uh speak online um to give us their thoughts.

Um they'll have plenty of opportunities to do that, both when we have our community of the whole meetings and then when the resolution goes back to council for approval.

So um the public will certainly have a chance to be engaged throughout the process up until the final vote.

Thanks, Mr.

White.

Mr.

Seagrave, Mr.

Mayor.

There's been discussion tonight about about our community and how we're growing and changing and and and all of that is true.

I wondered if you could just spend a moment.

I know you've already cut down the requests for this ballot um significantly.

So when we look at this, we have a roughly 120 million dollars, but I know our needs are even greater than that.

Could you just maybe spend 30 seconds explaining some of the things you've already done to cut this down?

Yeah, so uh Chief of Staff Ash and uh some of our department heads have uh uh made some decisions like on the on the municipal building.

Uh we had the opportunity to build a new one in the north parking lot or to remodel this building, but the the north parking lot would take almost all of our new money.

I think it was over 50 million dollars.

And so um, we didn't put it on the ballot as a new building.

We put it on as a smaller building.

Um our public works department had a list originally of a bunch of different projects they would like to do, but they focused on this as being their number one priority, and they took the uh fleet maintenance and other buildings off uh the ballot.

So we I think we started at about 189 or 190 million dollars, and we're down to in the 120 million dollar range.

We'll still have to cut another uh 45 million dollars or so from this ballot.

And um, it'll be tough.

You know, I I think I've told the the fire chief, I don't think we can afford two fire stations, you know.

So I asked them to prioritize and they prioritized uh station two.

And so my my anticipation would be that we probably would not see both fire stations moving forward, and that would take another almost 10 million dollars off the 120 million that we have.

So we're having to make those decisions as we move forward, prioritizing from the departments what's their highest priority and trying to figure out how we're gonna fit as much on this ballot that would make as uh uh was said earlier a difference in our community going forward.

Mr.

Label, you're you're done.

Anyone else uh either in the audience or on the governing body that would like to speak um on this process?

Mr.

Wolf.

Uh Mr.

Mayor, thank you.

Really appreciate your comments about the process.

Um looking back and looking back at my notes.

Um on this five million dollars for the downtown area.

There's there's a portion of that uh devoted to uh renovation of the depot museum.

And and Amber, I wasn't reading your slides fast enough to see what that number is and um to try and understand what it is they need for that museum.

And um who actually owns and operates that museum?

Mr.

Sanchez, the city of San owns it, and uh, there's a nonprofit um museum board that actually manages it.

And Jason can walk us through that.

Mr.

Sanchez, Mr.

Mayor, Jason Sanchez Community Reckoning Man.

I apologize, couldn't quite hear everything that you were asking.

Uh Councilman Wolf, but I'm guessing you're asking about the the depot project.

Who owns the depot?

Okay.

And how is it managed?

And then about the uh remodel dollars for the depot.

That's why, guys, we don't talk into our microphone.

People in the audience can't hear us.

We can hear, but they can.

So thank you.

No problem.

Uh thank you for uh repeating the question.

So the city of Cheyenne owns the depot.

We lease it to the uh museum.

We have uh an MOU with them that was created around 25 years ago.

We're in the process of updating that MOU now.

Um the cost estimation for the the museum renovation.

So as I mentioned before, we have completed uh the first phase of the depot renovation.

We are on the second phase.

A third phase would consist of um renovating the museum part of the building.

Uh if you go in there now, the carpet is outdated, it's pretty worn out.

Uh the curtains, the windows, all the southern facing windows are covered with um, you know, older curtains and and bookcases and and um a prevent your view for uh our A view from the to the exterior and from the exterior end.

So the thought would be um, you know, we've we've spent some some funds to improve the facility.

Um, and this would be the final phase of that renovation of that building.

Thousands of people travel to see the depot every year.

Um, it is a tourist destination, it's highly uh utilized.

Um, and so the the five million dollars, two million of that is the estimate for the interior uh rental.

That number, we came up with that number based on the cost of the two previous phases.

Um in that um project in that five million.

We had um some money set aside again for the dumpster and trash can containment.

Um again, we've we're we're renovating the the plaza itself.

We're building a shade structure, we're doing the interior renovation, and then there it's really unsightly to see five dumpsters and you know 20, 40 trash cans.

And so we're trying to just find a to build a home for those to improve the site line of the building.

Um another portion of that five million is to to build or to purchase a maintenance building for the clean and safe team.

Currently, they reside in this at the second floor of the spiker garage.

We have uh a large section of that area fenced off to store equipment.

Uh, we also store equipment on 15th Street.

We store trailers um at the Opps building um on the plaza, and so on trying to find a safe and secure spot for all their equipment for the staff to reside in.

And so that's how we came up with the uh the total dollar amount.

And and one other part was adding a million dollars to start making improvements to the curb and gutters in the downtown area.

I hope that explains.

Did that help, Mr.

Wolfe?

Mr.

Mayor and Mr.

Sanschetz, thank you very much.

I appreciate that.

Mr.

Seagrave, Mr.

Mayor, I just want to clarify some comments Jason made.

Does these funds would not be used for the museum exhibits?

This would be used for the structure as the landlord, as the owner of the building, but we would not be building any museum exhibits, correct?

Mr.

Mayor through you, that is correct.

Thank you.

Mr.

Sanchez, we we took that building over and did the uh rental work about what 25 years ago?

Mr.

Mayor, that is correct.

And so this is uh would you say is the the normal maintenance of landlord would do every periodically?

Mr.

Mayor, I I believe that.

Um, you know, we have tenants in the building.

Uh it's similar to the city building, right?

If you don't maintain it as you go, the cost um becomes greater and greater as you go.

And so if we invest little bits as as time goes by, it saves a lot of money in the long run.

Thank you, sir.

Any follow-ups?

Okay.

Last call.

Anybody in the audience or in the governing body that wants to speak on the fifth penny sales tax.

Did I say fifth penny?

It is late and I didn't have supper yet.

Um Dr.

Emmons.

Thank you, Mr.

Mayor.

I have one other question on the um airline MRG.

So that's 1.2 million.

Is that 200,000 a year?

Or is that does that get charged every year, or is it a lump sum kind of situation?

Dr.

Emmons, the uh the craft group that we work with and uh the airlines negotiate uh along with the state and the county what the MRG will be for each year.

We pay a percent a percentage of that annually.

And so the thought would be that that would help us with the money that we have currently and that it would get us through the end of that next tax.

That's our hope.

You nodding at me.

I got that right.

Okay.

Yeah.

All right, ladies and gentlemen.

Well, I think the purpose of the public hearing has been met.

I wish really appreciate everybody being here, and thanks for your great comments.

We look forward to this public process over the next probably two months, and uh, we will uh uh look very much forward to uh seeing you again soon.

Thank you.