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As I write my final mayoral minutes of the year and the last of my first term as mayor, it’s hard to believe how quickly time has flown by. I started writing the minutes in 2021 as a way to keep our residents informed about what’s going on with their local government and to give a little idea of what I’m doing as mayor each week. I’m so appreciative of all the people who come into my presence and join me in reading it every week. Thank you. I look forward to writing the Mayor’s Minutes for the next four years.
Having a grandchild in your home as an opening gift on Christmas morning is an amazing thing. Our two-year-old grandson loves cars. His mother helped him make the first gift, but once he discovered the wrapped packages contained cars, he became interested. His enthusiasm made the morning unforgettable. It was also memorable as us boys won every card game over the holiday – a huge rebound from last year’s holiday carnage when the ladies in the family beat us at every game. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and you are now ready for a fun new year.
There is a wonderful old building on Ames Street near the railroad tracks called the Pumphouse because it was built to pump water into our community. It has long been retired from that service and is currently in poor condition. Our city council aims to stabilize the building so we can preserve it for future generations. We met with TDSi Architects and the Greater Chamber of Commerce this week to continue our discussions about converting the Pumphouse into an office for our chamber. The good news to come out of the meeting is that the building – although it doesn’t look great – is in good structural condition. The TDSi works should be completed in April 2025 and then we can proceed with the reconstruction necessary to achieve the City Council’s goal.
Li Sering and his family have made a huge investment in Cheyenne and our economy. They built Searing Industries at Swan Ranch Business Park into the fourth-largest steel pipe and beam manufacturer in the country. They turn steel coils into massive tubes and beams used in the construction industry across the country. I attended their Christmas lunch and couldn’t tell how full the warehouse was. I have great appreciation for the Searing family and all they have done for our community, and I hope they are not done growing their nearly 500,000 square foot manufacturing facility.
Judy and I were invited to St. Mark’s Episcopal Church for the Nine Lessons and Carols Festival. I was asked to read a lesson from the second chapter of the Gospel of Luke where an angel came to the shepherds in the field to tell them the news of the birth of Christ. St Mark’s Church is a beautiful church built in 1886. Judy loves traditional Christmas songs, and we joined the choir for a wonderful hour of singing. We appreciate the warm hospitality and the opportunity to participate in this festival dating back to the 19th century.
On Monday evening, we held the final meeting of the year for our governing body. This meeting was memorable because it was the last meeting of this group of elected officials and some of our staff. Councilmembers Cook and Johnson will be leaving the City Council, and I will be writing about them in the coming weeks when they officially take office on January 6th. This was also the last meeting of two of our management directors. City Clerk Chris Jones is retiring after more than 20 years. I helped recruit her to be the executive assistant to the City Council when I was president. Mayor Orr promoted her to clerk nearly seven years ago. City Attorney Stephanie Poster will also leave. She has been a great legal advisor to our governing body and departments. They have both served our residents and the city well and I wish them much happiness in their future. Thank you!
The holiday period is quiet in our city offices as many people take time off to spend with friends and family. It has given me time to look forward to the upcoming legislative session and prepare for legislation that we have our eye on—both positively and that we hope will not pass. I have spent a lot of time attending interim legislative sessions where a lot of work is done before the legislative session begins. Individual legislators spend a lot of time studying problems and working to write bills to address what they learn. I am impressed by the amount of work that gets done between sessions and appreciate that they always take the time to let us talk to them about our concerns and aspirations about the bills they are working on. My goal is to meet with as many Laramie County legislators as possible before the session begins. As always, they are generous with their time.
2024 is coming to an end. The next mayor will be in 2025. I would like to wish you all the best in the new year. a happy new year! Please be safe and we will see you next year.
