CHEYENNE, Wyo. — In this edition of “Meet the Candidates,” Dennis Rafferty shares with Cap City News how he envisions governing Cheyenne if elected as a city councilmember. Rafferty is one of seven people running for Ward II.
The following are responses that Rafferty shared with Cap City News. To view the Q&As of other candidates who have also submitted answers to us, click here.
What are the top three issues you believe the City Council needs to address immediately, and how do you plan to tackle them?
A) Streets/// Happen to be the first impression that a visitor or residents would see. It tells the story of how well our city determines the importance and upkeep of our roads & streets. We must fix our streets to be safe, attractive, and better for people and work with the Engineer & Street & Alley Departments to ensure better improvements.
B) Water/// With continued building & population growth we need to plan to ensure clean water and to manage stormwater runoff. To work closely with BOPU for water recycling, manage flood prevention, conservation & green infrastructure.
C) Housing/// This one worries me. Our labor force will increase over the next 2 to 7 years, with most of that force coming into our city from out of state. If we plan to build enough housing to accommodate, then what will we do once the labor force leaves, and the building projects are over. I see incentives for developers to build affordable units, mixed use of zoning to integrate residential, commercial & recreation spaces. Work with realtors, to help promote energy-efficient building practices.
How do you propose to manage the city’s budget effectively while ensuring essential services are maintained and improved?
The city departments put together their annual budget. What the city council must do is assess economic conditions, analyze revenue sources, potential risks, align with goals, transparency for the public, and possible adjusting and adapting, to what each department needs, and wants each year.
What are your plans for promoting affordable housing and addressing homelessness in Cheyenne?
Incentives for developers to build affordable units without losing quality, mixed use of zoning to integrate residential, commercial, and recreation spaces. Promote energy-efficient building practices for developers.
Homelessness is a national problem, and it seems that no one has an answer to it. I think we must analyze what causes people to become homeless, is it economics or mental health. Cheyenne must support the organizations that provide shelters for individuals & families, social services and help to provide a pathway to stable housing.
How will you ensure that the voices of all community members, including underrepresented groups, are heard and considered in City Council decisions?
Input from the public is essential for all decisions made by the council and it doesn’t matter if you live in the city or the county, many great ideas come from all. If there are topics that are going to have many voices, then we must schedule more time or days for it. We are one community.
What initiatives would you support to enhance environmental sustainability and green spaces within the city?
Environmental, I would like to reduce our carbon footprint by encouraging use of public transportation, invest in bike lanes, changing some policies to encourage energy-efficient buildings, recycling, water saving practices, tree planting to help with air quality and education for our citizens.
Green spaces, create parks, community gardens, use of different surfaces besides concrete and low-maintenance landscaping.
Is there anything else you’d like voters to know about you?
I have lived in Cheyenne for 46 years, owned a small business, plus I’m a military veteran, a father/grandfather/great-grandfather and recently retired, which gives me the time to devote to Ward II.
