Cap City News publishes letters, cartoons and opinions as a public service. The content does not necessarily reflect the opinions of Cap City News or its employees. Letters to the editor can be submitted by emailing editor@oilcity.news.
Writing the last Mayor’s Minute of this year and last of my first term as mayor, it is hard to believe how fast time has flown by. I started writing the Minute in 2021 as a way to keep our residents informed on what is happening with their local government and to give a bit of insight into what I do as mayor each week. I so appreciate all the folks who come up to Judy and I and share that they read it every week. Thank you. I am looking forward to writing the Mayor’s Minute for the next four years.
Having a grandchild at your home opening presents on Christmas morning is amazing. Our 2-year-old grandson loves cars. His mom helped him with the first present, but once he figured out the wrapped packages contained cars, he was all about it. His excitement made the morning so memorable. It was also memorable as we boys won every card game over the holiday — a big rebound from last year’s holiday massacre we endured when the ladies in the family whipped us in every game. I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and you are now ready for a fun new year.
There is a cool old building on Ames Avenue near the railroad tracks called the Pumphouse because it was built to pump water to our community. It has long since been retired from that service and is currently in bad shape. Our City Council has a goal of stabilizing the building so we can save it for future generations. We met with TDSi Architects and the Greater Chamber of Commerce this week to continue our discussions about turning the Pumphouse into an office for our Chamber. The good news that came out of the meeting is the building — while not looking great — is in good structural shape. TDSi should have their work completed in April of 2025 and then we can proceed with the reconstruction needed to meet the City Council goal.
Lee Searing and his family have made a huge investment in Cheyenne and our economy. They built Searing Industries in the Swan Ranch Business Park into the fourth largest steel pipe and beam manufacturing company in the country. They turn rolls of steel into huge pipes and beams used in the building industry across the nation. I attended their Christmas luncheon and couldn’t get over how full the warehouse was. I so appreciate the Searing family and all they have done for our community, and I hope they have not finished growing their almost 500,000-square-foot manufacturing facility.
Judy and I were invited to attend Saint Mark’s Episcopal Church for their Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols. I was asked to read a lesson from the second chapter of Luke where an angel came to the shepherds in the field to share the news of the birth of the Messiah. St. Mark’s is a beautiful church built in 1886. Judy loves traditional Christmas songs, and we got to join the choir for a wonderful hour of singing. We appreciate the hospitality and the opportunity to take part in this festival that dates back to the 1800s.
On Monday evening, we held the last meeting of the year for our Governing Body. This one was memorable because it was the final meeting for this group of elected officials and for some of our staff. Council members Cook and Johnson are leaving City Council, and I will write about them in the coming weeks when they officially turn over their positions on Jan. 6. This was also the last meeting for two of our department directors. City Clerk Kris Jones is retiring after over 20 years. I helped hire her to be the executive assistant to the City Council when I served as President. Mayor Orr promoted her to the Clerk’s position almost seven years ago. City Attorney Stefanie Boster is also leaving. She has been a great legal advisor to our Governing Body and departments. They both served our residents and the city well and I wish them much happiness in their futures. Thank you!
The holiday time period is quiet in our city offices as many folks take vacation to spend with friends and family. It has given me time to look forward to the upcoming legislative session and to prepare for the legislation we are watching — both positively and those we hope would not pass. I have spent a lot of time attending the legislative interim sessions where much work is done before the legislative session begins. Individual legislators spend so much time studying problems and working on writing 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 time to let us talk with them about our concerns and aspirations for the bills they are working on. It is my goal to meet with as many of our Laramie County legislators as possible before the session begins. As always, they are gracious with their time.
2024 is coming to an end. My next Mayor’s Minute will be in 2025. I want to wish you all the very best in the new year. Happy New Year! Please be safe and we will see you next year.
