City Government - Regular Meeting

Order. Order, please. Thank you. Welcome to the Larmy City Council regular meeting, Wednesday, May 6, 2026. And if you would like, please join us in the pledge of allegiance. City clerk, can you call the role, please? Bowling here. Freed here.

Lockheart here. Newman here. Odory here. Shamway here. Vhill here. Richardson here. Cumbi here. That's nine present and zero absent, your honor.

Thank you, city clerk. Uh, next. Is there any public comment on non-aggenda items? Yes, Siobhan Kelly. If you can state your name for the record, please. Siobhan Kelly. I just want to say thank you to the city of Laramie for supporting us in a fabulous Cinco deayo celebration. I would like to acknowledge Ray Sandival who helped us with the community cleanup day. That was huge. Also, Nate and Felipe. I would like to thank Nancy Oakland Potter. She knows why. There you go.

Sorry, I didn't mention Zoom. We estimate that we had between a th00and and 2,000 people. So, thank you Thank you, Siobhan. Uh, is there any public any other public comment on non-aggenda? All right. Uh, next, is there any public request to remove a consent agenda item and place it on the regular agenda? Seeing none, uh, Vice Mayor Richardson, if you can, uh, motion for that the agenda be set.

Thank you, Mayor. I move that the agenda be set as submitted. Second. Uh, I have a motion by Richardson, second by V Hill. All in favor? I

opposed. That motion passes. Next, we will move on to our proclamations. And uh our first proclamation tonight maybe uh among my most favorite to read. Uh this is a proclamation for uh nurses week, national nurses week. And uh I come to city council as a life as a nurse since 1984. And I will tell you that my education and my training as a nurse prepared me so well for my position on council, my position as mayor. And I really think that background because nurses are trained to identify problems, to assess what's going on, to create goals, to implement strategies, to evaluate and start the whole process over again in a cycle of continuous quality improvement. Now, I had a question today. Uh, why does Nurses Week start on a Wednesday? And I'll tell you why. In 1954, for the hundth birthday celebration of Florence Nightingale, they decided to have an entire week to honor nurses. And that week ends on May 12th, which is

Florence Nightingale's birthday. So it begins on May 6 every year despite the day and it ends on Florence Nightingale's birthday. And so without further comment, I will read our proclamation. We have a number of our nurses from the community here. Welcome. Thank you for being here. Whereas nurses constitute Wyoming's largest health care profession, providing indispensable highquality care that is essential to the safety and well-being of all patients. And whereas the nursing profession meets the evolving health needs of our population across all settings, while the Wyoming Nurses Association advocates advocates for increased access to primary and preventative health care. And whereas the demand for nursing services continues to grow due to an aging population and increasing clinical complexities, making a highly skilled nursing workforce more vital than ever to our state's future. And whereas the Wyoming Nurses Association has designated May 6 through 12 as Nurses Week with the theme, the power of nurses to celebrate the unparalleled impact and contributions nurses make to enrich our lives. Now therefore, I Sharon Cumbi, mayor and president of the city of

Laramie, Wyoming City Council, do hereby proclaim May 6 to2 as nurses week and we urge residents of Larmy to celebrate and support the nurses in our community. So, thank you. And I think we have Mary Pants uh from uh Ivansson uh Janine and uh Cheryl Smith. Would you all like to come up and say anything or or no? Yes. on behalf of all the nurses in this city and county and um the Wyoming Nurses Association, the Wyoming Center for Nursing, the UN University of Wyoming Fay Whitney School of Nursing and Ivvenson Memorial Hospital. I thank you very much for having us and for doing the proclamation for us. Thank you so much. Thank you.

Hi there. Thank you for having us. Um it's truly an honor um each year to be recognized in front of this council. And on behalf of all of the nurses that um I represent Ivansson Hospital and um on behalf of all of them, I just want to thank you. Uh the work that we do each and every day is truly a labor of love. We are helping our friends, our families, our neighbors, and it's incredible work uh that you we're not only just called to, it's in our DNA, it's in our heart, um and it's it's in just everything we do. So, thank you.

Thank you. And Dean Smith. So yes, from the FA Wh Whitney School of Nursing where for 75 years we have been serving the Laramie Wyoming um a global community. Thank you to the Laramie City Council for recognizing nursing and what we do every day. So thank you. Thank you so much. And uh and if we can have the nurses up here, we'd like to give you the proclamation and take a photograph. And here you go.

All right. And if you all just stand there, we'll work around. And Nancy tells us, "If you can't see me, I can't see you. Oh, I see.

One, two, three.

Thank you. There's one more. Yeah.

Our right order. All righty. Uh our next proclamation is National Bike Month. And whereas National Bike Month is celebrated across the country each May as a time to highlight the many benefits of bicycling and encourage more folks to give biking a try. And whereas the city of Laram proudly joins in this national celebration with local flare, embracing the spring winds, warmer uh sunshine and renewed energy of May as the perfect backdrop to roll into bike month. And whereas National Bike to Work Day on May 15 will be celebrated with a community breakfast at First Street Plaza from 7A to 900 a.m. Bringing together riders of all experience levels to enjoy snacks, fresh air, and the fun of a morning commute on two wheels. And whereas Laram is committed to creating a bike friendly city that supports safe cycling for all ages and skill levels. And our expanding network of bike lanes, trails, and community events reflects our belief that a city built for biking is a city built for connection, health, and sustainability. And now therefore, I, Sharon Cumbi, mayor and president of the city of Laramie, Wyoming City Council, do hereby

proclaim May 26, 2026 is bicycle awareness month. And we also encourage you to bike throughout the year. Uh so it's uh get started this month and keep it going. Phillip,

honorable mayor, members of council, uh we're so glad to be amongst so many great proclamations this evening. Um nursing bikes students, yeah, you got to love it. But um I think I I just want to mention this every time because this is the third year in a row. I think we've done it before that, but kind of the third year in a row that we've that the council has honored this proclamation. We're really excited. The proclamation was written very recently, hence the spring winds that are actually happening, right, and are fresh to ride in. But I just want to make a point that um in the most recent complete census uh the 2020 census that bicycling in community in Laram made up 6% of the total commuting um numbers for the whole city which for city our side is quite quite tremendous puts us in the top 10 of cities under 50,000. So, um, honoring bicyclists, that is a real mode of transportation, um, is true in this community and, uh, we appreciate all the efforts that you guys, um, further as far as planning and and implementation in that realm. And, um, I just one last thing before I turn it over to the the kind folks from BikeNet. Well, two things actually. So, Bike to Work Day next Friday is going to be really exciting. We have a lot of sponsors. There's going to be a full house at the plaza. The community is welcome to come whether you're bicycling or not or just interested in it. Um it's really a great event. We have um the African drumming circle circle will be there performing at 700 a.m. So I've never seen drumming that early, but it should be exciting. Snacks, breakfast, all that. So it'll be fun. Um and and the second thing one of the um one of the really one of the great perks about bicycling and I don't want to be too

controversial here but we did hear this one of the respondents at one of the first or the downtown plan meetings when we were kind of chatting and what are the biggest issues in downtown and parking obviously the she said parking what I never I never have a problem parking downtown on her bike so I'll just mention that uh is what what we've heard. So, so I'd like to turn it over to Christy and Lars from BikeNet who have also been great partners and advocates for bicycling in the community as well.

All right. Hi everybody. Thank you. I'm Christy Smith. I'm the president of BikeNet and thank you for this is a great partnership and the proclamation just words it so well. Um and I'll just mention a couple things coming up. Uh we're uh our Wyoming uh gives campaign is going to help out the bike park. We foresee great things coming of that. Um and we'll be giving away uh youth helmets at the farmers markets again. And then um we'll also be setting up the bike valet at uh the freedom has a birthday and Lars has been doing a great job that really focuses on um commuting within Laramie. Well, thank you uh once again on behalf of Bikenet. Um that proclamation really I felt like kind of said it all. Um one other thing I'd add that BikeNet's doing is we're implementing a curriculum hopefully next fall and actually spring too for the elementary schools. It'll be uh bike safety. Um, so we kind of cover all aspects of biking in in Larmy from trail maintenance to youth clinics and um and I think an excite this is an exciting time uh because I think Larie is really becoming a a bike destination and so the city's commitment to safety and health of our community. I think it all just comes together and uh we really appreciate it. So thank you so much.

Thank you. Thank you very much. And if if you all like to come up here without a photo,

I would say anybody that bikes regularly is welcome to be in the picture as well. So feel free. All right, there you go. There's your proclamation. We'll move. We'll move behind. Philip is tall. Yes, I'll get closer to No, he's okay. You move just a tad. Phip. Yes. Okay. Can you see Melanie? Melanie can get in front of Melanie can get in front of me cuz I can see you. Melanie, you come over here, too. Okay. I'm chilling right here. We got it.

Okay. We'll try that. Ready? One, two, three. All right. Thank you so much. No, you get that. Suitable for framing. Philip, right? That is very funny. It's always good.

He did a great job of writing it. Hey, and uh just a reminder to uh Laramie residents biking at night, please wear reflective wear, have lights on your bike. I can't tell you how many times coming home from council, there's somebody dressed in very dark clothing with no lights, and it just takes my breath away how close uh it can come. So, please wear those reflective clothing and lights. Our next proclamation is for uh National Arbor Day. And so, whereas 2026 is the 154th anniversary of the first Arbor Day, in 1972, J. Sterling Morton proposed to the Nebraska Board of Agriculture that a special day be set aside for the planting of trees and this holiday called Arbor Day was the first observed with the planting of more than a million trees in Nebraska. That's impressive. Whereas the planting of trees is a vital step in developing civic pride and a sense of community by providing an abundance of environmental advantages, including battling increasing carbon emissions and providing aesthetic advantages to citizens and wildlife wherever they are found. And whereas the state of Wyoming has designated the last Monday in April as the state Arbor Day and all communities in Wyoming can designate their own Arbor Day based on

the climactic conditions of the community. And whereas the governing body for the city of Laramie desires to participate in the annual celebration of Arbor Day. And whereas the city of Laramie has celebrated Arbor Day beginning in 1984 and this year 2026 will be Laramy's 42nd Arbor Day. And whereas the city of Laramie Arbor Day celebration will be held on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 900 a.m. at Optimus Park where six fruit trees will be planted with the help of rooted in Laramie board members. Now therefore, we the city council of the city of Laramie do hereby proclaim June 10, 2026 as Laramy's Arbor Day tree planting. All right. Is there is Kyle here? Good evening.

Good evening. I feel like we were here just a couple months ago for the last one. I made it early this year. Um,

so yes, this year we will be doing the planted with the rooted and lar board members. Um, the city has kind of partnered with them and worked with them since the beginning of that program by use of the greenhouse cemetery, me sitting in on their meetings and kind of helping um as needed. and I've helped out with um rooted in Larmy since 2019. Um so I figured this year would be a good chance for them to come help me plant a few trees this year. Um and also I know it's for you know Rooted and Laramie board members but if anyone else would like to show up we will be planting six small fruit trees. um where we've planted six the previous two years. As of now, all 12 that have been planted are still alive. So, that's a good thing. Um and so with that little orchard, um I may have said this in the past, but I just want to give members of Mary or Larie um something to visualize when it comes to planting fruit trees in their own yards. Um so, every year I'm planting different varieties. have got apples, plums. This year some cherries will be going in. So hopefully in the not too short future people can walk through and see what these trees look like just to get a better idea of what can actually be planted in Larmy. Um and so with me I brought Daniel Minton the chair for uh rooted in Larmy. So I just want to give him a chance to speak for a for a minute.

Thank you Kyle Daniel. Good evening, city council. Thank you for having us. And uh my first question to Kyle is, is there going to be snow on June 10th? We'll plant regardless.

Excellent. Well, I've been thinking about trees a lot the last few days with the last snow we had and seeing some of them start to droop, but uh I know they're ready to ready for spring just like we are. So, yes, uh Rooted and Laramie has actually worked with the city since 2019. This year we are going to have planted over 300 trees in our town. Our mission in town is to plant trees, increase the diversity of species in our town, and also educate the public on how to care for trees. Me and my family are really thankful for the investment that was made years ago and continues to be made uh in planting trees in our town. And I I I especially think of it during Freedom Has a Birthday when we're actually able to have a picnic under the the cottonwoods and under the shade at Washington Park. And I'm just very appreciative. So, I'm excited to be part of uh just continuing to beautify and maintain the beauty of our town. Um we rely 100% on volunteers. I'm a volunteer. Our board is all volunteers. Uh what what happens is every March we have a tree sale online that folks can come and buy up to two trees a year. And then on planting day, which is usually the first weekend in June, volunteers from all walks of life in the community come together and we plant those trees around the community. We stake them, we put water bags on them, and we help offer guidance for the community and how to care. As of now, we're averaging about an 83% success rate on the trees surviving, which I tell you, when I see springs like this, I'm like, that's amazing. Um, but we are very thankful for how the city has partnered with us, how local small businesses have partnered with us and other organizations to make this possible. It wouldn't be possible without the community doing it together. Um, if you're not familiar with us and you want to learn more, you can check out our website, rootedinlaram.org. Uh we're also going to be at the Laram

Rivers Conservation District Expo this Saturday at the Ice Center from 10 to 2. So come visit us then. Thank you. Very good. And if we can get you all up for a photo. Oh yeah.

And I will say I was the recipient two years ago of a plum and a service berry from Rooted in Larmy and they are doing fabulous. And just by the way, Kyle Peep is our city arborist. Uh, thank you for your work, Kyle. And last but not least, we have uh the proclamation for National Tennis Month. And so whereas on May 21st, 1881, the USA uh originally known as the United States National Lawn Tennis Association was founded in New York City to create rules and standards for the emerging game of lawn tennis. And whereas the USA is a nonprofit national governing body for tennis in the United States and leads the promotion and growth of the sport at every level of play from beginning to professionals to the US Open. And whereas the latest research by the physical activity council shows that

more than 27.3 million Americans played tennis in 2025. That's a lot of people. An unprecedented 6.2% increase in participation over 2024 and the highest number of players since the PAX study began in 2007. And whereas the Alpine Tennis Association was founded in Laram with a mission to promote, develop, and ensure the sport of tennis is available and accessible to all in the Laram community. And whereas by increasing the accessibility of tennis for Laramese citizens of all ages and ability, the USA and the Alpine Tennis Association have contributed to making our community happier and healthier. And whereas USA has declared the month of May as National Tennis Month to encourage players, organizations, facilities, retailers, tennis manufacturers, and many more to promote local programs and activities at parks and facilities to showcase tennis and spread the word about the sports. Now therefore, I, Sharon in Cumbi, mayor and president of the city of Laramie, Wyoming City Council, do hereby proclaim May 2026 as National Tennis Month and Good evening.

Good evening. If you could state your name for the record. It's It's all right. I'm short. Here we go.

Okay. Um, my name is Leah Burkeman. I'm currently the president of the Alpine Tennis Association, the our uh community tennis association here in uh Laram. And on behalf of Alpine, we want to thank you, honorable mayor Cumbi, and the members of the Laramie City Council for supporting this proclamation for May is National Tennis Month. We also want to say thank you to our community and especially to those who have shown support for tennis, for our youth and adult players, and to those parents and fans who support high school and university level players. So why why tennis? Why is tennis important? Uh we believe that sport can be one of the best vehicles for enhancing the quality of life of an individual physically, mentally and socially. Tennis provides accessible fun for all ages and abilities. And tennis offers the opportunity to learn skills like resilience, patience, communication, cooperation, and time management that can be used both on and off the court. We focus on building skills that players can use anywhere in life. We want our athletes to view failure as a learning opportunity and not something that should be feared. We promote community learning and are dedicated to providing youth with a safe environment that celebrates them as individuals as well as their ability to be part of a team. We recognize that growth and success look different for each individual and that's totally okay. Um, as tennis is a catalyst for growth and a rapidly growing sport. When I was in high school, we barely had enough players to have a full team. And now, uh, the team has consistently over 60 um, high school players and we just added middle school to our spring tennis. Um, for that uh, we are continuing to grow and we want to encourage people to start playing tennis young and to keep playing tennis throughout their lives. currently one of the oldest members of the Laramie uh

tennis community is in his 90s and he is there more he's at the courts more than I am. Uh research shows that tennis can add almost 10 years to your life. It lowers your cardiovascular risk by over 50% and there's a boost to mental health by over 20% over a sedentary lifestyle. Our tennis programs have also benefited the Laram community. In 2025, we held a sec uh district L5 tournament that brought over 160 youth players and their families from around the country to Laram and they stayed in our hotels and they went to our local restaurants and they were able to see our wonderful university. Thank you. Thank you.

Yes. Thank you. Thank you. Is there uh anyone with the organization that would like a picture?

Yes, we brought some kids in play. Come on up. Those were some impressive growth statistics over the past year. Uh, alrighty. Next,

we have a presentation this evening from our Laram Youth Council are going to give their annual report. City clerk, if you would like to introduce.

Thank you, Mayor. Um, just really short, um, I'll let you talk to them. Um, but I just wanted to say I'm really proud of this group. Um, oh, I'm going to get emotional. They've been a great group of kids to work with and so I'm excited for you to hear what they've worked on. Their passion for their fellow peers um is just amazing. So with that, I'll introduce our youth council. Let them introduce themselves. I'm Elise Hovan. I'm Eileen Mahia. I'm William Alexander. I'm Carl Mlan. I'm a guan. Hi, I'm Va Ramshanka.

Welcome. Thank you.

Okay. So, I'm the chair of the Larmy Youth Council. I'm the vice chair of the Larmy Youth Council. Oh, thank you. Okay. So, some of our goals and objectives for this year were mental health, specifically stress management, substance abuse, and providing academic support to the underprivileged. But later on the year, we decided to focus more on mental health because we decided that it was the most pressing issue in our community. Yeah.

I guess diving deeper into uh our idea of mental health, we wanted to focus specifically on the stress management uh that teens have. And we found that the American Institute of Stress shows that 60% of high schoolers feel stress almost on a day-to-day basis. So we wanted to see how this applied to our school and we partnered up with Teleope which is a nonprofit organization that focuses on breaking the cycle of isolation and creating friendships and in those friendships creating trust. So our presentation um it was focused on self-confidence and being proud of ourselves for how far we have come. and they talked a lot about feeling comfortable and acknowledging that no matter how different you can be from someone, we are all humans and at the end of the day, we all struggle with the same things. So part of that presentation, we also did a survey within our high school and we had around 150 participants. Yeah. So in that survey, we asked two questions. The first one being on a scale from 1 to five, how stressed would you say you feel on a day-to-day basis? one being the lowest amount of stress and five being the highest amount of stress. So on the graph on the top right, it shows that one 10.5% felt a stress at a level of one, 29.4% felt it at a level of two, 32.9% felt it at a level of three, 21% at a level of four, and 6.3 at a level of five. So other than that, we also asked what is one thing that helps you relax or deal with stress? We asked them to give us a short response so that we could get the most common answers out of it and we created a word cloud which is on the bottom right and the bigger the words are the more common the response was for that stress management. So you can see that music is a really big way that people

deal with their stress. But you can see a variety of things from exercise to friends to the Bible to their family. And it's just really cool to see that although the charts of stress are so separated and different, that a lot of people deal with stress in the same way. And we also wanted to show kids that even if there's a way of stress management that's not helping you anymore, there's so many other ways that you can manage your stress and you don't have to feel self-conscious about the way you are dealing with it or having it.

Yeah. And just to add on to that, um, we can see that our highest percentage was three at 32.9%. And three out of five is quite a lot of stress to be dealing with on a day-to-day basis, especially cuz we're growing, we're developing, we're still in high school. So, we think it's important to keep addressing these issues and um realizing that it's very important to talk about. Yeah. So overall, as high schoolers ourselves, we determined that mental health was the most pressing issue in our community. And we think that the presentation we hosted resonated a lot with the school. And even after the presentation, we saw some students talking to the presenters and being able to open up about their own struggles and feel supported, which we think was very important. So thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much for your presentation and for the work and commitment that you put in uh to participating in this program. And I would like to acknowledge our three counselors who worked with the group. Councelor Shamway, councelor Bowling, and councelor Newman, as well as our city clerk, Nancy Nancy Bartholomew. So, uh, it's been almost a year-long commitment and, uh, really some important work. Thank you. Councelor Shamway or Bowling Newman, do you all have anything any comments? Yes, Councelor Shamway.

Thank you. I I I just want to say to these fine young men and women, what an important step they have taken this week and not only reaching out to others within their age group, but also the example that they were to really let them know that we are working together to make sure that their lives have quality. And I think that your leadership and and what you have done is going to have lasting results not only in their young lives but in their future lives too. Thank you so much for the dedication leadership that you've shown. Thank you councelor Bowling.

Thank you mayor. And I'll echo um councelor Shamway. Um uh I I first want to uplift um the city clerk Nancy Bartholomew again and all the work that that she does to make youth council possible, especially today on municipal clerk's day. Um and just commend um the entire youth council for sort of the exemplary leadership that you bring to um to to school, to this city, and to the larger community of friends, families um that um are going to be impacted by this. To see that over 60% of students feel stress at a three or above is alarming. and also uh not surprising and I think it's probably similar to the way that many of us on this day feel stress but knowing that you're thinking about the tools with which to manage that at um such a a a young age is is really encouraging. So thank you again for your leadership and your work. Councelor Newman,

this is my favorite border commission and if any of you can ever do this, I I urge you to. I think it makes every vote that we do even more important because some of the things that we work on as a council, our youth council is doing the same as you can see with mental health. Um, it's been fun to watch you guys grow and continue to grow uh and being involved in this city and I hope one day you guys are setting up here.

Yeah. it. Well, thank you very much and we're really proud of you. Not yet.

Well, that was a heartwarming first part of uh our meeting. It's not often we have that much uh going on. Uh next we are going to move to public hearings and uh I will have the city clerk. We have three public hearings. The city clerk will read all of the public hearings and then I'll open each afterward for public comment on the public hearing. But do be aware that these also occur on the agenda and will be uh discussed with presentation questions and comments later. So without further ado, uh, city clerk, if you can read the public hearings.

Notice is hereby given that a public hearing of the Larmy city council will be held at 6:30 p.m. on May 6, 2026 in city council chambers, Laramie City Hall, 406 Ivansson Avenue, Larmy, Wyoming. The meeting shall be held with both online Zoom and in-person option to take public comments on the following plat 26-00003. The applicant, Kelly Hefner, uh on behalf of JR Real Estate Development, Inc. is requesting a final plat for the Spring Creek Village fourth filing final plat which vacates a portion of the Spring Creek Village second filing and third filing amended and creates 18 residential lots on a 1.34 acre site and a B1 RO zoned district located south of Spring Creek, west of 9inth Street and south of Sanders Drive to consider and approve the Westside urban renewal plan and project for a lot located north of Garfield Street, east of Laramie River, south of and south of um Snowy Range Road, Clark Street, identifying and recognizing this area is located in an urban renewal area and that it is that and that it includes blighted areas that qualifies it for plan and project and that if approved, possible funding could be used for public improvements and development within the plan and project area. And third, original resolution number 2121 amending multiple sections within Larry Municipal Code Chapter 15 for the purpose of updating, amending, adding, and deleting select sections of the IC 2024 code within city code as submitted by the city of Larmy. All applications, plans, and specifications relative to these matters are available

for review at the city of Larmy planning office at 405 Grand Avenue, Larmy, Wyoming. Anyone wishing to be heard should be represented by um excuse me. Anyone wishing to be heard should be present at city council chambers or via webinar 838-7531-6646, passcode 858600. Written comments may be mailed to the city council care of city of Larmy planning office PO Box C Larie Wyoming 82073. For questions or information contact city planning at the address above by telephone at 307-721-5207 or email at planning@c cityoflair.org. Thanks mayor.

Thank you city clerk. And so is there any uh public comment on the public hearing Spring Creek Village final plat? Seeing none, is there any public hearing on the any public comment on the public hearing Westside urban renewal? Mr. Glass. Good evening, Mayor Cumbi and members of council. Um, I'm going to urge you to vote against the resolution when it comes up later tonight. Um, because uh, well, this plan is not urban. It's not renewal. The area isn't blighted. And state statute specifically says that an urban rene renewal agency is there to remove things that are a menace to public health and safety. It's not a housing agency and an attempt to change the law to make it so was actually rejected by our state legislature. Um to approve this would be ab an abuse of the urban renewal agency which has good uses. This is not one of them. And in particular, the plan that you're going that's before you tonight doesn't meet the statutory requirements. The statutory requirement, if you look at the if you look at the uh the statute, gives specific criteria for what is a workable urban renewal plan. Well, not only does this not not not give you a workable plan, this document, it uh it in fact doesn't give a plan at all. It doesn't say anything about what would be done with the land in question. It doesn't talk about how it would be developed in any way. It it

just doesn't meet the criteria in the statute. So, for that reason alone, you should vote against it this evening. I'm sure there going to be other comments talking about other reasons why the public does not desire this, but uh that's from a legal standpoint again, you should turn it down just on that basis because if there's going to be a plan, there should be a real workable plan as per statute. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Glass. Any further public comment on this public hearing? Mr. Henderson, if you can state your name for the record.

Thank you. My name is Eric Henderson, and I would like to first state my concern that that uh is one for my property in Westside Historic District. I am not relieved by any conversation that's been held thus far in the planning commission or in in any other city endeavor that has relieved me of my concern regarding handling of the water table. uh to to the uh historic district in its entirety. Anytime the water level increases, that entire neighborhood is affected and impacted. And there's been nothing but uh continued development on top of concerned infrastructure that has been acknowledged by the city of Laram as underfunded in decades and decades of of uh operation. My second is this uh 32 acres spot. This this this acreage currently costs the city nothing. It doesn't cost in terms of fire. It doesn't cost in terms of public uh police operations needing to be called there. And to and to apply a measure tax incremental financing over a span of 20 to 30 years potentially is of great concern to me financially. that this our city, our county will forego uh roughly $3,700 annually in income and now forego uh those monies being taken in as they are repaying that tax incremental uh measure. So I would ask that you uh vote against this and I thank you for this time.

Thank you Mr. Henderson. Is there any other public comment on this public hearing? And this will come up again. Uh yes, Mr. Rston, if you can state your name for the record, please.

Um hi, I'm Bson and I'm just here in support for um a yes for the resolution later. someone who's been talking a lot with constituents in the community just about the vision for housing in Laramie and um opportunities to get young people homes and possible equity out of those homes eventually down the road. And I just think that the plan itself, although not maybe as direct like this is exactly what we're going to build and this is, you know, exactly how we're going to do it, it does incentivize the building of certain things by private developers that would encourage the housing that Laramie needs. And I've mentioned this before, but I'm a big advocate for access to resources and I do think housing is a resource. And so I encourage you to um vote yes on this and uh I look forward to hearing about it later.

Thank you, Mr. Rollston. Any further public comment on this public hearing?

Mayor and Larie City Council. I'm Anne Brand, Albany County Conservancy. Um members of our conservancy urge you not to vote in favor of this resolution at this point in juncture. Um we ask you to exercise your authority under Wyoming law and follow statute 15 title 9 101 through 110. Um the local governing body shall review and make recommendations as to its conformity with the general plan for the development of the entire municipality. And I did mention this at the planning commission meeting as well. Um, I would like to I'm compelled at this point to point out to you that in 1985, the great Cheyenne flood turned Cheyenne city streets into rivers. It destroyed infrastructure and it killed 12 Cheyenne residents, including a Larmy County Deputy, Robert Van Allen. he was attempting to rescue a child. This struck home with me because that's the year I graduated from Central High School and I lived in Western Hills and there was a dry creek bed that flooded that year. So, I would like to urge you to think about this. At the planning commission, Donna Otul asked the project developer, Mr. Christensen um regarding some projects in Cheyenne, if any of them were near Crow Creek, if he knew of Mystic, Texas. So, I think he was alluding to this kind of situation. And I specifically heard the word unaware. You cannot afford to be unaware when you deal with a FEMA designated extreme flood plane. Um, in today's Larmy Boomerang, the six penny tax passed and I voted in favor of that tax because we

need to have an animal shelter. We need to have communications for our um, fire department. I did notice that on item D, as did many of the members of my conservancy, that it wasn't so clearly allocated on the ballot where that $4 million would specifically go. So, how can you assure the members of the Albany County Conservancy that that money isn't going to be used specifically to attend to storm drainage issues on the 4G property um to incentivize that property to sell for the highest dollar amount because it could be tiff to a private for-profit outofstate developer like say for example the Stencil Group. um because we don't know who's going to be down the road. And I did want to point out the city of Laramie comprehensive plan chapter 113 conservation of these important areas identified the Casper aquifer and the Laramie River were considered especially important.

Thank you Ann. Thank you very much. Thank you. Is there any other public comment on this public hearing? And uh mayor, if we can I'm just want to make sure I'm I'm I'm not sure that there was um clarity on the tax ballot um storm water drainage. Um I I there wasn't anything that said this is going to be used for that property. That's a separate item. So I just want to make sure that's really clear to the public. Thank you. And then there's another gentleman with his hand.

Yes, sir. Good evening. And if you can state your name for the record, please.

Yes, ma'am. Uh my name is Nick Castle. Uh thank you guys for hosting this and allowing us to speak our mind. Um as a young professional and city uh Larmy employee, I love this community. I love this city. I hope to one day own a home here and make a life here. Um so I'm urging you to vote yes on this resolution. um because anything that'll move us towards more housing and affordable housing like my friend Brett pointed out um is something that makes that possible for the young community here and I would love to move from renting to owning at some point in Laramie. So I urge you to vote yes and thank you very much. Thank you.

Any other public comment on this public hearing then? Oh yes sir. Thank you. If you can uh come on up and that's okay. My corporate logo. Okay. If you can state your name for the record. Thank you.

My name is Evan Grenle. I'm a West Larry resident. Uh I'm just here to speak. I was neutral at first, but now I'm more supportive of this measure. uh at least from my from my uh understanding there's a lot more acreage on the West Larmy that could uh you know be developed for uh ecological purposes to in order to mitigate flood pain plane water issues. Uh there's not it's not like you can't do another project out further in the county to protect the city as a whole from the Lamry Larry River flooding. Uh, and secondarily, I guess at least from my understanding, this is the first stage of any development. It's not like next year they're going to build something on that piece of land. And this is the first thing that we need to do in order to do that. So, I guess how else do we start considering those options unless this designation is made. So, that's why I guess I'm in support for it. Thank you.

Thank you. Is there any other public comment on this public hearing? Seeing none, I will move on to the next public hearing. Uh, amending multiple sections within Laram Municipal Code. Is there any public comment? Yes. I first. Yes. No. If you can state your name for the record, please.

Yeah. Uh, hello. My name is Colin Rasinski. Um, I grew up here in Laramie. I've been a contractor here for 5 years. I recently completed a modestized house on Sheridan Street, 4 bed, 3 and a half bath for at 1,800 ft². Um, and it cost quite a bit more than I thought going into it. And there's just a lot of factors that go into building a house um, in the city of Larmy. So, I really appreciate the work that the building department is doing right now uh, with the contractors, working with them and not against them uh, in recent months. uh asking us kind of what codes should be dropped that aren't really useful to our town without sacrificing safety or anything. So, I appreciate that work that uh they're doing. And then I think that dropping these codes is a great start and I hope there can be more productive conversations between the contractors and the building and the planning department to bring costs lower. Um, and I see and I know a lot of contractors that are uh veering more towards building in the county and there is a temptation to do that because it's a lot easier to build there. So, if there was any way to find a middle ground here in Larmy to make building easier for the builders and thereby lowering the prices for the citizens of Larmy. Um but yeah, overall I would urge you to vote yes on dropping these various codes and uh I don't know how to make it happen, but a meeting with the planning, building and contractors specifically for affordable housing would be useful in my opinion. So thank you.

Thank you. We appreciate your comments. Yeah,

uh Mr. glass. Honorable Mayor Cami and members of council, I am all for many of the provisions in this ordinance which would relieve some of the restrictions some of some of some of the absurd requirements in the latest building codes. However, this ordinance, the way it's written right now, both giveth and taketh away. There are a couple of items there that I think you should consider amending or perhaps striking because they do the opposite of uh of what the previous speaker was talking about. There are two areas of particular concern that that I've noticed here. Um the first one is uh proposed code um R 608 608.8.2 um where it says before cutting a new concrete opening or modify an existing concrete opening or or lintil a licensed engineer must be consulted and and and the and stamp recommendations the license engineer provided to the building official as part of the building permit application. Now, there's been a lot of talk about egress windows, and in fact, I hope the council will act on on changing the ordinance to make it easier to put in an egress window. But what this does is for virtually any modification to your foundation requires an expensive engineer to come in and and do this when all it has to be is more than 2 feet wide, which is makes sense for an egress window. and suddenly you've got to call an expensive engineer in even when your experienced builder can see that there's no there's no reason to do this that you don't need the engineer stamp. So I'd like you I'd like to to ask you to reconsider that. The second one I would like to ask you to reconsider has to do with something that was just added to

the code, a new restriction which is not in the original codes which bans the use of flexible plumbing connections. I have here and I can pass it around if you'd like but I can I can show it to you a device which we use a lot in rentals which is called the snappy trap. And this is the solution to a lot of problems especially in older houses especially when you're renovating. When you're doing an emergency repair for a tenant you need something quick that you can attach that is flexible that you can fit in to to replace a leaky trap or or other bad plumbing under a sink. This is approved. It has a UPC approval stamp which says that it meets the plumbing codes and it has smooth surfaces on the inside. It's only corrugated on the outside. But with this addition to the codes, even this item, which is which is a fantastic fantastic invention, would not be allowed. Um, even even the regular corrugated um the even the regular corrugated fittings can be a godsend. If you have a leak in a pipe, you can cut it. You can cut out the bad section. You can expand the corrugated section. And yeah, it has some corrugations in it, but it's also wider than the original pipe. And in 15 minutes, you can leak.

Okay. Thank you. Anyway, thank you. Thank you.

Is there any other public comment on this public hearing item? Seeing none, we will move on to announcements. Uh Mr. Jeep uh mayor and city council. Um I just wanted to provide a brief update uh for you guys on our current construction activity on what is uh going on. Uh first, the moisture received uh was certainly welcome and much needed. Uh that said, it did cause some delays with our uh construction activity, but we're more than happy to welcome that along. Uh, as far as projects, our first one, um, for the 2026 rehab, fighting that. U, we did have some standing water on 22nd Street where the concrete replacement work was underway. Uh, once those areas dried out, the contractor will resume that work. Uh, next week, we do plan on closing Colorado Street and the so the contractor can continue asphalt work and concrete work. will also begin on Sheridan uh Street. Uh the 15th Street, see if I can find it. Uh 15th Street uh phase 2 project from Grand to Ivansson is expected to start on May 18th and this will continue over the next couple months. And also if awarded tonight uh sorry I'm trying to find it along here. Uh our Ivansson project will also be starting uh at 8 and a half uh the the block there on May 18th as well and be shutting down 9th and Sheridan. Uh we will be letting

university know once we have these schedules confirmed as well. uh Thornberg Avenue or the Thornberg alleys is having expecting some encountered some challenges right now uh as we anticipated it might but we are continuing to move this project forward. I also wanted to let council know that white dot is conducting a corridor study on Snowy Range Road and the city is assisting with this effort and in the coming weeks we're going to be helping to get a word out regarding a public questionnaire that they have on there. So, be looking for that on our social media. And we are door knocking uh that for them as well as we do our snowy range. Uh finally, Pier Street PRV and Snowy Range Road waterline project is planned to go out to bid starting this weekend. And overall, despite some weather um delays, our construction activity is going well. And we'll continue to keep council and the public updated as these projects uh continue on. And as always, if you haven't if you receive any questions, feel free to have them reach out to engineering and we'll work to get those answers. So that's all I had. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh next, uh Director Wade or uh city manager Fezer.

Honorable mayor, we're going to change up the order for you and we're actually going to add one before director Wade comes up. Nancy Bartholomew's got one on youth council after I get done. But uh uh councelor Bowling had brought it up. Uh we didn't have a proclamation in honor of professional municipal clerks week, but uh we are so proud and honored to recognize Nancy Bartholomew, our city clerk, Ryan Chufeld, our deputy city clerk, and Reagan Lawrence, uh records clerk, part-time records clerk, that work in the clerk's office, and believe they deserve a large round of applause. Thank you everyone. Of course, it's a pleasure to serve our community and our staff. They're great to work with. Um and I'm going to try not to cry. Um the other announcement that we had tonight um was regarding

No, we don't need a You already got a photo with the Youth Council. Yeah. Um but the Larmy Youth Council is currently accepting applications for the next program. Um, so if you know any youth in our community in junior high and high school, um, within Albany County, they're eligible to participate in this program. So, um, we've had the question before in the past, um, if homeschoolers can also participate, and they absolutely can. Um, so that application's available on our website under boards and commissions. Um, and if you have any questions, reach out to me, and I'm happy to answer those for you. And thank you again.

Thank you. I will just say before I turn it over to Director Wade, we couldn't do it without Nancy Bartholomew and uh she's been a great guide for me uh and keeps me out of trouble. So, Director Wade,

good evening, honorable mayor and city council members. I think I have the most exciting item on our very packed agenda tonight because I'm going to send out a note of much gratitude and appreciation to our community for passing our 2026 spat tax. Um my goodness, all the work that's gone into this tax from the committee of council members, the mayor, the vice mayor, council member Lockheart who worked with staff on the project priority list to the governing bodies of the county and the town of Rock River. This is just such a good example of the governing bodies and the community coming together um to really invest in our future for the next 10-year period. And so the 2026 proposed SPET is now the 2026 enacted SPET. And as you'll remember from our goal setting session together just a few weeks ago, we're not going to stop here, right? the work is just beginning and we're going to get all kinds of information out in front of the council and the community so that they know exactly how we're going to manage this money and how we're going to invest it um for the health and the future of our community. So, thank you so much Laramie Albany County and residents of the town of Rock River. Thank you counselors. Any disclosures and or conflicts of interest? Seeing none, Vice Mayor, would you like to motion for approval of the consent agenda?

Thank you, mayor. I move that the consent agenda be approved and that each specific action on the consent agenda be approved as indicated. Second. I have a motion from Richardson, second from Vhill. City clerk, if you can please call the role. Bowling. Yes. Freed I. Lockheart yes. Newman yes. Odory yes. Shamway. Yes. Vehill. Yes. Richardson. Yes. Cumbi. Yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes. Uh, next item 11A. Uh, councelor Newman. No.

Oh, yeah. That's right. Sorry about that. Um, so item 11A is the Wyoming Association of Municipalities 2026 Summer Convention Voting Delegates. And city clerk, would you like to introduce this?

Thank you, mayor. I'd be happy to. Um so this year, as you know, we're hosting um the WHAM Wyoming Association of Municipalities summer conference. Um with their summer conference, they do have a business meeting and they ask each municipality to elect um a voting delegate and an alternate voting delegate. Um so we've received some responses from counselors um that are attending. Um so at this time, mayor, it would be appropriate if we um took nominations for who would like to serve as that delegate. Okay. And uh just for your information, uh the uh WHAM summer convention business meeting will be held on Thursday, June the 4th uh at the UW conference center. Uh and the conference is being held June 3rd through the 5th. Uh we will need a nomination for an official voting delegate. uh you can nominate another or yourself and then we need a nomination uh for an official alternate voting delegate. The floor is open for nominations. Uh councelor Newman

nominee councelor Bowling. Councelor Bowling, do you accept? I accept. And is that for the official voting delegate? Okay. Further nominations? Okay. Do I have a nomination for alternate voting delegate? Councelor Lockart. I nominate councelor Shamway. Councelor Shamway. Do you accept? I I do and I'll be more than happy to work with councelor Bowling because I've done this many times.

Very good. Are there any other nominations? Then we have Oh, I was just going to make a motion. Oh, uh, you can go ahead and make the motion and fill the names in with the motion. Thank you. I move that the Larmy City Council appoint councelor Bowling as the official voting delegate and councelor Shamway as the official alternate voting delegate for the 2026 WHAM summer convention business meeting. Second.

I have a motion from Newman, second from Richardson. Uh is there any discussion? Is there any public comment on this agenda item? Back to council. Any final? City clerk, if you can call the role. Oh. Oh, excuse me, councelor Frerieded. Thank you, mayor. Uh, just want to say, uh, if this passes, thanks for representing city council and this community. Uh, councelor Bowling and councelor Shamway. That was it. Thanks. Vote now.

Thank you. Thank you both for your willingness to serve. Um, city clerk, if you can call the role, please. Newman, yes. Freed, yes. Lockheart, yes. Shamway, yes. Behill, I. Oorty, yes. Bowling, I. Richardson, I. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor.

Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes. Uh, next item 11B. Councelor Lockart. Thank you, mayor. I move that the Laramie City Council approve the award of bid and contract with Western Municipal Construction for the Ivansson Infrastructure Upgrades phase 2 project in the amount of 10,879,790 with a contingency of 1,87,979 and to approve resolution 2026-29 amending appropriations for the fiscal year 2026 budget of the city of Larmy, Wyoming and authorize the mayor and city clerk to I second.

I have a motion from Lockhart, second from Newman. Mr. Jeb, good evening.

You're all mayor and members of council. I'm excited to bring this uh project before council tonight. Uh this one has actually been on the city's radar for some time now. I have recollection recollection of this project back from 2009. So, it's very exciting to actually bring it forward for construction tonight and uh hopefully get this awarded. Uh, this project will reconstruct Ivansson Avenue from 9th to 15th Street with a concrete road section. It also is going to include improvements to the side streets between Grand and Ivvenson. Uh, we won't be touching where W did place concrete um, previously on those side streets there. And then we'll also be doing uh work in the adjacent alleys and replacing water uh sanitary sewer and storm sewer along with some concrete replacement where it's needed and ADA improvements. Uh this project does support council's goal to maintain and improve municipal infrastructure and staff does recommend approval and I can answer any questions you have on this project.

Thank you Mr. Chap. Counselors questions. Uh councelor Odory. Mr. Jeff, I was recently uh crossing uh Ison on 13th and the trees, boy, they've really wreaked havoc with that sidewalk. Um what happens there? Like when the the sidewalk is about, you know, this much above the this much being a foot so above the street. Um h how does that get handled?

Yeah, your honorable mayor threw you the um the sidewalks in ADA are a little challenging on there. There's some sections that already have actually have stairs in those areas. So, uh the consultants work to kind of work those grades the best that we can. Uh when we do hit trees like that, just as a general overview, uh we try to usually it's caused by roots. Uh we try to save the trees if we can. Uh sometimes it's not. We usually bring in an arborist to assess that situation to see if it is salvageable. Sometimes removing those large roots does damage and cause, you know, could cause the tree to blow over. However, we are trying to save as many trees as we can. We kind of just have to encounter those when we take them, but usually try to get those that concrete leveled out uh and fix it where those problems are.

Councelor Freed, thank you, Mayor, and and thank you, Director Um I guess I I really like this project and it's awesome to see it finally coming before council. Uh would just to echo some previous comments from uh members of the traffic safety commission about bike lanes and painting. Uh, and I know that's a little down the line on projects like this, but I appreciate the the forward thinking and the the cheap cost it is to paint, you know, while we're doing projects like this. So, just echoing I think the support that we have for for these projects and and making sure that we can make them as u usable for everybody. Thanks. Any further questions?

Thank you, Mr. Jeff. Is there any public comment on this agenda item? Seeing none, back to council for comments. Any final comments? City clerk, if you can call the role. Lockhart, yes. Odory, yes. Behill, yes. Shamway, yes. Newman, yes. Freed, yes. Bowling, yes. Richardson, yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor.

Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes. Item 11 C. Councelor Vhill. Thank you, mayor. I move that the Larmy City Council approve amendment number uh seven to the professional engineering services agreement with Tri Hydro Corporation for construction management and contract administration services associated with the Ison infrastructure upgrades phase 2 project in the amount of $928,284 and authorize the mayor and city clerk to sign. Second. I have a motion from Vhill, second from Richardson. Mr. Chap,

my mayor, members, and council, uh, this item is actually related to the previous item that was just approved for Ivansson. Uh, Tri Hydro completed the design for Ivanson has been involved in this project since it was a conceptual design. They also uh did the construction management for phase one that we did last year on Ivansson. Uh because of their familiarity with this project, staff requested a scope and a fee proposal for the phase two. Uh these services will support the city during construction, including construction administration, construction observation, coordination, and project documentation. Uh with that, I can answer any questions you have. Thank you, Mr. Jeb. Counselors, questions. Uh councelor Freed.

Thank you, Mayor. More of a comment if that's allowed. I'll allow it. Thank you, mayor. Um, director Jeb, as briefly as you want to go, but could you just explain maybe to council members of the public why we kind of use, you know, a construction manager and why we don't have maybe the capacity in house or, you know, someone sees $900,000 kind of what that provides and you did a little bit of it, but just just briefly for for members of the public. I think it's always good to hear if you don't mind.

Uh, you're mayor through you. Uh so the construction management and observation basically the contractor is going or the consultant's going to have someone out there full-time whenever work is being done. Uh you know our staff does get out there during highlights or testing and stuff like that or if issues kind of come up but we don't have the capacity to be out there watching every phase of that project. Uh they work with the contractor as it goes along. So all the concrete that's being placed in all the pipe, they're watching every one of those stick sticks going in. Uh especially they're taking documentation of that work going on. They're conducting pictures. They're working when they're doing any of the testing, especially compaction, making sure that compaction is being done correctly. Uh so there's a lot, you know, it's it's a full-time job. If issues come up, they're the design engineer, so they work with the city staff to help solve those problems. uh being the design engineer they have an insight and can help solve problems much quicker in the uh you know with having that built into their CAD and the actual design of the system and then finally uh since we are doing water and sewer and then really any project we do asbuilts so an engineer has to have certified asbuilts so there's a certain level of documentation that engineers like to see to be able to stamp those asbuilts so that's also part of this is they're they're documenting that so that we can get certified asbuilts at the end of the project as Thank you.

Thank you. Further questions? Uh, thank you, Mr. Jab. Is there any public comment on this agenda item? Seeing none, back to council. Council, any final comments? I just want to say, as Mr. Jeff pointed out, this has been a project in the planning for a very long time and it certainly is um kind of a Swiss cheese road right now when you go down it. So, it's really going to make a difference and I appreciate the attention that's also going to uh storm water design because that is an area that when we get those summer downpours, it does flood uh in that area. So, this is going to help uh that particular uh process. Thank you. City clerk, if you can call the role, please.

Vhill, yes. Newman, yes. Bowling, yes. Freed I. Lockhart, yes. Odory, yes. Shamway, yes. Richardson, yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Thank you, city clerk. Uh, that motion passes. Item 11D. Uh, Vice Mayor Richardson.

Thank you, Mayor. I move that the Larmy City Council approve a professional services agreement with Trihydro Corporation for the Larmy CMCA task order 2026 in the amount of $323,950 with a contingency of $30,398 and authorize the mayor and city clerk to sign and I would also ask that somebody um uh break down the acron acronym of CMCA for the public please. Second. I have a motion by Richardson, second by V Hill. Mr.

All right. Honable mayor, members of council. Uh to begin, CMCA is an acronym we use quite often. It's the construction management uh construction administration. It's uh what we were talking about with that Trihydro project uh that was just awarded previously for the Ivansson. Uh for these projects, we actually are looking uh at awarding agreement again with Trihydro. We went out for uh RFQ for this and they were the selected uh consultant and this agreement will be for the construction management and construction min administration uh for several projects uh coming forward tonight. We have two that is planned and then I'll talk a little bit later about some others that we'll be bringing back probably with amendments to add to this contract was kind of the plan and we'll add those in once we have better costs and we get those projects up to bid. Uh so the first one that's actually already underway is our 2026 street rehab. I have it pulled up here. As you can see, there's a uh quite a few. Uh we've been trying to work to get this underway so that we can get the assistance uh from it. Uh this has been taking quite a bit of staff time and we're looking forward to having uh some help with this project to be out there and help with those problems that are coming up. I was talking to our inspector and you know I think he was joking but it seems like we're almost getting a call every 10 minutes to try to work through some of the issues as these projects have been going on and figuring out the concrete. Uh the next project as I was mentioning earlier tonight as well is 15th Street. So this project uh will be reconstructing the entire road. Uh this is full reconstruction. So getting down to the base, fixing the um sidewalk and curb and gutter where it's needed in ADA as well. So with this uh Tri Tri Hydro is going to be out and doing the full-time inspection out here working with city staff uh documenting these projects as they go along. Uh usually we are taking this with the design engineer. Uh this is a little bit something different we're doing this year because these projects um that we

talked about were designed inhouse by city staff. uh using a typical design cost of about 10% that's kind of roughly how much it costs of the construction cost of it. Uh these projects estimated saving the city of $825,000 uh by doing an in-house design. And these are just the first two projects that we're looking at uh bringing forward. Uh it also allowed us to move these projects forward. Uh we didn't have to go out for a full RFQ. It's not saying our consultants are slow necessarily, but there's a lot of steps we have to do and to try to meet the timelines that we had for these projects, uh, we decided to do them in house. They weren't that complicated and everything. So, we also saved, uh, quite a bit of time. Uh, with that though, as we were talking about with staff time and everything else, uh, we unfortunately just don't have the staff to go out and sit on projects all day while completing a lot of our other activities. So what we did is we went out for an RFQ to get a consultant to assist with these projects and others uh kind of coming down the road this summer. And so these are the first two projects uh they will be doing that construction management, construction administration, documenting uh showing that helping staff with inspections kind of as problems kind of come up with that. Um let's see. And then we do anticipate some future projects uh for this one. uh snowy range waterline replacement as I said was going out to bid. So that one is actually going to be a pretty heavy lift for that construction management and construction administration. So we will need that assistance uh with that one. Uh Kuster Street sewer rehab that was designed by a consultant but we're going to we added it to this project. It's a pretty small one and since they're already going to be doing some work for us and then also a four street reconstruction uh kind of right outside here uh we'll also be uh partly one that we're actually um

finalizing in-house design for that as well and uh getting that ready to bid here in the coming months. So uh that's kind of our plan with these. It helps us to move these projects forward efficiently and help with uh that work in the field where we just don't have the staff capacity to do that at this time. So, uh, if you have any questions, I can answer them at this time. Uh, thank you, Mr. Jeff. Questions, counselors. Uh, councelor O Dhorty. Um, since I love this, uh, story map so much and um, I think it's very helpful for the public to see this. Would you remind us the easiest way to get to that page?

Yes. Um, I can't remember the exact link right now, but if you go to the city of Lar's website under engineering, and it's the tab on the far left. It's the first tab on that location. NY's helping out to bring that up. I think I got one before you. Okay. It's just a followup, Darren. It's a followup. Okay. Uh, councelor Bowling. Thank you, Mayor, and thank you, Councelor. If you if you simply just go to the landing page and type in construction projects, it's the very first thing that will come up.

Yeah. And ma'am, for you um our city clerk helped me. It's a construction story map after the city of Laramie website. Really easy to remember that except I couldn't. Very good. Thank you. Uh councelor Newman.

Thank you, Mayor. Is it does it make it easier when you use the same management company? Um because it seems to me it seems like it would be easier. Um, is that kind of why some of these other guys lost the bid as well? Um, uh, you're my mayor through you, uh, we had with the RFQ, we had a a criteria with that. Most of our, uh, consultants that we have, uh, are good, you know, and, you know, they Tri Hydro didn't design any of these projects specifically, but we do work with them. We also work with a lot of our consultants, but as they went through the RFQ process, uh staff just ranked them higher based on the proposal they they brought forward. Um we could have worked with honestly any of probably the consultants that came in with that, but they were just ranked higher by the ranking of that.

Thank you. Thank you. Uh Vice Mayor Richardson, thank you. Thanks so much for this. And um in thinking about just this the project management, do you know offhand how many construction projects we have this summer going on? Um because I think when I see this I very much recognize the need to bring another somebody on to help. I think I have that from earlier presentation of how many we had. I have it in like the two weeks ago presentation. I can probably find it but I don't remember off exactly. It's the number that's here. I want to say it's 19 or so on that that we have going on. Let's see here. Buckle up, Larie.

Buckle up. Um, sorry. 26 projects, oh my gosh, that we have planned uh for construction this summer is what we have anticipated at this time. Thank you. Uh, councelor O'Dhorty,

uh, that stretch of 15th between the culde-sac and Grand that doesn't, you said you're going down to the base, but it doesn't have uh water and sewer under it because that's over somewhere else, right? Yeah, your honorable mayor and council through you. Uh so actually that does have utilities through it. Uh but we actually worked with the University of Wyoming when they were doing their project uh up up above that and actually have already replaced all the utilities in there in previous years. So we're good with all the the utilities going through there. And that's that's actually connected all the way to Grand is we tied in when we from the Grand Avenue project we did a few years back. And then it is tied in at Ivansson there too.

Further questions? Thank you, Mr. Jeff. Is there any public comment on this agenda item? Seeing none, back to councel. Any final comments? Uh, councelor Shamway.

Thank you, your honor. I as I listened to the presentation from our city engineer, Mr. Jeb, I did just a quick calculation and I think we've saved by doing in-house projects over a million dollars in these projects, which I think we can all appreciate because of the savings that it brings to the city. Thank you. Any further comment? All right. City clerk, if you can call the role, please. Shamway, yes. Odory, yes. Bowling, yes. Lockheart, yes. Newman,

yes. Freed, yes. Vhill, yes. Richardson, yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Thank you, city clerk. Uh, that motion passes. Item 11E. Councelor Freed. Thank you, Mayor. I move that the city council approve resolution 2026-33 amending the appropriations for fiscal year 2025 2026 bianial budget in the amount of $244,35 and authorize the mayor and city clerk to sign. Second. I have a motion from Frerieded, second from O DHY. Uh, good evening director.

Good evening, mayor and city council. Uh so I'm here tonight with a variety of uh uh appropriation requests uh for amendment um in several different areas. So if you would indulge me, I'll go through each one of those and and explain and then uh have questions at the end for all of those. So uh starting at the cemetery, um we uh had some roof damage to our shop at the cemetery and it is being covered by our insurance company. Uh but we both need to appropriate that money that's coming in. Uh as well as there's about a a $3,500 shortfall between uh what's what's reimbured or g given back to us uh and the amount that that uh the repairs are are estimated at. Um so that one is is fairly straightforward. Uh this is actually a warranty issue uh with the roof. Uh it has been damaged uh earlier than than what was expected. So uh our insurance is providing a full uh replacement of that roof. Uh next uh within facilities uh we had been planning uh with this budget year um a improvement project at Undy Park uh for some valve replacements at our spray ground. Uh currently it is a very manual process uh and to turn on and off uh where the water goes uh either being recycled back or recirculated back into the system or going to storm water, we have to go down into a uh pit uh that's in the ground uh and requires opening up a very heavy door and getting down into a fairly tight enclosed container. Um in the past when we had facility staff working seven days a week, they would actually perform that task uh opening up and closing uh that spray park uh every day. Since we changed that and since we are trying to uh empower our aquatic staff to be a bit more self-sufficient

on the operation of our aquatic facilities, which the spray ground is included, uh that actually creates a pretty good safety hazard. we we don't necessarily have uh uh all of the staff that that even have the ability to lift up that uh that heavy plate or get down into that pit. So, we had planned on spending uh $15,000 to get these automated valves that uh can be just actuated within the building. Um unfortunately, because of other repair costs uh that we had to make uh this year, uh we don't have that. And so we're requesting that $15,000 as an amendment so that we can get that done prior to opening up this season versus waiting until July and then really into August or September. So that uh that is that uh request there. Um at the ice and event center, we actually had two uh different issues. We uh continued to have some uh chiller repairs to our our ice system. Uh this is separate from the chiller replacement. These were uh some uh sensors and capacitors that that needed to be replaced. Uh but then in add in addition to that, we were getting some leaks uh from a fire suppression pipe. And after I believe it was the third or fourth time uh fixing these pinhole leaks, we said maybe we should look at the pipe and figure out why it's happening. And uh the entire uh 18 in or 18t length of this pipe uh needs to be replaced or else we're just going to continue to have those problems. Um, and altogether that's about a $33,000 uh set of repairs that were unexpected. Um, next we have in recreation uh we had uh a couple of retirements uh that happened uh both Cindy Staer, Cynthia Staers um and Jod Garren when she left uh uh to to go down to to New Adventures. Um, and so there were some

unexpected uh retirement pay or leave payouts uh with that as well as uh some other uh uh allocations for staffing that we had made as part of our recreation center uh adjustments that we had made. Uh which as we're coming into our last couple of months of the fiscal year, uh we anticipate a shortfall uh in the recreation division. And so our uh $50,000 amendment request is to cover that anticipated shortfall. And then finally, uh the recreation center fund, again, as we're looking into the our final couple of months of of fiscal year operations, um and with a new recreation manager taking a fresh eye at our uh budget for the operations. Um we had uh uh and and knowing if you recall we made some fairly significant operational changes uh both separating the facilities division uh changing the way that we're cleaning and staffing the building. Again we we just anticipate some shortfalls uh that we want to make sure are covered by uh by this amendment. Um, in addition to the staffing request, uh, we also had some, uh, additional things like, if you remember, we had to shut down the pool a few times for glass in the water, which, uh, kind of destroyed our chemicals budget, um, as part of our increased cleaning to, uh, to basically tend the gap in between hiring staff and getting that figured out. We had contracted out uh some janitorial services which again was not budgeted for in this uh last supplemental budget or obviously in the original bianial budget. And then finally also during our recent windstorms we had two sets of of damage. We had a major section of the wall on the exterior of the building uh had all of the uh siding blown off uh and that had to be repaired. And then in the second windstorm, uh we had a shroud up

on one of our rooftop units blow off. And again, those are uh being uh covered by our insurance claim, but again, we need to appropriate that amount. And uh there's a a shortfall anticipated with that as well. Um I do want to say that with the recreation center fund, we recognize too late for this amendment that there were some additional staffing adjustments uh due to again payouts and retirement. Um, but that'll be brought forward with the quarterly budget amendment through finance. Uh, I'm not quite sure if that's at the next meeting or sometime uh before the end of the fiscal year. So, you'll see me uh again asking for more and it's related to that as well. So, that that is the bulk of of all of the amendments. Uh if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them. Thank you.

Thank you, Director Bourke. Um Vice Mayor Richardson. Thank you. Thanks, Director Bourke. I am curious as we're seeing I mean recreation is the big department there are a lot of things happening so uh keeping that in mind but how do we or do we as a city kind of inventory things and and do checks to make sure boy that boy we're noticing that sighting is loose and so can we you know kind of be a little more proactive to try to fix it earlier so we're not spending more later um or or was this just one of those things when came through and it came off I guess my question is what sort of process do we have to try to make sure we are inventorying and getting ahead of things?

Honorable mayor through you to the vice mayor. Uh we did not anticipate any of that that damage. Um in fact uh we had just uh be a couple of months prior in the fall gone through and and done uh good exterior checks of doors, door seals, siding, uh things like that. What we discovered is this portion at least of the siding had been screwed into really just the particle board uh that was kind of the backing and I we believe that just really over time I mean this is the first time that it's it's come loose in in the building's 20 years uh just came loose and it was kind of a cascading uh catastrophe. one little piece came off and then of course the wind that that horrible strong first windstorm that we had had just kind of got its fingers up underneath and ripped off an entire walls uh section of of siding. We have replaced uh we have replaced it and and we made sure that we were uh putting those or the contractor that was doing the repair was putting the screws into the correct locations uh to give it a lot more stability. Good question. Uh, further questions.

All right. Seeing none, thank you, director. Is there any public comment on this agenda item?

Seeing none, back to council. Any final comments? Um, I just want to say thank you, Director Bourke. I appreciate uh kind of the ongoing proactive approach that you're having toward maintenance and upkeep. And we do have a facility that is 20 years old and um it needs to be done and it might hurt a little bit but uh as the vice mayor said it's going to save us later on. Uh, city clerk, if you can call the role, please. Freed, yes. Lockheart, yes. Newman,

yes. Shamway, yes. Behill, yes. Odory, yes. Bowling, yes. Richardson, yes. Yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes. Item 11F. Councelor Oorty.

I move to approve original ordinance number 2121 amending multiple sections within Laramie Municipal Code Chapter 15 for the purposes of updating, amending, adding, and deleting sections of the IC 2024 code within the city code and as recommended by the planning commission on second reading in accordance with findings of fact and conclusions of law. Second. I have a motion from Odori, second by Richardson. Good evening, Director Tiny.

Mayor, council, good evening. Uh, tonight you uh get me instead of Lucas. Uh, Lucas happened to be out of town for this reading, but he'll be back for third reading. And uh uh tonight though, I'm just going to uh very briefly mention, so we did go through uh during your first reading uh kind of a series of all the different changes that were being proposed. Um during that meeting we had a few public comments and then we've also had a few public comments tonight. Um during our first reading we had no uh major questions and no recommended changes. And so I'm going to keep it short and sweet for you all is that u this second reading is the same that you saw during first reading. And so I'd be happy to answer any questions. Um otherwise uh just recommend this is uh for approval as recommended by planning commission.

Thank you director counselors questions. Councelor Frerieded. Yeah, thank you mayor and um thank you director Tiny and um I know Mr. Wit isn't here and he might have a different answer to this but just curious to know we've heard um you know some of the public comments in the last few meetings about one part of this um and just curious if you would like to expand on it but just some of these plumbing housings in that section. um moving to smooth versus corrugated and maybe the safety benefits or uh inspecting benefits or just the the purpose of of municipalities moving towards smooth versus corrugated um kind of plumbing attachments and I know that might be Mr. Wit's kind of bread and butter and he's not here but if you wanted to take a stab

mayor uh council member Frerieded. So yeah this section really so what we're doing is we're adding this into the municipal code. Um this section exists within the within the building code currently. Uh we run into this pretty regularly where someone installs the corrugated one. This helps us avoid that by having it in our code as well. It's a place that's easily accessible by anybody that's looking at our municipal code. Um, if as it says in that section though, if the inside is smooth, then it's okay. It can stretch and it can be bendy. It just has to be smooth on the inside as it says in the code. And so, um, it's just one of those things. Uh, it's we get clogs. We have, you know, and that's why that's provisions in there. And we included some of these things that are in this section so that they land in our municipal code, not just in the building code, which not always is looked at by everyone that does a project. And so that's kind of why we pulled that one out there. It's a common thing we run into and we're hoping it provides clarity.

Thank you. Thank you. Uh, Vice Mayor Richardson, sorry, this would probably be more on the discussion time, so I'll wait a second. Further questions? Thank you, director. Is there any public comment on this agenda item? And do you have something new? Okay. Mr. Glass, if you can state your name for the record.

Yes. Uh Brett Glass, uh honorable honorable mayor and members of council as I've ran out of time, so I just want to continue where I left off. Maybe this is badly worded, but this uh this the way it's currently written, this new language in P2701.1 would potentially prohibit any plumbing any plumbing fitting that is flexible, not just one that's correlate corrugated. So, at the very least, you should rewrite it if not striking it. Um, we use a particular kind of faucet which is made by Delta Corporation. It costs a lot, has a ceramic valve. It's called the diamond shield faucet and it has permanent pex lines which go directly to the valve without your having to put in an intermediate inter intermediate fitting so that there's uh there's one less opportunity for a leak. Those would be prohibited by this because you couldn't have the flexible plumbing you couldn't have the flexible plumbing line built into the fixture. Um, and again, as as I was beginning to say and when I reached the end of my time, the corrugated fittings are a godsend when you need to restore a drain pipe to a tenant so that they can use their sink. They're not the ideal thing. I don't think anyone uses them if they're building from scratch. But I've got to say, when you either have a very tight spot or you have a or you have something that you've got to patch, those are just a godsend and they get things working. And we don't want to make we we don't want to inconvenience people or make more trouble for tenants or make their m make their apartments uninhabitable or or you know or or or violate the habitability standards that we have in our own ordinances. So again, what I'd like to ask is that you consider striking the modifications to two sections, P2701.1 and R608.8.2,

which is the one where anytime you modify a lintil or modify a foundation, you always need to have a always need to have an engineer stamp. I think that those would help housing affordability. I think they would ease repairs. I think they'd be they'd be a positive thing to to do that. Thank you very much. Thank you, Mr. Glass. Any further public comment? Good evening, Mr. Renzy. Raise the vote. It's fine. I can bend over. It's all good.

Mayor Cumbi, members of the council, thanks for having me. I just want to commend uh the members of the planning and building department staff in really working through with the contractors where these codes are. Obviously, they're not anytime we do uh a grip of them, as Mr. Glass said, there's going to be some things that uh you know, there's going to be debate on how we could do it better. One of the great things about how our process here in Larmy works is you can always go in and meet with the team in building codes and you can always as a private citizen or a business propose a new change. Um and it's a very called out process. It's not hard to do. You pay a very nominal fee. Um and so we can always change them. And I would encourage if that as we meet, you know, as the council as the council, you know, dictates to the uh building department and the planning department to, you know, sort out these issues that we take these big blocks and do it. And then I would encourage anybody that sees a change um to come to us and we would help initiate, you know, kind of those more finite changes. I think it's important as a community and for our businesses and our contractors to always be on that edge of how do we do things better? How do we make these big changes in one thing and then we can come back and look at the smaller things if necessary. If you don't change it now, we can look at it at another time. Uh with that, I'd stand for any questions. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Enzy.

Further public comment, Mr. Henderson.

My name is Eric Henderson and I would like to thank you for this opportunity to uh clarify. I I have a 1913 home and I think that age in our community of homes is a common is a common thread. uh a lot of places. I think the adaptability that was specified by uh uh Citizen Glass in in earlier testimony is is very important. I I I also respect that we want to do things better, but better doesn't always mean not accommodating uh adaptive needs and being flexible to that without drawing uh added unnecessary expense at the public's expense primarily to uh gain the expertise that might be required by a code change. I would really just uh sympathize with that regarding the last testimony that was made regarding processes. Um there are so many things they are I don't believe that secrecy is is the right word but but we do not have public awareness of many many aspects to our community and processes and I would like to I would like to support anything that helps to support uh the prevention of secrecy perceptions and and upholds the uh primary goal of transparency which was foundational in you guys' first first uh month of of uh council. So that's all I have. Thanks.

Thank you, Mr. Henderson. Further public comment on this agenda item? Yes, sir.

Hi, uh Evan Grenle. I I'm actually currently in the process of a month's long, unfortunately monthsl long DIY kitchen renovation. and uh follow trying to keep up on the codes doing my own work uh I've actually come across that issue of the flexible hosing u fixtures and I guess I would just ask that there might be some sort of consideration for temporary use of those items cuz like in the case of oh I need to do dishes but I can't call a plumber I can't afford a plumber this week or this month or I'm doing a renovation and I need some sort of stop gap measure for a week or two while I get the countertops in. Uh, it'd be nice to have some more formal designation for that instead of kind of living in this gray area of do I really want to be completely in the legal like eyes of the law and be doing my dishes in this in my tub or can I maybe just attach one of these flexible hoses for a little bit and be doing my dishes kind of normally. But thanks.

Thank you. Any further public comment? Director Tiny, I'm curious about your thoughts about using such hosing as a temporary allowing for that versus not at all. Mayor, council, if if you're in the midst of a construction project where you can connect something up so you can run your sink. It's just when you do that final inspection and you close out your project, that's when that would apply. So, thank you.

Yep. Thank you. Oops. Thank you for that clarification. So then my understanding is you would be allowed to use it temporarily like there's a leak, you want your tenant to be able to have water, you fix it, but then you come in and you do the permanent fix on it. Okay. Thank you. Uh, councelor O'Dhorty.

Uh, I just want to say I can't conceive of a situation where the, uh, building enforcement folks are going to come to somebody's house on a Saturday night because they found out somebody put a flexible pipe in. And and to me, the way I read this is fixtures, faucets, and fixture fittings shall not be made of corrugated design. Um, and it says it talks about that have shall not have concealed fing surfaces. So I I think I think it's pretty clear, but maybe we could clarify the smooth inside business in the next reading. Um, and I and I want to say about egress windows. My favorite topic is that if we're putting people in basements, if you're cutting holes in cutting bigger holes in a in a structure, in a foundation, it's not out of the question, in my opinion, to get an engineer. And they're not going to charge a lot for saying, "Yeah, this this looks sound," and put this kind of structure on there. I I just think it it putting people in basement apartments without an egress window is irresponsible and to to ask that they at least be sound structure cuz the whole house is resting on that foundation is not unreasonable. So I support this. Thank you,

Vice Mayor.

Thank you, Mayor. um in looking at the um P2701.1.1 I I feel like it can be clarified a little bit more um because I don't think it is the most clear. It doesn't specifically say you know the inside must not be corrugated. So I think there can be work done on that. I um I would like to not do that tonight. I would like to bring that on third reading and maybe look at that. I also think um sometimes we assume that people know that you know that you can't use these things temporarily. So even even adding the addition of um permanent plumbing fixtures, faucets, fixture settings, um a simple change to that so that it calls that out a little bit more so that we know that if it's a temporary thing that it's not there. And I think those are relatively easy fixes. It doesn't change the code. the the idea is still there, but we can clean it up to make it more um clarified for everyone.

Mayor, mine's a followup to that one. Okay. Councelor Newman,

um I also won't do this tonight, but I'll I want to get with city staff. There are some faucets that the spray hose actually would would not pass with this the way it's written. Um and I don't I don't know why faucets would be part of this. Um, anyways, just kind of my like if we just kept it fixtures and um and the plumbing, but there are some mine in my house would not pass um with the spray um the the big commercial ones that have the spring or the mini ones that that won't actually pass. So, we kind of need to look at that as well. Thank you, Councelor Frerieded.

Uh thank you, Mayor. And I guess to address a couple of these um comments about this, I think uh I own a house 1929 and had a um engineer come and provide a approval for our cinder block wall that could be crumbling in or not. And that's a it was about 200 bucks um which isn't nothing but also to understand what you need to do and have an engineered stamp. You know, if those prices are a lot more than that, I think maybe we should consider something else. But to councelor Dh's point, I think if we're talking about foundations of houses, we're talking about safety. And you know, if we're if it's not $10,000 to get that engineering stamp, I think I think it's very reasonable. And my second comment would be um yeah, let's bring something back on third reading that might solve some of these issues specifically for the plumbing sections. Uh, but also these these corrugated pipes from the limited plumbing that I've done, I mean, they're they're more brittle and they're plastic and they're not copper or they're not PEX and and so the risk they might be cheaper up front, but really they could be they're susceptible to breaking and damaging and leaking and you know, so what we're trying to do with the code I imagine and what I'm seeing here and what we've asked city staff to do is is make things that are going to be long-term. you know, not taking shortcuts that actually protect the integrity of houses or renters or or landlords or whoever's doing these repairs to do it done right one time instead of, you know, that getting knocked by something under there and that accordion can break and now you have another leak just by someone putting something under there a lot easier than copper. So, um, those are my two cents, but appreciate all the work that our planning department has taken in from contractor and developer feedback on this uh, and bringing this to us. Thanks.

Thank you. Uh, further comments.

Uh, councelor Shamway. Thank you, your honor. So that we don't scare homeowners, I think we need to point out that no one is going to come from the city to inspect your repair of a faucet in your home. Now, if you're a landlord, if you have apartments and things like that, it's a different story. But homeowners can do their own home repairs without the fear of having the city knocking on their door saying, "We need to inspect your new uh flexible hose on your spray spray faucet that goes into your sink." Thank you. Any further comment? City clerk, if you can call the role, please.

Oorty, yes. Shame, yes. Vehill, yes. Newman, yes. Lockhart, yes. Freed, yes. Bowling, yes. Richardson, yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes. Uh, next item 11g. Councelor Bowling.

Thank you, mayor. I move that the Laram City Council approve resolution resolution 2026-34 a resolution of the city uh of the city of the city council recommending approval of the westside urban renewal plan and project for the city of Laramie Wyoming pursuant to Wyoming state statute section 15-9-110 and authorize the mayor and city clerk to sign

second. I have a motion by Bowling, second by Richardson. Director Teny, mayor and council, good evening. Um the item tonight is a resolution uh regarding the Westside urban renewal plan and project. And so um council, you have uh had an opportunity to hear about this project a couple times up till now. Um what I'm going to do is I'm going to go through just a a brief presentation just on some of the uh main topics and to provide just an overview on the process of kind of where we're at and where we're going to be going with this plan and project. And so um already thank you for your time. Yes. No, I'm already done. Um now um All right. Thank you, Nancy. Um, so before I before I kick off, we do have uh Mark Christensen. He is uh the consultant with AVI who prepared the plan and project and has been working with the city on preparing uh this specific plan and project. Also helped with our fourth street plan and project that uh the city council adopted a while back. And so um he'll be available later. I'll kind of go through the presentation. I know Todd may have a few things to to say about the project as well, but um really to kick off, I think we're all familiar with the pro Is it going to let me go? Oh, there we go. Wrong button. Um but what I wanted to do is kind of go through how we got to where we're at right now. So, um we did, you know, enga do some public engagement before we even initiated the plan and project. Uh we had to designate the site as blighted. uh we had uh established project boundaries. Uh we created and

made sure that it followed Wyoming state statute and is permitted to be uh considered for TIFF under the urban renewal authority. And then we'll kind of talk a little bit about some of the next steps and kind of uh where we're at. What I always like to say is this process, this plan and project process is kind of the the second of three three large steps. Um you as a council uh established the city as a whole as potentially blighted. Uh we have significant issues across the whole city and through that uh process the urban renewal authority was established. It established the opportunity for us to potentially apply tiff funding for any property within the city. um this property including and so with that um this is the second plan and project uh that the city council has considered. Um like I mentioned, Fourth Street was the first plan and project which you did adopt. Um we did a similar process here. Uh we did some public engagement opportunities um where we did mailings, we had signs, we did some uh notices in the newspaper and allowed for both a morning and afternoon session for people to come in and kind of learn about uh what the potential plan and project may be. Tried to get an understanding of some of the public input that might come from it. And through that process, you know, we heard some concerns about environmental protection and flooding, um, equitable investment in investing neighborhoods, um, affordable housing, uh, green h or green space, walkability and public amenities, um, concerns about tiff and how the urban renewal tool could be used in this context and desire for transparency in the planning process. And so through that process, uh, we did work and put together the actual plan and project. Um, when we're putting together the plan

and project, we do have to conform with the requirements of, uh, Wyoming state statute. And when you read through this section, one of the things it talks about is deficient or inadequate street layout as well as layout in relation to the size, adequacy, accessibility or usefulness of the lot itself. Um, this lot we have a lot that is fairly unique. It's a large lot. Um, it's separated by the Laramie River on the west side. It has uh street in inconnectivity, so non-connectivity on the east side of the site. Uh there is a little bit of access off of Garfield Street to the south and then on the north side, it's also kind of pinched off by the uh Snowy Range Road. In this section too, it does talk about some other other things. So potential endangerments of life and safety. Um we've noted and we've heard uh you know that this area is near the Larmy River. Uh so we do know that over on the west side too that we've had some storm water uh management issues that we would like to address. And so through all of that we we felt that this property and we do believe that this property meets those requirements. And so the other thing is that this has to be in conformance with a few things like uh the comprehensive plan which it is as well as just some of the other conditions that show that it this site is blighted per the state statute. Now, just remember, right, it's not necessarily uh the term blight as we might just have in our heads that it's something that there's like something run down or that there's something broken there, but it's the definition actually of what's in state statute. So, those things like inadequate roads or other issues that I noted on the previous slide. So, when we start to get into a little bit more detail, these are kind of some of the major criterion that we have to look at. And so when we're looking at those things, um,

we need to see about is there a feasible method or do we need to relocate anyone? Um, so in this case, uh, this property has no no people. Um, there's no one living there. Um, this is a really common language that's found in in statutes and is in this type of URRA language in order to ensure that we're not displacing people um with with improvements or potential uh tiff projects which we are not here. Um the urban renewal plan conforms to the general plan of the municipality as a whole. Um I'm going to say that again. Municipality as a whole and to the general plan. Um there are all sorts of spots throughout the plan uh that support this site being located and and within a URRA as well as potentially applying for TIF funding. Um you we provided the map here and I think you kind of saw this uh maybe the last time we were talking about this property. Um it's identified as a spot the red area as a place where we want to see growth occurring. Um this is just one piece of the comprehensive plan showing growth infill development um improvement of infrastructure like water, sewer, streets, storm water. Um the urban renewal plan gives due consideration to the provisions of adequate parks and recreation facilities as well as other neighborhood improvements. Um I think as we've mentioned um then as many of you know this park is or this site is due north of Optimus Park as well as adjacent to the Laramie River Green Belt. Um, specifically on this site, uh, there's not necessarily recreational opportunities, but we're, uh, providing a place where potential development may occur and will be in very close proximity to existing, uh, neighborhood facilities, uh, that can be used by whoever ends up going there or whatever

ends up going there. Um, additionally, um, we have the Larmy River, which provides another asset for for those people that may be located on this site in the future, as well as area residents. Finally, when we start to see potential development on this property, we will see uh improvements such as roads, water, sewer, and then I think as in the plan and project describes uh the desire to use some of this funding potentially for storm water management, which is something that's noted not only just by for this property as being of a concern, but the larger neighborhood in the west side. and then that the urban renewal afford uh plan affords maximum opportunity for consistency with the municipality's needs um and potentially will help for with rehabilitation and redevelopment. Um as many of you know this property has remained vacant pretty much in its entirety for its existence within Laramie. Um we as a city have actually done a lot of work related to this property. We um as a city applied through the EPA for uh phase one and phase 2 environmental assessments. Uh DEEQ was involved in those processes for evaluation of any potential environmental contamination. Uh there was also uh another assessment done by the EPA which provided planning uh funds and design for potential layouts and options to try to promote development on this property. uh just because of the perceived uh environmental concerns, we believe that this property has probably remained undeveloped for for many years even till today. And so those were some of the reasons why we went through those efforts. And so this is just another one of those uh pieces of the puzzle, so to speak, in terms of allowing uh the potential property owner here to use options to try to get this property developed.

So, as I mentioned and as we kind of talked about, I think it was uh with the city council over a month ago, um about the blight determination, there were uh factors uh that were determined uh when it comes to determining the site as being blighted. Um as I said, in inadequate street layout, um difficulty in the lot layout due to its size and accessibility. um as well as just uh general unsafe conditions due to some of the uh flood plane issues and some of the accessibility issues as well as the inability to have uh you know water and sewer in that area where it's at right now. Um once again this is just kind of the plan and project boundaries. Um you know we we just point that out again is that's found in the plan and project which is included in your packet. Another thing, this is uh something similar to what was discussed during the blight determination is, you know, really in in all realities, a m a good chunk of this property can't be developed. Um it's either within the actual floodway, um or it's probably found within a portion of the flood plane that's really just not going to be logically built on. Um when you look at the site, you're looking at kind of around 26 acres that are probably most likely to be developed. um and is part of that you know conceptual design work that I mentioned uh that we did uh with the EPA and DEEQ uh that heirs associates did for us. Um right now um you know once again this just sets us up for the opportunity for the developer and the property owner to apply for TIF funding. Um this doesn't establish any type of development. Um and regardless of the adoption of the plan and project potentially tonight through this resolution doesn't preclude the site from being developed um in the future

the site could be developed um with or without TIFF funding no matter the approval of the resolution or not. Um, one of the most important things that comes out of the plan and project and lays out the planning uh for any future project on the site is really uh the things that you see here. So, if the developer chooses to use any type of TIFF funding, um the third step will come into play and that's the development agreement. That's an agreement that will come before the city council um in which the city council will get to determine where that funding potentially can be used. But the plan and project provides us the guidelines in which uh that funding potentially may be used. So when we're looking here, uh potentially uh construction of street, curb, gutter, sidewalks, um in rights ofways or within subject uh adjacent properties, um additions of adequate street and utility connections, those would logically be probably coming from the east side there in the existing neighborhood. Um relocating any public or private utilities. Often there may be uh you know gas lines or things like that that go across the site uh that might need to be moved in order to accommodate a future development. Construction of other improvements including storm water drainage improvements and detention facilities. Uh this kind of really leans into the probably one of the larger concerns that we've heard about how we could potentially mitigate flooding but not only flooding on this property but maybe within the adjacent uh neighborhood. um will allow us to remediate any type of environmental contamination uh demolish structures uh or do anything that would that's in disrepair on the site as well as uh under the Wyoming state statute here in this constitution facilitate any type of other economic

development or site beautifification including park improvements. And so really this plan and project provides the the kind of framework and the in the guard rails in terms of where potential funding can be used. So with that, like I mentioned, this is kind of step two of the three-step process. Um at some point in the future, if this resolution is approved, it would give the opportunity for the current property owner or future property owner to apply for TIF funding. um if they so choose. Um up here uh really that this kind of hidden under the box there is kind of the last step. It's all right, Nancy. Um but you know where where we've gone on this process is the urban renewal authority has approved this plan and project. The city council has determined blight for the site planning commission has recommended approval of this plan and project and now it's before you uh under this resolution. And so, uh, with that, I'd be happy to take any questions. Um, like I mentioned, we do have Mark Christensen online. Um, I'd like to turn it over to him for a moment at least and then and then take questions after that because they may be for me, they may be for Mark. So, all right. Thank you, Mark.

Thank you, director.

Uh, yes, honorable mayor, through you to members of the council. My name is Mark Christensen. I am the consultant at AVI that worked on this project for the city. Um, so just wanted to reiterate what director Teny had said. Uh, a lot of the work uh, thus far has really been for the the use of the TIFF tax increment financing funding for this potential project. Um, this plan and project is very in line with other plans and projects that we've seen throughout the state, notably Cheyenne and then and Douglas too. So really the the crux of the issue is whether the the site is eligible for tax increment financing um whether the use of the fundings um is eligible to mitigate some of those urban renewal constraints and those sorts of things. So if this should move forward the the council would then uh likely see a uh tax increment financing development agreement come before the council as well. Um that would be a process that outlined a specific project and in which the project would outline those eligible funding opportunities for the tiff for a specific project um to mitigate some of those items that were identified in the blight study such as the storm water um the utilities and the connectivity within the area. Um but again just wanted to note that it really is about the tax increment financing and the mitigation of some of those urban renewal constraints within the area. Um and then again that it is very consistent with urban renewal plans that we've seen throughout the state. Um and I'm also available for any questions.

Thank you Mr. Grichest. Uh thank you director counselors questions vice mayor. Thank you, mayor. Um, thank you for that information, Director Tiny. Um, you know, we're talking about next steps if this were to be adopted, then it would come back to us to determine where that tax increment financing should be used on the project. Correct. And you had mentioned storm water drainage. Can we be more specific um when we make those requirements? have been looking into um just the types of drainage for areas like this and and there the one that I've been reading up on most is this compensatory storage. Um and so I'm just curious is how specific can we get with it when we when we talk about we want these dollars to be used towards X?

So mayor council through you. So the the plan and project keeps it fairly general so it can provide us some flexibility and that's the development agreement is where that those speci the the specifications come into play. Um now probably what will happen is you will probably have some sort of project come forward where there will be desires by the developer or the property owner for certain things as well as for potentially the council. And I think what what I would say is that's going to be the stage where those where you can start to specify those types of things within the you know plan and project. I mean you may not spend any money on anything else other than storm water if you so choose really. I mean uh now does that meet the the the needs of the of the you know person who's requesting tiff? Maybe maybe not. But I mean at this stage that's why it gives you that option to use creative storm water management practices if you want. So

follow up. Okay. So sorry just to follow up. So that is the stage I was talking about. So you can get really specific when you get to that stage in in when working with the developer. Yeah. Yeah. Correct. Yeah, we would we would anticipate I mean we're with with a development agreement it may even be down to the specificity of like 600 feet of water line at this location in this op as shown in you know plan set A or something. I mean it it I those are the types of things that will fall in the development agreement. So it's very specific of where those funds will go to. Um you want to be able to see that directly.

Councelor Freed. Uh, thank you, mayor. And my question is maybe more for Mr. Christensen. Um, hey, Mark, good to see you and thanks for being a part of this project. I I watched the planning commission meeting last Monday. Um, you know, and heard some of the comments where folks were saying, um, this planning project they felt wasn't like didn't have enough detail. My understanding is that that it does meet state statute. Um, could you just maybe speak and you kind of did that this kind of planned project at this stage is pretty similar to what's been happening across the state. um or or where we are and and maybe addressing that if you wouldn't mind.

Yes, honorable mayor to council member Freed. So, um, the way that we think about that really we've worked with these urban renewal plans and projects over the past few years is that they're really that enabling piece of um it's it checks the box with the state statutes to meet the requirements of state state statutes to enable further further agreements for the development process. So it essentially what the urban renewal plan and project does is it designates the um public improvements that are eligible and then it gets into the uh designation of the area to be eligible for TIFF. And then it really sets the stage for the next part of the agreement to be the development agreement that allows for um further indulgences into the specifics as Mr. entertain said.

Thank you. Thank you. Uh, councelor Newman, I don't ever watch the planning commissioner meetings before anything like this because I don't want to come I want to come in with like a a blank slate. I saw it was approved. What was the vote? 42. Thank you.

Uh, Council O'Dhy, um, I was just wondering if Mr. Christian Shin could tell us what the word urban means in this setting, isn't it? Just it's within a municipality of over 5,000 people.

Uh yes, honorable mayor through you. Uh the urban really comes from it's the semiotics of the legislation at the time. It was pretty prevalent in the 1960s that urban renewal was kind of this like postwar um use of the the terminology to designate these different areas. It was copied from a lot of different states that enabled urban renewal statutes. So, uh, even a town like Douglas could use it. We used it in Douglas and they have 5,000 residents. So, it doesn't mean super urban scale development or anything like that. Vice Mayor,

thank you. Sorry, one more question. Um, so also kind of following up with that, from my understanding and what I've looked into, um, statute also allows us to modify this plan at any time as we want to get more specific or if we want to get more specific. Is that correct?

Uh, yes, honorable mayor through you. Uh, it does allow for modifications. Um, essentially if it falls within that 25- year horizon when the plan is originally approved, then it's eligible for modification. So, if a new development were to come forward um, and wanted to use TIFF for something else that wasn't outlined in the plan, it could be modified and you could also modify it to get more specific as well. Thank you. Uh, councelor Shamway.

Thank you, Mayor. I uh I have been listening to proposals for 20 years on the city council and they keep bringing up tiff which is the uh when there's economic growth and there's money available to put back into specific projects. I am unaware of of us being very successful in any TE projects. And if we are and this is and if this is one that we think that we can recoup some money for things like storm water runoff and things like that and it's bas and it's u primarily housing. I just don't see where we're going to get tiff money to to do these projects. When we when we look at the need that the city has for you over probably $175 million in storm water and flooding, I I don't see where we're going to get a significant amount of money from tiff or if we're getting any tiff money on projects that are going on within the city of Laramie currently. Maybe someone could explain to me where this money's going. I know it's a great idea and it's used in in economic development. I don't know that it's it's very successful in housing projects.

Thank you, city manager.

Um honorable mayor, through you to councelor Shamway through uh Todd Feeser, city manager. So the tax increment financing um we have not used tiff in the city since we've established the urban renewal agency in 2022. Um, we've had projects move forward and there is an approved tax increment financing project on North Fourth Street, but as of yet we haven't had any development that's created the increased property tax. The way tax increment financing works is it is built off what development occurs and what the growth in property tax is over the point of equalization. And so say housing lands on here and it generates five uh let's say five single family residents that produce $3,000 a year in property tax. So that $15,000 per year across 20 years is available to offset the cost of the public improvements to make those five units occur. So it it is it's what we do here is we're basically laying the ground that a developer may or may not choose to access tax increment financing for this project. That's their opportunity. But there is an opportunity that if there's a sizable development, let's say it's uh let's say it's 50 homes. Now you've got $3,000 times 50 homes, which is $150,000 across potentially 20 years to develop. Is that $3 million? $3 million in investment into public improvements. It's it's all work on future income and development. So to say that it hasn't been used or hasn't been successful is probably true, but we do have projects that are in the wings and these are slow grow projects. It takes time for them to acrew and to happen. I'll be happy to answer any further questions.

Thank you, city manager. Further questions? I see none. Thank you. Uh, now we'll go to public comment and I'd like to start with anyone who did not speak previously. Is there anyone who Yes, mayor. We have uh Jamie Eolf that had registered ahead of time. She's online.

Okay. And don't we have uh uh Siobhan Kelly registered also? Who who do we have on the list? You are correct, mayor. Okay. So, we'll start with Miss Eolf.

Mayor, just to let you know, we also have Linda Divine online. Excuse me. Linda.

Oh, okay. Well, we'll do Miss Ego, then uh Miss Kelly since they signed up. Okay. Hello, Mayor and counselors. uh Jamie Eiggo here just to I have have written uh all of you a letter so I uh I wasn't even sure if I needed to testify tonight but I'll just go over what I think is important which is to not build either in or adjacent to a flood plane. Um and um I would really prefer to see this piece of land become a wilderness area. And so that's really all I have to say. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Yuga. Appreciate it. Uh, our next person who signed up, uh, Siobhan Kelly.

Good evening. Honorable mayor and council members. And I would also like to address the young professionals. I was over 30 when I became a homeowner and I paid a mortgage for 30 years and raised a son with my husband in my current home. This is not this is very much that I understand the longing for a home and how impossible it can seem. comments.

This is about this location. You've seen the maps showing the property identified as FEMA special flood hazard zone. It's different from your yellow map. It's the flood hazard zone covers more than 50% of this site. You've seen the map showing that the property and the west side lie within the elevated levies of Garfield Snowy Range and the Union Pacific Railroad. You've seen how all the floodway has to pass through the opening under the bridge at Snowy Range Road. Wyoming region 3 hazard mitigation plan of 2025 shows disaster declaration history in Laram citing floods in July 2011, July 2015 and September 2018. The National Weather Service cited the flood we experienced August 14, 2022. Laramie Municipal Code which is floodplane management and is in compliance with the code of federal regulation 44 states. It is the purpose of this ordinance to promote the public health, safety, general welfare, and to minimize public and private losses due to flood conditions in specific areas by provisions designed to protect human life and health and minimize expenditure of public money for costly flood plane flood control projects. Again, that's municipal code 1520. Laram comprehensive plan chapter 7 urban growth says the flood plane and other floodprone areas in particular are

hazardous due to the potential for the loss of life and the loss of damage of property. Government's responsibility for the public health and safety indicate that they should be protected. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Kelly. Is there other public comment at this time? Yes. Uh, Miss Chapman. Oh,

Linda Divine would come next and then Miss Chapman, you would come next. She's

good evening, Mr. Divine.

Good evening, Mayor and then council. Thank you for letting me talk to you. I just first of all I want to say is this past weekend I had the opportunity to spend Saturday with many of my westside neighbors and I I really understand their uh desire to make sure that this area is preserved. I also understand the need for for housing and one of the things that I keep hearing tonight is that um a developer may not even take TIFF funding. And so y'all are probably tired of me saying this, but once again, I'm going to reiterate the importance of having that zoning overlay because I think it's um I think that that gives our community on the west side a voice to establish what um can be developed. uh not only just height but barriers, paths, um even protecting that that um the wildlife and the river that folks are concerned with. I think if the city um would commit to implementing a zoning overlay, I think that's going to probably get um some the Westside community at least some hope that they will have a voice. I know that y'all have a difficult decision to make in this. I know you've been putting a lot of work and and thought in it and I certainly appreciate it. Um, this is probably a crazy analysis, but hopefully I can do it in the next minute and a half. Um, when I was about 19 or 20, my dad gave me a cane that he had had when he was growing up, and it's probably the only thing left that I have of my dad. And I carry that with me from house to house to house. It's probably

one of the it is the only thing left that I have of him. And I can really understand these folks that are just wanting to preserve this way of life. But I think that we can do it in a way where um the city is able to accomplish the goals of of some affordable housing. So, I would just urge you again to really um consider committing to a zoning overlay and I appreciate your time. Thank you, Mr. Divine. Miss Chapman, Mayor and Council members, my name is Wendy Chapman. I'm a longtime homeowner and taxpayer who has lived on the west side for 27 years. Thank you for this opportunity to speak on this topic. All of the claims made in order to designate the 4G land as blighted are wild exaggerations. It requires a real stretch of the imagination to see this area as blighted. The public engagement aspect of this project should not be considered a success. This the sign-in sheet only had about 52 people, many of whom were city staff, counselors, and URRA members. The public engagement aspect should have included more people from the adjoining westside neighborhood. Public outreach was insufficient. From where things stand at this point, a few questions come to mind. How is the city going to fund the storm sewer project, an already existing problem even before developing on a flood plane? If the 4G land is developed and if that development has adverse effects on the historic Westside neighborhood, who

should we call? Judging by previous flooding events in the neighborhood, it isn't unreasonable to expect that adding impermeable surfaces on top of a flood plane would increase the risk of flooding in the historic Westside neighborhood. There are limits to what can be engineered and how much water the river can hold. Any development at all on the 4G land would not be considered an improvement. Because you are voting again tonight, you have the opportunity to put your neighbors on the west side first. You have the opportunity to prioritize the 4G land as a flood plane and a wildlife corridor. I respectfully ask you to vote no. Thank you, sir. Any other public comment from individuals who have not spoken? Anyone who has spoken, do you have anything new that you would like to add briefly? Mr. Henderson. My name is Eric Henderson and on April 5th, I sent all of you extensive concerns regarding tax incremental finance uh detriments for the Westside Historic District project. I appreciate uh Micah your points regarding gentrification concerns. I appreciate you're validating those. However, to that I would say um please look closer at the depth of that section all of you that I they sent this over the time of

150 years. Earlier testimony indicated that there were unsafe conditions. Well, I'd take the unsafe conditions that exist from a 150-year development before. I would risk facing the pollutants being disrupted and that affecting the waterway, that affecting our neighborhood, the Westside historic district. I would I would also ask that um you consider that city has failed the citizens to mitigate flooding to provide the safeguards that were assured that will happen in future meetings, future opportunities. We haven't seen that. We haven't witnessed that to a place where we're calm and we're peaceful at what's going here. The the failed historic value of our west side was evident at 260 North Pine where unlike unsimilar area were developed. You know the area was similar but the the development stark contrast not adding to the historic value of the area. That to me is a danger of putting the proposed 84 developments uh apartments in this undeveloped area which is at no cost right now to the to the public. I ask for that 30-day statutory available pause to look into some of these more importantly infill and like and similar is critical to me. Um it it prevents gentrif gentrification with the inequality and displacement. When you when you put uh property on an already $78,000 acre per acre space, you are going to affect people who have not had state retirement, city retirement, uh county

retirement increases in 20 years. You're not working on affordability in this in this fashion. And to put home doors anywhere is is not something that should happen in this space at public expense given tax incremental financing. The the uh corporate welfare is the other point that I would point to. I haven't spoke to it. Tax incremental financing f uh funnels public money to well-connected developers. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. in nursing. I appreciate it. Thank you very much.

Is there Is there anyone else who has not spoken? We are I just have one sentence if that matters. 10. What? Am I correct? We can go till 10. Yep. Mayor through you. Um, so our rules of procedure do say that we end at 9:30 unless you vote by 2/3 vote to extend to 10:00. Thank you. Um, can I councelor Newman?

I just want clarification of that. I thought it was we couldn't bring new items after 9, but the meeting's hard stop or after 9:30, but the meeting hard stopped at 10:00. That's the way the cover I'll let me I'll read you the exact language if you give me one moment here.

Yeah, I misinterpreted it wrong, which is fine. Right. So we can go till 10 if I So we can go to 10 on this but then then everything else go Yeah. Yeah, mayor. I apologize. I didn't bring my um pre-noted version with me today. Let me just pull it up here electronically.

It's on the I think it might be noted on the um agenda. So um Ann, can you do it in one minute? I can do it in one second. Okay. Okay.

Um because it's been mentioned and I feel compelled to point it out to your attention because you've gotten so much information. So I do want to point out that the Westside Historic District represents the second National Register nomination translated into Spanish in the entire United States. And I did point out that members of the conservancy have stated clearly to me they access that section of the green belt at least once if not twice a week. They don't just walk on the optimist side. They like that part in front of the territorial park. And a lot of them have mentioned to me they wonder why the west side is so marginalized. And I'm sitting here thinking that my comments should be pushed aside because I should be really listening to the west side. So I ask you tonight to listen to those comments tonight from the west side. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Glass. Can you do it in a minute?

Honorable mayor, members of council, I can do it in a minute. Um just as one just one final thought which is as you consider an item such as this you need to ask yourself the question in Latin kib bono who benefits if you pass this it will not make housing more affordable because it will still be extremely difficult to to build on the land. What will happen is you will enrich the current owners of the land. That's all you're going to do. I suggest that you keep your powder dry, that you that that you reserve tiff if you're going to use it for situations where it really will produce affordable housing if that's your goal. Okay. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Is there any other comment?

What? Just if you mayor, if you I wanted I do have that exact language for you. Please. Okay. It is the intent of the city council that no additional item will be introduced at the regular meeting or special meeting after the hour of 9:30 unless the city council members present vote to extend the meeting by suspending the rules by a 2/3 vote um and continue the meeting until 10:00 p.m. So then items can be introduced if we vote to do that. We're up until 10. Okay.

All right. Uh, thank you very much. I'll return to uh council for comments. Uh, councelor Newman, I have a question that I need clarified so then I know how to vote. 26 26 acres could be um built on according to the presentation. If I bought the place tomorrow and submitted plans that followed all of the building codes, I can build on that. Correct. Honorable mayor through you to councelor Newman. That is correct. Other comments? Councelor Freed.

Thank you, Mayor. And I'll s everyone's time. I'll try to be brief. Um I I almost want to address every comment. I've talked to a lot of folks in the audience um who said there has been a public engagement outreach, you know, that the west side has felt not heard in this. Um, and I'm sorry that people feel that way, you know, and I I think we're we're trying to bridge that gap. There's been a a lot of processes here, but between public meetings, open houses, council meetings, commission meetings, coffees, phone calls, emails. I mean, I I haven't heard a lot of new public comment that that has swayed my perspective of what we're talking about today, which is does this property qualify for tax increment financing and does this plan and project meet the minimum criteria based on the URA and the state statute to qualify for tax increment financing. Um, and that's what we're here to talk about today and to vote on. And and this isn't our land. to councelor Newman's perspective. Someone could buy this right now and I you know and and um point of order, we're we're talking um but I will say I know I know this is a hard decision for for folks, but there's there's a lot of people I've heard from on the west side that don't want to come here and speak against um some of the other members of the public that this isn't a unanimous thing that people don't want. And I I know sometimes it feels like that when there's the same eight or eight or 10 people in here that have good ideas and good perspectives and good comment. Um, and my thoughts on that are I think I've heard the same if not equal amount of representation from members of the west side or uh other other members in the community that also have a right to comment on these issues that would think otherwise. So, I'll leave my comment at that.

Thank you. Other comments? Uh, Vice Mayor, just quickly, I appreciate those uh your sentiments. Um, councelor Frerieden agree and I will just go back to when I this is this piece that we are looking at today, but when I'm thinking about this more broadly, it is about the larger community and what um, you know, when I'm making a decision, what do I think is is best for the larger community. Um, and that is where I'm I'm coming from today. Just to keep those comments short. Sorry. Thank you. And uh Councelor Vh Hill.

Thank you, Mayor. Um yeah, I would just echo Councelor Freed's um point. I know a lot of folks on the west side, my family's from there. Um and you know, a lot of folks believe that we need um more housing options, right? And it's a historic neighborhood. Um I know that very very intimately. Um, and I think, you know, um, yeah, it's getting late and I'm a little cooked, but I just wanted to say, too, that, uh, you know, I've talked to a lot of people who can't make it to council meetings, but they call and they, you know, they're in support of this, and so I'm I'm listening to that perspective, too. Thanks.

Thank you, uh, Councelor Bowling. Thank you, Mayor. Um, I just want to um reiterate and emphasize the things that my fellow counselors have just said. Also, as a you know, a property owner in the neighborhood um knowing that I personally am in supportive of ideas of a zoning overlay, things like that. There are still many, many things that we can do to make sure that we are protecting vital ecosystems, repairarian areas, etc. Um, and now I just lost my train of thought.

Um, we talk a lot about um, people have been throwing around the words carrot stick. Carrot sometimes is an incentive for the developer or the stick that the city doesn't have um, to prevent people from developing on this. Um, and I I I think of the steps that are being put in place um throughout the last uh difficult council votes um almost uh more as guard rails at this point. Um you know because this is another tool in our kit to dictate how things happen and what effect that it can have. And if I am faced again with a situation in which I am asked to vote for more or less control over something then I am going to vote for more. Thank you.

Thank you. Further comment uh councelor Shamway.

I'll be brief. Uh it's always been my intent to make the decisions which is best for the city of Laramie. However, it's been my observation that this council, including myself, has been very careful to give greater weight to the west side and to the to West Larmy when possible and um not that we do it all the time, but that's something that we have been very conscientious about and I will continue to do so. However, I'm going to support this because I think it's best for for the city of Laramie in in whole. Thank you. Further comment. Um, I also have heard from a number of people who live on the west side who see this favorably and I just want I recognize this is private property and I hear multiple suggestions of preserving this as a preserve or a nature space. But this property belongs to someone and the cost of doing that and maintaining that etc. is beyond certainly anything the city could even begin to entertain. And the private owners are ready to sell. And those types of arrangements take a very long time. And I have received really significant input from people on the west side who have not been here. We have heard from 8 to 10 people uh over the course of a number of meetings.

We've listened carefully. I've really thought about it. Um, and this is a a difficult decision because we do uh I agree councelor Shamway, we have been very supportive of the west side of uh supporting your uh bid for historical res uh recognition. Um, and we were supportive that when the property when we became aware that the property would be for sale at that time it was zoned industrial too which could have been a junkyard. It could have been a human waste disposal incinerator. It could have been uh a distribution center and those things I think and we thought as a council would have been catastrophic to the integrity of the west side and we worked with the owners toward uh having it reszoneed residential to prevent an industrial site from happening there. and we've been working on this two years. So, I think that this is only phase two and there are uh going to be multiple opportunities for input. And the last thing I'd like to say related to an overlay, I the call has been that council should do an overlay, but council can support an overlay, but I think it would be really presumptuous

for us to dictate what your overlay would be. And that needs to be something that the residents of the community get together and work with us. But I don't even know what it is that the residents would like. And I don't think I'm the one that should determine what the overlay would be for your neighborhood. So, I think that needs to be uh generated within the neighborhood, brought to council and brought forward. And I think that that's something that we would be willing to entertain. So, without further comment, if you can call the role. City clerk.

Freed. Yes. Vhill. Yes. Shamway. Yes. Odory. Yes. Newman, yes. Lockheart, yes. Bowling, yes. Richardson, yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes and it is 9:29. Do I have a motion to suspend the rules? I move that we suspend the rules to at least get through um the next item.

Second. I have a motion by Ody. Odory, a second by Freed. What? Mayor, can I just have a clarification? Just make sure we have it recorded. Is it just to complete the next item or is it to go to complete till 10:00? I move that we ex suspend the M to complete our meeting. To complete our meeting. Thank you. And I'll second that motion. Okay. So, uh, motion by Adhorty, second by Frerieded. Uh, city clerk, can you call the role, please? Bowling, yes. Freed, yes. Lockheart, yes. Newman, yes. Odory, yes. Shamway, yes. Behill, yes. Richardson,

yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Okay, so we will move on to the next agenda item. Okay. Councelor Behill. Thank you. Thank you, Mayor. I move that the Larmy City Council approved resolution 2026-31 awarding 231,267 uh in fiscal year 2026 2027 community partner funds is contingent upon the adoption of the 2026 2027 budget and authorize the mayor and city clerk to sign.

Second. I have a motion by V Hill, second by O DHY. Good evening, city manager.

Good evening, mayor. Good evening, council. What's before you tonight is the award of the community partner funding in the amount of total amount of 231,267. Um that amount is provided in the attachment and divided out between I got to move my computer around a little bit. Um, we've got recreational and cultural organizations and nonprofit organizations are the two divisions or social service organizations and then civil quasi governmental organizations. As you look at the division and the divide through that, this is uh fifth penny funding with $19,120 awarded to quasi governmental organization, 164,843 to social service organizations, and $47,34 to recreational organizations. Um, with that being said, this is an average of all nine counselors awards and broken down into percentages to make sure that we meet the 231 267 number. I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you. Uh questions, counselors? None. Is there any public comment on this agenda item? Back to councel for comments. Uh vice mayor, just a big thank you to um Nancy OP and Bailey at the county for all of the work that goes into this. Sure. Appreciate it. and the nonprofits who came forward and are doing awesome stuff in our community.

Uh I agree. And also uh thank you to Councelor Bowling and to the vice mayor for their work on kind of uh streamlining and updating the process and working with Nancy Opie and Bailey uh to do that. So, it's been uh quite a bit of work and uh I thank all of you counselors. I know that this is a very difficult decisions because all of these people deserve support. So, uh I appreciate the work and the thoughtfulness that you put into it. Further comment, city clerk, call the role, please.

Vehill, yes. Odory, yes. Shame, yes. Bowling, yes. Lockheart, yes. Freed, yes. Newman, yes. Richardson, yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor. Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes. Um, next, councelor Newman. I move that the Larmy City Council approve resolution 2026-32 adopting policy goals and objectives for the city of Laram Wyoming for fiscal year 27 and authorize the mayor and clerk to sign. Second.

I have a motion from Newman, second from Oorty, city manager.

Honorable mayor, city council, as you may recall January 23rd and 24th we had a council retreat. We met again on April 22nd to finalize the goal setting to coincide with what our new philosophy is to with the fiscal year. So what this will do is this will line up with the budget is our intent as you see that over the next coming weeks. We broke it down into numerous categories between financial sustainability, community engagement and communication, infrastructure, economic development, housing, environmental and public safety. Um, I'm actually very excited about the goal setup as we are moving forward and look to hear your comments and discussion related to the resolution or any of the deliverables that were presented in the packet. Thank you.

Thank you. Uh, councilors, any questions andor comments right now? Councelor Lockhart. Thank you, mayor. Thank you, city manager. I just want to thank all my fellow council members for the teamwork and the staff um and all the directors and whatnot being able to put these together because you know the first year for four of us was it was pretty overwhelming and this year we were able to think I think take a deeper dive into some of it and I appreciate it and I'm really looking forward to the future. Thank you councelor. Uh other questions andor comments. Councelor Frerieded.

Thank you mayor and thank you city manager. just uh I looking over these appreciate all the the effort that city staff took in listening to us over the last few months and and back in in January kind of hone in to what we're trying to do and and I I do appreciate the the tone in which we're setting these with with specific deliverables and um it feels very A to B and and I really do appreciate that. Thanks. Thank you. Thank you. Other questions andor comments?

Mayor, if I could, I'd be remiss if I didn't recognize the effort of Nancy Bartholomew towards the goal creation. She under my new work schedule, she was instrumental in helping us get get closed up. And then, you know, the immense amount of support that I've had from director Wade and all the directors as we move through to create these goals. So, it's remiss not to recognize their involvement in these goals. Thank you.

Yeah. And you know, we've spent uh considerable time working on these and council gets together and we're just throwing out these ideas and it is our leadership uh both uh the city manager, Director Wade and Nancy Bartholomew that take these bubbling ideas and kind of ground it and make sense. And it's through working together and in partnership that we get this done. And we went through the first round and council said, "Well, wait a minute. We want this and we want this." And we were able to come back and to add and revise after we'd thought about it. And we come out with something that like councelor Frerieded said, it it's I like the deliverables. I like the clarity of the goals and that we're very clear about where we're going. And I think one of the most surprising things for me when I got on council was how much these goals drive the work of the staff and that we have to be cautious as a council because they will try to do it. And so um these goals are generated from council and then they're implemented and operationalized through the staff under our supervision and voting every step of the way as we go. So without are there any further comments? Uh let's do public comment. Is

there any public comment? Uh Mr. Mr. Henderson. Then Mr. Glass.

Good evening, sir.

Thank you for the opportunity to speak during this extended session uh tonight. Thank you so much. My name is Eric Henderson and in October 2021, the suggestion was was made here tonight that conversation had be had, an application be made by the Westside Historic District or that neighborhood that it would be appropriate to come from them. Well, in October 2021, I was told, Eric, I don't work for you. I work for city council. And tonight along with many nights across a lot of time, we all have been invested in working towards something. But city staff apparently do not have the directive from you as council to them to work with community like that. I take I take for specific example February 21st.

Point of order. Mr. Henderson, can you go ahead? I'll reserve my time. Can you share how this relates to our council goals? I'm not I'm not connecting the dots here. I thought this was the wrap on the uh council night. Forgive me if it's not. No, this is on our goals. We're voting on our goals. I thought you were rolling through and done. So, sorry. No, I was waiting for you to come around, but I wasn't quite getting there. Okay. Not related to that. My apologies. No problem. Thank you. Thank you. Any other public comment on this agenda item which is uh council goals? Mr. Glass actually.

Honorable mayor, members of council, I looked looked over this document and uh the goals actually look very good, but some of the the the items that I see here under deliverables are just a little bit concerning. It says the city manag um right at the very top, the city manager's office will work with appropriate members of the leadership team to determine focus areas for revenue maximization. That's a big concern. Um does that mean that uh that the city utilities rather than operating efficiently are going to go for the maximum amount of revenue and increase rates to the point where we we have problems with affordability? That certainly wouldn't be a good thing. So, I'm I'm a big concern about

clarification on that phrase. Um, that's Well, that one phrase. Yes. But, uh, well, let's pause for a second. Oh, okay.

Uh, can we have clarification on that phrase and what that phrase means? So, honorable mayor and members of the council, if you recall, I think there's actually a separate goal that talks about our work for the enterprise funds for our 10-year financial plans. And so, that first goal really doesn't apply to our enterprise funds. What it applies to are our governmental operations where some of the demand on services is exceeding supply and we actually haven't updated rates sometimes in in years, literally years. And so really taking a look at the demand and the rates in effect and when things were last updated and coming up with with a sustainable way for where we need to grow revenue, how to do that over time in a way that works for the community and values affordability.

Thank you. Uh and Mr. Glass, you have your two minutes to finish.

Okay. Thank you. Um it does in that case it may not, you know, that that language may not reflect that. um because it talks about areas of general government operations where the city has control over u rates and user rates and fees to charge for services. So I just wanted to point it out that was a little concerning when I saw that there. Um and further down it said ordinances with updated rates will be considered by the city council. So again there's there's a little bit concern about affordability there. um on the second page um where it talks the deliverable deliverables for the surface water drainage division talks about committing general fund reserves to fund this enhanced level of service. So now we're taking out of the general fund instead of going to the public to approve a financing plan. I'd really like to see us again go with title 16 of the Wyoming statutes and have the voters approve a sustainable plan that doesn't deplete our general fund. And then under economic development and housing um I've noticed I I noticed that both of them talk about being um be being focused on developers and builders interests and well um we I think we should also focus on the interests of homeowners and tenants and again the providers of rental housing as well. I'm a little bit concerned about the focus that uh that the focus only on builders. So anyway, those are the things that I've noticed here. I think that maybe you might want to amend this before before passing it um to alleviate concerns like that. Thank you.

Thank you. Any further public comment on this agenda item? Seeing none, back to council for comments. Uh vice mayor.

Thank you, mayor. Sorry, I will try to keep this short, but just a note during the there have been discussions at the legislature and uh over water and the one of the topics that has come up is that many cities and towns have not increase their charges to or their fees for utilities and now they are finding themselves in a giant hole because they can't pay for those services. So when we are looking at this, we are looking at how do we do the very most minimal amount to make sure that we are sustainable. This isn't price gouging. This is about making sure we are sustainable as a community and that we can continue to to make sure that what we are offering is being paid for. And so making sure those rates increase because those cities and towns who have not done that are finding themselves in a world of hurt right now. Um and then secondly, um shoot I just wrote down water and I have no idea what it means because it's 9:44.

Maybe I'll come back to that. Thank you uh councelor Frerieded. Thank you, mayor. And uh I know it's late, but I I do appreciate uh the public comment on this. And um not to dive too deep here, but I think um you know, my assessment of these deliverables is you know, those are areas that we can improve. And I think we hear a lot of times there are limiting factors and people developing and coming into our community. Um and so this is trying to address some of these areas that we can improve. And that doesn't mean we couldn't put all of our deliverables in a two-page document. It just wouldn't exist. But they think these are areas that we've we've identified as council from public feedback on what we want to see in the next few years. But I I really do appreciate the public comment. Thank you. Further comment,

uh, Councelor Shamway. I've said this a thousand times, I'll say it again. Enterprise funds end up being zero. We don't make money. We don't lose money. We pay our bills. All right. City clerk, if you can call the role, please. Newman, yes. Lockheart, yes. Freed, yes. Bowling, yes. Behill, yes. Shamway, yes. Odori, yes. Richardson, yes. Cumbi, yes. That's nine yeses and zero nos, your honor.

Thank you, city clerk. That motion passes. Now, public comments on non-aggenda items. Now it's you continue. I will just continue. Okay.

I I would like the goals of council regardless of the topic, regardless of the agenda point, to never accept any staff member who tells a citizen that they don't work for us. at any time, at any step because to have five years transpire since those uh neighboring 260 North Pine petitioned, it's been very clear. We want like, we want similar, and it's not being done. Council, please give directive to that end. Like and similar should not just be a business, commercial, uh historic downtown consideration. It should be very paramount in residences as well. That's all I have. Thank you so much.

Thank you, M. I apologize for being out of out of point before. No, that's okay. Thank you. I depend on the vice mayor to help me out with that. All right. With no further public comment, is there any final comment from council? All right. Um, council, is there any consideration for future work topics? Too late. Too late for that. Oh. Oh, we almost got out. Yes.

You know, well, no, because I I want to be more specific about it. So, I will shut up now. I apologize. We were just kidding you. But, okay. It's okay. I want to be specific and and that way I can get a second and it can give city manager and staff a reasonable thing to attack. So I'll I'll focus that up and bring it back. All right. Thank you, Councelor Frerieded. Um councelor O'Dy, I move we adjourn. Second. All in favor? I opposed. No. We are adjourned.