The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – Sept. 11, 2026

Published on September 11, 2026

Judy and I spent the first part of the weekend attending a wedding. Matt and Abby tied the knot, and it is so cool to see the young men that hung out at our house and played sports with our sons grow up and get married. One of the best parts of the event was catching up with that group of friends and their families. Kids grow up and move away, and it is fun to see pictures of new children and grandchildren. As a bonus, I got to catch up with Mayor Orr for a few minutes. Best wishes to the newlyweds!

Labor Day gave many of us a three-day weekend. The first Labor Day was celebrated in New York City in 1882 and was all about honoring work, workers’ contributions to our communities, and recognizing there is dignity in hard work. My house celebrated Labor Day with me working in the garage cleaning up 25 years of accumulated “stuff.” I appreciated being able to rent a dumpster from the City Sanitation Division to haul so much stuff away. Their customer service was amazing. It feels good to get things organized.

Chief Dykshorn came by to talk about our fire department and the recent 6th Penny sales tax election. The tax collection starts next year and will be collected monthly over the next four or five years. The voters of Laramie County were amazing in their support for the public safety projects and we wanted to coordinate getting the approved items ordered to serve the community. The bunker gear our firefighters wear as they respond to fires expires and we need to get replacements ordered to keep the gear current and our firefighters safe. For the new fire station on College Drive, it would take at least four years to collect the total funds for construction. The concern with waiting to begin construction until the money is collected is the impact of inflation on the cost of project. We are planning to loan ourselves the construction funding to allow the station to begin right away, which protects the total cost against inflation. It is our hope to start in the late spring and cut the ribbon a year later.

Google discussed their new data center project at a community meeting held at the Metropolitan with at least 300 hundred people attending. This project is located south of city limits in Laramie County jurisdiction and I attended out of interest to our community. I learned that the State of Wyoming was the first state organization to use Google’s suite of services. Fifteen years later, Google plans to make a $17 billion investment that includes four data halls and the associated infrastructure. They brought experts to address issues like water, roads, power, operations, jobs, light, noise, environmental health & safety, air quality, stormwater management, and what to expect from the development. They answered questions and provided a timeline. Google created the webpage www.laramiecountydatacenter.com for information on the project.

Later that evening, Trammell Crow held a community meeting at Rossman Elementary School for their proposed Orchard Hills data center development. Trammell Crow is one of the largest developers of commercial and industrial projects in the U.S. They are planning two data halls on 162 acres just west and south of the Orchard Valley subdivision. They are asking to be annexed to access City water and sewer services. This was their second neighborhood meeting, and they talked about a landscape buffer between homes and the development; light and noise mitigation; and why they believe this is an ideal place for this kind of development. The owner of the property has waited 27 years for the opportunity to develop the land, and they showed the contrast between developing as a data center campus or a mixed-use housing development with around 600 homes. The barbecue and brownies from Fred’s in Pine Bluffs were amazing. City Council will hold a public hearing on Monday to begin the annexation process and give the neighborhood a chance to express their preference on how the area should be developed.

The Wyoming Association of Municipalities represents all 99 towns and cities in our state. I love being a member for the training and support we get and give each other. A smaller part of our organization’s mission is to follow the Legislature and to advocate for legislation that supports our local decision-making authority; protects local revenues; supports our right to associate and collaborate together; and supports the role of economic development in our communities and the state. This time of year, the Legislature is conducting interim committee meetings and it keeps our WAM legislative group very busy trying to attend meetings held around the state and keeping up with proposed legislation. I enjoy the discussions to understand the effect proposed legislation may have on local governments.

Hispanic Heritage Month began in 1968 under President Johnson and was expanded by President Reagan in 1988 to 30 days starting on Sept. 15 every year. It celebrates the histories, cultures, and contributions of those whose ancestors were indigenous to North America, as well as Spain, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. I signed a proclamation declaring Sept. 15 to Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month in Cheyenne and I hope you will all join me in learning more about the Hispanic culture, people, traditions, and values that have positively enriched our community. Chispa is our local Hispanic group and Jessica and her team will be hosting the community on Sept. 12 with food, fun, and Folklorico dancing at the Depot Plaza starting with a tamale fun run at 8:30 a.m. and the festivities beginning at 11 a.m. I love the homemade tamales and other specialties. Details are at www.chispacheyenne.com. I hope to see you there!

Council’s Finance Committee met this week and approved sending a contract to the full Governing Body for final approval to repave some of the parking lots in Lions and Cahill parks. We have struggled to find funding for parking lots in our parks as our roads have always taken priority. With our improving revenues, the Governing Body will be able to set aside money to repair the parking lots that are in such need of repaving. I know recent developments have created some conversations in our community, but they have resulted in our ability to begin to take on maintenance projects that have been delayed for a long time now. Please excuse the mess and delays as we make improvements this fall!

Today is the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks against our country. I hope we all take the time to remember the innocent lives that were lost on that day and appreciate our first responders who keep our communities safe.