The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – May 22, 2026
Published on May 22, 2026
Being a grandfather is a real blessing. Judy and I spent this past weekend visiting our grandchildren in Bismarck, N.D. We were there for a baby shower – a granddaughter who will be our third grandchild. You forget how much energy an almost 4-year-old and almost 2-year-old have. My heart is full!
While we were away, I received a text from our Fire Chief letting me know the Historic Pumphouse was on fire. What a gut punch! I went straight there upon landing in Cheyenne and was relieved to see the walls still standing. Built in 1892, this historic building was just months away from our restoration project getting started. The roof was heavily damaged, and as a result, the building is currently in an unsafe condition. We hope to get a structural team in to analyze if we can continue our planned renovations. We are hopeful that the walls are still structurally sound enough to bring this beautiful building back to life.
City Council’s Public Service Committee on Monday considered an ordinance that would place a 12-month moratorium on data center development. The moratorium will not have a recommendation for the Governing Body because the motion to approve did not receive a second. For more than two hours, the committee heard two sides of the issue.
One side sees the data center development that has occurred over the past 14 years, and the future growth speculated, with concern. These concerns included how data center development will affect electric rates, water consumption, traffic, and cultural changes to our city.
The other side was made up of labor, who are currently working on the data center sites, and others who see the data center development as a way to help stabilize Cheyenne’s financial future. The committee heard from construction workers who shared how the jobs had changed their lives. Making a living wage allowed them to buy homes and provide for their families.
I appreciated the passionate discussion and the respectful way the points were made. For me, I see data center development in a similar way to Campbell County’s coal mines, Sweetwater County’s trona, or Teton County’s tourism that comes from being located near some of the most beautiful land in America. Properly done, it can provide great careers for our residents and help ensure a stable financial future for our city. I understand and appreciate the concerns and will do everything we can to mitigate them.
One thing I have heard loud and clear - we need to do a better job getting information to you about the issues. Over the next couple of weeks, City staff will be working to publish a website with maps showing the data center campuses and answering the most commonly asked questions. We’re planning to hold a public meeting where your questions can be asked and answered by experts in the field, and we will work with the data center industry to get more information about their plans to you earlier in the process.
Cheyenne is so blessed to have a beautiful place like our Botanic Gardens. It is a challenge for any community our size to build and support the extent and quality of an amenity like this one. I believe it is only made possible by the amazing support of the volunteers and donors who give so generously of their time and treasure. This week we broke ground on the new E.A.T. Garden, which stands for Education, Agriculture, and Trial. It will teach us how to grow food crops and ornamentals – paying homage to the Arboretum that was established almost 100 years ago. I love that the garden will also support First Lady Jennie Gordon’s Hunger Initiative by “Growing a Little Extra.” Thank you to everyone who for decades has supported the Botanic Gardens and who made the E.A.T. Garden a reality.
I appreciate the small businesses who drive the economy of Cheyenne and employ so many of our residents. I had coffee with a local builder who has decades of building experience in town and lots of ideas on how we can improve the process to support his industry. One of the best parts of my job is the opportunities to learn something new every day.
Tallgrass is building a power generation hub just south of Cheyenne. During the regular updates on their project, the topic of water was discussed, and I asked if there was any opportunity for the city to capture any of the excess water that might be available once the project is completed. Because the development is located outside city limits in the county, they are drilling the Lance aquifer, which was created over 60 million years ago. This drilling is 2,200 feet, much lower than the White River Aquifer used by Cheyenne and our county neighbors. We met this week to follow up on that conversation, and I learned that there might be potential for excess water. So much still to learn, but excited there is a possibility.
We have been working on the budget for months now. Wednesday’s Committee of the Whole was the first chance for City Council to weigh in on the recommendation I made on May 1. A couple of hours of questions and discussion led to the addition of another position in the police department for a Community Service Officer. We have two currently budgeted and this amendment will add one more. Council heard the public’s frustration with abandoned, unlicensed, and oversized vehicles and the additional CSO will help deal with those problems. CSO positions are designed to support our police officers, giving officers more time to address serious issues in our community. The committee approved the $82,765,026 budget with the additional CSO.
The Wyoming National Guard held a book launch this week for “Cowboy Soldiers,” a history of the Guard from 1870 to 1945. It is over 500 pages and weighs nine pounds. I bought one and can’t wait to read about the amazing service Wyoming’s soldiers provided to our state and nation over the first 75 years of our National Guard. I want to also thank and recognize those who have supported our military families since the beginning. The second volume covering the time since 1945 is now being planned and researched. Wyoming is blessed by the service of our citizen soldiers.
The Wyoming Business Alliance held another listening tour stop in Cheyenne this week. I enjoyed Dan McIntosh’s presentation on local and state economic statistics, Lauren Schoenfeld’s discussion on workforce, and WBA’s president Renny MacKay hosting the event. Advocating to create an environment where business can prosper is essential to our state thriving and not just surviving. The most important part of the meeting was the WBA asking what the biggest constraint to growing business is in Laramie County and what has changed since last year. Doing this across the state will give them a blueprint to advocate for regulatory changes in the Legislature and city halls.
Monday, we will observe Memorial Day in America. The holiday began after the Civil War as “Decoration Day” when communities decorated the graves of fallen soldiers with flowers and flags. Today, Memorial Day continues honoring our military personnel who died while serving in our armed forces. Please take a moment this weekend to think of those who gave all defending our country and their families who have given so much.