The Mayor’s Minute from Mayor Patrick Collins – Nov. 13, 2026

Published on November 13, 2026

Judy and I love going to Broadway-type shows. I have no acting ability, but I do have a huge appreciation for the talent of the actors. This past weekend we attended Les Miserables at the Candlelight Theater. The actors playing Jean Valjean, Inspector Javert, and the rest of the cast killed it. So many epic songs and a great story. We are looking forward to the next opportunity to enjoy a show.

The Legislature’s Select Water Committee is responsible for studying, developing, and recommending state water policy and legislation. I attended their meeting this week to hear a report on the status of the Colorado River system, an update on the committee’s work on stormwater drainage, and the consumptive use of water in data centers.

Brandon Gebhart, our State Engineer, and Chris Brown, the Attorney General’s water section supervisor, discussed the issues between the Upper Basin states, including Wyoming, and the Lower Basin states where the majority of the Colorado River’s water is consumed. The challenge is a two-decade drought that has emptied Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Upper Basin states depend on the spring runoff from snowfall. The Lower Basin states depend on the storage in the two large reservoirs. The 1922 compact that controlled water use has expired and negotiations for a new one have not been successful. Therefore, the federal government has imposed operating guidelines for 2027 and 2028. The good news for Cheyenne is that the Upper Basin states did not see an imposed reduction in water, and we are safe from losing our Colorado River water for the next two years.

The Select Water Committee is working to resolve issues around stormwater management in Wyoming’s communities and how those systems can be funded long term. Stormwater systems help manage drainage and runoff, preventing flooding and property damage. Every resident and business benefits from these systems, but they do require funding to maintain. Titles 15 and 16 in state law give different directions on how stormwater programs and fees can be established. The bill the committee sponsored gives communities two distinct pathways to accomplish the task, and they revisited the bill draft to talk about the terms “just and reasonable” for any potential fee. In the end they determined that regulatory use of the terms was sufficient to leave the language as is. Clearing up ambiguity in state law so communities have a clear path forward is important.

They also discussed the consumptive use of water in industrial development. In Wyoming, all water is owned by the state, and any water right must put the water to a beneficial use and can’t be wasted. The committee wanted to talk about industrial users like data centers and power plants and if the state should be involved with regulating water usage. They also talked about a statewide study of groundwater so they will have a benchmark for the future. It is a huge project that is very important for Wyoming’s future. I appreciate all the work the committee has done this summer.

I attended the Cowgirls of the West luncheon this week. They honored Pam Cooper who has served as their director for years and is retiring. The group was founded in 1995 by five women who wanted to make sure the stories of pioneering western women were not overlooked. Preserving the contributions of women in Wyoming’s history is one of their most important missions. Think about the early days and how important women were to building our communities, operating ranches, raising families, maintaining businesses, and shaping our culture. Mike Kassel is an author and shared an update on the Downtown Bronze project, highlighting a number of bronzes that tell the story about our history, people, heritage, wildlife, and industry. He helped bring the stories behind the bronzes to life.

In 2022, City Council set a goal to annex pockets of unincorporated land in the county that were completely surrounded by the city. Since then, more than 300 properties have been brought into the city, and this week, the last few annexations were finalized. The reasons Council made the goal are many, but I think the most important was clearing up jurisdictional confusion that may happen in an emergency, thereby improving public safety. The tenth and final set of county pocket annexations has been progressing for the last 10 months and included an urban farm that protested being brought into the city. Unfortunately, the property owner and the City’s relationship never developed, and the narrative became one of distrust and vitriol. I am disappointed that the property owner and their supporters resorted to name calling and charges that City officials are corrupt. I believe it takes two sides to negotiate and work out disagreements, and I offered to do just that. I learned about the controversy on Jan. 28 and immediately reached out to the property owner. After a few phone calls and emails, I did an interview with the newspaper and answered some of the questions about the owner’s concerns. I pushed back on firing guns to protect their chickens, as Head Start is across the street. There has to be a safer way and using firearms in the city is prohibited. I asked the owner to help us understand farming on the property and to document what they do so we could protect their operation. They had not cooperated to that point. After the article came out, the owners sent me a text on Feb. 12 at 5:52 a.m. saying they didn’t want to talk with me anymore and would only communicate by email. That was the end of their communication with me. Not the narrative that was spun, which was the City failed to communicate. I wish we had a real opportunity to work with the owners to make the annexation work and see the farm thrive. The owners have decided to sell and move to another location, a real loss to the community and one that I see as unnecessary. I wish them well and I hope their dream of an urban farm happens.

I participated in the Industrial Siting Council process for the expansion of Black Hill Energy’s Cheyenne Prairie Generating Station. The ISC issued a permit for the expansion and awarded the city just over $2 million for the unmitigated impacts that we will experience during the almost three years the project will be under construction. The project will bring new natural gas power generation to the existing site in southeast Cheyenne. BHE is making capital investments to meet our growing electricity needs. We are the envy of the state with our certificated utility meeting large electric load requests.

I attended two ribbon cuttings this week. Both were for the opening of new multifamily apartment buildings. The Aire is located on the old Jolly Rogers RV site, and the West End Flats is downtown on 19th Street. Between the two buildings, 295 new living units have come online to meet housing needs recently identified by the Wyoming Community Development Authority. They issued a report in 2024 stating that Laramie County will need somewhere between 5,000 and 7,000 new housing units by 2030. The new buildings are amazing with lots of amenities. Thank you to the Stencil Group for helping us meet our housing challenge.

I can’t believe the holidays start in a couple of weeks. I think the beautiful fall has fooled me into thinking it is still summer. Enjoy it while we can!