[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6262696,"mediaKeyId","3111905-2aa702c4e8695d9ce260a1bc26c5c72e","parentId",3111905,"title","Council, Planning Commission weigh Lamar proposal to digitize select billboards; staff and commission urge caution","audioSeconds",1202,"startMs",4714000,"endMs",5916000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3111905-2aa702c4e8695d9ce260a1bc26c5c72e&start=4714&end=5916","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3111905-2aa702c4e8695d9ce260a1bc26c5c72e/thumbnail_4714000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6262696/Wyoming/Council-Planning-Commission-weigh-Lamar-proposal-to-digitize-select-billboards-staff-and-commission-urge-caution","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6262696-d4d73586e2b9d3b01754c15602f00858/orig.mp4?Expires=1771025495&Signature=o8y2~oFGSCNLLcldfvarpDcrtti93TD698qawIu9NcZjCfXxj-wSFXgFI5BAZmXRLLuegglfvaHHd3ebYmIbBNcnjJnpFrWjcdwUxRHCpwv2hBglKE1XymV9Iu2s3no4f3EMEUyhEPePnCO0tVjubquh~ZN0OtUWEq2pWkbVsPGlPzlvWZbzFTsF4nxnbyLONxTH0NZCybd0BQYiczyWrsJLOBAMfIDkygPa707jKOqlmJ4T1f5WinYHIRiT0Wb8GtJyFY2CC6VAUvLwhxRogzf409fHHszzVOX7FWUtuKiHMSKV3EoHWWbNGhDViA~Wwj3nLzenZ68TmTYAPv8OJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City Council of Laramie MY","date","2025-04-23T03:09:40Z","article","The Laramie City Council and Laramie Planning Commission spent the April 22 joint work session examining a proposed text amendment from Lamar Advertising to allow conversion of some nonconforming billboards inside city limits to digital displays.

City planning staff presented regulatory options and limits, emphasizing that municipalities can control location, spacing, size, height, illumination and motion of signs but cannot regulate content because of First Amendment constraints. Director Derek Tini told the council a major policy decision — allowing conversions or enlargements of nonconforming billboards — would likely be more appropriately considered as part of the city’s comprehensive‑plan update. \"If we are looking at going that route, maybe a good idea to postpone, until we are able to have those discussions through the comprehensive‑planning process,\" Director Tini said.

Lamar representative Megan Getz and local Lamar staff described the company’s proposal and the technology. Getz said Lamar seeks a one‑for‑one conversion of existing static structures and provided technical exhibits and operational details, including a typical dwell time of eight seconds for digital slots and monitoring procedures to remove inappropriate content. \"We provided the responses to those questions with exhibits,\" Getz said when asked about materials submitted to council and commission.

Lamar and its technical vendor emphasized dimming, louvers and engineering to reduce light spill; Daktronics representative Chris Bates answered technical questions about illumination and modules. Lamar also described that some inventory can be reserved for city messaging and that nonprofit rates are reduced, saying digital boards can be used for Amber Alerts, emergency notifications and community announcements.

Planning staff and several planning commissioners warned that changing the nonconforming standard would have broader consequences. Planning Commission Chair Matamore cautioned councilors that converting billboards could “open the door” to on‑premise elevated electronic message centers (EMCs) and added visual clutter on corridors such as Third Street and Grand Avenue. Commissioners noted Laramie’s existing comprehensive plan and sign code language that discourages expansion of billboards outside the I‑80 corridor and said the planning commission recommended denial of the specific nonconforming‑use text amendment presented earlier in the review process.

Councilors’ views were mixed: some described the proposal as a potential economic and communication tool that could expand local advertising opportunities, while others said they prefer to await the comprehensive‑plan revision and broader public engagement. Councilor Lockhart said the proposal could be “pro‑business,” while Councilor Bolling and Planning Commission members urged caution and public input. City Clerk Nancy reminded the council that any amendments at the May 20 first reading must be relevant to the ordinance under consideration (identified in staff materials as Ordinance 21‑02).

No formal council action was taken at the April 22 work session; staff said the text amendment and any proposed ordinance language could return for first reading on May 20. Planning staff advised that a broader comprehensive‑plan process launching next month — expected to run about a year — would be a logical venue for community discussion about sign policy and aesthetics.

Key points

• Scope of regulation: Municipal control includes location, spacing, size, height and illumination, but not content.

• Nonconforming status: Existing billboards are treated as nonconforming; staff said code currently prohibits enlargement or expansion of those structures outside expressly allowed corridors.

• Planning recommendation: Planning staff and the planning commission recommended denial of the current nonconforming‑use text amendment and encouraged broader public engagement tied to the comprehensive‑plan update.

• Lamar proposal: Lamar seeks to convert up to three Third Street boards and one on Twentieth & Grand (the company indicated it is interested in converting 3 on Third and 1 on Grand), proposing one‑for‑one digitization and offering a city slot for messaging.

• Next steps: Council discussion, potential motions or amendments at first reading on May 20; staff and commission urged careful drafting so any changes do not unintentionally allow elevated on‑premise EMC conversions elsewhere in the city.

The council and commission scheduled further consideration for the coming weeks; staff recommended any substantial policy change be informed by the comprehensive‑plan community engagement process now set to begin next month.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","April 22nd, 2025, Laramie, Wyoming - City Government Live Stream","oneSentenceSummary","The Laramie City Council and Planning Commission held a joint work session April 22 to review a proposed Lamar Advertising text amendment that would allow conversion of select nonconforming billboards in Laramie to digital displays.","taxTitle","Laramie City Council, Laramie City, Albany County, Wyoming","taxId",68475,"location","Wyoming","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6262702,"Laramie City Council moves fifth‑Tuesday open house from April 29 to April 30",308,663000,971000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3111905-2aa702c4e8695d9ce260a1bc26c5c72e&start=663&end=971","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3111905-2aa702c4e8695d9ce260a1bc26c5c72e/thumbnail_663000.jpg","/articles/6262702/Wyoming/Laramie-City-Council-moves-fifthTuesday-open-house-from-April-29-to-April-30","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6262702-681607d8f283ee367b9c8db81ecc4409/orig.mp4?Expires=1771025495&Signature=QATlXTFTocPiv2ymRNnveSE2tf1p0uwmDtg26aadQwY8EUCg3xO-qcwXyZ~5Gc01b24m9EDl9beEuLVqai8AO9blF4OKRODeKkUIl5CHCm6KUZZq4O2bmQh9Sz4RE9pIv5TbJ~650WOh1Y0jUu-5jINpVIndRLujUyhQ1Dk9cZqkarW7bUa5QRZSvlttTrNcj29~xU4FGsgwRm0q9ecAFJwuZ88MykSSGUS75qzOt66RC-k8mT1Qla7Ko4Dc2grjHRgH2LiJWtGQfUZGT1x4-h4gI8PjIYHNj0lyqcoGn6PftOJilIFzaa~27-KZeBWfXO0vkV~DZb3t8nvUYyer1A__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Laramie City Council voted April 22 to move the May fifth‑Tuesday open house from April 29 to April 30 amid a scheduling conflict with the Albany County elected officials meeting.

Councilors said the switch will let the public hear county updates on property taxes, the county budget and elections while keeping the city’s outreach moving forward. Councilor Kelser Bolling moved to cancel the originally scheduled fifth‑Tuesday open house; Councilor Newman proposed the successful amendment to change the meeting date to April 30. Councilor Shumway seconded the amendment.

The roll call on the amendment recorded eight yes votes, zero no votes and one absence: Bolling — yes; Freed — yes; Lockhart — yes; Newman — aye; O’Doherty — yes; Shumway — yes; Vigil — yes; Richardson — aye; Comby — absent. The council then voted on the main motion as amended; the final tally was 8 yes, 0 no, 1 absent.

Councilors who spoke during debate said they preferred postponement rather than a long delay so the outreach effort on property taxes and other issues would keep momentum. Councilor Lockhart said the meeting was “very important and affects all of us” and favored postponement so the city could “start kicking off” the program rather than wait months.

The clerk announced the motion carried and the council adjourned the special meeting and convened the joint work session with the Planning Commission.

Votes at a glance: Motion to move the fifth‑Tuesday open house from April 29 to April 30 — mover: Councilor Newman (amendment); second: Councilor Shumway; vote: 8 yes, 0 no, 1 absent; outcome: approved.","The Laramie City Council voted 8–0 (one absent) April 22 to postpone the May fifth‑Tuesday open house from April 29 to April 30 after an amendment from Councilor Newman; the change responds to a scheduling conflict with the Albany County elected officials meeting.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6262692,"City staff outline housing progress and remaining gaps; code changes and lot inventory cited",14,10464000,10478000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3111905-2aa702c4e8695d9ce260a1bc26c5c72e&start=10464&end=10478","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3111905-2aa702c4e8695d9ce260a1bc26c5c72e/thumbnail_10464000.jpg","/articles/6262692/Wyoming/City-staff-outline-housing-progress-and-remaining-gaps-code-changes-and-lot-inventory-cited","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6262692-968d1c34395eb507034e868f2091034e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771025495&Signature=CBmnjG3HWh5zIiXMq8cl4gvyfq4nzejsT6g9miUhXpoPUcO~IZh2xgs0Ml9tpMRKpC8wqv0sYAP~FpI4Bzig9mxqJOhCkgdJ0t6d~tGAwFbNw~86fwBX2pSYWYzPkHGG7WTIZL5DTx3hSJPU-xbexNXUIcEnLIJSaOw~L9djyXtCwj3QftK1fgm-mTxB7usTN~iMKNAV5eX6PQnxTHYI5VMAzvWTQiACIKW0DzWWUs~YXKPVGnSCBWvan1CoFRMGIhCWuVR4qe90LkYPObyBs7OO7PYqXH1y7sTA1zjAkxg~M5XetgiMsEO9LwamCL0C42XqTFh6tOC4PzF7UyU7AQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City planning staff reported April 22 on multiple studies and recent policy changes aimed at expanding housing supply and improving housing quality in Laramie, and outlined remaining gaps between current production and prior needs assessments.

Director Derek Tini told the council the presentation was intended as a status report on seven planning and housing studies — including the city’s 2015 housing study, the 2018 Albany County housing report, the Thrive Laramie economic strategy, the Laramie housing strategy and the 2024 Wyoming statewide housing needs assessment — and on actions the city has taken in response. \"This housing presentation that we're gonna give here is really a status report on many of the studies and planning efforts that have been done,\" Director Tini said.

Staff summarized recent code and procedural changes aimed at increasing feasible housing production: permitting accessory dwelling units in single‑family zoning districts; reducing parking requirements across zoning districts; reducing minimum lot sizes, setbacks and lot widths; providing online permitting and published schedules; and creating an urban renewal authority and TIF pathway that can fund infrastructure. Staff also described a new rental‑housing licensing and enforcement program: as of the meeting staff reported 1,521 licensed contractors representing 4,509 dwelling units and 23 complaints filed under the rental code process.

Supply and pipeline figures presented to council included roughly 129 build‑ready lots, about 669 preliminary‑plat lots (preliminary plat approvals awaiting final plat and infrastructure), and 822 housing units constructed in Laramie between 2015 and 2024. City staff and the city manager said those changes reduced the shortfall since 2015 but do not meet the total need identified in the 2015 study; discussion at the meeting put the remaining estimate at roughly 2,600 units that would be required to reach the earlier 2030 target once pipeline assumptions are accounted for.

City Manager Jordan and Assistant City Manager Feuser described near‑term work to convert city‑owned parcels into demonstration projects (North Fourth Street and the Slade Elementary property) and to pursue public‑private partnerships; Jordan also said staff applied for grant support to fund a housing administration/coordinator function to “lubricate” housing development and recruit experienced developers. The city manager said the city applied for roughly $24,000 in grant funds to help staff a housing coordination role.

Staff and councilors discussed constraints the city cannot directly control — state funding levels, construction material cost volatility, and availability of developer capital and skilled labor — and actions the city can take to reduce local barriers: refine code (building and zoning), prepare shovel‑ready city parcels, and coordinate public engagement through the comprehensive‑plan update that begins next month.

Clarifying details provided at the session include:
• Build‑ready lots: ~129 (platted, infrastructure ready to build).
• Preliminary lots: ~669 (preliminary plat approved; final plat or infrastructure remaining).
• Units built 2015–2024: 822 (611 single‑family; 108 multifamily reported in staff figures through 2024).
• Rental licensing: 1,521 licenses representing 4,509 dwelling units; 23 complaints processed under rental‑housing code enforcement to date.

Councilors asked for more clarity on pipeline assumptions and timing; staff noted the comprehensive‑plan update — expected to take about a year — will include public engagement that can further refine policy decisions. Director Tini said many of the changes recommended by previous studies have been implemented, but additional focused work and partnerships will be needed to close the remaining gap.

A public question during the housing portion asked whether soil conditions remain a constraint; Director Tini said soil quality can affect construction but modern foundation techniques and engineering solutions allow developers to mitigate many soil issues. No formal council action was taken on the housing report; staff asked council for continued direction on code changes and on use of city parcels in partnership projects.","Planning staff presented a housing status report April 22 summarizing seven major studies, recent code changes (ADU authorization, parking reductions, lot size reductions), and the city’s lot inventory; staff estimates several thousand units remain to meet earlier targets and described next steps including grant work and public‑private projects.","actionData","errors"]

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Council, Planning Commission weigh Lamar proposal to digitize select billboards; staff and commission urge caution

Laramie City Council moves fifth‑Tuesday open house from April 29 to April 30

City staff outline housing progress and remaining gaps; code changes and lot inventory cited