The Laramie City Council failed to repeal its surface water drainage ordinance on second reading Tuesday, rejecting a motion to repeal Original Ordinance No. 2109 by a 2to6 vote. Councilor Tom Lockhart and Councilor Patrick Newman voted in favor of repeal; eight other members voted against it or were absent.

The motion, offered by Councilor Newman and seconded by Councilor Lockhart, would have removed Laramie Municipal Code Chapter 13.8, which sets the citys stormwater utility and fee structure. Proponents of repeal argued the fee structure—particularly for some commercial properties—was punitive and based on flawed data; opponents said the city still needs a stable funding stream for aging stormwater infrastructure.

The debate followed a weeks-long public outreach period and multiple council meetings. Supporters of repeal pointed to alleged data problems identified after the councils initial vote and warned the fee schedule could force local businesses to close or pass large costs to consumers. Several business owners testified that the assessed fees would exceed their profit margins and said some businesses already have left town. Speakers at the mic repeatedly urged a complete restart of the ordinance process or a ballot decision.

City staff and several council members pushed back, saying the citys infrastructure requires funding. Council members who opposed repeal argued the council already voted to pause fee collections earlier this summer to allow staff time to respond to concerns and that eliminating the ordinance now would remove a mechanism to fund necessary repairs. Director Brooks Webb of the public works department described stormwater pipes and inlets as costly to install and maintain and said routine cleaning and larger capital projects require predictable revenue.

Legal and procedural issues were central to the debate. Some speakers and council members said the funding scheme may need voter approval under Wyoming law; others noted the University of Wyomings board of trustees had voted to authorize counsel to pursue legal action, which could affect the ordinances implementation. Council discussion also focused on whether the council could amend or substitute a new funding plan, with several members explaining that a repeal removes the current ordinance but does not preclude bringing a different measure forward later.

Administrative staff announced that refunding and crediting of the fee had been processed for residents and businesses after the councils earlier pause: accounts with active city utility accounts were credited through the billing cycle and refund checks were being mailed to those who had already paid. Staff also said the stormwater program had been seeded with a general-fund transfer earlier in the fiscal year to start operations and that some purchases—most notably a large vacuum truck—were already ordered and nonrefundable.

Councilor Newman framed his motion as a way to restart the policy from scratch; Councilor Lockhart and other supporters urged repeal to avoid legal risk and to rebuild public trust. Councilor Fried, Vice Mayor Richardson and other members opposing the repeal emphasized using the councils pause to refine fee tiers, address outliers, and negotiate with major property owners. The motion failed on a roll call of 2 yes, 6 no and 1 absent.

With the repeal attempt defeated, the existing ordinance remains in place pending further council action. Council members said they will continue work during the pause period, with staff tasked to provide clearer data, explore credits and caps for certain property types, and report back to the council. The council also acknowledged the possibility that litigation from the University of Wyoming or others could alter the timeline or legal framework.

The vote came after roughly two hours of council questions and nearly three hours of public comment, during which dozens of residents and business owners spoke for and against the ordinance. Staff indicated they will bring updated analyses and recommendations to later meetings while continuing the administrative refunds and credits already underway.