Council certifies annexation compliance for 95 parcels in northeast Cheyenne amid mixed resident sentiment

The City Council adopted a resolution certifying compliance with Wyoming statute 15-1-402 for a city-initiated annexation of 95 parcels totaling about 34.17 acres in northeast Cheyenne, part of a multi-year effort to eliminate county pockets surrounded by city limits.

The annexation proposal prompted public comment. Exe Brown, speaking on behalf of several residents in the affected pockets, said he had heard from property owners who were "adamantly against" annexation, framing their opposition as a private-property-rights issue. Brown told council that some residents were prepared to organize a petition opposing annexation.

Mayor Merrick Collins and other council members sought to clarify what annexation would mean for residents. Collins told those assembled that annexed homeowners would not be required to connect to city water or sewer immediately, or to pave roads or install curb, gutter and sidewalk unless they redeveloped their property. He noted annexed residents would gain the option to connect to city systems if their onsite systems failed and that the city could maintain roads once paved.

"You don't have to hook up to city water and sewer... You don't have to pave your road," Collins said, adding that nonconforming uses (for example, livestock) are commonly grandfathered. Council members said planning staff mailed notices to property owners and hosted neighborhood meetings; staff said one early meeting included some unhappy residents while a later meeting at Dildine Elementary had no comments and that many questions were answered.

The resolution to certify compliance passed with Councilmember Moody recorded as voting no. Several council members said they would only support annexation when residents requested it, but staff and other councilors emphasized the city's long-term goal to eliminate islands of county jurisdiction within the city boundary and noted outreach had been conducted.