Jeanne Shrednick, the city’s Parks and Greenway planner, told the council the Greenway system has grown to 48.3 miles and asked the city to include a combined $7.5 million request on the next "6p" ballot: $3.0 million for city Greenway operations and maintenance, $1.0 million for Laramie County to dredge the Lisonbee Draw drainage and an additional $3.5 million for Greenway expansion.

Why this matters: Shrednick said the Greenway is both a recreational and transportation asset used by walkers, bicyclists, runners, nonprofits and commuters. She described recurring maintenance needs — pumps, underpass dredging, bridge and retaining-wall repair, graffiti removal and ADA upgrades — that she said require sustained funding to keep the system safe and usable.

Key details and condition: Shrednick highlighted trail counters that show daily averages at busy points — e.g., 178 daily at Carlson, 165 at Yellowstone Underpass and 123 at Lions Park — and reported substantial volunteer engagement through an Adopt-a-Spot program. She said maintenance accomplishments since 2021 include underpass repair and replacement projects and that some locations, notably the Yellowstone Underpass, show structural distress: consultants estimated a full replacement at about $3.3 million, while more limited repairs could be on the order of about $800,000, she said.

County drainage and dredging: Shrednick said several South Side underpasses are often silted and nearly continually flooded; the county provided a preliminary dredging plan covering multiple underpasses with an early cost estimate of roughly $950,000. Shrednick said the parks request includes $1.0 million to enable county dredging and related drainage improvements so underpasses will be usable and safer for commuters and residents.

Funding history and ask: Shrednick reminded the council that the 2021 ballot included a $3.5 million Greenway expansion ask (proposition 8) and a $2.5 million maintenance ask (proposition 7), both approved at about 60%. She requested repeating the $3.5 million expansion ask and combining it with the city maintenance and county dredging requests for a total $7.5 million ask.

Remaining funds and partnerships: Deputy City Treasurer Brenda Moreau told the council that, through April, the Greenway maintenance balance from the prior ballot is about $1.5 million and the expansion balance is about $1.3 million. Shrednick and council members discussed partnerships with WYDOT, Laramie County and developers for future connections and crossings; she cited completed projects such as the Sweetgrass Underpass, a rebuilt US 30 Underpass and developer-funded Burlington Trail.

Council questions and next steps: Council members asked about counter data, pump replacements (one pump replacement and electrician work estimated just under $10,000 in a College Drive tunnel), dredging timelines and coordination with the recently established stormwater utility. Shrednick said engineering and the county are working on further testing, and that staff will provide follow-up cost updates; no formal motion or vote was taken at the session.