Finance committee recommends dozens of contracts, grants and bids; approves airport support, engineering and several service contracts

The City of Cheyenne Finance Committee on June 17 considered and recommended action on a bundle of contracts, grants and procurement items covering airport support, economic development, street reconstruction, facilities services, and a multi‑party water and sewer agreement.

Airport and economic development funding Deputy City Treasurer Brenda Moreau presented the annual contract renewal with the Cheyenne Regional Air Service Focus Team (CRAFT). Wendy Volk, representing CRAFT, said voters approved a 2021 sixth‑penny (6P) ballot initiative to support air service and that the FY2026 minimum revenue guarantee request is $253,572. The committee moved to approve the amount not to exceed $253,572; the committee’s recommendation to present the contract to the full council was unanimous.

Cheyenne Leads, the city’s economic development nonprofit, requested and received a unanimous committee recommendation for its annual services agreement for July 1, 2025–June 30, 2026 in the amount of $100,000. CEO Betsy Hale summarized recent return‑on‑investment studies showing local tax revenue increases tied to Leads’ work.

Engineering, roads and stormwater The committee unanimously recommended approval of a professional services agreement with HDR Engineering Inc. for design of the Eighteenth Street reconstruction project. West Bay Engineering staff explained the design limits from House to Snyder, possible extension to Crow Creek for an outfall and coordination needs with BNSF railroad. Funding sources identified included FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds ($270,000), Board of Public Utilities funds (up to $200,000) and the city’s fifth‑penny funds; the contract was presented with a not‑to‑exceed price of $1,100,562 and an estimated design completion in August 2026.

Right‑of‑way and events contracts The committee recommended approval of a right‑of‑way license between the city and Volunteers of America Northern Rockies to allow connection of a private on‑site detention pond to the municipal storm sewer on Seymour Avenue near East 205th Street; staff confirmed the private party will maintain the pipe and detention pond. The longstanding memorandum of understanding with Cheyenne Frontier Days Inc. for use of city land and buildings during the 2025 Frontier Days event was recommended by the committee; the MOU continues the decades‑long arrangement and allocates a portion of proceeds for fireworks.

Facilities, fleet and equipment bids Public Works staff presented multiple bids for facilities and fleet needs; the committee moved unanimously to recommend acceptance of those bids as listed below. Those approvals included: two midsize SUVs and one full‑size SUV from Fremont Motor Company not to exceed $141,587; five replacement snowplows from Fremont Ameritech Equipment not to exceed $216,887.50; an automatic tarping machine for landfill daily cover not to exceed $93,060; and janitorial contracts for the Public Safety Center ($266,054.52), Cheyenne Municipal Building ($261,071.40), and Cheyenne Municipal Court ($91,926.72). The committee also recommended a five‑year HVAC and mechanical maintenance agreement with Climate Control LLC in an amount motioned at $1,446,167 (first‑year addenda for server upgrades and chiller/boiler removal were described in staff presentation); and a painting contract for the Spiker parking garage interior not to exceed $253,527 to improve lighting and perception of safety.

Animal control and water/sewer agreement The proposed annual animal control services agreement between the City of Cheyenne and Laramie County (amount not to exceed $156,850) did not receive a committee recommendation; several members said they would vote no at the committee because they wanted a staff report prepared for the full council meeting.

Combined water and sewer agreement Brad Brooks, director of the Board of Public Utilities, presented a long‑awaited combined water and wastewater agreement between the City of Cheyenne, the Cheyenne Board of Public Utilities and the South Cheyenne Water and Sewer District. The agreement consolidates prior 1971 and 1983 agreements, requires the district to begin paying system development fees on a four‑year schedule, clarifies connection points and boundary discrepancies (with BOPU covering boundary adjustments), and transfers one sewer interceptor to BOPU to enable greater flexibility for Dry Creek or Crow Creek discharge and potential future wastewater reuse. The committee unanimously recommended approval for presentation to the full council.

Why it matters: the recommended actions fund regional air connectivity, reinforce local economic development, advance a major downtown reconstruction and resolve a multi‑decade intergovernmental utility relationship. The committee forwarded most items to the full City Council with unanimous recommendations; the animal control agreement lacked committee support and will be returned without a positive committee recommendation.