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Cheyenne council reopens talk on norms, social media and decorum at goal-setting session
Summary
At a goal-setting session, Cheyenne City Council members discussed reestablishing rules of engagement for the new council term, including a social-media policy, expectations about use of mobile devices on the dais, dress and a possible update to the council code of conduct.
Mayor Collins and the newly seated Cheyenne City Council reopened a conversation about behavioral norms at a goal-setting meeting that members said helped the previous council work more effectively.
Members discussed a tacit “rules of engagement” from the last term — including an agreement to avoid personal attacks in meetings, handle disagreements face‑to‑face rather than on social media, and keep debate focused on local issues — and some councilors urged that the practices be formalized in the city’s code of conduct.
The mayor said the council’s previous effort to avoid letting social and national issues dominate local decision‑making helped the body stay productive. “We agreed that if we had issues with each other we would do them face to face,” he said, adding that the council’s ability to work together would be critical to handle difficult decisions expected this legislative session.
Several council members raised specific concerns. One councilor proposed codifying the past agreement to make it clear to future members and to the public; another said phones on the dais have sometimes been used to check unrelated content during meetings and that the council should make public-facing expectations clear. A different member pushed back on restricting dress or device use, saying elected officials have individual latitude and that he uses a phone on the dais to confirm facts with staff during meetings.
Councilors asked staff to consider a more formal norm‑setting process and suggested including rules on social media and decorum in the next code of conduct renewal so new members would sign with consistent expectations. There was no vote or formal policy change at the session; members said they would pursue discussion and possible codification as part of future work.
The discussion came at the start of a night devoted to reviewing 2024 goals and projects and deciding whether to complete 2025 goal‑setting that evening or reconvene for a second session.
Looking ahead, council members said they want the norms conversation to produce clear language so the public and future council members understand expectations and the limits of council authority when it comes to national issues.
