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Cheyenne approves $1.47 million design contract for municipal building renovation; councilor raises privacy concerns
Summary
The Cheyenne City Council approved a professional services agreement not to exceed $1,474,550 with Plan 1 Architects to design renovations for the municipal building. Council debate focused on whether designs included private office floor layouts and the relationship with prior spatial analysis; the contract passed with one no vote.
The Cheyenne City Council on Oct. 13 approved a professional services agreement with Plan 1 Architects for municipal building renovation design work, in an amount not to exceed $1,474,550.
The contract covers the design phase only; council members and staff emphasized the $1.47 million is for design services and not for construction. Adele Bartow of Public Works told the council the design will use the earlier spatial analysis as a reference and develop full architectural plans.
Council discussion revisited material presented during a December 2024 work session on spatial needs. Some members asked whether the contract would rely on that spatial analysis and whether the design envisioned private office floors or closed-access areas. Council member Mister Moody said he opposed the contract because the spatial analysis included private spaces and that could create a perception of reduced transparency; he voted no. Staff and other council members said the intent is to place public-facing departments on the main floor, with upper floors restricted for security and operational needs.
Adele Bartow said the design will reflect departmental needs identified in the spatial analysis; director-level staff confirmed the study applied to municipal building space, not to all city facilities. Council members discussed the security context in modern public buildings and noted confidentiality and safety concerns can justify private meeting spaces for staff who handle legal or confidential matters.
Mister Layborn and several members spoke in favor of proceeding with design work. The finance committee recommended contract approval; the council voted to accept the agreement with Mister Moody recorded as the sole no vote.
The council did not adopt construction funding with this vote. Staff said the $1.47 million will be used to complete design documents that could be bid later; they noted the design timeline will coordinate with other facility-planning efforts. Council members discussed that unused special-purpose tax funds allocated for downtown projects may have to be returned to the county if not spent as intended.
