Cheyenne revenue subcommittee recommends $100,000 inventory to prepare underused city land for sale
November 07, 2025 | Cheyenne, Laramie County, Wyoming
This article was created by AI summarizing key points discussed. AI makes mistakes, so for full details and context, please refer to the video of the full meeting. Please report any errors so we can fix them. Report an error »
Councilwoman Aldrich told the Cheyenne City Council at a Nov. 7 work session that the councils revenue subcommittee has focused its time on identifying ways to increase city revenue by surplusing properties the city does not need.
"We're going to ask for a $100,000 from the general fund to contract with the company who will inventory and then prioritize and survey and obtain market values and negotiate right of ways," Councilwoman Aldrich said, describing a planned resolution the subcommittee will bring to council.
The subcommittee said it toured numerous city-owned parcels with staff from Community Rec & Events and the city engineers office and flagged a range of constraints that affect whether a parcel can be sold. Those include a required 6-foot maintenance easement on either side of greenway concrete paths, 10-foot drainage channels, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) easements, reversion clauses in deeds derived from state highway transfers, federal restrictions tied to FEMA hazard-mitigation agreements, and Land and Water Conservation Fund parcels that require federal approval for conversion from recreational use.
The presentation identified specific parcels being considered for sale or further study, including 3425 Christiansen Road (an improved property appraised near $450,000 that previously received a bid below reserve and is expected to go out to bid again), a wedge near the Converse and Pershing roundabout that could accommodate a greenway alignment, and strips along Interstate 80 with access and WAPA issues. Subcommittee members said some smaller wedges and corner parcels now cost the city ongoing maintenance, including mowing and weed control.
TJ Bartleboer, the citys purchasing manager, explained the map color coding the subcommittee used: "the green is just kinda showing what could be on the table for discussion for sale," while red areas denote Optimus Park and greenway easements that would not be sold.
City staff and councilmembers repeatedly emphasized floodplain and platting limitations. Director Cobb of the city engineers office said many of the Deming Drive parcels are in the regulated floodway and cannot be developed for residential structures without floodplain-removal work; he described a long-range Clear Creek inline detention facility under design that could remove floodplain constraints on the far east side of that area in the future.
A point of neighborhood concern involved the Sioux Drive parcel, which residents have used as a walking area and which a resident, Kale Kaiser, said "was actually dedicated to the city in 1954 ... it was dedicated as a park at that time." Councilmembers asked staff to research deed language and any statutory or deed limitations before the city takes sale steps.
Other revenue ideas discussed but not pursued in depth during this meeting included solar on landfill property, a proposal to use NEOGOV to flag permit applicants with outstanding fines or debts to the city, soliciting revenue-saving ideas from frontline employees with incentives, and tighter tracking of city leases and their expiration dates.
Council members expressed concern about the citys limited revolving land account and the maintenance burden of many small parcels. The subcommittee said its next step is to present a resolution seeking the $100,000 appropriation to contract an inventory and related services; parcels would only be taken through the sale process and presented to council for MOUs if and when offers meet required thresholds.
Several councilmembers also raised complementary planning questions: whether some parcels should be formally designated as open space (with lower maintenance expectations), adding greenway access points (including potential tunnels) in neighborhoods with poor connections to the greenway, and the location or expansion of the compost facility.
Councilwoman Aldrich closed the presentation by suggesting a voluntary utilities-bill round-up option run by the Board of Public Utilities as a modest, ongoing revenue source for recreation or designated projects. The subcommittee did not take a final vote at the work session; the $100,000 resolution was described as the next formal action coming to the council.
"We're going to ask for a $100,000 from the general fund to contract with the company who will inventory and then prioritize and survey and obtain market values and negotiate right of ways," Councilwoman Aldrich said, describing a planned resolution the subcommittee will bring to council.
The subcommittee said it toured numerous city-owned parcels with staff from Community Rec & Events and the city engineers office and flagged a range of constraints that affect whether a parcel can be sold. Those include a required 6-foot maintenance easement on either side of greenway concrete paths, 10-foot drainage channels, Western Area Power Administration (WAPA) easements, reversion clauses in deeds derived from state highway transfers, federal restrictions tied to FEMA hazard-mitigation agreements, and Land and Water Conservation Fund parcels that require federal approval for conversion from recreational use.
The presentation identified specific parcels being considered for sale or further study, including 3425 Christiansen Road (an improved property appraised near $450,000 that previously received a bid below reserve and is expected to go out to bid again), a wedge near the Converse and Pershing roundabout that could accommodate a greenway alignment, and strips along Interstate 80 with access and WAPA issues. Subcommittee members said some smaller wedges and corner parcels now cost the city ongoing maintenance, including mowing and weed control.
TJ Bartleboer, the citys purchasing manager, explained the map color coding the subcommittee used: "the green is just kinda showing what could be on the table for discussion for sale," while red areas denote Optimus Park and greenway easements that would not be sold.
City staff and councilmembers repeatedly emphasized floodplain and platting limitations. Director Cobb of the city engineers office said many of the Deming Drive parcels are in the regulated floodway and cannot be developed for residential structures without floodplain-removal work; he described a long-range Clear Creek inline detention facility under design that could remove floodplain constraints on the far east side of that area in the future.
A point of neighborhood concern involved the Sioux Drive parcel, which residents have used as a walking area and which a resident, Kale Kaiser, said "was actually dedicated to the city in 1954 ... it was dedicated as a park at that time." Councilmembers asked staff to research deed language and any statutory or deed limitations before the city takes sale steps.
Other revenue ideas discussed but not pursued in depth during this meeting included solar on landfill property, a proposal to use NEOGOV to flag permit applicants with outstanding fines or debts to the city, soliciting revenue-saving ideas from frontline employees with incentives, and tighter tracking of city leases and their expiration dates.
Council members expressed concern about the citys limited revolving land account and the maintenance burden of many small parcels. The subcommittee said its next step is to present a resolution seeking the $100,000 appropriation to contract an inventory and related services; parcels would only be taken through the sale process and presented to council for MOUs if and when offers meet required thresholds.
Several councilmembers also raised complementary planning questions: whether some parcels should be formally designated as open space (with lower maintenance expectations), adding greenway access points (including potential tunnels) in neighborhoods with poor connections to the greenway, and the location or expansion of the compost facility.
Councilwoman Aldrich closed the presentation by suggesting a voluntary utilities-bill round-up option run by the Board of Public Utilities as a modest, ongoing revenue source for recreation or designated projects. The subcommittee did not take a final vote at the work session; the $100,000 resolution was described as the next formal action coming to the council.
View full meeting
This article is based on a recent meeting—watch the full video and explore the complete transcript for deeper insights into the discussion.
View full meeting