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Committee approves substitute to restrict private memorials, adds right-of-way language
Summary
A Cheyenne city committee approved a substitute to an ordinance that would bar private displays on city public property and rights of way except where expressly allowed; sponsors said the measure balances family memorials with public-safety and maintenance needs, and the item is recommended to the full council.
The Cheyenne city committee voted to approve a substitute for an ordinance that would restrict private displays on city public property and public rights of way, sending the amended measure to the full council for final consideration.
Deputy City Attorney David Hopkinson told the committee the ordinance "provides that no person would erect a public display on public property of the city of Cheyenne, except as otherwise expressly permitted by law or expressly authorized by the city," and that the substitute adds "public right of way" language and removes advertising from the ordinance.
Sponsor Doctor Aldridge said the substitute is intended to clarify how city departments should handle roadside memorials and similar displays. Aldridge listed several local examples — a memorial on Nationway and others near Lincoln Way and College Drive — and said staff had tried to reach affected families before placing the item on the agenda. She noted families may choose Wyoming Department of Transportation signs that the department displays for 10 years and that, under the ordinance, families would be given a 7-day notice before the city may remove a display deemed abandoned and remove it no later than 30 days after written notice.
Councilman Layborn, who inspected one memorial site, expressed support for the substitute but emphasized safety concerns at medians and the potential for lighting to distract drivers. Doctor Rennie said he remained opposed, noting he had not seen a hazard report from public works or police in one longstanding case. Doctor Aldridge and staff said maintenance and mowing around long-term displays had become difficult for crews.
The committee approved the substitute by voice vote and then, after further discussion, recorded a recommendation to the full council to approve the ordinance as amended.
The committee’s recommendation will be considered by the full council at the next meeting; the body did not adopt the ordinance today.
