CHEYENNE, Wyo. — The Cheyenne City Council will take up the second reading of an ordinance that would increase the maximum penalty for public camping to $750 and six months in jail.
The council meets at 6 p.m. today in the Council Chambers at the Municipal Building, 2101 O’Neil Ave. Detailed supporting documents are available on the city’s website. The meeting is open to the public and will be livestreamed on YouTube.
The proposed ordinance, which amends Chapter 8.68 of the Municipal Code concerning Camping on Public Property, seeks to hike fines for violations from the current $50 to a maximum of $750, along with possible imprisonment for up to six months. Violators found sleeping on any public sidewalk, street, alleyway or pedestrian or vehicular entrance to property abutting a public sidewalk, or otherwise camping without a valid permit, shall also be immediately removed from the premises.
The measure has sparked online debate, with some finding the proposal mean-spirited and unlikely to solve the problem of homelessness.
The amendment includes a provision that if convicted, the court shall consider if a defendant demonstrates that they meaningfully engaged with public or private resources or service providers to address the reasons that led them to be in violation when determining their sentence.
In addition to the public camping issue, the City Council will address planning and development ordinances. That includes the second reading of two bills related to the annexation of a county pocket area of 20 properties totaling 13.64 acres.
The first ordinance will annex the tracts of land located generally south of Laramie Street, east of T-Bird Drive, north of East Lincolnway and Highway 30, and west of Parsons Place. The second establishes city zoning for the annexed properties.
A separate land annexation and zoning changes are also scheduled for a second reading concerning the Scenic Development, 7th Filing, KT Subdivision. The council will review an ordinance annexing 20.41 acres of land west of Converse Avenue and north of East Carlson Street, which the owner, Section 20 LLC, petitioned to annex.
Two ordinances address the zoning for the land: one establishes the initial assigned zoning classification as Agricultural, and another proposes changing the zoning classification to Neighborhood Residential – High Density to allow for future residential development.
Another ordinance up for a second reading addresses Residential Door-to-Door Solicitor Restrictions, aiming to expand the types of soliciting prohibited when a residence displays a “no solicitors” notice and clarifying permissible hours.
Consent agenda
The council is expected to approve a resolution adopting the Connect 2050: Update to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan as part of the consent agenda. The update guides multimodal transportation investments across the Cheyenne Urbanized Area through the year 2050.
Among other actions on the consent agenda, the council is set to adopt a resolution authorizing the city treasurer to discharge $136,828.03 in uncollectible debts. That includes $75,623 in unpaid parking tickets issued in 2021, along with uncollected debts for nuisance fees, compost fees and sanitation billings from the Board of Public Utilities.
A resolution proposing a 3% cost-of-living salary adjustment for most full-time and part-time city employees, effective Jan. 1, 2026, will be referred to the Finance Committee.
The agenda, with supporting documentation, is attached below.
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