Laramie City Council Ward 2 candidate questionnaire responses
All but one candidate running in the Ward 2 city council race completed the Laramie Reporter's questionnaire. The questions explore housing, parking, policing, budgets and more.
This post serves as a supplement to the Laramie Reporter’s story reviewing the Ward 2 candidates, their competing visions for the city and what’s at stake in this year’s city council elections. If you haven’t read that story, check it out here.
In your view, what is the biggest issue facing the city?
JIM FRIED: I think that’s a hard one, but if I had to nail it down to one, I think it would be just protections. I know that’s a broad category, but in my mind, it’s protection of the aquifer, protection of renters, protecting how we decide to grow. So maybe that’s a cop-out answer and I could definitely pick one issue, but I really think it’s about how we protect the citizens of Laramie from all these different factors and make sure we’re doing things correctly.
BRETT GLASS: The biggest issue currently facing Laramie is bureaucracy. It is the root cause of all other problems about which citizens have expressed concern, including housing cost and quality, parking, roads and streets, retail diversity, and the cost of living in general. Laramie’s government has become topheavy, bloated, and unresponsive to the people. Both incumbents running in Ward 2 voted against the wishes of the public on the issue of downtown parking, and also for more bureaucracy and unnecessary, costly regulation. We need new faces on Council and to cut red tape, not create more of it.
BRETT KAHLER: I’m not running for city council as a single-issue candidate. However, I think Laramie has challenges with economic opportunities, which is one issue that creates other issues, that it needs to address. Those issues include basic things that keep people in Laramie, such as housing, childcare, and jobs, and also attract new residents to our community. I believe that the city can work together to form strong private-public partnerships that help address these challenges and, as a result, make Laramie an even more attractive place to live.
JAYNE PEARCE: Housing, to include all types: rental, low-income, affordable, workforce, single and multi-family. Specifically, workforce housing.
MELANIE VIGIL: Without a doubt, safe and affordable housing. With the legislature’s eyes on our rental ordinance, I want to fight to maintain basic, common sense protections for the 54% of us who rent in Laramie. I believe everyone deserves a safe home with basic heating, a fire extinguisher, and carbon monoxide monitor. These basic amenities only make sense, and if we are to keep young people here, our rental units need to reflect a basic standard of living.
Incentivizing affordable housing development has been a major theme for the current council and the city is now considering its next steps for that push. Should the city seek to encourage affordable housing development? And if so, how?
FRIED: I think the city is taking a smart approach, or has taken a smart approach to how we want growth to happen and how we provide infrastructure for our community. And the affordable housing thing is sometimes scary because, in some cities, ‘affordable housing’ has meant developers take advantage of populations or communities — not putting things up like paved roads or sidewalks or some of these amenities that could damage property values or the city later on. And so I think as long as affordable housing looks like incentivizing developers to build affordable homes — single-family homes, smaller developments, instead of $600,000+ subdivisions — I think I would be all for that.
GLASS: Housing affordability isn’t just a Laramie problem. 300% increases in costs of materials, as well prevailing wage hikes, have made new housing unaffordable everywhere. We in Laramie have no control over the costs of these inputs. However, we have a resource we are not exploiting: a large stock of older housing which can be refurbished and expanded for a fraction of the cost of new construction. This requires time, effort, and craftsmanship. To do it, we must repeal recent regulations which have forced experienced longtime contractors out of the market, simplify the UDC, and remove bureaucratic obstacles to housing redevelopment.
KAHLER: Yes – both for low income housing and expanding opportunities for middle income earners and families. I’m aware of programs through the state and federal governments that incentivize the development of low income housing, and I would support the development of projects utilizing these funds. For the middle income earners, it is important for the city to pursue strong public-private partnerships that create a higher supply of housing options, both in single-family homes and apartment or condominium-types of housing.
PEARCE: Yes, while recognizing we all might define ‘affordable’ differently [here are] three additional considerations: a) Given this is a statewide issue, working with our legislative delegation to encourage the development of a statewide mechanisms or grant opportunity to assist communities and developers with costs, specifically infrastructure costs; b) Private-Public Partnerships; and c) Continue local discussions regarding building and infrastructure requirements related to setbacks, lot width, lot size, and other potential modifications.
VIGIL: I believe the city should encourage affordable housing development, it’s one of the most important issues our community faces currently. I don’t think there is a ‘golden egg’ answer here, but exploring ideas such as fee and requirement reductions could be a great place to start. I believe that while we discuss affordable housing, we should also be pushing to maintain historic neighborhoods such as Laramie’s west side. My family grew up there (some still live there today), and preserving the history and character of that neighborhood would be a priority for me.
In early 2022, the council passed rental regulations, outlining health and safety standards, requiring landlords to register and establishing a complaint process. Many landlords remain unregistered. What should the city do to improve its rental regulations?
FRIED: I think there’s two ways to look at that. You could either incentivize these landlords that are not registering themselves, or there needs to be — on the other end of the spectrum — fines for landlords that are refusing to do that. Because ultimately the city is taking a step to ensure safety for folks, and it’s not a big ask. I think the registration fee is pretty minimal to landlords to register … I think what’s happened is a lot of the landlords that are registered are landlords that are probably upholding the standards that we would want already. They’re on top of the issues, and they’re volunteering to register themselves.
GLASS: Laramie’s ordinance isn’t working. Landlords have taken properties off the market rather than deal with city bureaucracy, worsening our housing crunch. Tenants’ situations have not improved. City fees have drained more than $158,000 from renters’ pockets. Wyoming cities cannot legally handle the most common rental issues: rental contract disputes, deposits, and evictions. State law already explicitly requires rentals to be habitable, sanitary, and safe. The Legislature has proposed to delegate rental matters to counties, which can provide “one stop shopping.” Experienced no-nonsense judges can serve renters everywhere, not just within city limits. This would be better and fairer for everyone.
KAHLER: My understanding of the rental housing code is that it was created to provide basic living standards that a landlord will provide to renters. Since it was created to protect renters, I think it would be beneficial if renters were aware of the regulations. If renters knew if the places they are looking at for rent have registered with the city or not, they could make more informed decisions about the options they are considering. Having something as simple as a seal of registration that can be displayed or an addendum added to rental agreements might provide incentive for more landlords to register their units.
PEARCE: Offer a pass during the next registration period to those landlords that have registered, given many have not; b) Develop incentives to encourage landlords that have not registered; c) Create a seal that can be displayed to show renters that their landlord is participating; d) Improve city website; and e) Create a new social media campaign to inform residents. Broadly, work with our current legislative delegation, Wyoming Association of Municipalities, and Associated Students of UW to continue to educate the legislature and provide public testimony to the Corporations Committee that has decided to hear the issue this month. [Pearce answered this question before the corporations committee met; when it did, lawmakers declined to advance a bill that would have outlawed the rental housing code. However, the same proposal could be brought by individual lawmakers next session.]
VIGIL: I would like to explore dedicating some city staff time to compliance and enforcement. Twenty bucks is a very reasonable fee to register a unit. Maintaining and strengthening our ordinance is critical for renters, as state law provides only minimal protections otherwise (and it’s an expensive and complicated process!). I’ve been a renter in Laramie for almost 15 years, I work daily with young adults who rent, and should I be elected I would do my best to maintain and strengthen our current ordinance.
Policing has been another hot topic for the current council. Do you believe the police advisory board is working? And should Laramie reconsider establishing a civilian oversight board?
FRIED: I do think the advisory committee is helpful. I don’t know if it’s been around long enough to see how the implementation is going to work long term, but I think it’s a great idea. I think it’s bringing ideas and topics up that otherwise wouldn’t have a place, and providing voices that otherwise wouldn’t be heard … As far as a civilian oversight board, I would love to learn more about what that would entail, but I’m definitely for more topics where we’re talking about issues that are harming or helping our community.
GLASS: It is too early to tell whether the Police Advisory Board is working. Due to state civil service regulations, it cannot regulate hiring and firing, so its main function will hopefully be to provide greater transparency. When controversial situations involving the use of force and/or civil rights crop up, we will have an opportunity to evaluate whether the board is beneficial or merely a vehicle for Police Department public relations.
KAHLER: The board’s role is to build more effective partnerships between the police department and the community, which is something I support. However, it’s only been active for one year. My concern with an oversight board is that it could be controlled by either side of the political spectrum, which could result in a single narrative for how it influences the department. There are some who think that police departments should be defunded, and some who think police should not have any requirements on their policies; neither is helpful to encouraging a safe, healthy relationship between police departments and citizens.
PEARCE: The Police Advisory Board is new and has only had five meetings to date. They are public and previous meeting topics include: a) board roles and responsibilities; b) internal investigations; c) hiring and training; d) patrol rifles; and e) Volunteers of America. It is too early to rate effectiveness. The formation of a civilian oversight board is impossible based on current Wyoming statute. A fact that is repeatedly overlooked and forgotten! This is a discussion for the legislature, not the city. If legislation changes, then a local discussion becomes an option.
VIGIL: I really appreciated the community conversations around what is now our police advisory board. I feel that this advisory board is still in its infancy with it being established less than a year ago, and I’d like to give the folks on the board more time to work in order to determine its effectiveness.
The city of Laramie has set a midcentury carbon neutrality goal. It has also made frequent use of Rocky Mountain Power’s Blue Sky Grant program and recently approved an emissions reduction plan. Do you support these efforts by the city to address climate change? If so, what more should the city do on this front?
FRIED: I absolutely support those measures and those ideas. My background is in environment and natural resources — I have a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Wyoming — and so diversifying our energy and in how we do those things, I think it’s just a natural progression of where we’re headed. I think, in the next 10 years, we’ll see where infrastructure comes with electric vehicles. And I know there’s some concern with the strain that specifically EVs [electric vehicles] put on the grid. I know there’s power stations now in Laramie for electric vehicles, but I’d be really curious to see where the infrastructure moves in the next few years towards electric vehicles. I think [we can be] figuring out a way to utilize other resources to make sure that we’re covering our basic needs and the grid is safe.
GLASS: None of these efforts are a bad thing; at the very least they may save the City money. However, the City of Laramie is by no means the largest source of carbon emissions in the area; Mountain Cement, the University power plant, individual furnaces and water heaters, and vehicles emit far more. The City may be able to do more by encouraging others to reduce their carbon footprint than by reducing its own.
KAHLER: I support any effective effort that our community makes to take action against the negative effects of climate change. Industry’s response to climate change is something that has improved and will continue to improve over time, and the city should be ready to embrace those opportunities as they arise. The city itself has worked to become more energy efficient, such as the low-energy improvements that have been made to the Rec Center. While it’s great that the city has taken advantage of grant opportunities, we should work towards ideas that will encourage local and corporate industry to do the same.
PEARCE: Yes, absolutely. Achieving net zero by 2050 is going to be challenging but not impossible. Future councils should continue with this goal, require regular achievement updates and be flexible as technology changes and what might be considered difficult today may not be difficult in 2034. Additionally, the city should not stand alone. Finding other partners and a broad community wide commitment should be encouraged.
VIGIL: I’m really passionate about conservation of our outdoors, whether it be public recreation, water, or emissions reduction. I was proud to be from Laramie when the city set the midcentury carbon neutrality goal. I would be excited to dive into these issues, working with our County Commission to find common sense solutions moving forward. There are a lot of moving pieces here, which will involve time, compromise, money, and more. I’m skilled at finding solutions by bringing folks together, even unlikely partners, and would look forward to working towards our goals together.
Public transportation is lacking in Laramie, but there is growing interest in addressing that problem. What role can the city play when it comes to encouraging or expanding public transit?
FRIED: Public transportation is huge, and as Laramie continues to grow, which it is, we need to be thinking about that as a resource. And providing public transportation should be the same as providing clean water and safety and streets and stop signs and those things. So that’s really how I view public transit — it’s kind of like a life blood for a community, and if we can provide more of it, [people can] move around the different storefronts and get to where they need to go faster and more efficient with less stress on parking. I think there’s nothing bad with public transit in terms of looking to Laramie’s future.
GLASS: Currently, UW and the Eppson Center are the main sources of shared public transit in Laramie. While the City has limited financial resources to contribute, it can allocate some money to these efforts. It can also facilitate public transit by removing obstacles faced by these and other entities and by identifying areas with unmet demand for public transit (such as the West Side and West Laramie).
KAHLER: If there is community interest in public transit, I think that it would be great to look at how the city can partner with existing transit options that residents of Laramie can use. Noting that UW already has existing transit options, it would be worth exploring how the city could partner with the university to create expanded public transit for Laramie.
PEARCE: The city is already playing a vital and important role in the development and return of public transportation in Laramie and Albany County as the transit planning project has begun. Late in 2023, the city applied for and accepted a $160,000 pass through federal grant from the Wyoming Department of Transportation with a $40,000 match from the city. Early in 2024, the County Commissioners reinstated the Albany County Transit Authority. Importantly, this project requires the support of local partners. The planning project will identify gaps, financial sustainability, quantify need for low-income and disadvantaged populations, and create an operational model.
VIGIL: I’ve really appreciated the university’s bus route from campus to downtown, and would be interested in exploring similar options with other entities. Increased public transportation might also help (not solve) parking issues downtown, which has been a hot topic in the community recently. I live in West Laramie and it’s an impossibly long walk to amenities such as grocery stores, doctor’s offices, etc., particularly in the winter. I’d love to explore what a public transit route would look like going from West Laramie to some of these amenities.
Parking is perhaps the council’s hottest issue of all. I want to know how important it is to you. Is it ever appropriate to eliminate parking for climate, bikeability, housing or economic development goals?
FRIED: I do think there are creative solutions, that if we do remove parking for whatever needs — whether it be climate or housing or some sort of infrastructure — I think we can leverage resources and be creative in how we make sure that stores are still getting visibility and they’re still getting traffic. There’s a lot of bigger cities that have completely closed off streets to parking and to driving and those communities thrive. Obviously, Laramie might not be the same makeup as those, but there’s a way to do it. Reducing parking is a concern for a lot of downtown businesses … again, there’s something that public transit can help alleviate. But I do think creative solutions exist for maybe turning certain parking lots or parking areas into more user-friendly things for the city.
GLASS: As a member of the Traffic Safety Commission, I have watched the City eliminate parking for every possible reason: seldom-used downtown “parklets;” the convenience of the University administration (which garners huge profits from permits); extended “yellow zones” which do not improve safety because buildings block the view. It seems always to destroy parking, never providing more. Preserving and increasing parking should be a priority. During recent hearings on downtown parking, I advocated that the City purchase the Bolton lot and build a parking structure there. Cheyenne has had great success with this approach and I recommend it for Laramie.
KAHLER: The issue of parking that has been discussed most intensely is parking in downtown Laramie. As long as handicapped spaces are protected in downtown Laramie, the parking that exists through the free lots and off-street parking is adequate. I have watched ideas be discussed and debated, but easy solutions such as enforcement of 2-hour limits or a more expensive solution such as a parking garage should all be on the table to address the observed issues with downtown parking.
PEARCE: Yes. Enforcement has been an issue but that is being addressed. Stay tuned. Most parking complaints pertain to downtown or around the university. Years ago, city staff presented a plan to expand permit parking around campus and council did not support. That was a mistake and should be revisited. During recent council meetings related to downtown parking it became apparent that some residents, business owners, and employees have magnified the problem by not parking a few blocks away to provide space for customers. Once downtown is united in parking practices a needs assessment should follow. Perhaps, conducted by the Downtown Development Authority.
VIGIL: Parking has been the biggest issue of the spring/summer here in Laramie. I look at parking through an accessibility lens and believe it’s critical that we have adequate parking for those who are disabled, the elderly, and for everyone else during our brutal winters. Adequate parking also means easier access to our favorite shops downtown. I think we can be creative and come up with solutions that won’t take away the parking we need, but service other priorities such as housing. I would look forward to being part of that discussion if I were elected.
Laramie has the most inclusive city government in Wyoming when it comes to serving its LGBTQ+ residents. Do you support the city’s efforts to become more inclusive — passing a nondiscrimination ordinance, reading Pride Month proclamations, establishing a human rights commission — and should the city be doing any more for its LGBTQ+ residents?
FRIED: I fully support the initiatives put forth by the city, and would like to see more. It’s 2024, I think protecting people’s rights shouldn’t be a political conversation. It shouldn’t be a hot button issue, really, because there are groups of people that are infringed upon, and a big portion of those are LGBTQ+ individuals. If the city can provide safety and ordinances that protect people, then we don’t have to rely on the county or the state or the federal government, because we’re doing it here. I’m a big proponent of solving issues at the lowest level … I would be fully in support of looking at other ordinances that could protect the citizens here.
GLASS: The City has already done quite well at combating discrimination of all sorts. The main area in which it can do more is in resisting efforts by the state Legislature to drive things in the other direction. It can do this in collaboration with the County and via resolutions and charter ordinances.
KAHLER: I do support the city’s efforts to create an inclusive community. Our city benefits from both the residents and students of UW, all of which provide a diversity that should be celebrated in our community. Any effort that is made to make Laramie welcoming to those that live here is something I support. If there is something more that the city should be doing for the LGBTQ+ community or any other minority communities, the city should take cues from those communities and not make decisions for them, without them.
PEARCE: Yes. I am one of three remaining council members that voted yes to establish the nondiscrimination ordinance in 2015. The creation of this ordinance was: a) not easy; b) a team effort; c) a year long process; and d) an amazing accomplishment. The recent establishment of the human rights commission added an additional 5 points to Laramie’s Municipality Equality Index score, moving from 89/100 in 2023 to 94/100 in 2024. Additional points are possible by providing all gender facilities and required annual inclusive diversity workplace training for all employees. Laramie has the highest score in the state!
VIGIL: As a member of the LGBTQ community, I was proud to work with our city council back in 2015 to pass the non-discrimination ordinance. We have the highest LGBTQ equality index rating in the state, and that came from hard working community members and inclusive elected officials. I’ve appreciated the city council’s willingness to continue the annual Pride Month proclamation and commend Laramie PrideFest on having the largest pride month participation in history this year. They had more sponsors from local businesses and organizations than ever before, and I believe Laramie’s inclusivity towards LGBTQ people is a bright light in the state of Wyoming.
When it comes to raising revenue and spending money, would you change anything about the city’s budget?
FRIED: We are spending a lot, and I think we’re still feeling ramifications of COVID federal assistance funding. And so I think it’s hard … A budget is an idea of what you’re gonna spend your money on. They’re almost never 100% accurate, because things change in a year, things change in the world, and so I do think [it’s good] trying to be careful of how we spend our money. But the city has been acknowledging and trying to do that every year. I don’t think we have people in office that are just throwing away our tax dollars, I really don’t. But trying to make sure that we’re spending money effectively and on things that our community thinks that we need to spend money on is huge.
GLASS: As Laramie grows and state funding is cut, Laramie will need to “stick to its knitting,” focusing on core functions and essential public services while not incurring frivolous expenses. It needs to make purchases wisely and concentrate on the preservation of public health, safety, and welfare. City staff routinely flouts state statute by claiming that purchases of goods and services are contracts for “professional services” when they should, by law, go out for bid. It frequently awards no-bid contracts, overpays for goods and services, and bypasses worthy local suppliers. The City Council should direct staff, by ordinance, to discontinue this practice.
KAHLER: The city of Laramie is constantly faced with the challenge of providing essential services on a tight budget. One thing I don’t like seeing is that our city has had to pull back on services due to budget constraints, and we don’t often enhance those services in years where the budget is larger. Through economic development activities, the city could see improved revenue from commercial property taxes, sales taxes, and tourism dollars, all which would lead to a stronger budget. Instead of cutting budgets for the services we rely on, the city should focus on improving revenues to maintain those services and provide new ones as necessary.
PEARCE: There are virtually no extra funds as Laramie is in the services to people business and it takes people to provide services. Services include: a) essential (police, fire…); b) infrastructure (water, sewer…), c) capital construction (roads…), and d) other (parks, recreation…). Laramie’s revenue generation ability is statutorily provided by and dependent upon the state. Specifically, we are in the process of creating a joint ranch (Monolith and Hart) operations plan. If elected, I will be a strong voice for additional revenue reserved for ranch operations as the Laramie River provides 40% of our municipal drinking water.
VIGIL: I have a lot of respect for the hardworking city staff who helped our council develop the current budget. Having to manage a budget in my day job and having budgetary experience with multiple non-profit boards, I know that budgetary decisions are never easy. If I were elected I would enter discussions with that mindset. I don’t mean to sound like I’m passing off this question, but I really would like to discuss the current budget more with staff and current councilors to learn where they were coming from and how we might move forward.
What relationship should the city have to its community partners, such as the county government and the University of Wyoming?
FRIED: I think it’s very important to maintain relationships with the university. They’re the biggest economic driver in this community and there’s no getting around that. That doesn’t mean we can’t hold them accountable. If the university is advocating for something, it should still be looked at and reviewed. I think the city council and the county commission have done a great job in the last few years of being on the same page with issues, specifically the Casper Aquifer and some other issues. But I would love to continue the work that has already been done by some of these folks because I love talking to people … I think the way that the city is successful is by creating relationships, creating bridges and maintaining those with the university and with the county and other partners, too.
GLASS: The City of Laramie has recently developed a positive and synergistic relationship with County government; this trend should continue. However, one important role of City Council is to “push back” against the institutionally selfish ambitions of the University when they go too far and threaten to harm Laramie’s quality of life or tax base. UW can destroy local businesses by competing unfairly with them; incur large expenses for the City while failing to pay commensurate taxes; and impact our quality of life by creating congestion, parking issues, noise, and other nuisances. City government must remain cordial but also defend local citizens’ rights and interests.
KAHLER: The city and city council should actively work to engage the county and the University of Wyoming. Together, those three groups benefit from the work of each other, and I think that shared discussions and decisions are important to enhancing the lives of students, Laramie residents, and Albany county residents. I know that these relationships have been worked on over the past several years, and it’s something that I will work very hard at continuing to strengthen and maintain.
PEARCE: Collaborative, communicative, respectful, open, and effective. With the singular goal of providing the best and most cost-effective services and opportunities to the citizens of Laramie.
VIGIL: With the current Aquifer Protection Plan I believe we saw a great example of how the city and the county can work together to accomplish a goal. I think we’ll need to see more of that as we approach decisions regarding carbon emissions reduction. I would also like to strengthen the relationship between the city and UW. I am an employee at UW, but I’m also a highly involved Laramie community member. I know there are many like me at the university, and I would like to help facilitate conversation over difficult topics (street closures come to mind in particular).
Hmmm. Did anyone else notice that Jeff -- an opinionated blogger seeking to influence the election while pretending to be an unbiased "reporter" -- placed photos of his three most favored candidates at the top of the page and then omitted photos of the rest? Even on a page which purports to convey the unfiltered words of the candidates, his bias is showing.