Transportation, accessibility, rental protections top list of city’s priorities for 2024

The Laramie City Council approved far-reaching goals for the upcoming year, touching on everything from mental health to housing to environmental stewardship.

Reinstating a transportation authority, maximizing safe access to public amenities, investigating complaints from renters and mobile home residents, and backing the county’s new diversion program — all will be important priorities for the Laramie City Council in 2024.

The councilors adopted a broad range of targets for the upcoming year during their meeting Tuesday. Those targets, or milestones, will serve as a guiding document for the council’s work in the coming 12 months.

“This is a pretty hefty list,” Councilor Jayne Pearce said. “This is amazing work that we’ve got planned for our staff and some for ourselves.”

The milestones are grouped into five broad categories.

When it comes to infrastructure planning and investment, councilors hope to improve accessibility on sidewalks and in other public areas. They also plan to tackle wastewater management, secure additional funding for water, sewer and street systems, and expand broadband access.

The city plans to work more closely with other nearby agencies and governments, such as the University of Wyoming and Albany County. That includes looking at mental health and backing the county’s new diversion program, but also getting the ball rolling on public transportation improvements.

Laramie used to host a local Transportation Authority run through the county government. That body went dormant about a decade ago, giving way to a fractured transportation system. The University of Wyoming’s own transit system and the Eppson Center’s paratransit service still operate, but no authority coordinates them. City Manager Janine Jordan told councilors she is hoping the city and county can “bring everyone back together” and reinstate that transit authority.

The city is also revamping its software and will soon be presenting a staffing survey. The city also hopes to better engage residents and launch a citywide volunteering app.

The city has established a number of goals related to economic development. Perhaps most significantly, it will investigate claims of predatory behavior on the part of landlords and mobile home park owners.

“We're getting reports of predatory rental practices not only for mobile homes but also for rental homes and apartments,” Vice Mayor Sharon Cumbie said. “We're (also) getting reports of elders being unhoused and individuals with disabilities being unhoused … so I would like to continue to evaluate all of that.”

The council also set a few priorities related to environmental stewardship. They include establishing a city emissions reduction plan, further protections for the Casper Aquifer, and a pilot program for containerized composting.

The city’s 2024 objectives are listed below.

Goal No. 1: Infrastructure Planning & Investment

• Milestone A: Maximize safe access for persons of all abilities and ages to public amenities, facilities and rights-of-way. Engage Laramie Advisory Commission on Disabilities (LACD) in these efforts and complete application for grant funding to expedite needed improvements in high priority areas.

• Milestone B: Increase public awareness among property owners about how they can support accessibility on their adjacent sidewalks and driveways. Work with the LACD, Board of Health and other interagency partners to improve physical access for differently abled persons of all ages.

• Milestone C: Conclude business plan for stormwater management and implement policies needed to ensure sustainability and functionality of storm water collection system.

• Milestone D: Ensure non-motorized and alternative transportation options are integrated comprehensively across municipal and regional transportation system.

• Milestone E: Continue grant seeking to maximize financial investment in water, sewer and street systems.

• Milestone F: Work with State Broadband initiative to ensure Laramie has sufficient broadband infrastructure to recruit and retain workforce and businesses.

Goal No. 2: Interagency Collaboration

• Milestone A: With Albany County Mental Health [Interagency] Board, explore and develop community-integrative programs to address mental health needs. Monitor and report efficacy of newly implemented mental health response plan.

• Milestone B: Expand offerings within the drug and alcohol diversion program.

• Milestone C: Reinstate Albany County Transportation Authority and complete a plan for public transportation.

• Milestone D: Review and evaluate City's board/commission structure for efficiency and assess the City's obligations for serving on non-city boards. Consider establishment of a Human Rights Commission.

• Milestone E: Revamp town and gown committee in collaboration with education and governmental partners.

Goal No. 3: City Services & Resident Engagement

• Milestone A: Determine City-County treatment and prevention objectives to be funded from the opioid settlement.

• Milestone B: Continue migration to a new Enterprise Resource Planning software platform to modernize municipal business operations and processes for more efficient and effective public services. 

• Milestone C: Complete business plan for a) E911 Ambulance, and b) Medical Interfacility Patient Transfer service. Enter into intergovernmental operational agreement(s) with Ivinson Memorial Hospital, as indicated, and modify LFD ambulance operations accordingly. 

• Milestone D: Raise community awareness about and participation in matters being considered by the city council. Engage community by providing meaningful and valuable information about city services and programs.

• Milestone E: Implement municipal volunteer program app to make volunteerism easier for residents.

• Milestone F: Develop benchmarks for budget transparency.

• Milestone G: Complete municipal staffing study.

Goal No. 4: Economic Development

• Milestone A: In conjunction with WYDOT's planned improvement of Snowy Range Road, plan for the construction of complementary a) multimodal options, and b) infrastructure improvements that will lower the cost for business to develop along this visible and heavily traveled transportation corridor.

• Milestone B: Evaluate concerns reported by residents alleging an increase in predatory practices for mobile home housing and other rental housing. Measure effectiveness of City's rental housing code.

• Milestone C: Investigate how currently unused tools might improve housing supply and attainability: land banking; land trust, sliding municipal fee scales or incentives, and conversion program for vacant residential or office space.

• Milestone D: Communicate with developers and contractors about changes to city's development review and permitting requirements and engage private sector partners to assist city with continual improvement of these processes.

Goal No. 5: Environmental Stewardship

• Milestone A: Adopt the City of Laramie Municipal Emissions Reduction Plan and begin implementing recommendations.

• Milestone B: Adopt consumptive use plan for the Heart/Bath and Monolith Ranch operation.

• Milestone C: Implement ordinance(s) necessary to enforce the Aquifer Protection Plan.

• Milestone D: Investigate feasibility of pilot program for containerized composting to reduce solid waste.