Finance panel advances airport budget and federal grant resolutions amid parkway maintenance concerns

The Finance Committee recommended the Cheyenne Regional Airport Board’s FY2027 budget for adoption and unanimously backed separate grant resolutions on May 19, while members pressed airport leaders about neighborhood maintenance and irrigation.

City Treasurer Robin Lman presented the board’s proposed budget packet. During public comment and committee discussion, Dr. Michelle Aldrich (Ward 3) said neighborhood constituents have repeatedly reported concerns about upkeep along Airport Parkway — citing dead landscaping, missing trash receptacles and ongoing maintenance responsibilities tied to the airport’s agreement with the city. She said the packet did not clearly show planned expenditures for Parkway upkeep.

Jennifer Nelson, director of finance for the Cheyenne Regional Airport, said landscape maintenance and repairs fall into several budget lines including staff time, repairs/maintenance and contract services. "There's a couple of different items where that would fall under," she said, and committed to follow up with more detail. Doug Bullock, the airport's recently hired director, acknowledged he had been on the job about a month and said he is assessing assets and expected improvements, adding he was "optimistic about the future" of local air service.

Committee members also asked about reclaimed‑water access (referred to in discussion as “purple water”). Airport staff and city water‑system staff later confirmed reclaimed water service is available and that domestic water was used temporarily last year during outages; staff said reclaimed water is available this year.

On grant matters, Nelson described entitlement and partner‑grant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Federal Aviation Administration. She said the airport receives an FAA entitlement of roughly $1.3 million annually as a non‑hub primary airport and described paired partner grants and a local match strategy; she gave a project estimate of about $6.375 million for a recent package combining federal entitlements, partner funds and local matches for apron and taxiway work. The committee voted unanimously to recommend adoption of the airport budget and to support the grant applications that would fund apron and taxiway reconstruction.

Airport representatives committed to provide follow‑up details on where parkway maintenance is budgeted and on the reclaimed‑water arrangement. The resolutions and budget will return to the governing body for final action.