City of Cheyenne Postpones Collection Of Stormwater Fee

The City of Cheyenne has announced the postponement of implementation of a stormwater fee until April of 2026, according to a news release from the city.

The release says the delay is to "ensure that properties with complex ownerships are billed in an efficient and accurate manner."

When collected the fee will appear on Board of Public Utilities bills. The money collected "will fund management and maintenance of stormwater infrastructure in the city. Stormwater infrastructure is located throughout Cheyenne and includes open channels, underground pipes, inlets, and detention ponds, along with other infrastructure."

Cheyenne Postponement Follows Similar Pause In Laramie

The decision by Cheyenne City officials is at least the second time a community in southeast Wyoming has put the collection of a stormwater fee on hold. Laramie city officials paused their stormwater fee collection in August after widespread complaints from the public. At last report the Laramie City Council was trying to work through issues with the fee before trying to fund stormwater collection systems again under some kind of revised plan.

In Cheyenne, the plan is to levy the fees based on the amount of hard surface on a property. That would include things like buildings and driveways. The fee would be 24 cents per 100 square feet of impervious surface area. The release says for most residential properties, the fee would be less than $10 per month.

According to the release: "Cheyenne’s stormwater system reduces flooding risk and hazards in the city. It includes 135 miles of storm sewer drainage pipes with thousands of inlet points, 25 miles of open channels and creeks, and hundreds of detention ponds. This infrastructure requires regular maintenance and improvements, ranging from channel dredging to inlet maintenance to system upgrades."

Property owners can view their estimated fees here.