Passionate about my community
Four years on Laramie's City Council
By Amy Sunshine Moon
Green Party of Wyoming

	Amy Sunshine Moon was elected to Laramie City Council in 2000. Courtesy Amy Moon

Laramie, at 7,200 feet, is located in a high desert valley in southeastern Wyoming. With a vibrant, historic downtown that is the city's social and cultural center, and home to the University of Wyoming, Laramie's population of 27,700 is younger and more diverse than the rest of Wyoming.

I was elected to the Laramie City Council in 2000. Prior to my term in office I served as the chair of the Wyoming Green Party. That experience, in addition to my strong commitment to public service, contributed to my success as the first elected Green in Wyoming. I served until 2004 when I was narrowly defeated for re-election.

Shortly after I joined the council, I campaigned to build public support for a local sales tax increase to fund capital projects. Voters approved this Specific Purpose Tax in a special election; it funded water and street projects, a recreation center, downtown streetscape improvements and other projects.

The largest part of the Specific Purpose Tax was directed to the construction of a first-class community recreation center. I played a key role in its design, which includes three pools, a walking track, teen center, indoor playground and gym and exercise areas. The center provides much-needed health and fitness opportunities, especially throughout Laramie's long, cold winters.

As the council liaison to the Laramie Advisory Commission on Disabilities, I served as a strong advocate for people with dis-abilities. During the design of the recreation center, I ensured that a pool air exchange system was included to improve accessibility for our Multiple Chemical Sensitivity population and protect the overall health of the community. I sponsored an ordinance to improve accessible parking in our community, participated in community education efforts and recommended that the commission work with the Downtown Business Association to make downtown businesses more accessible.

Through my work as the council liaison to the Environmental Advisory Committee, the council implemented an Aquifer Protection Ordinance, prohibiting activities that generate or store hazardous materials or pose a threat to the aquifer and water supply. The committee created community environmental inventories to supplement the city's comprehensive plan; this included wetlands, aquifer, light and noise assessments. In response to citizen complaints, I helped draft a construction noise ordinance that was passed by the council.

I was an indefatigable supporter of Laramie's smoke-free ordinance. In September 2004, the city council voted 6-3 to ban smoking in public spaces, including bars and restaurants, beginning April 2005. Opponents, funded by the tobacco industry, successfully petitioned for a public vote on the ordinance and made a huge media push over the last three weeks of the campaign in an attempt to defeat the measure. Laramie voters upheld the ordinance, making Laramie the first community in Wyoming to go smoke-free.

During my time on council I was a voice for after-school programs, parks, greenbelt expansion and workers' rights. I actively supported local programs against domestic violence and for GLBT issues. I opposed efforts to locate public institutions in areas of town that would serve to marginalize citizens who are already economically marginalized. The Monolith Ranch, owned by the city for its water rights, began turning a profit after the council determined that the city instead of a contractor should manage it.

As liaison to the city's Housing Commission, I participated in the completion of a housing study. As a member of the city's Finance Commission I reviewed city expenditures and oversaw financial issues, ameliorating one slush fund and directing the enforcement of reporting requirements by city employees. Our council directed a compensation study for city employees and implemented substantial adjustments based on this study. We updated the city's website and instituted a newsletter to communicate with citizens.

My four years in office presented constant challenges. As I entered office, the legislature de-earmarked the city's mineral severance tax that equates to two million annual budget dollars. Previous councils had not raised water rates in almost 20 years, and thus we were forced to pass a drought sur-charge and substantially raise rates to fund infrastructure. The council and city staff worked diligently toward an automated trash collection system, but this did not reach fruition.

When I walked my ward prior to the election (which includes a Brownfield site in an impoverished residential neighborhood) and heard from a resident about local children being poisoned with lead paint due to our lack of housing standards, it reinforced the importance of having people in office who are passionate about their community. Good government comes when we instill caring and good intention in every action.

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