Council Vows To Annex WY Fresh Farm

The Cheyenne City Council voted 8-2 on Monday night to annex the 5.6-acre WY Fresh Farm into city limits. The measure, which takes effect Dec. 7, was part of a larger group of county properties being absorbed. The Kniseley family, who had fought the annexation for more than eight months, asked for the vote to close out the dispute.

David and Tommie Kniseley said the process has cost them the ability to operate their farm as planned. They intend to leave Cheyenne as soon as practically possible. Tommie Kniseley told the council that the actions of the city have convinced her the family does not want to be part of it. "The damage has been done," she said. "There's no recovering what we've lost through this annexing process."

The dispute began in March when the council postponed the final reading of the ordinance. More than 50 residents spoke in defense of the farm at that time. The central issue was whether the couple could continue raising livestock and selling meat under city regulations. Nearly 64% of the farm's boundary touches existing city limits. In March, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture ordered the farm to stop selling certain meats after a complaint from the Laramie County Health Department. The health department is directed by Council member Kathy Emmons.

David Kniseley accused the city of pretending to work with the family while reporting them to state officials. "We're mad," he said. "I'm angry that you all pretended like you wanted to work things out with us, and then immediately turned us in to the Department of Agriculture for alleged violations that weren't violations." He noted the irony of the effective date, Dec. 7, which is Pearl Harbor Day. "I'm sure they felt as blitzed as I do," he said.

Council member Michelle Aldrich said she planned to present a substitution to the ordinance but decided against it after seeing the Kniseleys' social media post. "I will support their annexation at their request," Aldrich said. Council member Mark Rinne was the only other member to vote no. Council member Ken Esquibel said he would vote no because the couple still did not seem comfortable with the process. He asked City Planner Connor White how many staff hours had gone into the annexation. White said it was a hard number to calculate, but he had never spent that much time on another annexation.

Council member Tom Segrave argued the breakdown in communication was not entirely the city's fault. He said the Kniseleys created obstacles by hiring an attorney while continuing to communicate directly with the city. He also took issue with social media posts he described as threatening, including one that referred to putting people in the crosshairs. "That's beyond the pale," Segrave said. "That's pretty disgusting."

Council member Mark Moody said the council failed to listen to the people it represents. "All of us could have done more, including myself," Moody said. He questioned whether the city's support for small businesses matched its actions. "We constantly hear that Cheyenne is open for business, supports small business," he said. "What good are those words when their actions tell a completely different story?"

Pine Bluffs resident Tony Perry accused city leaders of putting bureaucracy ahead of common sense. "What we have seen here is not public service, it is political entanglement and cold bureaucracy," Perry said. He described the public's view of the months-long dispute. "What we have watched over the last several months is not governing, it is steamrolling," he said. Steven Love suggested the city should spend $750,000 to buy the property and help the family relocate. Tommie Kniseley's final request to the city was simple: "Be kind to my family as we retreat."