Cheyenne City Council Approves Annexation of WY Fresh Farm After Months of Dispute

Cheyenne City Council Approves Annexation of WY Fresh Farm After Months of Dispute

by

David and Tommie Kniseley spent more than eight months fighting to keep their small agricultural property out of municipal jurisdiction, but on Monday night, they asked for the annexation themselves.

By an 8-2 vote on November 9, the Cheyenne City Council approved bringing the 5.6-acre WY Fresh Farm into city limits effective December 7, cowboystatedaily.com reported. The decision ends a protracted battle over urban farming regulations, livestock rules, and property rights on the outskirts of the city.

For months, the dispute drew intense local attention. In March, a tense city council meeting drew more than 50 residents who spoke in defense of the farm and urged officials to leave the property outside municipal boundaries. Nearly 64% of the farm's property boundary is contiguous with existing city limits.

Relations deteriorated as discussions dragged on. In March, the Wyoming Department of Agriculture ordered WY Fresh Farm to stop selling certain meats following a complaint from the Laramie County Health Department, an agency directed by Cheyenne City Council member Kathy Emmons.

By Monday, the Kniseleys concluded that continuing the fight was no longer viable. In a social media post before the vote, David Kniseley announced that the family plans to move as soon as practically possible, using the annexation as a financial mechanism to relocate.

"The damage has been done," Tommie Kniseley told the council Monday. "There's no recovering what we've lost through this annexing process."

While city officials maintained they were working to clarify urban agriculture policies, the Kniseleys argued that municipal oversight would make actual farming impossible.

Observe pearl harbor day and see a piece of the uss arizona at granbury city hall

David Kniseley expressed sharp frustration with the council during the meeting, accusing officials of feigning cooperation while simultaneously pursuing regulatory complaints. Pointing to the scheduled effective date of December 7—Pearl Harbor Day—he remarked on the bitter irony of the timing.

The council itself remained split. Council member Michelle Aldrich noted she had prepared a substitution to the ordinance but abandoned it after the owners requested annexation. Ken Esquibel and Mark Rinne cast the two dissenting votes, with Esquibel noting that the owners still appeared uncomfortable with the outcome.

Cheyenne City Council Approves Annexation of WY Fresh Farm After Months of Dispute

Other council members defended the city's approach. Tom Segrave argued that the breakdown stemmed partly from communication hurdles and described certain social media posts from the family as crossing a line.

Steven Love, a resident, told the council that what had been witnessed over the preceding months was not governing, but steamrolling.

With the vote finalized, the Kniseleys prepare to wind down their time in Cheyenne. Tommie Kniseley left the council with a final request: "Be kind to my family as we retreat."

Worth a look

Read next