Cheyenne City Council Puts Farms Annexation On Hold

The Cheyenne City Council on Monday night put a planned annexation of a county pocket that includes a local farm stand and urban farms on hold for now.

A proposal to annex property that includes the Wy Fresh Farm stand and another urban farm into the city of Cheyenne was on third reading on Monday night.

Tommie Kniseley and her husband David have operated Wy Fresh Farmstand at 200 Walterscheid Boulevard for several years. The company's website says they are  "an urban farm located in the center of Cheyenne. We've been growing vegetables without herbicides or pesticides for fifteen years. We specialize in salad greens, microgreens, and seasonal vegetables.

And as has been the case with previous council hearings on possibly annexing the property, the city's governing body got an earful from those opposed to an annexation which could put the Kniseley's out of business unless some kind of special provisions are granted as part of the annexation

Council Accused Of Following An "Overzealous Agenda"

Steven Love, who identified himself as a resident of Ward I, told the council that he was sad the proposed annexation has gotten this far. ''I wish it could have been resolved before now," Love said. He went on to say that the only reason so many people were wearing green "is because of an overzealous agenda that is being forced down the throats of citizens of Cheyenne and the county alike. This is not a partisan issue." He went on to say "This is a shining example of systemic overreach by the council."

Supporters of the farm have been wearing green to the council meetings.

All told. over 50 people addressed the council, with none speaking in favor of annexation.

A move by Councilman Mark Moody to remove Wy Fresh Farms and  the other farm from annexation failed. A second motion by Councilwoman Michelle Aldrich to divide the question was defeated on a 5-5 tie vote.

But after city Planning and Development Director Charles Bloom told the council that it would take at least 6 months to draft new guidelines for urban farms, Councilman Jeff White proposed postponing further action until Nov.9. That motion was approved  by the council on a unanimous vote.

You can see the full council meeting in the video below.