The Powell City Council got an earful on Monday from opponents and supporters of a proposed meat processing facility in an industrial area on the south side of town. While those living near the proposed location are concerned about noise, smells and safety, supporters say it’s going to bring an important benefit to agriculture.

Last month, Dave Peterson, owner of the Proud Cut Saloon in Cody, asked the Powell council to change city code to permit the slaughter of livestock within city limits; he also met with Mayor John Wetzel, Councilor Lesli Spencer and city staff for a Sept. 22 planning session to discuss details on the facility.

In last month’s planning meeting, it was determined Peterson would need to come up with a mitigation plan for a number of impacts of the facility on sewer drainage and neighborhood noise and smells, said Powell Economic Partnership (PEP) Executive Director Rebekah Burns.

At Monday’s meeting, the council took public comments on the requested change to the ordinance, but no action was taken.

Burns reiterated PEP’s support for the facility, which Peterson hopes to house in an existing building on East North Street.

“Powell is an agricultural community. And that’s something Powell should feel real pride about,” Burns said.

Currently, beef producers are dependent on large processing facilities, like the JBS plant in Greeley, Colorado. Since those plants process hundreds of head per day, they can’t process smaller producers’ products separately, making it impossible to market Wyoming beef through the conglomerates, which control about 80% of all meat processing in the U.S. To market Wyoming beef, producers have to rely on smaller processors that don’t currently have the capacity to meet demand. For example, Roger’s Meat Processing — the only processor in the Powell area — is booked up through next April.

Val Murray, who raises cattle in the Willwood area at Murraymere Farms, spoke in support of the ordinance change. For years, Murray has been trying to market Wyoming beef to Taiwan, where it is served in high-end restaurants at a premium (though the COVID-19 pandemic brought that initiative to a halt).

Murraymere Farms, Murray said, is currently at the mercy of the large meat conglomerates, such as JBS, and have to ship cattle “a thousand miles away.”

After the pandemic disrupted operations at large processing plants and meat supplies dried up at grocery stores, Murray said phones at the family farm were “ringing off the hook.” With limited slaughter capacity at area facilities, however, there was only so much local producers could do to meet demand.

“This is an amazing opportunity to keep Wyoming beef in Wyoming,” Murray said of Peterson’s plan to build a slaughterhouse in Powell.

Rep. David Northrup, who also raises cattle on the Willwood, said he was “wholeheartedly” in favor of the project.

“It’s about trying to get a business that produces a Wyoming product,” Northrup said.

Opposition

However, some residents are adamantly opposed to the facility and any change in the city ordinance. 

Though Peterson’s request was first presented at a public council meeting last month, Jim Marquez, who lives within a block of where Peterson intends to operate the facility, said he was surprised the city didn’t notify residents of the request. Instead, he had to learn about it from coverage in the Powell Tribune.

“It’s a very bad idea to have that business right there,” said Marquez.

He said if the facility opens, he’ll be forced to move. He’s lived in towns where processors operated, and he said these facilities attract flies and mosquitoes. He said his daughter, who goes to school in Torrington, told him the processing facilities in that area produce strong odors.

There is a single butcher shop in Torrington, and the total slaughtering capacity in all of Goshen County is about 780 head per year, according to a 2019 Wyoming Business Council report.

Mayor Wetzel said the odors in Torrington likely came from feedlots, which have numerous cattle in a pen for a much longer period than what will happen at Peterson’s business. Wetzel recommended Marquez drive by Roger’s Meat Processing, which is north of Powell. The mayor said he lives downwind from Roger’s, which processes about 16 to 20 head per week, and he’s not had any problems with odors.

Marquez said he’s worked in large meat packing plants, which he insisted produce lots of odors, and he was unconvinced that Peterson’s business wouldn’t be a problem in that regard.

Opponents also expressed concern that the building was already being converted for use as a meat packing plant, suggesting the council had already approved it. Marquez claimed someone had broken up the interior concrete floor and poured new concrete at night. He also said four employees of the city did some digging in the area. When Marquez spoke to the workers, they told him that they were doing work on the sewer for the proposed plant.

Wetzel said the city hasn’t made any decisions. He explained to Marquez that in order for the change in ordinance to go through, the city will need to print notices in the newspaper and vote on three readings of the new ordinance.

“We’re a minimum of two months out before making a decision on this,” the mayor said — and he assured the residents the council hasn’t made up their minds about Peterson’s request.

City Administrator Zack Thorington said he was unaware of any work on the sewers. He said it might have been exploratory work to prepare for future work.

“We are not telling anyone to do anything at this time,” Thorington said.

Peterson explained it was likely work he requested from the current owners as part of the agreement to purchase the property, which included replacing broken concrete and repairing a drain that didn’t work.

Other concerns

Tammy Howard, another resident in the neighborhood opposed to allowing the plant, also claimed the building had been modified. She said a cattle grate and sliding warehouse door had recently been installed. 

However, City Clerk Tiffany Brando, who frequented the fitness center that previously occupied the building, said the door and grate were in there at that time and were not new additions to the building.

Marquez also asked why Peterson needed to locate the facility in the city limits, when there is lots of territory out in the county away from residents.

Peterson said federal and state regulations require a number of utility standards, potable water and other items, which would be difficult to satisfy where there are fewer services available.

Howard said she purchased her home in November and bought the house thinking the only business in the area was a fitness center. She said a slaughterhouse would diminish the value of her property.

“Who wants to buy a house next to a slaughterhouse?” Howard asked rhetorically.

She said the byproducts at the plant would attract flies and maggots. Wetzel explained that, according to mitigation plans Peterson is developing, the renderings would be kept in closed barrels in a climate-controlled room and shipped to landfills daily.

Burns pointed out that, as a USDA-inspected facility, it would have to adhere to health codes that would prohibit conditions that would attract flies and maggots.

“That could not be possible if they’re going to sell the end product,” Burns said.

Howard also argued the safety of kids riding bikes in the neighborhood would be put at risk by semi trucks bringing in cattle for slaughter. 

Burns said that the number of head that would be processed at the facility was small enough that the animals would be brought in by horse trailers pulled by pickup trucks, and there would only be a few per week.

Noise was also a concern for the residents. Peterson explained that, unlike large packers that have thousands of cows in pens, his business would have 20 cows at most at the Powell facility, twice per week, and the slaughter process would be complete within a few hours of the cows’ arrival. He also said the killing floor would be in the middle of the building, which would also help reduce the noise.

Bill Hodgkiss, who lives in the northern part of Powell, was critical of the plan to partner with Northwest College’s agricultural department.

“If I was a parent, I would never send my kid to college to learn how to work in a slaughterhouse,” Hodgkiss said.

However, Powell resident and Ward III council candidate Heath Streeter argued such a program would help improve enrollment rates at NWC, which have been in decline for years.

“I think it’s a good thing for our community and our college,” Streeter said.

Hodgkiss also wondered why Peterson wasn’t opening the facility in Cody, where his restaurant is located and city code already permits processing plants.

“Why does he want to come over here to Powell and stink us up?” Hodgkiss asked.

Peterson explained that he wanted to not only partner with NWC, he also wanted to bring jobs to Powell.

Wetzel pointed out that the one question constituents always ask when someone runs for the council is what they do to create jobs and economic development in Powell.

“It’s not, ‘What are we going to do for economic development in Cody?’” Wetzel said.

Marquez argued that processors have a difficult time finding people willing to work at the facilities, so he doubted Peterson’s business would create jobs anyone wants.

The discussion concluded with Wetzel saying the council would continue gathering details on the project and the mitigation plan so that they can begin making decisions in upcoming meetings.