Snowflake council approves development agreement with Copperstate Farms over lone dissent

The Snowflake Town Council voted 6-1 on March 2 to approve a development agreement with Copperstate Farms Properties, LLC, setting the stage for a roughly 40‑acre greenhouse project the company says will employ about 200 people.

Brian Richards introduced the agreement, saying the document had been "in the works for about a year." Copperstate representative Symington told the council he was "proud to be able to say he did everything he said he would and exceeded the goals he set in 2016," and said the company had tried to be "a good citizen in the community." Symington said Copperstate "operates under a medical marijuana non-profit status" and "sells wholesale to medical marijuana dispensaries. Everything they sell goes to medical marijuana dispensaries. No retail presence in Snowflake, as promised." He also announced plans "for another 40‑acre greenhouse that will employ another 200 people."

Councilor Kerry Ballard said she had been "a little leery" when Copperstate first opened but that she was now impressed. Ballard said the most common complaint early on had been about odor, "but that's been a while," and asked about employee retention. Symington replied that after early issues the company had improved training and onboarding and that "90% of employees come from Navajo County," adding that a top challenge has been employees' difficulty finding housing.

Councilor Byron Lewis questioned whether recreational markets could factor into the company's supply chain; Symington responded that Copperstate sells to dispensaries as medical product but acknowledged dispensaries "may be selling recreationally as well under the new law," a point he raised as a clarification rather than a policy change by Copperstate.

On the vote to approve the development agreement, Councilor Cory Johnson moved and Councilor Allison Perkins seconded the motion. The council approved the agreement with vote results recorded as Kerry Ballard, Allison Perkins, Bob Flake, Lynn Johnson, Cory Johnson and Greg Brimhall in favor and Byron Lewis opposed.

The council also noted the company has emphasized local hiring; Symington said most hires are from Navajo County. The agreement itself, per staff, has been negotiated over the last year and includes terms the council reviewed in public session.

The motion carried 6-1. The council took no further public action on implementation details during the meeting and then moved on to other agenda items.