July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Council debates CFO abatements (10/11/07)
Jay County Council
By By TRAVIS MINNEAR-
Discussion among Jay County Council members over a tax abatement on Wednesday turned into a conversation about the need for stricter oversight on confined feeding operations.
Councilwoman Judy LeMaster said before voting no to a three-year abatement for DZ Farms Inc. that she believes CFOs should be monitored more intensely to determine how their increasing numbers affect environmental quality. She cited concerns such as waste and water pollution as needs for closer tracking.
LeMaster said that three years ago she and several other people approached county commissioners with concerns about the increase in CFOs. She added that she also contacted other state and local officials about the issue and found no agency tracked confined feeding numbers in regards to the concentration of such facilities.
She said she refuses to consider approving abatements for these types of facilities until operations face tighter scrutiny at the local level.
"I found out no one was tracking these (CFOs). No one can tell me how many are in any particular township or even within a square mile," LeMaster said. "So when do we get to the point of over saturation? That was my question. I want somebody to tell me how many we can handle in a certain area without us being over saturated.
"The information is there but no one is utilizing it to my knowledge."
Councilman Mike Leonhard joined LeMaster in voting no for the abatement, which passed 4-2. Jim Zimmerman abstained from the vote. The owner of the Jefferson Township DZ Farms hog operation, Darrin Zimmerman, is his son.
Darrin Zimmerman plans to build four hog barns valued at $450,000 at a location in section 28 of Jefferson Township. He estimates annual income of $12,000.
Leonhard stated concern over the number of abatements the council hands out.
"I think it's just getting a little bit out of hand," he said, adding he believes abatements should be used more sparingly.
Gerald Kirby, who approved the abatement, said he believes stronger "oversight" could be necessary as more CFOs continue to call Jay County home. But, he advised, any attempt to further regulate the operations must maintain a "terribly delicate balance" to satisfy CFO operators, county residents and local officials.
Still, Kirby said, he would support actions such as unannounced inspections at CFOs to assure all facilities are abiding by environmental and production standards.
"I really believe there needs to be some control...and it needs to be local," Kirby said.
"I think we really need to have some teeth in it."
All council members agreed if action is taken to increase CFO monitoring it should be done locally instead of by the state.
"Maybe this is something that needs to be brought up to commissioners," said Marilyn Coleman, council president.
Several Jay County government officials - including Zimmerman and Commissioner Gary Theurer - are affiliated with confined feeding operations.
In other business, the council approved five additional appropriations in excess of the 2007 budget.
•The Jay County Jail received $13,000 to pay overtime for employees. Sheriff Ray Newton said the money will be used for eligible workers to "cash their comp time in" and receive money in return if they choose. The cash was moved from the county general fund.
•The council granted an extra $5,000 to pay overtime for emergency telephone operators.
•A substance abuse program line item received $9,570.50 from probation user fees in a court assessment fund to pay Meridian Services for counseling and other treatment.
•Money from a Homeland Security Grant fund was appropriated to a machinery and equipment line item to pay $463.47 on a trailer made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ralph Frazee, Jay County Emergency Management Agency director, said the trailer will be used as a mobile command center.
•Jay County EMA was given an additional $542.74 for an educational line item to attend a conference. The money came from an Emergency Management Planning Grant fund.
Also Wednesday, Jay County Council approved a shift of $1,950 from one line item to another for the purchase of two laptop computers for the Department of Community Corrections. The appropriation was not made in excess of the budget.[[In-content Ad]]
Councilwoman Judy LeMaster said before voting no to a three-year abatement for DZ Farms Inc. that she believes CFOs should be monitored more intensely to determine how their increasing numbers affect environmental quality. She cited concerns such as waste and water pollution as needs for closer tracking.
LeMaster said that three years ago she and several other people approached county commissioners with concerns about the increase in CFOs. She added that she also contacted other state and local officials about the issue and found no agency tracked confined feeding numbers in regards to the concentration of such facilities.
She said she refuses to consider approving abatements for these types of facilities until operations face tighter scrutiny at the local level.
"I found out no one was tracking these (CFOs). No one can tell me how many are in any particular township or even within a square mile," LeMaster said. "So when do we get to the point of over saturation? That was my question. I want somebody to tell me how many we can handle in a certain area without us being over saturated.
"The information is there but no one is utilizing it to my knowledge."
Councilman Mike Leonhard joined LeMaster in voting no for the abatement, which passed 4-2. Jim Zimmerman abstained from the vote. The owner of the Jefferson Township DZ Farms hog operation, Darrin Zimmerman, is his son.
Darrin Zimmerman plans to build four hog barns valued at $450,000 at a location in section 28 of Jefferson Township. He estimates annual income of $12,000.
Leonhard stated concern over the number of abatements the council hands out.
"I think it's just getting a little bit out of hand," he said, adding he believes abatements should be used more sparingly.
Gerald Kirby, who approved the abatement, said he believes stronger "oversight" could be necessary as more CFOs continue to call Jay County home. But, he advised, any attempt to further regulate the operations must maintain a "terribly delicate balance" to satisfy CFO operators, county residents and local officials.
Still, Kirby said, he would support actions such as unannounced inspections at CFOs to assure all facilities are abiding by environmental and production standards.
"I really believe there needs to be some control...and it needs to be local," Kirby said.
"I think we really need to have some teeth in it."
All council members agreed if action is taken to increase CFO monitoring it should be done locally instead of by the state.
"Maybe this is something that needs to be brought up to commissioners," said Marilyn Coleman, council president.
Several Jay County government officials - including Zimmerman and Commissioner Gary Theurer - are affiliated with confined feeding operations.
In other business, the council approved five additional appropriations in excess of the 2007 budget.
•The Jay County Jail received $13,000 to pay overtime for employees. Sheriff Ray Newton said the money will be used for eligible workers to "cash their comp time in" and receive money in return if they choose. The cash was moved from the county general fund.
•The council granted an extra $5,000 to pay overtime for emergency telephone operators.
•A substance abuse program line item received $9,570.50 from probation user fees in a court assessment fund to pay Meridian Services for counseling and other treatment.
•Money from a Homeland Security Grant fund was appropriated to a machinery and equipment line item to pay $463.47 on a trailer made available through the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Ralph Frazee, Jay County Emergency Management Agency director, said the trailer will be used as a mobile command center.
•Jay County EMA was given an additional $542.74 for an educational line item to attend a conference. The money came from an Emergency Management Planning Grant fund.
Also Wednesday, Jay County Council approved a shift of $1,950 from one line item to another for the purchase of two laptop computers for the Department of Community Corrections. The appropriation was not made in excess of the budget.[[In-content Ad]]
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