Help coming on CFO issue (09/15/06)

As county officials continue to struggle with concerns on both sides of the confined feeding operation issue, the Jay County Planning Commission Thursday night agreed to hire an outside group to give its assistance.

Planning commission members approved an agreement with Ball State University's Office of Building Better Communities for the "Agriculture in Concert with Regional Economics" project.

Richard Heupel, director of Jay County Economic Development from 1986 to 1991, who is now employed in the Ball State office, spoke to commission members about how the plan could help ease residents' concerns and guide county officials.

Jay County Commissioners are expected to give final approval Monday to several changes in ordinances regulating large-scale livestock operations.

"I've watched the public debates concerning CFOs become contentious," he told the board, "and sometimes it becomes difficult to assimilate all that information."

Heupel said the project, expected to be completed by Dec. 31, will look at the county's comprehensive plan and its zoning regulations.

"We'll look at where your roles and rights start and stop," he said. "We'll do some research on your behalf."

Heupel said Randolph County Commissioners, who have experienced similar problems, are expected to take action on accepting the project during their meeting Monday.

"These are pilot programs," Heupel said of the project, developed because of the increased construction of CFO and CAFO operations, and residential concerns.

Jay County Commissioners had earlier approved providing $8,000 toward the project through Economic Development Income Tax (EDIT) funds, and Jay County Development Corporation is expected to pick up the balance of the $10,764 project.

Upon completion of the project, Ball State will present written reports, summarizing the county's options and obligations concerning its comprehensive plan and zoning ordinance, development policies affecting concentrated and confined animal feeding operations, an economic impact analysis and best practices findings.

"We want to be a resource to the county," Heupel continued. "The county is the one player that doesn't have the information resources needed. We want to remove the emotional considerations and see if something makes sense to you."

The agreement will be presented to Jay County Commissioners Monday, said commission president, Jim Zimmerman for their final approval.

Concerning the CFO and CAFO issues, Jay County Commissioners are expected Monday to act on two specific recommendations proposed earlier by the planning commission - set-back regulations and notification of landowners rules.

Commissioners' president, Milo Miller said today the proposed study by Ball State will have no impact on Monday's decision on those recommendations but, if needed in the future, they can be amended.

"This (proposed study) won't affect that," he said.

Additionally Thursday evening, the planning commission approved rezoning some 56 acres of the Redkey Industrial Park to industrial from agricultural.

Bob Quadrozzi, director of JCDC, explained to the commission that when the land on Redkey's west side was purchased by the Redkey Economic Development Inc. in January, 1992, procedures to rezone the land were never undertaken.

"We were told that it was zoned industrial, but through the process, we're found that it wasn't," Quadrozzi explained.

Water and sewage were extended to the site on the west side of Ind. 67, and an entrance to the park from Ind. 67 was constructed as well.

"I remember doing this a long time ago," commission member John Knipp told other members, following the vote to change the zoning. "We've already done this."

But Bill Milligan, director of the Jay/Portland Building and Planning Department, said no written documents could be found.[[In-content Ad]]