Livestock committee not done (9/15/04)

Facing a self-imposed deadline to complete its work, a group studying issues and possible changes in local regulation of livestock operations decided there is more work to be done.

The ad hoc committee, meeting for the fourth consecutive week, agreed by consensus this morning that it needs more time to discuss possible conclusions and recommendations. But because several participants are farmers, the committee will take a seven-week break and won’t reconvene until November to allow time to complete the harvest.

In the end, committee members felt four one-hour meetings were not enough to receive the information and make an informed decision on what to do about a complicated issue.

Committee co-chairman Dr. Steve Myron said that he’s been told by some confined feeding operators the current system and regulations are enough.

“I don’t believe what we’re doing right now is adequate ... we need to do a better job. Where do we go, guys?” Myron asked his fellow committee members.

Jim Zimmerman, the co-chair of the committee and president of the Jay County Planning Commission, said that some livestock operators are concerned more stringent regulation could hurt some farmers’ ability to generate income.

“Their concern is we’re going to limit livestock growth in the county,” said Zimmerman, who is, like Jay County Commissioner and committee member Gary Theurer, an operator of a confined feeding livestock operation.

At this morning’s meeting at the Jay County Health Department on West Arch Street in Portland, members of the committee reviewed a proposed outline for a new local procedure for livestock owner/operators to follow when constructing a new facility.

Without specifying what the rules would be, the process would start with an application to the local building and planning department. Various county officials would be notified, along with all property owners/residents within a one-mile radius of the proposed livestock project.

Under the proposal, if qualified objections were made by either the public or county officials, a local hearing could be scheduled by the county planning commission. Jay County Commissioners would have the final say, as they do in other zoning issues.

“I believe (the process) safeguards the individual (livestock producer), and it also safeguards the public ... it protects both ways,” said committee member John Knipp, who helped construct the process framework.

Knipp, the director of the Jay County office of the Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service, discussed the proposed process with Myron this past week.

Also present at this morning’s meeting were Zimmerman, along with committee members Dave Houck (Jay County Health Department), Dwane Ford (Indiana Conservation Officer), Bill Milligan (Jay/Portland Building and Planning), Theurer and citizen members Steve Howell and Sherri Michael.

None of the committee members present had substantial objections to the proposal, which would create, in effect, a local livestock permit process.

But rural Portland resident Dewey Osborn, one of several members of the public in attendance, said, “If somebody don’t have the backbone to enforce (rules and processes) they don’t mean nothing. If the fines aren’t ... expensive, you’re wasting your time.”

Rural Portland resident Steve Rines also urged the committee to consider stricter regulation of the spreading of manure. He said a farmer spreads liquid manure by injection up against his property line, which is located very close to his home.

Penn Township resident Carl Walker also presented information to the committee from several county residents.

This morning’s meeting was kicked off with a brief presentation by Neil Ogg, the director of the Adams County Building and Planning Department, and John Friedt of the Adams County Soil and Water Conservation District.

The two provided an outline of how Adams County’s zoning regulations on livestock operations work. Committee members reviewed the Adams County provisions last week.

Enforcement “is kind of complaint driven. We don’t have a manure sheriff out there,” said Ogg, who showed committee members a map indicating the location of every regulated livestock operation in Adams County.

Myron asked if the more stringent regulations had stopped producers from building.

“Absolutely not,” Ogg said.

Friedt also pointed out that Adams County’s zoning has reciprocal requirements, that not only keep livestock operations from being built too close to homes, but also prohibit homes from being built too close to livestock farms.

“People that build homes in the country should have to sign a right-to-farm sheet,” said Myron. “We have people living in the country who have no connection to agriculture.”[[In-content Ad]]