Residents ask for help on CFO issue (01/15/07)

Several residents of Knox Township are still looking to Jay County Commissioners for answers in limiting the number of concentrated animal feeding operations in their neighborhood.

About half a dozen residents near West Division Road and Ind. 1 are concerned that two more hog barns are being planned in that western Jay County township - bringing what they say are a total of 10 barns in a two-mile radius.

Scott Penrod, a grain farmer, said, "Something needs to be done," and asked commissioners Milo Miller Jr., Gary Theurer, and Faron Parr about the county's zoning laws governing such construction.

Also of concern are the county roads.

Penrod said several county roads display "no truck" signs, but trucks still use the roads to get to those animal sites and are tearing up the roads.

Miller explained that the signs are meant to discourage truckers from using the roads except for deliveries and not as through routes.

"If they're making a delivery, we can't stop them," Miller said.

Miller told the group that commissioners have looked at the possibility of limiting the number of animals in a square mile.

"It's a tough decision," Miller said. "I can't see myself telling farmers they can't put more barns up. To stop people is not the right answer."

"We need to do something now," said Janet Walker, a resident of Jefferson Township, near the Jay-Randolph county line, who also expressed her concerns to commissioners during last Monday's meeting.

"What can we do to help?" asked Knox Township resident, Paula Confer. "Tell us what we need to do and maybe we can help you."

When someone suggested to put a hold on all CAFO construction, commissioners' attorney Brad Burkett said, "You can't even do that. If you did that you wouldn't be the only ones in this room talking to these guys."

"We'd need a referee," Parr added.

Confer asked commissioners if a study of how much land is currently being used for the application of hog manure compared to the number of animals would be helpful.

"Would that help? That may be a very good reason for excluding new buildings," she asked, and commissioners agreed such a study would indeed be beneficial.

Commissioners, as well as the county's planning commission, are awaiting results from a Ball State University study that is expected to offer answers to some of the county's CAFO and CFO concerns.

Additionally today, commissioners made Jay County 911 director Bill Baldwin the purchasing agent for two new computers.

Baldwin explained the two currently in use are about five and one-half years old.

Cost of the new equipment is $970.92 each, he said.

Sheriff Ray Newton was also made purchasing agent to buy an air conditioning unit for the dispatch rooms at the security center.

With all the computer equipment in operation, the room is very uncomfortable at times, he said.

Hanni Plumbing of Portland will be hired to do the work and make the installation.

He also told commissioners the department would be purchasing a new Jeep to be used by the Tri-County Drug Task Force and the $5,000 cost for the vehicle would be paid from task force funds.[[In-content Ad]]