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Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Environment - "Delay of megadairy permits, closure of Brownsville store have commissioners meeting with county attorney today"

Pam Tharp, whose stories appear in the Muncie Star-Press and the Richmond Palladium-Item, reports today in a story that begins:

LIBERTY, Ind. -- Decisions about the next step for a livestock zoning ordinance won't be made until after the Union County Commissioners consult with the county attorney today

The county is being threatened with a lawsuit by Liberty Dairy LLC/Vreba Hoff over its delay in issuing a building permit and septic permit for the 2,500-cow megadairy planned for Harrison Township, commissioners said.

The county was also threatened with a lawsuit on another issue, the Union County Health Board's 2005 decision to close Bobkat's Store in Brownsville for 21 months over its septic system. The commissioners will meet in executive session with county attorney Tom Thompson. Executive sessions are not open to the public.

More from the story:
The commissioners said discussing the ordinance at large public meetings has become very difficult. Last week, a fight broke out at an area plan meeting.

"Do you understand how intimidating it is to be in front of a crowd of jeering people and try to conduct any kind of business?" Commissioner Gary Davis asked. "In their defense, it's not easy."

"I'm not ready to recall area plan members. I'm not even considering recalling them," Commissioner Allen Paddock said. "I'm not going to run that board down."

Commissioner Larry Gulley said he's losing sleep over the issue.

"Whatever we do, some people will be mad and some people tickled to death. It's a no-win situation. I can't sleep," he said. "We've been at it for five months and accomplished little."

Concerned Citizens For Union County member Gina Hartman said the group understands the commissioners are under pressure. She said adopting the original ordinance drafted in June by county Surveyor Ted Young would be acceptable. Some plan commission members have conflicts of interest because of their membership in Indiana Farm Bureau, which promotes all animal agriculture, Gina Hartman said.

The commissioners have different opinions about what action they took on the livestock ordinance at a meeting on July 28. Paddock and Gulley said they didn't think they acted on the ordinance, but made recommendations for changes. Davis said he had thought differently, that the recommendations meant the board was rejecting the ordinance.

Posted by Marcia Oddi on September 3, 2008 10:49 AM
Posted to Environment