An ordinance that’s nearly a half-century old may soon be updated to better define where large livestock operations are located in the future.
That updated ordinance, if enacted by the Jackson County Board of Commissioners, also would address odor, appearance and other issues raised by those opposed to such operations.
Commissioners approved the first reading of the proposed ordinance Tuesday. The ordinance governing concentrated animal feeding operations was introduced in November, and officials have been discussing and revising it since then. Tuesday’s vote was the first of three readings.
The proposed revision would require proposed CAFOs to be located at least a mile away from municipalities and unincorporated towns. It also would require farmers to incorporate ways of lessening odors from such operations.
County attorney Susan Bevers suggested three readings to give time for public comment.
The original ordinance regulating livestock operations was enacted in 1968 and has not been updated to keep pace with changes in livestock production.
Those regulations require at least three acres for a commercial facility and 300-foot setbacks. A “farm, confinement feeding” may not be closer than 300 feet to an existing residence or platted lot.
The proposed regulations would set the minimum size for a commercial facility at 10 acres, require setbacks of 200 feet and set at one mile the distance to an existing residence or platted lot.
Originally, the county defined a confined feeding operation as any farm with more than 100 head of livestock or 5,000 fowl indoors or outdoors.
In Indiana, an operation with more than 2,500 swine weighing more than 55 pounds is considered a confined animal feeding operation and subject to more regulations than most farm operations.
Present zoning regulations do not require any biofilters or buffering (screening planting).
The new regulations would require biofilters that could reduce particulate matter by 80 percent and odorous gases by 40 percent and would have to be installed on all pit exhaust fans. It also would require the planting of trees, shrubs and earthen berm that must reach a minimum cumulative height of 6 feet before the CAFO can begin operations.
Commissioners President Jerry Hounshel said the changes are the main purpose of efforts to amend the original ordinance.
“We went from the mom-and-pop chicken houses to hog houses that hold thousands and thousands of animals,” Hounshel said.
He has said that, if the ordinance had been updated more often, the county might have avoided some of the issues that have arisen in recent years as producers have sought county approval to operate CAFOs.
Members of the Jackson County Plan Commission received copies of the proposed ordinance during their meeting Tuesday evening in Brownstown.
“There were no discussions,” county Plan Commissioner Mike Weir said.
The proposed ordinance will be on the agenda for the Aug. 19 plan commission meeting, and the nine commission members may set it for a public hearing for their Sept. 21 meeting at that time, Weir said.
Any changes the plan commission may recommend can be approved or denied by the commissioners.
“You can keep it as is,” Bevers said. “It will come back to you from plan commission with suggestions, but you don’t have to accept.”
A group of concerned citizens, livestock producers and others in the community have been meeting to offer suggestions to commissioners, too. The committee includes Paul Pottschmidt, Chips Everhart, Sherry Bridges, Joe Bradley, Becky Whittler, Charlie Fox, Craig Klinge, Joe Miller and Don Schnitker.
Other proposed regulations in the ordinance include requiring the planting of trees and shrubs as a buffer and that proposals have a site plan prepared by a licensed architect or engineer.
The process to decide on a specific ordinance hasn’t come without setbacks and disagreements from the public, sometimes resulting in packed monthly commissioners meetings.
At Tuesday’s meeting, only a few of those attending spoke; although, most asked for copies of the five-page proposal. Copies will be available at the county auditor’s office in the courthouse in Brownstown.
“We’re not trying to hide anything. ... In fact most of what’s in here is what ... committees have met and come up with,” Hounshel said.
Commissioner Tom Joray said he still has problems with the ordinance but wants to move forward and is looking forward to hearing comments from the plan commission.