A flurry of applause sounded when members of a Callaway County health ordinance committee - organized to review a confined animal feed operation-related health ordinance - wrapped their last meeting.
Nine months after the committee's formation and one month after county commissioners voted to dissolve the committee, a group of former committee members pressed on. They gathered Thursday to reviewed the ordinance's final section, hoping to see it go to a public vote in August.
"The end's in sight here," committee member Leo Patrick Smith said.
Smith plans to compile a complete, updated draft of the ordinance for review by committee members. He then will share the draft with some English teachers, who will edit the copy.
Moderator Rick Hess suggested the final draft should be shared with Kent Wood of the Callaway County Health Department. Parts of the ordinance would require the health department to form a CAFO review committee, which would have duties such as reviewing and approving county health permits for incoming CAFOs and inspecting the sites every five years, among others.
Following review, committee members plan to distribute the final draft to media and the Callaway County Commission by March 12.
"As a Class 2 county, we're not allowed to do an initiative petition (to place the ordinance on the ballot)," said Shirley Kidwell, a member of Friends of Responsible Agriculture. "The commissioners have to vote."
Committee member Jeff Jones suggested requesting an answer from commissioners within a set time period to help inform next steps. Members settled on a week.
Part of the reason for the tight timetable is the deadline to file as a candidate for the Nov. 6 general election. The deadline is March 27, and filing opens at 8 a.m. Feb. 27. The presiding county commissioner's seat is among the offices open for filing.
Even if the current commissioners decline to place the health ordinance on a ballot, there's a chance the next might, Smith said.
In other words, even if the ordinance doesn't find a place on the August ballot, it's far from dead.
As written, the ordinance would apply to new CAFOs with a specified density of animals: 1,000 or more animal units at 150 units or more per acre.
The ordinance would establish setbacks to keep CAFOs and waste products a certain distance from populated areas, water and recreational facilities. It also introduces a variety of other safety measures to keep diseases from spreading to people. Additionally, it requires information about land on which waste is being spread to be documented and submitted to the county recorder.
The ordinance's final draft will be available for review upon release by the committee.