Callaway County Commissioners have issued guidelines to a committee formed to examine a proposed ordinance addressing confined animal feeding operations, Presiding Commissioner Gary Jungermann said.
"We did that some time back," Jungermann said Tuesday.
During an Oct. 23 meeting, commissioners told committee members they would provide them with a clearer sense of purpose, but as of their Nov. 20 meeting, no guidelines had yet been offered. Committee members had said guidelines would help them make progress.
County commissioners formed the committee to advise them on Commissioner Roger Fischer's proposed "health" ordinance.
It would apply to new confined animal feeding operations with a specified density of animals: 1,000 or more animal units at 150 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 complete ordinance can be viewed at bit.ly/2qYuK7d.
New guidelines
Jungermann said the commissioners decided together on the guidelines, and they're "pretty generic." All three commissioners signed off on the guidelines, issued Nov. 27.
Jungermann thinks the increased setbacks, fees and other regulations laid out in Fisher's draft ordinance are unlikely to fly with rural voters.
"Most of them that've been in contact with me in the rural community have been against it," he said.
However, many members of the public who've attended meetings - including members of Friends of Responsible Agriculture, a Callaway County-based group - have expressed vocal support for an ordinance addressing Callaway County's CAFOs.
The guidelines set four basic tasks for the committee: Decide whether it can come to a conclusion or decision; decide "what it is the committee wants to put together as a Health Ordinance;" determine setbacks; and determine what documentation and information should be submitted to the county recorder and held at the health department.
Setbacks to be determined include distance for spreading or tilling in waste to property lines, and distance from CAFOs and land application to homes, churches, municipalities, water sources, etc.
The guidelines document also raises the possibility of restricting the size of CAFOs, pending attorney review to determine the legality of doing so.
The committee's next meeting is 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at the Callaway County Health Department's public meeting room (4950 County Road 304 in Fulton).