April 4, 2018 at 5:30 p.m.
County to hold hearing on new confined feeding rules
By From Jeff Bergman-
The Bartholomew County Plan Commission has scheduled a public hearing to consider amendments to the Bartholomew County Zoning Ordinance with regard to Confined Feeding Operations (CFOs) and Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
The proposed changes are as recommended by the Bartholomew County CFO/CAFO Study Committee. The Committee has been reviewing these regulations beginning in September of 2014 and recently provided its final report to the Plan Commission.
The proposed amendments will apply to the confined feeding of at least 300 cattle, 600 swine or sheep, 30,000 fowl, or 500 horses. A summary of the Committee's recommendations and the text of the proposed amendments are attached to this release.
The Plan Commission public hearing will occur at its regularly scheduled February 10, 2016 meeting.
That meeting will begin at 8:30 a.m. in the Meeting Hall at Columbus City Hall, 123 Washington St., Columbus. The Plan Commission recognizes that many members of the public have an interest in this topic and may wish to speak at the public hearing. The Commission has established the following parameters for the public hearing:
The public hearing will end at 11 a.m. At that time, the Plan Commission will assess the input they have received and if others wish to speak. The Commission's options will be to schedule an additional public hearing, continue the matter to a subsequent meeting, or vote on the proposed amendments.
Any Plan Commission action on the proposed amendments will serve as a recommendation to the Bartholomew County Board of Commissioners, who will make the final decision on the matter. The Bartholomew County Zoning Ordinance, including the CFO/CAFO regulations, applies only to the unincorporated portions of Bartholomew County, excluding the extended jurisdictions of the Town of Edinburgh and City of Columbus, and the jurisdiction of the Edinburgh/Bartholomew/Columbus Joint District Plan Commission. The County's jurisdiction therefore excludes all incorporated cities and towns, such as Columbus, Edinburgh, Hope, Jonesville, Hartsville, Clifford, and Elizabethtown.
The public can view the proposed CFO/CAFO Zoning Ordinance amendments on the Planning Department's website at www.columbus.in.gov/planning by selecting the February 10 Bartholomew County Plan Commission calendar item on the right side of the page. The material can also be viewed at the Planning Department office.
The Bartholomew County CFO/CAFO Study Committee materials can be viewed on the Bartholomew County Purdue Extension website at: https://extension.purdue.edu/bartholomew
Questions regarding the February 10, 2016 Plan Commission CFO/CAFO Zoning Ordinance amendments public hearing may be addressed to City of Columbus - Bartholomew County Planning Director Jeff Bergman at [email protected] or 812-376-2550.[[In-content Ad]]
