HomeMy WebLinkAbout101023 AG Code ChangesALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Good Day Commissioners and Staff,
I missed your Monday meeting yesterday because I thought it was moved to Tuesday on account of Indigenous Peoples Day. Then, when I realized I had missed the meeting and tried to watch
the video recording today, it would not allow me to do so and said the content may harm my computer. I don't know what that is all about but I sure would like to see the video without
killing my computer. So if I mention things you addressed yesterday while I thought it was a day off, I apologize.
While I understand you technically met your obligations for public notice, I think you should know that the timing provided is insufficient if you wish to hear comments from the public.
The interested stakeholders, aka farmers, are kinda busy with harvest season at present and they're probably not watching your every move. I think this is a fair assumption because
if they had read this draft, I think they'd be parking their John Deeres on the pickleball court right now. Hell, I normally spy on you every Monday and even I missed any mention of
this code revision until this morning. I think you should postpone any adoption of this revision until after you engage in more fulsome community outreach to hear from the people who
will be impacted by these proposed changes.
Also, isn't this kind of code revision supposed to go through the Planning Commission? Isn't that the omission that got us all twisted up over the gun range issue? The Planning Commission
knows how to do public outreach and they can be very useful at providing you with suggestions for this sort of consideration.
All that aside, here are some of my complaints...
Section 4, #14- I thought ag buildings were exempt so I'm not sure what this $3000 limit is about but here are my thoughts anyway... $3000?! Do you have any idea how far $3000 goes when
purchasing building materials? Well, let me tell you. NOT VERY FAR! I built a shed last year that cost me over $8000. This thing is only 12 x 16 feet and it sits on gravel. Seriously,
what are people supposed to be able to do with $3000 worth of building materials? At least give us a threshold that will build a shed. Also, what kind of arbitrary amount is $3000?
Is that linked to anything substantive? Have you ever tried to have your house painted for $3000? Ever try to fix a barn roof for $3000? Please give this concept more consideration.
Everything is more expensive that you think it is and people are irritated with arbitrary lines in the sand and overbearing governmental agencies throwing up hoops for them to jump
through. Besides, we don't have the staff to enforce these low level users so it is advantageous to make this threshold high enough to eliminate as much oversight as is reasonable.
Make this dollar figure more like $15,000 or $20,000. Jefferson County prides itself on its hospitable agricultural atmosphere. Don't chill this!
Section 4, #15- Why must an ag building be free standing? Are you telling me that if I build an old school farmhouse nearer than 10' to my barn (or attached to) that my barn needs all
the permits? What could possibly be accomplished in those precious 10 feet? This is arbitrary and unnecessary. Also, are you simultaneously saying that ag buildings can be built within
10' of my house IF they are attached to some other ag building? Yeah, THAT maths. What is the significant reference for this magical 10'? Is that some kind of constant in the universe
that we apply to all things? I think you can scrap it.
Section 4, #15 (a)- Scrap this. It is silly. "Shall not contain plumbing, unless necessary to maintain livestock" sounds like someone has never kept a pet in their lives. Water is necessary
to all living things, so yeah, we need water in the goat barns. If the ag building is for things like farm implements, even those require some hose action from time to time. Do we really
care if a farmer puts some PVC and a spigot in their tractor barn?
Section 4, #15 (e)- Scrap this entire clause. "Shall be a place used by the public or to which the public is invited, unless a building permit is obtained". So no farm tours, no roadside
egg or flower stands, no CSA veggie boxes. A BUILDING permit?! No. That can't be correct.
Section 4, #15 (f)- So are you telling me that if I want to board the county fleet vehicles in my pig barn, that I am exempt from this poorly worded clause? Scrap the word "private",
just using the word "vehicles" or "automobiles" is sufficient to convey the intent. Also, "recreational vehicles" such as ATVs and other recreational vehicles are routinely used as
farm vehicles so why would we attempt to exclude them here? Also, "licensed farm equipment" is not a thing. Who wrote that?! Has Greg been playing with AI again? We have all seen tractors
driving down main streets without license plates while donning their charming triangular orange placards, because they are agriculturally exempt from licensing. Isn't that a federal
exemption? Somebody better tell Siri.
Then there is a paragraph which begins "The building official has the exclusive discretion to determine...". Please provide in this paragraph some reference to the process by which this
would be enacted and any appeals process which may apply. We cannot deem the building official to be the sole arbiter without a process and an appeals process. Don't we have a hearings
examiner for things like this?
Alright, I think you've heard enough outta me. Please delay your adoption of this code revision and do some public outreach. This thing is in desperate need of some opinions that are
NOT AI generated. Our code must have all the hands with 6-8 fingers excised from it when we adopt it.
Warm regards, Jean Ball
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