Johnson County board gives initial approval to agriculture-related ordinance amendments

JOHNSON COUNTY - The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is moving forward with a pair of proposed ordinance amendments that would bring local requirements up to state code for agricultural exemptions and allow commercial poultry slaughter on farm land.

The board discussed both issues at its Wednesday work session, with both items sent forward to staff for further drafting.

The first amendment would redefine a farm in county ordinances as it relates to structures exempt from zoning and building permit requirements on land-zoned agriculture.

Proposed changes would remove the minimum acreage requirement for land to be considered a farm, which is currently 40 acres or more.

With the proposed changes, if a building, whether a residential structure, a barn or an outbuilding, is used primarily for farming purposes, could be exempt from county zoning and building permit requirements.

The change would bring the county language in line with state code and benefit residents who want to farm on lots smaller than 40 acres.

However, Supervisor Janelle Rettig did raise concern that the changes could foster residential sprawl with housing developments posing as farms.

'I think that's my issue here, I believe that we have and will continue to have more and more people who can make a living on less than 40 acres, but I do not think they should circumvent housing requirements and building code just because they're a farmer,” Rettig said.

RJ Moore, assistant administrator with the county planning and zoning division, said there will always be the possibility for loopholes, but noted that anyone attempting to take advantage of the exemption must prove to staff that they meet the definition of a farmer, which includes a number of requirements.

'If there's a loophole, somebody will find it, but I think we're in the right path,” he said. 'I think this heads us in a good direction and it will help again minimize the sprawl where we don't want it.”

A second proposed ordinance change would allow poultry farmers to slaughter up to 1,000 birds a year on their property for commercial sale.

Currently, birds can be raised on Johnson County land, but not for commercial slaughter, so they must be transported elsewhere.

Rettig said the change has the potential to negatively impact property owners living near farmland, who would have no say if their neighbor decided to start slaughtering chickens next door.

'I don't think the people of Johnson County want slaughtering next to their houses without regulation,” she said.

Supervisor Rod Sullivan said he doubts the change will have much impact.

'We just don't have that many people raising chickens in Johnson County,” he said. 'I'm not super worried about somebody deciding to do this in the middle of a subdivision.”

Moore said both items will likely be lumped into Land Use Plan discussion, which will likely begin next summer.