Board recommends approval of expansion of confinement facility

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

Henry County supervisors, meeting in regular session Thursday, unanimously recommended approval of the expansion of Solar Feeders 2 at 1800 U.S. Highway 218.

Owners of the animal confinement unit plan to construct another building and double the animal numbers from 998 to 1,996, according to the application.

Supervisors hosted a public hearing on the matter during Tuesday?s meeting. Two county residents objected to the expansion, basically due to the odor from the facility.

Joe Buffington, county director of planning and zoning, said odor was not one of the criteria in the master matrix, a state formula ? based on a point system ? to approve or reject animal confinement units.

Gary See, supervisor chairman, said at Tuesday?s meeting that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources grants final approval for animal confinement units and the county has little to no input on the decision. ?We are very limited,? See said Tuesday. ?We recognize this (lack of county control) exposes a weakness, but there is very little that can be done.?

It was a rather light agenda for the board. In other agenda items, the board approved a fireworks permit and homestead tax credit applications from 10 disabled veterans and heard a brief report on Wednesday?s meeting of the Southeast Iowa Link (SEIL).

A fireworks permit was approved for Todd Kleemeyer of Winfield. The Stumptown Shooters plan to have a fireworks display Aug. 20 at 2409 Ketchum Bridge Rd. The property is owned by George Aplara.

Ten applications for homestead tax credits were approved from disabled veterans. The credits provide 100 percent property tax abatement. To be eligible for the credit, a veteran must be disabled to the point of not being employable.

Tax abatement is for up to 40 acres in the rural region of the county and up to one-half acre in urban areas. The tax abatement also includes the residence.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Marc Lindeen said the SEIL board passed a resolution naming the Mt. Pleasant News as its official newspaper, meaning all legals SEIL must publish by law will be in The News.

The board meets again in regular session Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 9 a.m., in the Henry County Courthouse.