Oneida county has imposed a one-year moratorium on the siting of a large scale livestock operation within its borders.
Planning and Zoning Director Karl Jenrich says no such facility has been proposed here, but the Planning and Development committee wanted to take a pro-active approach to study the ramifications a large operation could have.
The proposed Bayfield county pig farm would shelter about 7,500 sows, 18,750 pigs and 100 boars.
Jenrich says the moratorium gives the county time to see if it has the resources to enforce ordinances....
".....this moratorium would be 12 months and allow the planning and development committee to see whether we put restrictions within the zoning districts themselves or to have a livestock siting ordinance alone, so to speak...."
The board unanimously passed the resolution setting in place a one-year moratorium. One supervisor said the legislature is thinking about prohibiting this type of moratorium by counties. Several county board members continue to be upset about state laws prohibiting counties from having their own laws regulating things like shoreland zoning.
