City staff described a zoning text amendment application from a private applicant seeking permission to operate a recreational game‑processing business within agricultural zoning districts. The amendment would add language to the city’s zoning ordinance to permit processing of game (deer) in specified zones; staff said the applicant’s prior request had been denied because the use did not fit existing permitted uses.

Why it matters: council members raised operational and public‑health concerns (disposal of carcasses, proximity to watersheds and neighbors, and attraction of predators) and asked whether state agencies already regulate parts of the business. Staff advised that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Department of Agriculture have regulatory standards that the applicant must meet and that the city can impose additional conditions through the conditional‑use process.

Details and timeline: staff said the applicant applied for a zoning text amendment and that the Planning & Zoning public meeting and advertised public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 4 at 6 p.m. The council will consider the Planning & Zoning recommendation at a council public hearing at a subsequent council meeting (advertised in advance). Staff noted possible disposal options described by DNR representatives including burial (with setback/watershed concerns), bagging and landfill disposal (subject to landfill rules), and composting (which has proximity limitations); staff suggested the council could require specific disposal methods if the use is approved as a conditional use.

Enforcement and regulation: staff said enforcement would be shared—state agencies regulate licensing and sanitary requirements, while the city would enforce local land‑use conditions and could receive complaints; staff also said such facilities are inspected regularly by state agencies. Council members asked whether other nearby municipalities allow game processing in non‑agricultural zones; staff said they found only one example (Winder) permitting similar uses outside strictly agricultural zoning.

Outcome: no vote took place on the amendment itself. The process will continue through Planning & Zoning on Aug. 4 and then to a council public hearing as advertised. Council members asked staff to gather clear DNR/Department of Agriculture guidance and to confirm recommended conditions (for example, required disposal method and buffer distances) before the council hearing.