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Clay County reappoints Brad Eldred; planning office reports dips in permits and advances code rewrite
Summary
The board reappointed Brad Eldred to a second three‑year term on the Clay County Planning Commission and received an annual report showing declines in building permits and housing starts, ongoing development‑code updates, and increased enforcement activity.
The Clay County Board of Commissioners on March 11 appointed Brad Eldred to a second three‑year term on the Clay County Planning Commission and heard the Planning and Zoning Department’s 2024 annual report.
Matt, Planning and Zoning director, told the board that the department issued 150 building permits in 2024 (down from a recent high of about 210 in 2023) and saw new housing starts fall to roughly 20 for the year. Matt said the average permitted structure value was about $100,000 and the department estimates roughly $15 million in new construction valuation for 2024.
On land use trends, the planning office reported higher activity for single‑lot subdivisions (about 66 recorded) and three major plats in 2024 (two commercial, one residential). Staff also said conditional and interim use permits remained active (15 interim use permits and eight conditional use permits in 2024) and that the county issued many permits for mineral extraction (gravel pits) and essential services (notably community solar projects) over the last three years.
The department reported an increase in zoning enforcement activity and said it is managing roughly 100 active violations; many cases have been referred to the County Attorney’s Office for civil enforcement. The planning office said it has added staff to focus on violations and is working with environmental health and the sheriff’s office on nuisance cases.
Code rewrite and permitting changes: Matt said the county is near completion of a development ordinance update and aims to adopt the new code in April or May 2025. The planning staff has submitted shoreland and floodplain sections to the Department of Natural Resources for review and is pursuing an online permitting application to replace paper forms. Staff also proposed allowing some recurring requests (for example, accessory dwelling units) by right to reduce repetitive variance requests.
Gravel tax and revenues: the county reported gravel tax receipts declined from about $418,500 in 2023 to about $346,000 in 2024. Staff said reporting changes among larger operators and a recent slowdown in development activity contributed to the drop. The county noted state law determines the gravel‑tax range and distribution formula.
Action: The board voted to appoint Brad Eldred to the Planning Commission for a three‑year term after the Planning Commission made a unanimous recommendation at its February meeting.
Ending: Matt thanked county staff and partner offices and asked the board to watch for the Planning Commission public hearing on the development code update on March 18.
