Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Pipeline Ordinance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Worth County holds public hearing on proposed pipeline zoning ordinance
Summary
Worth County supervisors opened a public hearing on a proposed pipeline zoning ordinance at 9:30 a.m.; members of the public urged strict setbacks and protections while the county clarified the multi-step adoption process and no vote was taken.
The Worth County Board of Supervisors opened a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on a proposed pipeline zoning ordinance; no final action was taken at the meeting.
The ordinance, brought to the board in November and posted per legal requirements, drew several public commenters who praised the zoning commission’s work and urged supervisors to adopt the measure as written. One commenter asked for a text correction to an internal cross-reference in section 5.e, which was noted by a member of the public and said to be corrected before formal readings.
"There's a typographical error on section 5 e," said Jeff Gorbald, who offered a corrected version for supervisors. "I have a corrected version to give to the supervisors, when you guys are done with this." The board acknowledged the administrative correction.
Several residents said the ordinance's setbacks and notice provisions were important for protecting property values and safety. "Summit Carbon Pipelines wants to build 688 miles of pipeline in Iowa," said Roxanne Jackson during public comment, urging the board to "pass this as written." James Bergey and Anne Bockleman also thanked the zoning commission for its work and asked supervisors to adopt protections for local landowners.
Worth County Emergency Management representative Mark Ramos told the board he had reviewed the ordinance and supported its safety- and responder-training provisions. Ramos said the ordinance places requirements near the high end of what emergency management would recommend but described that as an appropriate negotiating posture: "You start at your best position, and you work to where you end up at."
Board members discussed next steps for adoption. A supervisor explained the formal process: three readings are typical and two-thirds of the board must be present for adoption; the readings can be waived if the board chooses. The ordinance will not take effect until it is posted in the newspaper and on the county website after final adoption.
Supervisors took a roll-call vote to open the hearing and later voted to close it; no ordinance vote occurred at this meeting. The board said it will place the ordinance on the next meeting agenda for a first reading.
The hearing record will remain open to the extent provided by local rules until the board advances to formal readings.
