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Mercer County planning commission advances zoning ordinance updates, schedules public hearing
Summary
The commission reviewed proposed revisions to the P&Z manual — including stricter building-permit language, a penalties/abatement clause, and a clear rule that temporary uses are not grandfathered — and set a public hearing for Jan. 15, 2026 and county commission readings Jan. 21 and Feb. 4.
The Mercer County Planning Commission on Dec. 8 reviewed a series of proposed revisions to the county Planning & Zoning (P&Z) manual and set a public hearing for Jan. 15, 2026, with two county commission readings to follow on Jan. 21 and Feb. 4, 2026. Chairman Mike Eslinger presided over the meeting.
Attorney Jennifer M. Gooss, who presented the updated Chapter 5 language, told the commission she added sections clarifying building-permit inspections and the process for issuing a certificate of occupancy and introduced new penalties that would allow the county to abate zoning violations. "It will be clearly stated in the ordinance," Gooss said when commissioners asked how temporary uses and enforcement would be handled. Planning Commission member Chris Renner sought concrete examples of violations, and Gooss answered that violations would include failure to follow zoning-code requirements.
Why it matters: The changes would tighten permit and enforcement language the county uses to manage development and compliance. Gooss said the draft will also include cross-references under Chapter 2 to clarify jurisdictional questions and point readers to the North Dakota Century Code where appropriate.
The commission clarified that temporary uses will not be grandfathered: Gooss said temporary-use permits will require annual renewal and must comply with any subsequent ordinance changes even if the operations themselves remain unchanged. Jen Neumiller, the Land Use Administrator, requested clearer ordinance language on joint jurisdictions and updated Land Use Maps; Gooss said the maps and a Century Code reference can address that concern.
Procedural steps: Attorney Mark Kaffar, who distributed changes to Chapter 3 later in the meeting, will email the final draft to commissioners for review after Christmas. The commission set a public hearing on the ordinance for its Jan. 15, 2026 meeting and noted the County Commission will hold two readings on Jan. 21 and Feb. 4, 2026. The meeting adjourned at 3:57 p.m.
Next step: Commissioners will review Kaffar’s emailed draft and consider public comment at the Jan. 15 hearing before the county commission readings in late January and early February.
