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Speaker asks county staff to address building-department requirement keeping Amish produce stand closed

Washtenaw County Board · June 3, 2026
AI-Generated Content: All content on this page was generated by AI to highlight key points from the meeting. For complete details and context, we recommend watching the full video. so we can fix them.

Summary

A speaker reported that an Amish-run seasonal produce stand cannot open because the building department requires electricity, which the Amish avoid for religious reasons; the speaker asked staff to investigate the local interpretation of code enforcement.

A speaker at the meeting reported that an Amish-built seasonal produce stand cannot open because the local building department has required electricity in the structure, which the speaker said conflicts with the growers’ religious practice of not using electricity.

The speaker said the stand operates from Memorial Day through Labor Day and that crops are already in; the requirement is preventing the growers from selling their produce during that key season. The speaker said they contacted the state and were told the matter was a local interpretation of building code, and asked county staff to "see what you can do" to correct the situation.

No formal motion or vote was recorded on the floor to change code or issue a waiver. The meeting transcript records the item as an administrative appeal or request for staff follow-up rather than a board decision. The speaker described the problem to the board and requested staff assistance; county staff were not recorded as offering an immediate ruling in the transcript.