Gage County amends proposed livestock setbacks, schedules hearing on regulation changes

The Gage County Board of Supervisors worked through hours of detail on proposed livestock regulation revisions that Planning & Zoning had drafted. Planning staff presented redline and clean copies of changes to classification and setback rules for facilities A–F, animal‑unit thresholds and special‑use procedures; staff noted the goal of encouraging beginning producers while protecting residents.

Board members and public speakers discussed specific setbacks, tree‑plan requirements, whether to request goodwill donations from large producers and how special‑use permits would be conditioned. After motions and amendments the board amended the P&Z recommendation to set Facility A setback at 0.125 mile while retaining a larger setback on Facility B (the board adopted an amendment restoring the prior distance for Facility B). The board also voted to strike paragraph 7 requiring a goodwill donation language after concerns about enforceability and interstate commerce. Members directed staff to post the revised draft and set a county‑level public hearing so residents can review proposed language before final action.

At least one supervisor urged adherence to prior practice requiring a two‑level hearing (P&Z then Board) for regulation changes; legal counsel provided a statutory read on public‑hearing requirements and the timeline that accompanies conditional‑use permit reviews. Planning staff committed to updating the draft to use a generic term for the state environmental agency so future changes in agency names will not require repeated edits.