(Spirit Lake)– Some changes are in store for the procedure Dickinson county uses to review manure management plans.
A change in state law requires plans and renewals not only be filed with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, but counties as well.
In Dickinson county, the information is filed with the Auditor’s office. Copies of the plans, which often consist of atleast 20 pages, are sent to the media and others for notification. The board of supervisors then hold public hearings on the documents.
Reviewing the voluminous documents is overwhelming supervisors and others, who say they are complicated and confusing.
The supervisors Tuesday directed Assistant County Attorney Lonnie Saunders to devise a cover page that would summarize what’s included in the permit, whether or not it’s a renewal, and if it is, what changes are being made from the previous permit.
The supervisors also directed the permit applications be forwarded upon receipt by the Auditor’s office to Planning and Zoning Director David Kolhaase, since he’s the county’s main contact with the Department of Natural Resources.
