(Spirit Lake)– A proposed settlement that would keep a four thousand head hog confinement out of Dickinson county is generating some controversy.
Under the proposed settlement, 52,500-dollars would be paid to Dutch Creek Farms. Of that, 27,500-dollars would come from the county. The rest would come from Save Dickinson County’s Environment.
Opposition has surfaced from some who feel taxpayer money shouldn’t be used to “buy-out” large animal confinement operations.
Assistant Dickinson County Attorney Lonnie Saunders defends the proposed settlement. He says it will actually save taxpayer money in the long run. Saunders says litigation was being threatened against the county in connection with the dispute, and he says the settlement will result in any litigation being released.
Saunders says some people may have the impression Dutch Creek Farms will make money through the settlement. He says that isn’t true. Saunders says they learned through the discovery process Dutch Creek Farms had spent over 100-thousand dollars on the project so far, and the 52,500-dollars proposed through the settlement comes nowhere close to covering that, meaning the company is actually taking a loss.
Saunders added that it isn’t the county’s intention to buy-out agriculture and chase away producers. He says the supervisors will look at every application that comes in on a case-by-case basis. Saunders says this was simply the wrong project at the wrong time and location. He says it’s the county’s goal to bring together tourism, farming and the business communities. For that reason Saunders says the supervisors feel it was very important to settle the dispute.
