By Stephanie Johns
Staff Writer

The Morgan County Planning and Development Office (PDO) will host an agricultural forum at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday in the Planning and Zoning Conference Room at 150 E. Washington St.
Morgan County Planning Director Chuck Jarrell noted in a memorandum dated March 4, 2013 that the forum was prompted by concerns about ag-related building permits and codes.
He also wrote, “The intent of the meeting is to clarify that the requirements for agricultural buildings are mandated by state law, not county law, and to explain those requirements.”
Jarrell shared that he plans to discuss four main areas of concern: codes relating to agricultural buildings, exemptions for those buildings, land disturbance permits and when those are required per state law, as well as the building permit process.
He shared that he also plans to review what the PDO has done to support the agricultural community.
Morgan County Commissioner Andy Ainslie noted during the recent commission meeting that he has heard rumblings from the agricultural community.
He said he hopes this meeting will be a positive one and that they want to ask members of the ag community, “What can we do to help?” and “How can we assist you in the future?”

Printed in the March 14, 2013 edition