Board bans construction of bio waste facilities
Gilmer County commissioners began the year by approving a discount for local farmers undertaking construction projects.
In their first regular meeting of the year, the board voted on this and approved the second reading of a tweak to the zoning ordinance.
In a past meeting, Gilmer County Chair Charlie Paris asked Director of Planning and Zoning Jim Smith to look into discounting permit fees for local agriculture projects.
The Georgia Department of Agriculture issues a Georgia Agricultural Tax Exemption card to qualified farmers which allows them to garner sales tax exemptions.
“So, what we’ve tried to do is put our fees in line with that,” said Smith. “If an agriculture enterprise can present that card to us then their cost for fees for building barns, utility buildings, poultry houses and things like that would be reduced by 66 percent.”
Farmers can obtain a GATE card online at the Georgia Department of Agriculture’s website. According to the site, “The commissioner, at his/her discretion, can allow a person or entity to qualify if they’re ‘actively engaged in the production of agricultural products and have or will have created sufficient volumes to generate in aggregate at least $5,000 in annualized sales.’”
The new fee structure went into effect following the vote.
Second reading
Commissioners approved the second reading of the revised Land Use Procedures and Standards Ordinance which governs planning and zoning in the county.
Gilmer County Attorney David Clark said the revised ordinance added or changed about 10 different things from culvert size requirements to smaller housekeeping matters.
“Probably the biggest thing that has been addressed is with respect to the bio facility under consideration in Murray County,” he said.
According to various news reports, the commissioner in Murray County was asked to consider a bio waste facility which included an anaerobic digester to be built by Vanguard Renewables. It would take organic waste and turn it into energy and fertilizer.
Residents of Murray County opposed the facility during a public meeting.
Clark said a permanent ban on this type of facility was included in the latest version of the Gilmer County ordinance.
“That was the big thing,” said Paris.
He pointed out the board has also put in bans on crypto mining and data centers in Gilmer County.