5.b Staff Report - septage spreadingr N
SCA DIA
Staff Report
Date of Meeting: November 1, 2016
To: Planning Commission
From: Neil Soltis, Administrator
Re: V&V Holdings request for approval to land spread septage
Background:
On April 28, 2015 the Washington County Board of Commissioners passed an updated septic ordinance
which included a provision providing the county and LGUs the ability to provide oversight of this
activity. The county implemented the enforcement of these requirements on 1/1/16 to allow for county
staff to design an effective implementation program.
County -issued permits are now required prior to a certified Maintainer applying septage in the county.
A required submittal with the permit application is "Documentation from the local unit of government
indicating that the proposed activity is allowed." This provision was added to ensure that local
requirements were being met and to allow LGUs a way to effectively opt -out of allowing this practice
without the need to adopt an ordinance banning the activity. The county specifically chose not to
dictate the form of the local acknowledgement, thereby leaving it up to the appropriate person(s) at the
LGU to decide what form the acknowledgement should take (i.e. whether council approval is required,
or a planner can sign off, etc).
At the March City Council meeting the Council approved an administrative review of land spreading
applications based on the zoning code.
Land spreading of septage is considered an agricultural use. Agriculture is an allowed use in the
Agricultural, General Rural, and Village Neighborhood zoning districts of the City.
Issue: Should land spreading of septage be segregated as a use and, if so, which zoning districts
would land spreading of septage be designated as an allowable or conditional use?