A Franklin County dairy will double in size after receiving county permission to add 4,000 cows.
Franklin County commissioners on Wednesday unanimously approved a conditional permit for Five D Farms to expand at its site south of Kruse Road and west of the Juniper Dunes Wilderness Area.
The farm already has an 8,000-head feedlot and 4,000 dairy cows, said Greg Wendt, assistant director of county planning and building.
Commissioner Rick Miller said he believes the dairy is in a good location for the operation.
Commissioner Bob Koch added, "They've been awful good neighbors out there."
Jerrod MacPherson, county planning and building director, said his office had not received any written or verbal opposition to the expansion. The Planning Commission previously unanimously recommended the permit be approved.
The farm will add another milking facility and shelters and corrals needed for the additional cows, MacPherson said.
The county will have to rebuild Kruse Road at a cost of about $50,000 to handle the additional truck traffic.
Tim Fife, county public works director and engineer, said the road already has issues because of freezing in the subgrade and couldn't handle the additional truck traffic caused by 4,000 more dairy cows. The freezing issue is being fixed by adding a layer of concrete under the road, he said.
The county is asking dairy owner Steve DeRuyter to pay for half of the cost of the cement used to strengthen the road, for a maximum of $8,500.
Also Wednesday:
w Commissioners asked Fife to reevaluate a proposed SUV purchase.
Fife said the SUV would cost about $20,400 if purchased through a state purchasing process, and would come from a Clark County dealership. The closest local dealers came to that price was about $600.
But Commissioner Brad Peck said the county should consider where the sales tax from the vehicle would go in deciding which purchase makes the most sense. Fife was directed to consider whether sales tax returning locally would offset the additional cost.
"I'm adamant that we purchase locally whenever we can possibly do it," he said.
w Commissioners agreed to move $5,000 from reserves to the sheriff's budget to pay for a fire investigator.
The commissioners had cut the fire marshal from the coroner's budget last year when it was suggested the position wasn't needed but later found out the position was required.
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