Chickens were once again the “hot topic” at Monday night's county commission meeting, with a crowd hostile to the possible location of a hatchery-research facility in the Lafayette Industrial Park filling the gallery of the upstairs courtroom.

For two hours before the meeting, a number of protesters marched around the courthouse carrying signs indicating their feathers were ruffled at the possible location by Cobb-Vantress of a number of pullet and hen contract chicken farms in Macon County.

At a previous meeting, County Mayor Shelvy Linville had been asked by commissioners and by the county planning commission to look into the cost of an “Environmental

Impact Statement” for the county relating to the Cobb-Vantress proposal to locate a hatchery and contract pullet and hen farms in Macon County.

Toward that end, and with the advice of state Agriculture officials, Linville contacted John Donaldson of Validus Services LLC, a farm consulting agency.

Donaldson brought to the commissioners and the assembled multitude a two option proposal.

Option 1: Prepare an “Environmental Impact Statement” for the county. He noted that this could take up to two years, involves numerous public meetings, and estimated the cost at $225,000.

Option 2: Prepare a “Principles of Water Quality Protection” report which would include but not be limited to: Soil Suitability (for facilities, burial, application); State/locally identified “sensitive areas.”; Setback requirements;

Items to consider to... avoid discharge from each site: We would probably recommend

some common sense facility design and site items and use of the SPAW model.

Option 2 would also provide an estimate of the number of acres needed for the

estimated manure production-Items to implement for Nutrient Utilization and ...the

proper records to keep.

Donaldson offered what he stated was an impartial opinion that the hen and pullet

houses would produce much less manure and litter than broiler operations, and “If

done correctly there was nothing wrong with them” in their impact on water quality.

He noted that chicken operations of any kind are not regulated by the federal or

state government in any manner except concerning water quality.

Admitting that commercial chicken production was the “worst” of the many confined

animal production operations involved in providing our food supply, he noted that if

the county attempted to regulate chicken production facilities, they would have to

regulate both cattle and swine production as well.

County Mayor Shelvy Linville said that after consultation with county codes officer

Mike Rogers, he believed the commissioners could amend the codes which farmers would

have to meet covering “commercial agriculture,” and that farmers wishing to locate

chicken houses would have to meet before the county planning commission.

The floor was opened for questions to be directed to John Donaldson, and a number of

people in the gallery stated their opposition to any sort expansion of chicken

operations in Macon County.

“Why are you (the commissioners and mayor) for it, if the people are against it?”

asked one spectator.

8th District Commissioner Scott Gammons then proposed a motion, seconded by

Billy West, stating that the county write a letter to Cobb-Vantress telling them

that “we don't want them here!”

This was met by cheers and applause from the audience. However, the tally fell short

of the eleven votes needed for passage, with only eight commissioners voting

“for” such a letter. (Several commissioners were absent and several “passed.”)

Voting for the motion were: Jeff Hughes; Billy West; Phillip Snow; Scott Gammons;

Ralph Doss; Tony Boles; Annette Looper; Phillip Spears; and Benton Bartley.

The meeting ended with County Mayor Linville noting that there was a “Tornado

Monument” Unveiling set for Wednesday, October 15th at 10 a.m.