Post by Okwes on Mar 27, 2007 14:37:31 GMT -5
American Indians seek voice in zoning talks By Bill Cissell, Meade
County Times Tribune
STURGIS - Several American Indians attending Thursday's zoning work
session of the Meade County Commission urged the policymakers to include
Indians as they work to adopt new zoning rules.
"I've noticed an absence of Native American participation," Mark
Wandering Medicine said. "There is a federal mandate to have (this
representation in some) projects. I suggest you tap into Native American
resources; it would expedite (things)."
Meade County has no zoning ordinance, and past attempts to initiate one
have been solidly defeated, solidly, according to Meade County director
of equalization Kirk Chaffee.
However, during the 2006 South Dakota Legislative session, Meade County
officials and Ellsworth Air Force Base Task Force members help persuade
lawmakers to pass a law which allows the implementation of special
zoning districts. Now, commissioners or individual residents can ask for
zoning in an area. If commissioner-initiated, the area must include at
least five square miles.
The Meade County Commission is currently considering such zoning for
three areas in the county, including areas near Ellsworth Air Force
Base, along the Piedmont Valley Interstate 90 corridor and land
surrounding Bear Butte east of Sturgis.
It is the latter that has been of specific interest to Indian tribes.
Bear Butte is considered sacred by a number of tribes, and a number of
religious ceremonies are held there throughout the year.
In the past year, Indian groups from several tribes and those
sympathetic to their cause asked the county commission to reject liquor
license requests from businesses near Bear Butte.
However, without a zoning ordinance, county officials said that they
were limited legally in what conditions they could consider in approving
or denying such things as liquor license requests.
Commissioners, other county officials and members of the public spent
most of Thursday's two-hour meeting dealing with the process of zoning,
rather than an end product, according to Chaffee.
Some of those attending indicated they wanted earlier notification about
the issue and the meeting.
Chaffee reminded the audience that he only requested the meeting last
week and then only to determine if the commissioners even wanted to talk
about zoning districts.
"At this time, I don't even know if they want to do it," Chaffee said.
Although no specific date was set, the commissioners did tell Chaffee to
continue his research into zoning and bring them a report.
County Times Tribune
STURGIS - Several American Indians attending Thursday's zoning work
session of the Meade County Commission urged the policymakers to include
Indians as they work to adopt new zoning rules.
"I've noticed an absence of Native American participation," Mark
Wandering Medicine said. "There is a federal mandate to have (this
representation in some) projects. I suggest you tap into Native American
resources; it would expedite (things)."
Meade County has no zoning ordinance, and past attempts to initiate one
have been solidly defeated, solidly, according to Meade County director
of equalization Kirk Chaffee.
However, during the 2006 South Dakota Legislative session, Meade County
officials and Ellsworth Air Force Base Task Force members help persuade
lawmakers to pass a law which allows the implementation of special
zoning districts. Now, commissioners or individual residents can ask for
zoning in an area. If commissioner-initiated, the area must include at
least five square miles.
The Meade County Commission is currently considering such zoning for
three areas in the county, including areas near Ellsworth Air Force
Base, along the Piedmont Valley Interstate 90 corridor and land
surrounding Bear Butte east of Sturgis.
It is the latter that has been of specific interest to Indian tribes.
Bear Butte is considered sacred by a number of tribes, and a number of
religious ceremonies are held there throughout the year.
In the past year, Indian groups from several tribes and those
sympathetic to their cause asked the county commission to reject liquor
license requests from businesses near Bear Butte.
However, without a zoning ordinance, county officials said that they
were limited legally in what conditions they could consider in approving
or denying such things as liquor license requests.
Commissioners, other county officials and members of the public spent
most of Thursday's two-hour meeting dealing with the process of zoning,
rather than an end product, according to Chaffee.
Some of those attending indicated they wanted earlier notification about
the issue and the meeting.
Chaffee reminded the audience that he only requested the meeting last
week and then only to determine if the commissioners even wanted to talk
about zoning districts.
"At this time, I don't even know if they want to do it," Chaffee said.
Although no specific date was set, the commissioners did tell Chaffee to
continue his research into zoning and bring them a report.