The Wellingtons Equestrian Preserve Committee completed its review of the environmental chapter in the villages code on Wednesday April 6. It began this review at its last meeting in March 2.
It was the second time the code had been presented to the committee. The Wellington Village Council had resubmitted the environmental chapter to Equestrian Preserve Committee for review. This section focuses on management of livestock manure.
The council approved the first reading and directed the Equestrian Preserve Committee (January 25) to take a second look at the village’s environmental chapter.
The village is legally bound to comply with the state’s best management practices (BMPs) laws. The village attempted to do so by enacting revised codes.
Wellington has long been at odds against some equestrians about the BMPs for handling livestock waste.
The most contentious part of the document that required horse washes was closed by the committee.
Jane Cleveland, chair of the Committee, said that she had made it clear the council that the committee had a version it had approved in Nov to go concurrently to staff recommendations that wasn’t in the council’s draft.
There was some disagreement between what was presented to the council, and the committee’s recommendations. It was referring to staff requirements for all properties that have a barn where horses will live, to have a horsewash designed with a drain or floor drain so that no water can leave the horse wash area other than through an approved drain system.
The recommendation of the committee, taken from Florida Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services FDACS, was: A concrete slab with a rough surface is best for constructing a permanent horserack. If desired, rubber mats or poured rubber particles can be used to top the concrete. Slab drains may be designed to discharge into small holding ponds or filter strips on site. If a drain is not built into the slab, the slab should still be pitched so that the water runs off. A trench made of gravel can be added to the slab to receive water from its lowest point. To prevent mud or sedimentation, rotate horse wash sites. To prevent turf areas from being eroded, you can use portable rubber mats. You should keep them at least 50ft away from water bodies and wells.
Cleveland believes that the council should take into consideration the version of horse wash rules as proposed by the committee.
I had to stand up and tell her that our version wasn’t there.
Tim Stillings, Planning, Zoning & Building Director, stated that the council had instructed the committee to look at the draft the council had approved in its first reading.
Stillings stated that this is exactly what they asked. To be completely honest, they are asking you to look at January’s approvals. This is the language they want you to see.
Stillings claimed that the sections had been rewritten in the councils’ version, which omitted some language from FDACS.
Glen Fleischer, a committee member, said that the Oct. 8, draft was where the FDACS language was added. However it was after removing the original text. Fleischer suggested that this may have caused the confusion.
Dr. Kristy, a Commission member, said that the council never saw this version.
Cleveland stated that both the version for the committees and the version for the staff were not presented to the council side by side.
Council sent it back to her. She added that owners of horse property had been notified that all properties that house horses must have a horse wash.
Lund moved to replace the language in the preliminary draft that was approved by the council with the language approved last November by the committee, which carried 7-0.
