DeKalb estimated that two thirds of the County's building permits for acreages are located within the three mile zoning jurisdiction, with the remaining one third located throughout the County, excluding the other towns' jurisdictions. He reported that the total number of building permits increases by approximately 100 each year. John Bradley, Interim Planning Director, stated that 90 percent of the building permits issued each year are within the City, and 10 percent within the County, which reflects the County's population distribution. In response to a question from Heier, DeKalb explained that every incorporated town that enforces zoning and planning has extra territorial jurisdiction outside its town limits. Size and class of town dictates whether this jurisdiction extends one, two or three miles.
Complete authority is extended to the entity within whose zoning jurisdiction a parcel is located.
If a parcel is split between two jurisdictions, each entity will maintain authority over the portion that falls within their zoning jurisdiction. He noted that City and County protocol dictates that, if there is split jurisdiction between those two entities, the County Board will take action on the application first because the County provides services support. DeKalb noted there will always be unknown factors, such as groundwater. Brief discussion followed with suggestions that access to information regarding registration of new wells within the County and building and electrical permits would be beneficial. Heier questioned why there is interruption of roads, such as West Davey Road, that have the potential to provide a through traffic route.