Opinion ID: 2219417
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The County's Authority to Zone.

Text: At the outset, we consider the claim of the hog producers that the county lacks power to adopt zoning ordinances affecting livestock operations. That claim is predicated on the final sentence in Iowa Code section 172D.1(15), which states: Nothing in this chapter shall be deemed to empower any agency described in this section to make any regulation or ordinance. The statute in which this sentence is contained refers to zoning requirements and the agencies identified therein include cities and counties. Notwithstanding the hog producers' argument to the contrary, we do not believe that the quoted language in any way restricts the power of counties to enact zoning regulations under the general authority contained in Iowa Code chapter 331. Ordinances enacted pursuant to this authority, however, may be subject to applicable exemptions found elsewhere in the Code.