OPPOSE ORDINANCE 24-05: TAKE ACTION NOW

​Lawrence County residents, your right to influence local zoning decisions is under threat! Ordinance 24-05, if passed, will fundamentally change how Conditional Use Permits are approved, eliminating public oversight and the ability to challenge decisions through a referendum.

What Would Ordinance 24-05 Do? 
Currently, decisions on Conditional Use Permits follow this process:

1. The Planning & Zoning Committee reviews and makes recommendations.
2. The County Commissioners vote to approve or deny the permit.
3. Citizens have the right to file a referendum petition to bring the issue to a public vote if they disagree with the decision.

Under Ordinance 24-05, this process changes dramatically:

• The responsibility for approving or denying Conditional Use Permits will shift entirely to the Board of Adjustment, whose members are appointed by the Commissioners (and include the Commissioners themselves).
• Decisions by the Board of Adjustment will not be subject to referendum, meaning citizens lose their ability to challenge decisions that impact their communities.​

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What’s at Stake?
Conditional Use Permits apply to a wide range of activities, including but not limited to:

• Mineral exploration, drilling for oil or natural gas, and large-scale gravel extraction
• Restricted solid waste disposal facilities
• Livestock auction yards and commercial feedlots

These activities could significantly impact neighborhoods, property values, and our environment—and this ordinance would remove your ability to hold decision-makers accountable.

Read about the first reading of the ordinance in the Black Hills Pioneer

How Can You Help?
📧 EMAIL THE COMMISSIONERS
Send a message to oppose Ordinance 24-05. Your email doesn’t have to be long—what matters is that your voice is heard.

• [email protected]
• Bob Ewing  [email protected]
• Brandon Flanagan  [email protected]
• Eric Jennings  [email protected]
• Richard Sleep  [email protected]
• Rick Tysdal  [email protected]

🗓 ATTEND THE MEETING
Join us at the second reading of Ordinance 24-05:

• Date: Tuesday, November 26th
• Time: 9:15 AM
• Location: Lawrence County Commissioners Meeting Room

Even though public comment will not be allowed, your presence will show the Commissioners that their constituents are paying attention.
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📝 SAMPLE EMAIL
Subject: Oppose Ordinance 24-05
Dear Commissioners,
I strongly oppose Ordinance 24-05 because it removes critical public oversight from the process of approving Conditional Use Permits. These decisions impact all of us, and citizens must retain the right to challenge them through a referendum. This ordinance concentrates power in the hands of a single board and silences the voice of the community.
I urge you to vote NO on Ordinance 24-05 and preserve the rights of Lawrence County residents to participate in our local government.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]