COLUMBIA, 1/24/10 (Beat Byte) -- "Bad for taxpayers, bad for land owners, bad for business, bad for job creation, bad for freedom. It is also bad because it will not solve the water runoff problem."That's how Columbia realtor John Pekkala characterized a proposed Boone County stormwater ordinance designed to tackle illegal discharge, inspection protocols, and long term stormwater management. The ordinance would join other recent stormwater control mandates, including so-called "stream buffers" designed to keep development from encroaching on streams."These proposed storm water regulations would result in property sale proceeds going way down for many Boone County Property owners. It is a taking of property value," Pekkala told Boone County commissioners at their January 12 meeting. "Thousands of of dollars per acre will be stolen from Boone County taxpayers," he emphasized.Calling on Commissioners to reject "a land grab" designed by "unelected bureaucrats in Washington, D.C.," Pekkala said Boone County already has a "vast countywide storm water system," that includes ditches and other runoff canals.He also demanded to know what county government itself was doing to reduce runoff."Where is the county's storm water garden? Does the jail have rain barrels?" Pekkala asked. "I implore the Commission to rethink and not pass the current proposal take care of what you already have control of first. The County Commission does not work for the EPA. They work for us."RELATED:
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