Mower ropes up livestock response trailer
Published 10:16 am Wednesday, July 1, 2015
Mower County is set to corral disaster for years to come.
The Mower County board approved a $10,000 grant from the Minnesota Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management during a public meeting Tuesday to get a livestock response trailer, which will be used to capture and pen animals during an emergency call.
“It’s a containment unit, not a transportation unit,” Emergency Management Coordinator Amy Lammey told the board.
County officials will buy fencing and other containment tools from the Austin Runnings this week. Adams Fire Department will take charge of the trailer, but departments that request its use will be responsible for clean-up after it’s deployed.
Mower County has eyed a livestock response trailer for several years as a huge amount of animals are transported throughout the county. Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi told the board the trailer would help deputies save time during a road accident by keeping animals in one place.
“We have a high volume [of animals being transported] in this county,” Amazi said.
In other news, the board:
—passed a liquor license for Four Daughters Vineyard & Winery, though the license may cause Four Daughters to run afoul of zoning regulations.
According to county officials, Four Daughters recently applied for a full liquor license as it expands its business near Grand Meadow. Yet the winery’s conditional use permit and zoning district may not allow for the winery’s license, which would legally make it the equivalent of a bar or restaurant.
Wineries are allowed to have full liquor licenses under state law, according to County Attorney Kristen Nelsen. The problem lies in the agriculture district where the winery is located. County officials will research the issue to see whether Four Daughters violates any zoning or conditional use policies.