Dispute over a proposed livestock operation in rural Morton County, north of the Crown Butte Dam, proved a hot topic at Tuesday's public forum debate for that county's commission candidates at the City/County Building in Bismarck.

Candidates participating were Matt Erhardt, Dick Tokach, Bruce Strinden, Ron Balkowitsch, Mark Bitz and Susan Beehler.

Strinden said the issue has gone through several cycles: "The first place that the feedlot went through was the Planning and Zoning Board. In my view, the Planning and Zoning Board acted perfectly and appropriately in their decision to pass this on to the county commission. Their job was to determine setback - if that was proper - and also if the zoning was proper."

He said in this case it was: "I believe the vote of the county commission also was appropriate. This land is zoned agricultural. Certainly, I sympathize with the residents of that area … ultimately this whole thing falls on the North Dakota Health Department. … They are the ones that are going to have to determine if there are any drawbacks there from the drainage or anything else that could be harmful to those citizens."

Strinden said the right decisions have been made so far.

"I think the harmonious blending of agriculture and urban will come out right," he said.

Balkowitsch agreed the responsibility now lies with the health department to determine if the site is an appropriate place if that the feedlot organizers have enough water to go ahead with it.

"I'm sure there will still be a period of time before this is resolved," he said.

Tokach said the feedlot concept was formulated by several knowledgeable people.

"There also was lengthy discussion on both sides. Both sides had the opportunity to plead their case," Tokach said. "One of the persons opposed to it did file a lawsuit. It will be in court quite soon."

"The issue was very controversial in Morton County," Bitz said. "One of the questions that remains unanswered is, are we looking at a project that infringes on residential, or are we looking at residential that infringes on agriculture?

"I am confident we made the proper decision as a planning and zoning board,"he said. "We toured the feedlot. It smells like a farm, but there's no (unbearable) odor if it's run properly. I think it will be good for Morton County."

He predicts it will help other businesses such as truck drivers and veterinarians.

"It's not just a narrow scope project," Bitz said. "I think it's going to have a positive impact on Morton County. I am confident that the fear residents in the subdivision have will be relieved when they see what a fine operation it will turn out to be."

Beehler said the friction was part of the growing process to come to a solution.

"I believe they researched it. But, I also feel for what the residents went through - their fear of their water being contaminated, their way of life threatened," she said.

Beehler said the planning and zoning committee could have validated and addressed their concerns better: "I felt people thought this was a done deal already," Beehler said.

Erhardt said he had been one of the commissioners who voted against the feed lot:"I have nothing against the feed lot. The problem I had was there was an aquifer under that feed lot. … That's a source of reserve water we should be looking at very seriously. … We should have been able to find another place for them."

The forum was sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Bismarck and Mandan and Community Access Television.

(Reach reporter LeAnn Eckroth at 250-8264 or leann.eckroth@bismarcktribune.com.)