The Highlands Board of Commissioners voted on two proposals from the town’s Land Use Committee on amendments to the code of ordinances regarding grubbing and burning as well as noise levels at their October meeting.
The proposal on grubbing and burning presented the commissioners with two options consisting of the choice to either disallow all forms of grubbing and burning within town limits or to just ban grubbing but continue to allow burning of certain things such as leaves.
Mayor Patrick Taylor agreed with option one, however, he said that he does believe people should be allowed to burn their leaves as long as it stays on the homeowner’s property and is monitored. Commissioner Amy Patterson voiced her disagreement with the mayor, stating that she believes there are better ways to dispose of one’s leaves.
“There are other options for leaves,” Patterson said. “Burning them does nothing except put all of those particulates in the air and it increases the carbon dioxide in the air. Burning gets rid of stuff, but it also does a lot of damage and it causes not just the smoke and nuisance, but potential hazards.”
Commissioner John Dotson responded to Patterson’s comments saying that he sees nothing wrong with burning leaves, however, he does not support burning other items such as tree stumps or tires. Dotson then made a motion to adopt option number two, which was seconded by Commissioner Brian Stiehler.
Patterson requested for clarification regarding the use of the word “permitted burning” in the ordinance, asking if that meant a burning permit must be required. Assistant Planning and Development Director Michael Mathis informed her that it simply meant that it is allowed, but he believed the board could change it to make a burn permit necessary.
Highlands Fire Chief Ryan Gearhart then joined the conversation informing the board that while he recommends individuals acquire a permit to burn their leaves, it is not currently required. He also said that he does not have a problem with people burning leaves in the proper weather conditions, as it actually helps to prevent fires from spreading faster.
“[I say] burn them,” Gearhart said. “This time of the year we’re right on the brink of it being the same as it was in 2016 with as dry as it is. As long as it’s done in the right conditions, I think it’s a great thing because it reduces the fuel in case of a wildfire.”
After further conversation, in which Patterson requested the ordinance be rewritten to require burn permits for leaf burning, Dotson revoked his motion so the issue could be tabled until the November meeting, under the condition that leaf burning would still be allowed during the time between meetings.
Mathis then moved on to present the board with the Land Use Committee’s proposal on noise levels, which proposed that the existing ordinance be amended to have the defined nighttime hours, in which noise levels cannot exceed 50 decibels, begin at 10 p.m. rather than 11 p.m.
Dotson commented that he believed this was a step in the right direction, but that it would not solve the issue entirely and that the board would need to revisit the topic.
Commissioner Marc Hehn then motioned to approve the proposed amendments, which was seconded by Stiehler. The board then voted unanimously to approve the changes, after Patterson clarified that the requirement for an amplified noise permit was also part of the proposed changes as it would not be necessary if the noise levels were reduced after 10 p.m. anyway. Mathis confirmed the removal of the permit clause.