Formal complaint filed about weekend barn dance

Chimney Rocks Campground owner Deb Keefe has filed a formal complaint with the Winneshiek County Attorney's Office and the Winneshiek County Zoning Department about a weekend barn dance at the Jim Dotzenrod property on Canoe Ridge Road.

Keefe told county supervisors Monday that she regrets that enforcement of the county's rules on conditional use permits seems to be relying--in her words--"on narcing on your neighbors."

But Keefe, whose campground has been at the center of a controversy over conditional use permits, told supervisors "You opened this can of worms."  She says the present system leads to "possible discriminatory practices," since County Zoning Administrator Tony Phillips has said he doesn't always know about community events before they occur in the county.  Keefe says the current rules "need some consistency."

County Board Chair John Logsdon told Keefe, "The goal is to have standard practices that are applied equally to all people."  County supervisors said they will await a report from Phillips on the past weekend's barn dance.