Bureaucracy...

Well, the wait has begun. Last Monday, I took all of the information that I had to the Code Compliance office for a building permit. That office was great and told me that they would issue a permit on the spot once I was signed off by Zoning and Environmental. I knew Environmental would be a piece of cake since I was just digging a 4 foot deep hole. Zoning was another question. The man who was reviewing my site plan said that I could only go to 35 feet because of code. He asked for engineering drawings, etc and I told them that they were left at the Code Compliance office. I asked if he had a computer that I could use to show him why I disputed his thoughts. When I showed him the state law that allows a 75 foot minimum tower by right, he got upset because obviously county code and state law are conflicting. He would not sign off on the plan until he cleared it with the county attorney's office. I called back on Wednesday and he said that he had not heard from the county attorney's office and was going to e-mail them now. If I do not hear something back soon, I am going to start the ball rolling on this side by contacting my member of the board of supervisors to start asking questions. The problem I have is that I work for the county!!!! So, if I stir up too much hate and discontent, it could come back to bite me. So, I am in a holding pattern and trying to get things moving on the tower. I want to get this thing up before spring, but things are not going so well with the zoning issue. I have offered to assist the zoning office with drafting a new code section that will incorporate state law and make it easier for hams to be given permits wherever possible, but was not very well received.