Quit dithering

Blaine County officials need to quit dithering and give themselves a deadline for revamping zoning in the south county, or leaving current ordinances in place.

Last August, the county enacted a moratorium on new subdivisions on agricultural lands. Although the county plan called for protection and preservation of agricultural lands, subdivision applications were beginning to pile up. So, the county called a halt to give it time to face the contradiction between the plan’s goal of protection and the fact that the lands are zoned for a home on every 20 acres.

The county looked at the idea of creating a system in which farmers and ranchers could sell off development rights to others who could use them elsewhere. Who would buy the rights and where units could be built are still unknown. The whole scheme is bogged down in uncertainty and controversy. The county seems no closer to an answer than when it started.

The original moratorium has already been extended once. Before the county commissioners approve another extension, they need to give the public a clear idea of what they hope to accomplish. They’ve spent enough time studying, consulting and dithering over a program that has serious flaws. They need to decide what to do. Then they need to do it.

As any journalist can attest, a deadline has a powerful way of focusing the mind on the job at hand.