The Equestrian Commission is scheduled to meet on Monday evening at 6:30 PM. The commission has not met in nearly a year. On the agenda are several items, including discussions on Fencing and Horse Boarding Regulations. However the most interesting item seems to be something called the Illinois State Farm Nuisance Act Presentation. We researched this topic, and apparently it is legislation that has been promoted by the Horsemen’s Council of Illinois and local Equestrienne Elaine Ramesh. The legislation has already passed the Illinois Senate and House, and, from what we can tell, it is awaiting the Governor’s signature.
It would add the keeping of horses and horse BOARDING to the current state law which protects existing livestock farms from being lawsuits on the basis of nuisance. The original law was intended to protect actual agricultural farms from being sued as a nuisance by neighbors because of odors, dust or noise generated by the routine performance of farming chores, but it seems as though the activists in the Horsemen’s Council are using this to bypass local zoning ordinances, such as ours in Barrington Hills. Horse boarding in our view is NOT agricultural, as there is no agricultural product which is generated. We would strongly urge residents to attend this meeting.
At the time of publication, only the agenda was available here, but no meeting packet materials were posted. The Trustee Liaison to the Commission is newly elected Trustee Paula Jacobsen.
CORRECTION: Michelle Maison is still the liaison to the commission.
From the Horsemen’s Council of Illinois Facebook page