Hearing for kennel operation owner postponed

TIPPECANOE COUNTY, Ind. (WLFI) - A hearing was scheduled to take place at Wednesday night's Board of Zoning Appeals meeting about an illegal expansion of a kennel operation that made headlines this fall.

Due to a lack of proof of publication, a hearing for Randy Sanders, owner of Sanders Border Collies, has been continued until next month.
    
By law, proof of publication is needed before a hearing can take place.
    
Last fall, County Health Department officials found the business was unsanitary and presented several health risks to people who enter the barn.
    
Although Wednesday night's hearing didn't happen, the board voted to require the county building commissioner to produce more documents.

The commissioner argued those documents weren't relevant. But Sanders' attorney said otherwise.

"What he thinks is important is not necessarily what I think is important or what the board will ultimately decide was important after the decision's made," Jim Ayres explained.

Ryan O'Gara with the Area Plan Commission believes health department documents about the kennel operation will also be submitted to the Zoning Appeals Board. The health department's attorney has referred to the kennel operation as "filthy" and "deplorable."

Board members said they would rather have too much information in front of them than not enough.

Feb. 5 is the deadline for the county to file those additional documents. The hearing is slated for the board's Feb. 27 meeting.