St. Cloud council asks staff to draft code protecting county 4‑H exemptions for annexed properties

Mayor Chris Robertson and council members spent an extended portion of the meeting on whether county 4‑H exemptions should continue after properties are annexed into St. Cloud. Staff presented a draft approach that would allow property owners who enter the city with active 4‑H or FFA registrations to preserve their exemptions for the duration of the membership provided they can produce proof of current participation.

Tisha Manning, interim director of community development, said the city’s land‑development code currently requires compliance with certain agricultural zoning provisions (minimum half‑acre lots and 25‑foot setbacks for animal housing), while Osceola County exemptions do not. “Our recommendation is to allow those property owners to continue the program and keep said animals until the expiration of the current program, provided that the 4‑H exemption or Future Farmers of America registration participation can be provided upon request,” Manning said.

Extension agents who work with 4‑H testified the program often continues beyond the fair season and that members may retain animals year‑to‑year. Jessica Sullivan, an agriculture agent, asked the council for clearer language about what constitutes the end of a program year and how the city will verify continuous enrollment: “I would like the wording to be a little more clear so that it’s not misinterpreted,” she said. Rachel Fernandez, livestock and forages extension agent, offered field support and on‑site verifications to ensure animal health and appropriate housing.

Councilmembers and members of the public emphasized two constraints the city must respect: homeowners association covenants and the city’s public‑nuisance or setback standards. Council discussion focused on creating a nonconforming‑use approach that would allow continued participation for property owners already engaged in 4‑H while limiting new, post‑annexation expansions and restricting transfers to new owners. Assistant city staff proposed adding conditions such as: verification by the county extension office, limits tied to property size (the code references 20 small animals per acre and a half‑acre minimum), and a nonconforming‑use clause that could expire if no verified program participation occurs for a set period.

Council asked staff and the city attorney to draft a revised ordinance that: (1) preserves active county 4‑H exemptions upon annexation when verified by the extension office; (2) clarifies that exemptions require continuous enrollment or verification; and (3) includes nonconforming‑use safeguards (e.g., tying status to the existing property owner and establishing abandonment rules). Mayor Robertson said he wanted a draft returned to Planning & Zoning and later to council for first and final readings.

Next steps: staff will prepare a land‑development‑code amendment for the Planning & Zoning Commission and subsequent council readings. The council did not take a final vote tonight.