Pig Dispute Comes to County Court
At its regular meeting May 12, the Glasscock County Commissioners’ Court found itself involved in a conflict between County AgriLife Agent (Ag) Rebel Royall’s family and the John Wayne Cypert family. The dispute centers on the Royall’s intention to have pigs on their recently purchased property, which includes a house and four additional lots in northeastern Garden City, adjacent to Leasa Cypert Lowery and husband Kenny’s house. The Royall property is also across the street from John Wayne and Linda Cypert’s house and that of Cypert’s mother, Johnnie Cypert.
John Wayne and his son Ed Wayne Cypert presented a petition signed by 49 people which reads: “We the undersigned would like it to show that we are opposed to allowing hogs/pigs to be raised commercially or privately on or within 100 feet of any privately owned residential lot within the town/city limits of Garden City, Texas. We feel by allowing such facilities to be installed, property values and the quality of living of surrounding properties will be adversely effected (sic). We also have concerns for the health and well being of children and seniors who suffer allergies and other more severe medical issues and reside within close proximity to the proposed site. We are filing this petition to show support for the rights of local residents to prevent such installations that adversely affect our community.”
Show Pigs Said To Be Different
Cynthia Royall (Rebel Royall was not present at the meeting) said her family cannot afford property in the country, saying it would take $1,000 per acre to purchase unimproved land before a house is built, septic system installed, electricity provided, etc.
She insisted that only six pigs would be housed on the property; show stock for their children. She said show animals are kept cleaner than ordinary hogs and that droppings are hauled away with the hay from the pens.
She said Linda Cypert had called her husband when the property was available once before to say they and their livestock would be welcome neighbors.
Wayne Cypert strongly denied that his wife had ever made such a call.
Cypert: Family Welcome, But Not Pigs
Cypert said they would welcome the Royalls as neighbors, but not the pigs. He said no one in Garden City wants pigs in town, and that the Royalls should have checked with their prospective neighbors about having pigs before buying the property. He said the pigs will be located much too close to others’ property and infringe on others rights, as well as being a health concern because of odor and dust. He said the pigs simply cannot be located there.
Royall responded that if the Cyperts truly welcomed them as neighbors, they would not object to the pigs. She added that they plan to add a fence for their own privacy when money allows. She said there is no county ordinance against having animals inside Garden City.
No Action Taken
Commissioners told the parties that the court needed time to discuss the matter, and the three complainants left the meeting. Later, near the end of the meeting, the court went back to the matter, with County Judge Wilburn Bednar saying that any ordinance passed by the county court would have to apply countywide since Garden City is not incorporated. [ Ed: And presumably, any such ruling passed now would not be retroactive.] Bednar said if the Texas Health Department finds there is a health issue, it is out of the county’s hands. There was no real discussion of the matter, and no action was taken.