Zoning, building permits and septic rules in Wetmore Township, Kansas

Rules another office applies inside Wetmore Township

Wetmore Township does not set these itself; the county, a health district or the state does, and they apply to every address inside its limits.

• Local zoningPresent (with conditions)

  Land inside Wetmore township, Nemaha County, KS, outside the incorporated City of Wetmore, under the county's Land Development Code because no Wetmore township zoning ordinance was located. This is county zoning, not a township-adopted ordinance.

  • Applies to all unincorporated areas of Nemaha County, which includes unincorporated land in Wetmore township.
  • The code applies to incorporated areas only where a city has not enacted zoning regulations; the City of Wetmore's own zoning was not checked, so city land is not covered by this claim.
  • The code states it is the intent of the board of county commissioners that 'no broader zoning regulations be added to this code and no requirements for building permits be added to this code.'
  • Wetmore township's own website and code were not located or checked in this research; a township zoning ordinance, if one exists, would override this county claim for township land.

  “this code shall apply to all unincorporated areas and all incorporated areas of nemaha county, kansas where a city has not enacted zoning regulations in accordance with the laws of the state of kansas.”

• Zoning districtsPartial

  Land inside Wetmore township outside the incorporated City of Wetmore, under county zoning

  • The code classifies all of Nemaha County as one 'ag' agricultural district; the zoning district boundary maps (appendices a through c) were referenced but not opened.
  • District-level dimensional standards for the ag district were not located in the text searched.

  “nemaha county, kansas is hereby classified as within the "ag" agricultural district.”

• Who permits septicLocal (with conditions)

  Private wastewater (septic) systems for land inside Wetmore township, Nemaha County, KS, as administered by Northeast Kansas Environmental Services (NEKES)

  • NEKES is a regional wastewater agency; its legal status and governing body were not confirmed on the page.
  • The county health department and KDHE roles were not verified in this research.

  “a final inspection will be conducted by nekes and a final use permit sent to the homeowner.”

• Septic permitRequired

  New home or work on a private wastewater system for land inside Wetmore township, Nemaha County, KS

  • Application must be submitted with a site drawing showing the house, driveway, nearby creeks, streams or ponds, and existing and future utilities.
  • Work must be done by NEKES-licensed wastewater installers.
  • The page does not state whether the permit is needed before a home can be built; treat it as a permit required before the system is installed.

  “before you begin: visit our forms page to get an application for permit for a private wastewater system.”

• Septic inspectionRequired

  Private wastewater systems installed for land inside Wetmore township, Nemaha County, KS

  • The homeowner must notify NEKES when the system is complete.
  • All lagoons must be fenced according to Nemaha County environmental health codes before the final use permit is issued.
  • All septic systems must have a final drawing submitted to NEKES before the final use permit is issued.

  “a final inspection will be conducted by nekes and a final use permit sent to the homeowner.”

• Permit feesPublished (with conditions)

  Application for a private wastewater system permit for land inside Wetmore township, Nemaha County, KS. Only the septic application fee is published; other fees were not checked.

  • Fee is paid with the application and drawing, to either the NEKES office or the Nemaha County clerk's office.

  application fee, private wastewater system permit: 325 USD (Septic application only; other permit or inspection fees not stated)

  “submit the application, drawing and the $325 application fee to either the nekes office or the nemaha county clerk's office.”

• Permit processPartial

  Private wastewater (septic) permit process for land inside Wetmore township, Nemaha County, KS. Building permit, zoning and certificate-of-occupancy processes were not found.

  • After application, NEKES conducts a site evaluation and sends results to the homeowner, who shows them to a NEKES-licensed installer.
  • Final inspection by NEKES and a final use permit.

  “once the application is received, nekes will contact you to conduct a site evaluation to determine the best system and location for your situation.”

Still unanswered

We looked and could not find an official answer yet. Silence is not permission; ask Wetmore Township or Nemaha County directly.

• Building permit — Building permits for new homes on land inside Wetmore township outside the City of Wetmore
• Owner-builder exemption — Owner-builder exemption for land inside Wetmore township outside the City of Wetmore
• Building code adopted — Building code adoption for land inside Wetmore township outside the City of Wetmore
• Inspections — Building inspections for new homes on land inside Wetmore township outside the City of Wetmore
• Certificate of occupancy — Certificate of occupancy for new homes on land inside Wetmore township outside the City of Wetmore

Each answer was extracted from an official source and independently re-checked against that source by a second reviewer. That is an evidence check, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the authority before you buy or build.