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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPlanning & Zoning 10-14-08 NOTICE OF MEETING AND AGENDA PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE TUESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 2008 8:30 A.M. ST CROIX COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, ROOM 1281 1101 CARMICHAEL ROAD, HUDSON, WISCONSIN CALL TO ORDER ROLL CALL ADOPTION OF AGENDA APPROVAL OF PREVIOUS MINUTES DATE OF NEXT MEETING OLD AND NEW BUSINESS 1. Land Use Ordinance Applications a. Ziegler Rezoning Decision b. Bettendorf Rezoning Decision c. Municipal Plats d. Waivers and rezones to be scheduled e. Discussion of Plats and CSM's currently in the review process 2. Planning and Zoning Business a. Bills and Revenue Reports b. Personnel Update* c. Suite Remodeling d. Recycling Ordinance Review e. Comprehensive Plan Update L Code Administration Report g. Resolution Approving Amendment to Town of Hudson Zoning Ordinance — Industrial District Repackaging 3. 2009 Budget ANNOUNCEMENTS & CORRESPONDENCE POSSIBLE AGENDA ITEMS FOR NEXT MEETING ADJOURN (Items may be taken in different order) * Additions /Changes /Corrections DATE: October 9, 2008 i MINUTES PLANNING AND ZONING COMMITTEE ST. CROIX COUNTY GOVERNMENT CENTER, HUDSON WI October 14, 2008 Present: Committee: Supervisors Gene Ruetz, Lorin Sather, Sharon Norton - Bauman, Steve Hermsen, Peter Post Absent: Staff: Dave Fodroczi, Kevin Grabau, Ellen Denzer, Alex Blackburn, Jennifer Havens, Kay Walsh, Chuck Whiting, Judy Olson Guests: Call to Order: Chair Ruetz called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. Adoption of Agenda: Motion by Sather, 2 nd by Post to adopt the agenda. Motion carried. Approval of Previous Minutes: Motion by Post, 2 nd by Hermsen to approve the minutes of September 9 and September 16, 2008. Motion carried. Date of Next Meeting: Fodroczi stated that an additional meeting is needed this month for the purpose of approving the 2009 budget. Old and New Business: Land Use Ordinance Applications Ziegler Rezoning Decision - Grabau stated that a recommendation has been received from the Town of Stanton to approve the rezoning request and that the request is consistent with WSS 91.77. Motion by Sather, 2 nd by Ruetz to approve the rezoning. Motion carried unanimously. Bettendorf Rezoning Decision - Motion by Sather, 2nd by Ruetz to disapprove this rezoning request. Ruetz stated that the original commercial zoning was determined to be illegal by the court. That zoning was invalid. The Town is strongly against this. It is not up to us to defy the towns. They are the grassroots government. There is no choice but to go with the town. This was a new request, since the others were voided, and is not compatible with the area. Commercial zoning doesn't fit the area. Spot zoning is not allowed. Norton - Bauman stated this is not an industrial area. Hermsen stated that he looked into the background of this. The appellate court gave very clear direction. They ruled that what was done 23 years ago was improper. We can't, as a committee, redo the same mistake. Post stated that he recommends to go with the town. Motion carried unanimously. Municipal Plats - none Waivers and rezones to be scheduled - none Discussion of Plats and CSM's currently in the review process - Blackburn distributed and reviewed the list of last month's submittals as well as corresponding Technical Review Committee letters. Hermsen stated that we need to be concerned with lot sizes and how farmland is developed. Lot sizes increased in recent years because of POWTS. He suggested that we could cluster homes. Ruetz stated that there is one cluster development in the Town of Hammond. The Town of Troy has transfer of development rights. Blackburn stated that the concept is there and there are incentives for developers to do cluster developments. Fodroczi - stated that what he plans to see on the upcoming Land Use Tour is programs and policy approaches that have not been implemented here, either at the local or state level. There is a substantial initiative at the state level coming out of the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection called a Working Lands Initiative which is focused on farmland and forestland. Looking at updating our farmland preservation program which is 30 years old and adding a couple things to it and simplifying the tax benefit portion of it. That is a work in progress at the state level. We recognized the particular issues of conservation design, lowering lot sizes, open space and clustering lots when doing the County Plan adopted in 2000. Adding those provisions to our ordinances was one of the recommendations from the County Plan which led to developing those components in our Zoning Ordinance, Land Division Ordinance and tying those things to the additions of common systems in the sanitary code. All three ordinances were updated in 2006. Whatever is developed on the Working Lands Initiative at the State level, and whatever we come up with as part of updating the Comprehensive Plan, is intended to identify any change in policy or ordinance standards over the next few years. Hermsen asked that, given the advances in technology that have gone on, do we have that ability as a committee to react fast enough before it is out of date. Fodroczi stated that it was five years from the time the plan was adopted until all of those provisions in three different ordinances were adopted. Reviewing the issues and bringing everyone into the process as part of developing the plan, having the input is an important part of the plan process. 10 years is about the frequency of revising the plan for our County. Revisions more often would be good. Planning and Zoning Business Bills and Revenue Reports - The September 2008 Planning Bills and Revenue Reports and the September 2008 Zoning Bills and Revenue Reports were reviewed by the Committee. Motion by Post, 2 nd by Hermsen to approve the Zoning Bills for September totaling $9,205.18. Motion carried. Motion by Norton - Bauman, 2 nd by Post to approve the Planning Bills totaling $13,957.88. Motion carried. Hermsen questioned if the Register of Deeds provides such reports. Walsh stated that she has never had a request to do so. Personnel Update - Fodroczi reported that Jenny Shillcox has resigned her position effective October 31. She is taking a new position as River Coordinator with Minnesota DNR. There has been no action taken to refill the position. There is also one other change since development of the budget. This year's election could also affect one staff position. Suite Remodeling - Fodroczi distributed copies of the recently updated plan for office remodeling. He reviewed the plan highlighting major changes. Fodroczi talked with Deputy John Shilts regarding security and the office layout. Shilts is pleased with the new design. For added security the south entrance to the office will be locked. The final drawing and cost estimate will be ready for the next meeting. Committee recessed from 9:45 to 9:55 a.m. Recycling Ordinance Review - Havens reported that she researched and found answers to the questions from the Committee at last month's meeting. Regarding practice burns for firefighter training, there is a ruling in the Natural Resources Administrative Rule 502 that exempts the practice burning for firefighters from the State rule. Demolition notification must be given to the air management program of the department. All asphalt shingles must be removed, and all asphalt and plastic siding from the building as well as all material containing asbestos. Ash from 2 the burned structure must be disposed of in a landfill approved by the department. Havens recommended those activities be exempt as State rules will be followed. Staff also revisited the requirement of decals on containers so they would be safer and meet the requirements of using those containers on property. There are no requirements that have been used in the past. She talked with Waste Management. Their concern is about the mobility of the containers as they would not necessarily be used just in St. Croix County. There is concern with the cost since they would need to use decals on all their containers. This is something for Committee discussion. No language on this issue is available. DNR had no strong feelings about recommending it or not recommending it. Fodroczi stated that after the last meeting, Norton -Bauman sent a letter to Corporation Counsel about the review schedule, and all Committee members should have received a reply. We have responded to questions from Corporation Counsel staff and got initial inquiry about authority issues. Our staff just received a more specific set of questions the previous day. A public hearing will not be held on November 18. The current timeline is unrealistic. We will need to wait for the review to be done then revisit the timeline and schedule the public hearing. Committee agreed to schedule the next regular Committee meeting on November 10 at 8:30 a.m. Comprehensive Plan Update - Denzer stated that the town surveys went out two weeks ago. A random sampling was done. We need 280 returns and 322 were received. Deer Park did a double mailing, two to each household. Need 100 returns, 81 received. Richmond surveys went out last Friday. Information has not been received from Regional Planning to start the process. She is working on the Citizen Advisory Committee. Pete Kling is contacting some of the people identified. Denzer distributed a list of those identified so far and those yet to be contacted. A kickoff meeting is being planned for these people and will be combined with Richmond, Emerald and Deer Park. The tentative date is November 11 or 13 at WITC in New Richmond. Code Administration Report - Grabau noted the loss of Jenny Shillcox who will be leaving her position as Zoning Specialist. Staff has taken over her responsibilities while she was on maternity leave, but anticipated her return. She handled her responsibilities very well. This will be a loss to the department. We cannot easily move someone into that position. With all the Board of Adjustment, shoreland and Riverway issues, it will take a long time to have a new person take full responsibility. Referring to budget items, Grabau stated that we haven't seen much drop in land use permits and are still getting Riverway, shoreland, filling and grading applications. Part of the reason is code enforcement. Dan Sitz has been here six months and is doing an excellent job with code enforcement. Sitz has made headway with a lot of the files. The outcome of much of the enforcement has brought additional activity requiring permits for Board of Adjustment approval. Many of the issues have been fixed. Norton -Bauman asked about the Bettendorf non - metallic mining issue. Grabau stated that staff is still pushing ahead with this. After much discussion on the Bettendorf issues and the Sukowatey issues, Norton -Bauman requested that Grabau update the Committee on these each month. Resolution Approving Amendment to Town of Hudson Zoning Ordinance — Industrial District Repackaging - Denzer reviewed the document. Motion by Post, 2 " by Sather to approve the resolution and send to County Board for approval. Motion carried. unanimously. 3 2009 Budget - Walsh gave a review of the changes in the Register of Deeds budget since approval in August. She met with Finance Committee in September and eliminated the temp position in her department — an $18,000 savings. After the October 2 meeting she was directed to cut an additional $50,000. She did a spreadsheet showing the eliminations from the first budget, and the additional which will eliminate the least senior position making a $51,390 budget reduction. With this cut, however, the indexing project will not be done now. Because this is a union position and because this is pay grade two, it will make it difficult for that person to bump someone. In the past 10 years Walsh has tried to upgrade positions in her department to pay grade three. In 2004 the Personnel Committee approved positions descriptions but not the pay upgrade. The least senior position can only bump anyone with the same pay grade level or lower. This position elimination will reduce the full time staff from five to four. Ruetz stated that this should be on the November meeting agenda. This was presented to Finance Committee but was tabled. She estimated a 15% drop in activity in the last few years and a lesser drop in revenue. Fodroczi stated that he was asked by Finance to cut $100,000 from the P & Z budget. He discussed this cut last week with Ruetz and Norton- Bauman before going to Finance Committee. When he determined the 5% and 10% cuts, he proposed to reduce hours of Real Property staff resulting in a 5% cut. He also proposed a reduction in support staff and filling the office manager position. Those would total $80,000. He looked at other adjustments in personnel costs. Since it went to Finance Committee, other adjustments affected our budget — all led to reductions in personnel costs including retirement costs and health insurance. That generated a $45,000 reduction in levy budget. Our proposed budget includes 8% reduction for 2009, a 10% reduction - 13% reduction over 2008. Finance was satisfied with the $100,000 reduction. Fodroczi stated that we now have one staff vacancy and the election could result in another vacancy. With these vacancies there could be more than a $100,000 reduction. There are three important aspects in dealing with budget cuts; financial, services and working with staff to provide those services. He wants to work with staff to come up with a better way to meet the $100,000 requested cut. Committee agreed to schedule a meeting on October 29 at 8:30 a.m. The agenda will include the budget, remodeling, Citizens Advisory Committee for comprehensive planning and adjustment to rezoning fees for the Austrum's. Announcements and Correspondence - Possible Agenda Items for the Next Meeting: The meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m. ectfully submitt d: y Olson, )(ecording Secretary Lorin Sather, Secretary 10 -14 -08 4