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Minute of the Richland County Zoning Committee Meeting
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Item # 1 The Zoning committee meeting was called to order by Chairman Rasmussen at 9:00 am. Those present or who signed up to speak were Chairman Richard Rasmussen, Jim Lewis, Marilyn Marshall, Gaylord Deets, Bob Holets, Virginia Wiedenfeld, Ben Southwick, Ken Hanson, Merlin Jones, Bill Seep, James Alt, Lawana Alt, Harriet Pedley and Cheryl Dull.
Item #2 Motion by Gaylord, seconded by Virginia, to approve the publication and amended agenda. Motion carried.
Item #3 Moved by Rasmussen declared the amended minutes approved as presented.
Start of Public Hearing 9:01 am.
Item #4 The committee heard a petition from Merlin & Jeffery Jones to rezone approximately 4 acres from Agriculture and Forestry to Agriculture/Residential in Section 28 of Marshall Township.
Discussion: Ken Hanson stated the Jones’s have their property for sale with an accepted offer. After investigation it was discovered to be illegal after some prior splits. The want to keep animals so are requesting it be rezoned to Ag/Res. If they cannot have animals the offer will be withdrawn. Pedley told the Committee they were scheduled to go before the Board of Adjustments because it is less than 5 acres although no one was there to represent the petition so it was tabled. It is on the Board of Adjustments agenda again on August 5 as it cannot go to County Board without approval by them. It will go to County Board in August. Pedley stated no neighbors were heard from.
Motion by Wiedenfeld to approve the petition contingent on the Board of Adjustment approval in August, seconded by Holets. Motion carried.
Item # 5 Wiedenfeld presented to the Committee a petition from Rick & Deb Manning to rezone property in Ithaca Township.
Discussion: Wiedenfeld stated Rick & Deb Manning want to sell some land to their Daughter in the future to build a house. Harriet stated she cannot approve the CSM because there is no recorded easement.
Motion by Lewis to table the petition until the CSM is approved, seconded by Marshall. Motion carried. Wiedenfeld abstained from the vote.
Item # 6 The committee heard a petition from James & Lawana Alt to rezone 2 acres from Ag/For to Commercial for the purpose to selling the land to Westford Township for expansion of their town facilities in Section 21 of Westford Township. Pedley stated that the Town of Westford submitted their approval by letter and Bill Seep is present to speak in favor of the petition.
Discussion: James Alt stated that Westford Township wants to buy the land to build a salt shed, improve their town hall, install a well and new septic. Pedley stated no neighbors were heard from.
Moved by Holets, seconded by Marshall to approve the petition and pass to the next county board session in July. Motion carried.
Item # 11 Bill Seep is here from Westford Township and Cazenovia to speak in reference to the motorcycle rally at Bunker Hill on August 19, 20, 21 of 2010. He is concerned about the liabilities to the county and township for permitting this if something were to happen. Ben Southwick is present to say he had spoken with Pedley concerning the rally and that this is an allowed use in Ag/F district. On 4/23/02 there was an ordinance created for gatherings over 2000 people that there must get proper sanitary disposal and proper permits. He could file an injunction to cease the rally although this would have costs associated with it and has not been won in past cases. Hogan from the Sheriff’s dept is here to state this isn’t the first time that this has been approached and in order for this ordinance to be in affect there has to be more than 2000 people there for more than 24 hours. Hogan stated his doesn’t not feel that it has occurred that way in the past. Furthermore part 2 of the ordinance says that a license is required if 2000 or more people AND the assembly is held 12 or more consecutive hours. Both parts one and two must be met to have this ordinance go into effect. Harriet stated that the ordinance does not list this as a permitted use so she contacted Department of Ag for their input. They said it is not their police to get in involved in this kind of temporary use. Pedley continued to say if they want to pursue this then they would have to consider that family reunions, graduation parties, corn mazes, etc. are not permitted uses. Pedley stated Bill Seep is a neighbor.
Motion by Holets to deny the request to pass this issue for a violation of the zoning ordinance to the county board, seconded by Wiedenfeld. Deets was opposed to the denial. Motion carried.
Item # 7 Mike Goebel stated there is grant money available for coordinate location. Approximately 50% of the county is done. At one time all corners were monumented but some have been destroyed. There is $12,000 to use by June 2011 and $7,500 to use by December 31, 2010. Mike can send out bids and will need a bid opening on August 2nd at 9:30 in the County Board room. Motion by Lewis for Goebel to approve bid letting to be sent out with a return date of July 30th, second by Virginia. Motion carried.
Item # 8 Pedley stated there is an extension on the deadline and she has not had time to review it.
Item # 9 & 10 The original was sent in April, of which they returned recommended changes which was reviewed in June and were then sent back in for review. They were returned with more changes. Changes were reviewed. Motion by Holets to approve the recommended changes, second by Wiedenfeld. Motion carried.
Item # 12 Pedley stated she received a fax from Keith that the horses were don’t. She placed a call to him because she had heard he was moving them to his mothers. He did not answer or return her call so she drove down by his house and seen they were moved then continued down to his mother’s house. She did not see a thing at his mothers. While she was gone Keith called the office and said he would not tell were the horses were moved to.
Item # 13 Pedley stated she had received a phone call from someone who was referred to us by the DNR to get a fur farm permit. She ask what she is going to have on her fur farm and she said she wasn’t having a fur farm but will have a pet skunk and the DNR told her she needed county approval in order to issue a DNR permit.
Item # 12 Next meeting is set for August 2 at 9:30 am. Motion to adjourn by Deeds at 2:54, second by Bob. Motion carried.