DRAFT

Minutes of the Town of Cross Plains

Plan Commission Meeting

June 18, 2007

PRESENT:

COMMISSION MEMBERS: Jim Boland, Chair; Carl (Pat) Jones, Vice Chair; Mike Coyle; Ken Esser; Wayne Parrell; Amelia Williams

CONSULTANT: Arnold Harris

TOWN OF CROSS PLAINS BOARD SUPERVISORS: Harold Krantz; Vera Riley

Six citizens

The Town of Cross Plains Planning Commission met on Monday, June 18, 2007 from 8 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. at the Town of Cross Plains Community Center

Jim Boland called the meeting to order.  Amelia called the role (all members were in attendance), and corrections to the May 21 minutes were requested.  There being no corrections, the minutes were approved as written.

REZONE PETITIONS:

Marty L’Herault, representing Mary Bahr (Rezone Petition #9719) reported his contact with Norb Schribner.  This was in reply to the question of whether Hidden Valley Road, now a private road, would need to become a town road if a new land parcel and driveway were added. Jeff Baylis, speaking as a private citizen, said that Scribner had raised this point at the meeting when the private road agreement was established.  No written evidence seems to have been made, as Mr. L’Herault pointed out. Mr. Schribner’s letter and email put off this discussion until the petition comes before the County.  The surveyor’s opinion (Tom Grenlie via letter) was that there were no ordinances relating to how many driveways may be on a private road.  Baylis believed that the division of a substandard land parcel was meant to return a portion of the land to forest or farmland.  However, the Town of Plains Land Use Plan amendment allows the split.  Carl Jones suggested that the road agreement might take precedence over the decision of the Commission, but the agreement allowed additional lots, with no votes required by the members of the road. The public hearing at the County will be on the 26^th of June. In order to expedite the process for the Bahrs, Parrell made a motion, seconded by Coyle, to recommend approval to the Board of Supervisors.  The motion passed 6 – 0, with Jeff Baylis abstaining.   

PUBLIC INPUT FOR THE ISSUES BEFORE THE COMMISSION

Bob Bowman’s ten-page document for the Public Participation Plan, submitted at the previous Board Meeting, was brought up. Baylis suggested the way the suggestions were made was out of order, as it was not discussed at the open meeting, where the topic came up on June 11.  This brought forth a discussion of the way input should be made on topics which come before the Commission.  Carl moved, seconded by Parrell, that we disregard the input now, and bring up the notes at a later time.  Harris will send a copy of the notes to each member of the Commission.   This will be put on the agenda for the next meeting.

THE FIRST PUBLIC SURVEY

            Harris presented a shortened version of the survey from the town of Vermont.  Since this was the first time members had seen this suggested survey, we decided to bring our suggestions to the next meeting in order to develop our own survey.  There was some concern that if these papers were made public, it would be confusing to others, so we made sure that the survey is only a suggestion for now.  

            Harris discussed the practical aspects of sending out the survey and getting it returned to our PO box. He noted that the survey has an introduction, which tells people what it is about and why they should respond.  He emphasized that there would be no “slanting” or bias in the language in the survey.  It is just a start.  Other surveys will be available before the next meeting. Esser made sure that an explanation, thanks, and phone numbers would be included.

            The survey will be sent to residents, voters, property owners, non-resident landowners, renters, and anyone who lives in the Town of Cross Plains or owns extractive rights. It will be mailed not to “households”, but to individual people (as in to both a husband and wife).  If the owner is a corporation, one survey will be sent. Harris emphasized that the survey should try to get as large a percentage of the residents as possible.  The names of the people answering will not be released, though they will be on the surveys themselves.  The details were left to a future meeting.

THE MAPS OF THE TOWN OF CROSS PLAINS

            Harris passed out twenty-five 11 x 17 maps, which were of great interest. Some are being revised for greater clarity.  Louise Klopp suggested enlarging the maps for the public meetings, and Harris will look into doing this.  We spent some time reviewing the maps and quietly discussing their accuracy and usefulness.

MISCELLENEOUS SUGGESTIONS:  Be sure to label each paper sent to the Commission and the Board with a date, “draft”, and / or final, when finally passed by the Board.

ACTION ITEMS:

1) Jim Boland:

a. Agenda for the next meeting, to Williams before Friday, June 29^th

b. Also suggest agenda items for the Board meeting: especially for a decision on the Public Participation plan.

2) Harris:

a. Send Bowman’s notes and any other surveys to the members of the Planning Commission

b. Send amended draft version of the Public Participation Plan.

3) All: Read and be ready to discuss, revise, and approve:

a. Public Participation Plan

b. First Survey wording

c. First draft chapter of the new Land Use Plan (received at May 21 meeting)

4) Contact Williams or Harris if you are missing any of the documents mentioned above.

Submitted by Amelia Williams, June 19, 2007