1. The next Plan Commissioner Network meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 26, 2012, 6:30-8:00pm. Location – Town of Nepeuskun Town Hall. Topic – “Dealing with Locally Undesirable Land Uses (LULUs).” We will also have a special pre-meeting tour of the Trochinski farmstead which will highlight energy generation and savings features like solar panels, solar hot water and lots more! This tour will likely start around 5pm. More information, maps and details will be provided later. As always, information is posted here– http://winnebago.extension.wisc.edu/community-development/land-use-planning/plan-commissioner-network/ .
IF there are any specific LULUs you would like to discuss at this meeting, please email me ahead of time so I can see about finding relevant information.
2. Survey results — One of the outcomes of the April and July PCN meetings was the interest in learning about how other towns in the county implement local zoning, particularly in the areas of costs and staffing. Click here for results of that survey , which now include data from 12 towns. These data were used as part of the discussion on opting in or out of county zoning.
3. A new Plan Commissioner Handbook is out! You can download chapters for free, or order a printed copy for $15. This new edition is expanded and updated with valuable material for new and continuing Plan Commissioners. Click here — http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/clue/Pages/publications-resources/PlanCommissions.aspx
4. There will be a Zoning Board of Adjustment/Appeals Training coming up Thursday, October 25th, 5:30-8pm at the Town of Harrison Town Hall.Click here for a brochure. This is the same training that was offered in Neenah in January 2012. The Zoning Board is a different governmental body than the Plan Commission, however the responsibilities are related. Elected and appointed officials are encouraged to attend.
5. Here is a useful chart that maps out a basic zoning permitting process. In this chart you can see the types of roles and the different governmental bodies involved in various steps of the zoning process. This may be helpful as a visual aid. Please contact me if you have further questions on this.
6. The Summer 2012 Land Use tracker – is now online http://www.uwsp.edu/cnr-ap/clue/Documents/Tracker/TrackerSummer2012.pdf. In this issue: Tracking the rate of farmland loss, isolated forest patches lose species and diversity, The economic impact of Agriculture, The Economic Impact of Organic Agriculture
7. DATCP Farmland Preservation Newsletter – the August 2012 newsletter is now available — http://datcp.wi.gov/uploads/Environment/pdf/August2012Newsletter.pdf In this issue: New AEA Designations, PACE Report, PACE Project updates, Farmland Preservation and Zoning update, and Staff announcements
8. Link to Chapter 23, Winnebago County Town Zoning Ordinance – http://www.simplexcodemanager.com/WI/winnebago_county/
