Supervisors discuss zoning fees

by Bob Beach

During its regular meeting Monday, April 2, the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors met with Zoning Administrator Tom Blake, who presented the Board with the Planning and Zoning Commission’s recommendation for zoning fees. Blake presented the Board with a chart showing that the fees proposed are comparable, but generally somewhat less than the fees charged in Winneshiek, Fayette and Clayton Counties. The proposed fees remained the same as those previously presented to the Board, with the exception of building permit fees, which the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended changing to three “tiers” - $20 for projects costing $20,000 or less, $60 for projects costing $20,000 to $60,000, and $100 for projects costing $60,000 or more.
Supervisor Lennie Burke, who objected to the Commission’s prior proposal, said, “The big guys get by and nothing’s changed. I give up. We need the money to give Tom Blake a pay raise, let’s be honest. We should make it a dollar per thousand. I’ve got to get used to it - the little guy is going to pay.”
Chairman Larry Schellhammer and Supervisor Sherry Strub suggested adding another tier for projects costing more than $100,000 with a building permit fee of $150. The Board again sent the proposal back to the Planning and Zoning Commission for further consideration.
The Board also received a telephone call from consultant Ralph Savoy, who has been working on the Robey Memorial Library expansion project in Waukon. Savoy reported that shortly after submitting a letter of intent to apply for a Vision Iowa Community and Tourism (CAT) grant, he had received notification that CAT grant applications are not currently being accepted because the funds for the program had been removed from the State’s budget. Savoy said that the CAT grant application had been a part of the fund raising campaign’s strategy from the beginning, but expressed confidence that the fund raising goal could still be reached without the grant. The Board thanked Savoy for the update.
Representatives from Helping Services of Northeast Iowa presented the Board with a proclamation declaring April to be Sexual Assault Awareness month. The Board signed the proclamation, which calls for Allamakee County residents to come together to educate the community about sexual violence, promote prevention of sexual violence in the community through education, and to hold perpetrators of sexual violence responsible for their action. Supervisor Strub suggested that Helping Services should be “very proactive” on education for both youth and adults.
The Board also met with County Engineer Brian Ridenour, who asked for and received the Board’s approval to hire David Hansmeier as a full-time Road Superintendent starting April 16 at $18.98 per hour. Ridenour also presented the Board with price quotes to replaced two motorgraders for the Secondary Roads department. The Board asked Ridenour to wait for a decision on the new equipment until union negotiations with Secondary Roads employees had concluded. Ridenour also suggested that the Board set a date for a public hearing on the County’s Title VI compliance, which involves complaints about discrimination. The Board set Monday, April 23 at 9:30 a.m. as the date and time for the hearing.
The Board also met with Makee Manor Administrator Jan Ellingson, who asked the Board to consider bids for roof repairs at the facility. The Board approved the expenditure of approximately $18,000 for roof repairs plus approximately $4,500 for insulation, if needed.
In other business, the Board met in closed session with attorney Mary Jane White and County Attorney Jill Kistler, afterwards terminating White as the special prosecutor in the case involving the Schaumberg property in Harpers Highlands and appointing Kistler as the primary prosecutor for the case. The Board also approved Kistler’s request to appoint the Winneshiek County Attorney’s Office as the prosecutor in two misdemeanor cases in which the Allamakee County Attorney’s Office has conflicts of interest.