After a lengthy public hearing during the Caledonia City Council meeting on April 10, the board approved creating a seven-person ad hoc planning committee to discuss the proposed changes to the town’s zoning map as it relates to agricultural and residential land use.
Mayor DeWayne (Tank) Schroeder called the meeting to order at 6 p.m. He led his fellow council members and visitors in the Pledge of Allegiance. Also in attendance were council members Robert (Bob) Klug, Amanda Ninneman, David Fitzpatrick and Ryan Stenzel. The council approved the agenda and the minutes from the March 27 regular city council meeting.
Simply put, ordinance 2023-02 “adopts a new zoning map that replaces all agricultural parcels with residential,” summarized City Administrator Jake Dickson. “The basis for doing it now is we have so few residential lots left.”
Sheri Allen, an agricultural landowner within the city limits, spoke on behalf of a group of landowners who have been meeting. The group asked that the council decline or table rezoning the agriculture parcels of land to R-1 suburban residential. In addition, the landowners asked the council to create a community planning committee comprised of members who actually own land that is being affected. Allen ended by stating, “Changes should be applied with a purpose of overall growth and positive movement forward for the entire community of taxpayers, not to benefit individual gain or personal objectives of current or past government officials.”
Council member Ninneman shared her thoughts, “I would like to say that I really appreciate all of you for being here and for coming and talking. I mean this like we have been saying. This has just come to the council and have just started discussing. The fact that you were all notified is what needed to happen because it brought all of you here and we were actually able to hear from you guys. The whole point of a public hearing is to hear from you and get input from you in order to be able to make decisions. I think the fact that the ordinance is what we were discussing here did not ever mean that is what we for sure doing but what we were considering but after the public comment. Thank you for showing up and for caring enough to be here. And for caring enough about our town to be here.” Because there would not be a whole lot of reason to be zoning anything if the people who owned the land and our property who lived here didn’t care.”
The ad hoc committee is tasked with discussing the proposed ordinance and either rewriting the ag ordinance or coming back to the council with a solution for the council to consider. The board and the staff have also discussed the importance of creating a city planning commission and the committee is the first step in creating a commission.
In one unanimous vote, the council approved the consent agenda including paying the bills, hiring James Fitzpatrick, Griffen Heaney, Emelia Kittleson, and Caden Hauser as lifeguards for the 2023 season; approved the petition and waiver agreements from property owner Norman Snodgrass and Houston County to pave one block on Washington Street without following the normal assessment process as outlined in chapter 429, and approved the final payment to Wapasha Construction Co. Inc in the amount of $16,856.65 for work performed on Well No. 8.
In other business, the council:
• Approved the annual updates to the Fire Department Relief Association bylaws. The two proposed changes are to raise the annual pension for the firefighter by $100 from $1,300 to $1,400 and drop the annual membership fee of $3.00. The members of the association will vote on May 1, whether to ratify the new by-laws or not.
• Reviewed the overtime report for March 6 through 19.
• Adjourned the meeting at 7:52 p.m.
The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Caledonia City Council is Monday, April 24, at 6 p.m. at the Caledonia City Hall, 231 E. Main Street. The The next regularly scheduled meeting of the Caledonia City Council is Monday, April 24, at 6 p.m. at the Caledonia City Hall, 231 E. Main Street. The public is invited to attend.
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