Sewer board files for zoning change for parks land
In today’s Marketplace section, you’ll see a legal advertisement placed by the Brown County Regional Sewer District board. It’s announcing a public hearing about a zoning designation for land to build a sewer plant.
The land that the sewer board is seeking for the sewer plant to serve Bean Blossom is the same parcel it tried to get earlier this year, at the base of Bean Blossom Hill along State Road 135 North.
Sewer board member Clint Studabaker said last week that the purpose of this hearing is to see if the Brown County Board of Zoning Appeals will grant a “special exception,” a zoning designation needed to build a sewer plant. If the BZA grants it, talks can continue between the parks board and the sewer board, he said.
The parks board and sewer board have met twice in the past couple weeks to talk about this topic: In open session at the parks board’s regular meeting Nov. 20, and then in closed session Nov. 25. On Nov. 18, the sewer board had sent a letter to the parks board saying that it was “interested in acquiring” the parks-owned land on the east side of State Road 135 south of Beanblossom Creek. At their Nov. 20 meeting, the parks board voted to continue talks with the sewer board about it.
No parks activities happen on this land; it is forest that has been logged in the past. It’s not the area on the ridge across from the Bean Blossom Overlook that was logged early this year, but it is part of the same land mass that’s all owned by Brown County Parks and Recreation.
The parks board had voted in May to transfer the land at 4687 State Road 135 North to the sewer board for $1; but then in July, when all members were present, the board went the opposite direction and voted to rescind the offer. At the time, parks board members had legal questions about whether a sewer plant could go on that land because of decades-old restrictions that had been placed upon it.
The letter which the sewer board sent the parks board on Nov. 18 said that the sewer district would prepare an “option agreement” for this land which would be contingent on details such as an appraisal, BZA approval of a special exception, “legal issues” and other items.
The BZA hearing has been scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 6 p.m. in the County Office Building’s Salmon Room.
Commissioners approve 2020 meeting schedule
The Brown County Commissioners have approved their meeting schedule for 2020, which will include meetings at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m., same as this past year.
At the Nov. 6 meeting, the idea of moving the monthly evening meetings to 4 p.m. next year was considered due to conflicts with booking the Salmon Room at the County Office Building.
“I don’t care either way,” commissioner Diana Biddle said. “The last two or three months of this year we’ve run into booking issues with planning and zoning, because in months with holidays at the end of the month they move their meetings up a week, which goes into our week.”
The commissioners voted to have their evening meetings at 6 p.m., but that they would move the meeting up 4 p.m. if there are schedule conflicts.
Commissioner Jerry Pittman said that the majority of commissioners in other counties have only morning meetings. “We’ve been splitting the difference doing 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. I personally like very much the idea of having a meeting in the evening when the citizens can be here,” Pittman said.
“We have tried for the most part tried to schedule the most important and controversial issues for our evening meetings. We’re not trying to slip something through at 9 o’clock in the morning when no one can be here. I’d really like to keep at least one of our meetings so that anybody who works 8 to 5 during the day can be here as much as possible.”
Resident Erika Bryenton said that it is important for the commissioners to have an evening meeting at 6 p.m. “Many work outside of the community and we do appreciate a 6 p.m. meeting so we can actually get here and speak with you to address our needs,” she said.
“We are working individuals and we need that opportunity to get to you after work.”
The commissioners also voted to have only one meeting in December. That meeting will be Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 4 p.m.
Council approves transfer requests from departments
The Brown County Council approved more than $5,000 in transfers at the Nov. 18 meeting.
Sheriff Scott Southerland had requested $1,500 be moved from the department’s computer software fund and another $1,500 from the department’s extradition fund into the general vehicle maintenance fund. That request was approved unanimously.
Southerland told the council he had money left in both funds after the the money was moved.
The council also unanimously approved a $2,000 transfer request from the Brown County Commissioners’ attorney-litigation line into an “internship/clerical” line.
Commissioner Diana Biddle said the additional appropriation will help pay people who have helped the office with open enrollment and other small projects while Human Resources Coordinator Melissa Stinson has been out due to illness and deaths within her family. Biddle said she will need some help until the end of the year if Stinson decides to take time off after her husband’s funeral.
She added that she still had money in her litigation line. “I imagine we won’t be using any of that the rest of this year anyway,” she said.
Clerk Kathy Smith also requested that $75 be moved from her stationery and printing line into her election supplies line. That request also approved unanimously.
The council also approved a resolution from Brown County Solid Waste to move an additional $33,600 into the budget after selling a roll off truck. The resolution created an “equipment” fund for that department to move that money into.
