Hustisford committee begins work on Smart Growth plan

By Pat Hahn for the Daily Times
Thursday, April 26, 2007 12:52 PM CDT

HUSTISFORD - A steering committee began work on developing a Smart Growth plan for the village of Hustisford during an organizational meeting Wednesday night.

A seven-member committee met with Dodge County manager of planning and economic development Dean Perlick and planner Nate Olson to discuss plan requirements and how to address them.

Perlick explained the Wisconsin state Legislature passed a Comprehensive Planning Law as part of the 1999-2001 Wisconsin biennial budget. That law requires each local governmental unit to have a plan in place by Jan. 1, 2010.

Contrary to common perception, Perlick said the law does not dictate how or where development will occur. “Those decisions are left strictly to local communities,” he emphasized. Plans can be very specific, or they can be more general, he added.

Because the law improves the amount and quality of communication within and between jurisdictions, Perlick said it may indirectly lead to more informed decisions that result in smart growth.

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Perlick explained the law requires the comprehensive plan to address nine components. They include issues and opportunities, housing, transportation, utilities and community facilities, land use, economic development, intergovernmental cooperation, implementation, and agricultural, natural and cultural resources.

The final document must include long and short term goals, objectives and policies for each of those areas. “We go one step farther and try to include specific recommendations,” Olson added.

After Jan. 1, 2010, any local governmental decisions regarding mapping, subdivision regulation or zoning must be consistent with the community's comprehensive plan. “If you don't act in a way consistent with that plan, you're wide open to lawsuits,” Perlick said.

The village has contracted with Dodge County to assist in developing the plan and will pay the county $12,000 for that assistance. The village applied for a grant to help pay for the project but did not receive funding. Only one stand-alone applicant, the city of Sun Prairie, received a grant. All other grants went to multijurisdictional applicants, Perlick said.

Olson proposed a timeline calling for county staff to meet with the committee four times, tentatively in April, July and November 2007, and March 2008. The steering committee will schedule additional meetings as necessary to work out plan details.

Dodge County staff will develop agendas for each meeting in addition to providing the steering committee with appropriate background materials.

As part of the process, the planning commission must recommend adoption of a public participation resolution, and the village board must adopt that resolution. The commission is expected to do so at its next meeting.

According to a timetable presented by Olson, a preliminary draft of the plan should be available by December. A public informational meeting to present information and gather public input will be scheduled in February 2008. County staff will assist with that session.

The plan, along with any modifications resulting from the public informational meeting, will be forwarded to the planning commission in March 2008, with the commission acting on the plan in May.

Other jurisdictions such as surrounding townships, the public library, school and sanitary districts will also receive copies of the draft plan and have an opportunity to offer comments.

The village board will schedule a public hearing on the plan recommended by the planning commission in June. Following that hearing, the board can make changes to the plan. The board is tentatively scheduled to adopt the plan by ordinance in July.

Olson distributed three-ring binders containing preliminary background information on each of the nine topics required by the plan. Committee members are to review that information prior to a June 6 meeting.

“It's important to know where you're at,” Olson told the committee. But it's more important to determine where you want to go and how to get there.”

Although the village adopted a long range plan in 1998, Perlick indicated it dealt only with land-use issues. “This plan will be more comprehensive,” he said.

Both Perlick and Olson stressed the importance of open communication between the committee and county staff. They also urged committee members to keep the groups they represent informed of the committee's progress and to solicit comments and suggestions from those groups.

Steering committee members include village board representative Mary Jensen, industrial development representatives Grace Degner and Mari Kaul, lake association representative Gary Knipper, utilities representative Don Baumann, school representative John Bohonek, and business representative Dan Kuehl. Village President Don Degner also sits on the committee. The committee elected Knipper as chairman and Jensen as vice chairman.