Posted: 1/2/07
County cancels contract with land use planning firm
By David Heiller
‰rgus News Editor
Houston County commissioners voted last week to void its contract with the company in charge of the land use planning project.
The company, Foth & Van Dyke, informed county zoning administrator Rick Frank in late December that it is reorganizing. Customer contracts are being assigned to a subsidiary, senior project manager Warren Shuros wrote in December 21 letter.
"There are no anticipated changes with regard to specific personnel working with you due to this reorganization," Shuros wrote.
Commissioner Dave Corcoran, who made the motion to cancel the project, said the county should put together everything that Foth & Van Dyke has done, then decide whether to go to a different contractor.
Corcoran said he didnít like the switch, nor the fact that Shuros wanted the county to sign a copy of his letter.
"I donít go for that," he said. "It isnít our job to go to another company and negotiate."
Commissioner Tom Bjerke argued that the commissioners should talk to Shuros first. Maybe something can be worked out, Bjerke said. There has been a lot of work and public input on the plan, Bjerke said, adding that he would hate to start on square one.
The county wouldnít be starting over, Graf countered.
Corcoran reiterated his request to compile the information and go from there, and look at other options. Graf said he agreed with that.
Corcoran estimated that it would take a year to get the new land use plan done.
Zoning administrator Rick Frank estimated that the plan could be done this fall. "And then it could even go longer too," Frank added. "It depends on the input we get."
Frank said he wasnít sure that Foth & Van Dyke would see the plan through to the end, as Shuros stated in a letter.
A preliminary draft of a new land use plan, with maps, is done, Frank said. The next step will be open houses, he said.
Then itís back to the drawing board again to look at whatís proposed, and at infrastructure and roads, Corcoran responded.
Frank and some board members were also concerned about the status of Bill Burke, who has been the lead worker on the land use plan. Burke is no longer employed full-time by Foth & Van Dyke as of January 1. Shuros wrote that Burke may become employed by another company on about April 1. "I do not control this circumstance, but it is my intent, Foth & Van Dykeís intent, and Billís intent that Bill Burke continues to manage your project to its completion," Shuros wrote on December 20.
Foth & Van Dyke, which is based in Green Bay, Wisconsin, was hired in February of 2006 at a total cost of $51,200 for the project, which was estimated to take up to two years. The goal is to address issues such as municipal growth areas, economic development zones, river corridors, prime agricultural areas, blufflands, state forest areas, and county water plan elements.
The plan has moved into the spotlight at recent board meetings because some county citizens are upset with county zoning rules. Commissioners said at the December 19 board meeting that the new plan could answer the citizensí questions.
Recycling and trash removal
In other business, the board approved several motions related to trash and recycling. They are:
ï 2007 contracts with six trash haulers, Hilltoppers Refuse and Recycling, Shirley Giblin, Houston County Recycling Center, Waste Management, Midwest Roll-Off, and Richardís Sanitation. The board passed a separate motion for Shirley Giblin to haul tires.
ï A three year contract with Scientific Recycling in Holmen, Wisconsin, for recycling of appliances. The board approved a preliminary form of this agreement by a 3-2 vote in September, after considering a bid from Waste Management that was an estimated $13,000 per year lower than Scientific Recycling. Kelleher and
Bjerke voted against it then. Last weekís vote was unanimous.
ï A 2007 contract with ABC Recycling Center/Woodland Industries. ABC supervisors Terry Botcher and Dan OíHeron are responsible for handling and processing materials coming into supervised drop-off sites and the recycling center in Houston. They also supervise ABC clients/workers.
ï An amendment to the Winona and Houston Counties Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) management program. It clarifies that Houston County residents using the La Crosse County HHW facility will be counted for state reimbursement. It also states that Minnesota will not assume liability for what goes to La Crosse. "Weíre very comfortable with La Crosse handling it," Frank told The Argus on December 27. "We need to make it as convenient as possible to get hazardous waste material out of the waste stream for disposal."
New UCare rates
The board approved an amended contract with UCare Minnesota for Minnesota Senior Health Options (MSHO).
UCare reimburses Houston County Public Health Nursing for care coordination services provided to MSHO enrollees. Initial assessment went from $160 to $180, community-based MSHO work went from $100 to $115 per month, and nursing home MSHO work went from $50 to $60 per month.
MSHO is a health care program that combines separate health programs and support systems into one health care package. It is for people ages 65 and older who are eligible for Medical Assistance (MA) and enrolled in Medicare Parts A and B or who have MA only.
People can choose to join MSHO or stay in their current MA program. MSHO enrollees are assigned a care coordinator who will help them get their heath care and related support services.
Other business
ï Zoning discussion: Corcoran said he has heard some false statements about zoning, such as instances where if a house burns down, it canít be rebuilt. He said that information is false, and that those decisions are made on a case-by-case situation. The same is true with pouring concrete ñ a permit isnít needed for that, he said, but it is needed for building a manure pit. People are only getting a piece of the story being told, Corcoran said.
People should all the zoning office and ask questions, Corcoran said. Zoning workers will look at maps, slopes, and right-of-ways, he said. "Youíve got to do that on an individual basis," he said.
ï Meeting closed: The board closed the meeting to discuss pending litigation on a planning and zoning issue.
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