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TOWN OF MOUNT PLEASANT
PLAN COMMISSION
Minutes of meeting of December 14, 2009
American Legion Hall, Monticello, Wisconsin

The meeting of the Town of Mount Pleasant Plan Commission held December 7, 2009, was called to order by Chairman pro tempore DuWayne Fenner at 7:35 p.m. Plan Commission members Scott Dilley, DuWayne Fenner, Michael Gengler, Greg Schwartzlow and Hans Sulzer were present.

At the request of the chairman, the commission members first considered the minutes of the meeting of the commission held November 9, 2009. Upon motion duly made and seconded, the minutes were unanimously approved as written.

Mr. Fenner then asked Mr. Gengler to summarize the draft wind energy system ordinance that he had prepared and distributed to the members prior to the meeting. Mr. Gengler stated that the ordinance was intended as a model, so that plan commission and town board members could begin to become familiar with the issues associated with wind farms. He reminded the commission members that the state would be setting minimum standards for wind farms as a result of 2009 Act 40, and that local communities would not be able to establish more stringent criteria that those to be adopted by the state. He described a number of features of the ordinance and compared those features to standards employed elsewhere. He pointed out that an Iowa State University study found some limited evidence that agricultural land values drop in the vicinity of wind farms. Mr. Sulzer agreed to look into land value movements in the vicinity of the wind farm at Cobb, and Mr. Schwartzlow agreed to do the same with respect to the wind farm near Lena, Illinois. Mr. Gengler recommended that no further work be done on the draft ordinance until the state gives more guidance on the standards that the state intends to adopt for wind energy facilities.

Mr. Fenner reported that he had attended a Wisconsin Towns Association meeting at Monroe at which the state’s Working Lands Initiative was discussed. Mr. Fenner stated that Green County has until 2012 to adopt an exclusive agricultural zoning ordinance in order that part of the tax credit program for farmers may be accessed in Green County. Mr. Fenner reported that there is little enthusiasm for an amendment to the county zoning code to insert an exclusive agricultural zone. Mr. Fenner also reported that there are currently five land preservation agreements involving agricultural land in the Town of Mount Pleasant, with a total of about 900 acres under agreement. Such agreements are required for the current agricultural land preservation tax credit.

There were no land divisions or questions of interpretation of ordinances administered by the plan commission to come before the meeting.



Upon motion duly made and seconded, the meeting was adjourned at 8:15 p.m.

______________________________

Michael T. Gengler

Secretary

Archive:

December 7, 2009 Town of Mt. Pleasant Plan Commission minutes
November 16, 2009 Town of Mt Pleasant Board Meeting Minutes
October 19, 2009 Town of Mt Pleasant Board Meeting Minutes
October 12, 2009 Town of Mt. Pleasant Plan Commission meeting minutes
September 21, 2009 Town of Mt Pleasant Board Meeting Minutes
August 17, 2009 Town of Mt Pleasant Board Meeting
August 10, 2009 Plan Commission meeting
July 20, 2009 Town of Mt. Pleasant Board Meeting
July 13, 2009 Plan Commission Meeting
June 15, 2009 Regular Town of Mt. Pleasant meeting

View all from: 2009