Reminder: Public Hearing RE Zoning Ordinance - Town of Grant, Portage Co

Weekly Blast!: Last week the Town of Grant hosted the Portage County unit meeting of the Wisconsin Towns Association (WTA). This week I attended the WTA Annual Convention in Stevens Point. Town and village officers from all over the State of Wisconsin were present; hundreds of them. Each year this event helps to educate officers about state statutes, current legislation, road maintenance and construction, budgeting, ambulance and fire protection, and so much more. No one officer can attend all the sessions available (we need the entire board to do that!) but these are the ones I attended: 1) Cypersecurity Attacks; 2) Fire Protection Service Fees; 3) Legal “Cracker Barrel” (where officers can ask the WTA attorneys ANYTHING); 4) Large-Scale Wind & Solar; and 5) Industrial Development. Each session was extremely interesting and educational. Of particular interest was the session on Fire Protection Service Fees. Currently we pay for fire protection services from our general fund to the Town of Grand Rapids and the Village of Plainfield. The first uses equalized value to determine what we pay whereas the second uses a formula that is proportional to each contracted municipality. The former does not and so unfortunately, we pay a disproportional amount to T. Grand Rapids. In this WTA session they recommended two options if we don’t want to continue pulling from our general fund: 1) referendum to increase our levy; or 2) using a formula based on square footage of homes/businesses/land size, etc. to have landowners pay proportionally based on the anticipated expense of a fire to their parcel. It’s a very interesting option and several towns are working with their assessors to create a fair formula for landowners. For example, an agricultural field would pay far less than a large commercial building, or a small home would pay less than a large one with several accessory buildings, etc. Moving forward the Town of Grant will be looking at options as the price of fire protection increases every year. We need to find ways to make it fair with the greatest protection for all our residents, their homes, businesses, and land. Enjoy the anticipated stunning weather, Sharon

Posted on January 22, 2025 by clerk

Reminder: Public Hearing RE Zoning Ordinance

Zoom Meeting

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/83424973703?pwd=6anvMBM4oV6M1hB6HlWBX5dY6BpuyK.1

Meeting ID: 834 2497 3703

Passcode: 623337

Presentation

Proposed Amendment Zoning Ordinance_2025_.pdf

Proposed Zoning Ordinance with Revision tracking

Town_of_Grant_Zoning_Ordinance_REV__TRACKING_2023-24.pdf

Proposed Zoning Ordinance Clean

Town_of_Grant_Zoning_Ordinance_CLEAN.pdf

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NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

TOWN OF GRANT

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

6:30 pm

The Plan Commission of the Town of Grant and the Board of the Town of Grant, Portage County, Wisconsin, will be holding a Public Hearing on Wednesday, January 22, 2025 at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall, 9011 County Road WW. The purpose of the hearing is to allow all interested parties to be heard concerning proposed amendments to the Zoning Ordinance. The amendments revise the intent, permitted uses, and conditional uses in all zoning districts within the Town, delete the Farmland Preservation Overlay, provide more detail regarding obtaining a zoning or conditional use permit, clarify the role of the Zoning Administrator, delete the Signs section in order to make it a standalone ordinance, change the title of the Board of Adjustment to Board of Appeals and clarify its function, edit the section on quarrying, adjust penalties associated with a violation of the ordinance, and revise the definitions. All interested parties are invited to attend. Written comments can also be submitted to the Town Clerk until 6:30pm the day of the hearing. A copy of the proposed ordinance showing all of the amendments will be available from the Clerk by calling 715-423-9193 (town hall) or 715-213-7370 (clerk cell phone) and on the Town website at https://townofgrant-portage.wi.gov/agendas-minutes/

Stefanie Schlapa

Town of Grant Clerk

Dated this 28^th day of December, 2024