Walworth County zoning staff were asked to investigate changing the county’s comprehensive‑plan amendment schedule from annual to semiannual after 13 municipalities requested faster amendment windows.

Michael, a county staff member, told the Zoning Agency the request came by letters and framed it as a policy decision for the committee. He said the current comprehensive plan review cycle (currently once per year in October) was set during the plan’s development and that changing the schedule would require staff to consult with the Southeastern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission.

Bud, who identified himself as a Town of Darien board supervisor and said he helped gather the municipal requests, described the local motivation: a local business sought to build on a parcel that was not listed for development under the town’s plan and could have lost the opportunity to develop if required to wait more than a year. “My goal was to level the playing field a little bit,” Bud said, explaining that twice‑a‑year windows would reduce the risk of losing development opportunities to annexation.

Staff explained tradeoffs: a more frequent amendment window shortens the maximum wait for a property owner but could increase staff workload and require changes to process language in the comprehensive plan. Michael said staff would need to determine whether changing the schedule requires a text amendment, whether towns must be re‑notified and whether the county must follow additional state or regional steps.

The committee voted on a motion to ask staff to consult with the regional planning commission (SEWRPC) and to bring back the mechanics and impacts of changing the amendment schedule; the motion passed with a recorded voice vote. Staff said they will investigate whether the change can be implemented as a limited amendment or requires a more substantive plan amendment process, and whether map and text changes would both be affected.

Ending: Staff will return to the committee with a recommended process, timeline and any required outreach steps after consulting SEWRPC and reviewing statutory and plan requirements.