Sawyer County committee adopts state lodging definitions, removes 'boarding' from rooming-house term

The Sawyer County Multi-Dwelling Development Committee voted to adopt state definitions for several lodging uses and to remove the county phrase "rooming and boarding house," replacing it with the state definition of "rooming house." The committee also accepted the state definition for "tourist rooming house" and approved a bed-and-breakfast definition drawn from state law.

The changes matter because the committee is reconciling inconsistent local wording with state statutes and administrative rules as it updates the county zoning ordinance. Committee members and at least one public commenter said inconsistent local definitions had been creating confusion when the county evaluates conditional uses and zoning permits.

Committee chair Dale Olson opened discussion by asking members to focus on clear, consistent definitions. Linda Zilmer, an Edgewater property owner who addressed the committee during public comment, urged the group to avoid unintentionally creating new nonconformities when aligning county language with state code. "You might be creating, nonconformities, which is I would think you'd want to avoid," Zilmer said.

During the meeting the committee moved to remove the word "boarding" from the local ordinance and to adopt the state definition for a rooming house — a "one- and two-family dwelling that offers overnight sleeping accommodation to an individual that is not a tourist or transient." Sarah Delaney made the motion; the motion was seconded and carried by voice vote.

On tourist rentals, committee member Ben Kurzweil proposed adopting the state definition used for tourist rooming houses, drawn from Wisconsin administrative rules, which the committee approved after a motion by Kurzweil and a second by Ron Kinsley. The committee recorded one formal opposition during that vote; James Bassett registered his dissent when members voted on the tourist rooming-house definition.

For bed-and-breakfast establishments the committee approved the definition included in the state material circulated to the group: lodging that "provides eight or fewer rooms for rent to no more than a total of 20 tourists or other transients," is the owner’s personal residence, is occupied by the owner at time of rental, and where the only meal served is breakfast.

Members said the adopted language is intended to reduce local confusion over terms that previously appeared in multiple places with slightly different wording. The committee also discussed related definitions (for example, the distinction between "dwelling" and "dwelling unit") and asked staff to produce red-lined ordinance language for a future meeting so members can see the precise edits before formal adoption by the county board.

The committee will return to related topics — including density, accessory dwelling units and where particular lodging uses should be authorized — at its next meeting.

Ending note: The committee approved the changes during a public meeting of the Sawyer County Multi-Dwelling Development Committee; members said staff will circulate red-line ordinance language to reflect the newly adopted definitions before the next meeting.