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Land use committee backs draft farmland-preservation Appendix K; plan to go to state for certification
Summary
Washington County Land Use and Planning Committee voted to recommend adoption of Appendix K, the county's farmland preservation plan amendment, after a public hearing with no public speakers. The plan will be forwarded to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for certification before returning to the county board.
Land Use and Planning Committee members on Thursday recommended adoption of Appendix K, a farmland-preservation amendment to the county's multi-jurisdictional comprehensive plan for 2050, after a public hearing produced no public comments.
The recommendation followed a reading of the public hearing notice published in the West Bend Daily News and a staff summary of next steps. If the committee's recommendation is forwarded and the county board approves the ordinance and resolution, the plan will be submitted to the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection for certification before the county takes final action.
Committee Chair (name recorded in the meeting record) opened the public hearing and, after calling for speakers three times, closed the hearing when no one came forward. A motion to recommend adoption was made by Supervisor Mary and seconded; the committee recorded the motion and proceeded to discussion and a vote, which passed by voice with no opposing votes recorded.
Adam, a member of county planning staff involved in drafting the appendix, told the committee that the next step is a state review and certification process: "they will certify the plan, and then we'll come back to this land use planning committee for another recommendation for approval based off of those, and if there are any revisions." He said staff will work with the state if any revisions are requested. Committee members thanked staff and reviewers for work on the document and said the plan reflects outreach to townships and landowners over the past year.
Committee members discussed goals of the farmland preservation plan including encouraging participation by smaller operations, preserving agricultural land and water-quality practices required for eligibility. One supervisor noted changes to minimum farm-size thresholds and other edits intended to encourage enrollment by landowners who view preservation as part of family succession rather than a primary retirement vehicle.
The committee recorded next steps on the record: forwarding the appendix and related ordinance/resolution to the county board, and, if approved there, transmission to the state for certification. No public testimony was received during the hearing.
Votes at a glance: The committee voted to recommend adoption of Appendix K and the accompanying ordinance/resolution; the motion was moved by Supervisor Mary, seconded (record does not specify a name for the second on the motion), and adopted by voice vote with no opposed votes recorded.
Why it matters: The appendix is part of Washington County's multi-jurisdictional comprehensive plan and is required for eligibility for certain state grants related to farmland preservation. Certification by the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection is the statutory step that allows participation in state farmland-preservation programs.
Sources: Public hearing notice read into the record; staff presentation; committee motion and voice vote.
