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Bluff council and planning commission align 2026 priorities, plan zoning-code rewrite
Summary
At a Feb. 19 joint work session, Bluff Town Council and the Planning & Zoning Commission agreed to align 2026 priorities—focusing on housing, road and map access, enforcement language and a planned comprehensive zoning-code revision aimed for completion by December 2026. P&Z will finalize priorities March 5.
Bluff Mayor Josh Ewing and the Planning & Zoning Commission met Feb. 19 for a joint work session to align town and commission priorities for 2026, with officials highlighting housing availability, road infrastructure and updated mapping as immediate areas for collaboration.
Mayor Josh Ewing outlined the Town Council's priorities, which he said include diversified housing options, public safety, road infrastructure, securing secondary water rights and improving trail systems. Planning and Zoning Chair Malia Collins and commissioners responded by emphasizing professional development in housing and state land-use legislation, clearer enforcement language in land-use ordinances and improved public access to maps showing roads, alleys and other overlays.
The commission reviewed a drafted priorities list that lists establishing zoning rules for cemeteries; prioritizing commissioner professional development and compliance with new land-use laws; cleaning up enforcement language so penalties align with violation severity; updating the zoning code and related regulations; conducting site visits for subdivisions now that certain land-use consents shift to the building department; advancing housing work; making zoning and road maps more accessible to the public; and adopting flood-resilient guidelines.
Collins and commissioners agreed to separate comments that are specific to the town's building department from broader zoning-code issues and to evaluate the broader code through a robust public comment process. The group set an internal target to complete the zoning-code rewrite by December 2026 and tasked P&Z with prioritizing its goals for final adoption; P&Z will finalize its 2026 priorities at the March 5 meeting.
Meeting participants also noted a state program that can help small communities create interactive maps to improve public access to zoning and road information. Mayor Ewing, Chair Collins and Commissioner Marcia Hadenfeldt said they plan to attend a SERDA land-use training in Monticello on March 2; other members may attend as well.
The group decided to move the detailed review of 2025 and 2026 land-use legislation to the next agenda to allow adequate time for discussion. The meeting adjourned at 7:13 p.m.; Erin Nelson was recorded as the minute taker and draft minutes were published Feb. 20, 2026.
Next steps: P&Z will finalize its 2026 priorities at the March 5 meeting, staff will follow up on mapping assistance options, and the commission will begin a public-comment process linked to the planned zoning-code revisions.
