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Resident urges Sawyer County to pursue ADRC partnership and allow zoning ‘reconsideration’ without penalty
Summary
At a county administrative committee meeting, resident Linda Zilmer urged officials to pursue a multi‑county Aging and Disability Resource Center and asked the county to add a zoning‑reconsideration option so Sand Lake applicants would not be forced to pay a $750 appeal fee.
Linda Zilmer, an Edgewater property owner and Village of Birchwood resident, opened public comment by urging the county to pursue a multi‑county Aging and Disability Resource Center or similar arrangement to better serve Sawyer County’s aging population. “What has been happening is not serving our seniors, and it does not give any accountability,” Zilmer said, arguing the county should examine what neighboring counties do for senior and youth services.
Zilmer also raised concerns about the county’s relationship with towns and the handling of zoning matters, citing recent town meetings and a citizens group forming to address ambulance service and zoning issues. She described a local ambulance response as “about an hour and 20 minutes” during a recent Ojibwe call, and she tied response issues to broader operational and budget discussions.
Her specific request to the committee was procedural: she asked that the zoning committee or county board consider adding a provision to the county zoning ordinance allowing for a non‑penalized reconsideration of conditional use permits so applicants would not have to pay the $750 appeal fee to seek review. “A reconsideration does not penalize the applicant, and it allows for a fair process,” she said.
County staff subsequently announced a Sept. 30 meeting with town chairs to discuss zoning processes and timelines and to hear town concerns; staff said the meeting is intended to prioritize zoning and improve lines of communication between the county and towns. The county also indicated it will consider zoning process improvements through the land and water committee and other forum(s) before bringing concrete ordinance changes back to the board.
Why it matters: The request combines two issues that affect vulnerable residents and local property owners — senior services delivery and zoning dispute resolution — and could prompt policy or procedural changes if the committee pursues the ordinance amendment or broader service‑delivery adjustments. The Sept. 30 town‑chairs meeting was scheduled as a next step to collect input and outline potential changes.
