Zoning administrator warns of understaffing and delays on multi‑dwelling ordinance work

The Sawyer County Zoning Administrator told the committee the department is operating with reduced staff after the Administrative Assistant (Michelle Harris) left in mid‑May and the Assistant Zoning Administrator (Pat Brown) accepted a position elsewhere, leaving the office with three staff members while permit workloads are high.

Staff said those departures have delayed work on a proposed ordinance amendment about multi‑dwelling development. He explained the county currently sees two conflicting ordinance strands: conditional use avenues that allow multi‑dwelling proposals to be heard, while a separate definition in the ordinance reads as allowing only one dwelling unit per lot. That internal conflict complicates whether staff may or may not accept multi‑dwelling proposals without a formal ordinance amendment.

The zoning administrator said he will continue to add the multi‑dwelling item to future agendas and consider breaking the amendment into multiple, narrower updates rather than one comprehensive package. Committee members were briefed on staffing pressures and the possibility of receiving a multi‑dwelling application at the next meeting.

In public comment, Don Robinson — a Hayward resident and campground owner — urged the committee to explore steps to support economic activity in southern Sawyer County and suggested forming an advisory or advocacy group for campground operators to provide input on zoning rules.