BRADY TOWNSHIP PLANNING COMMISSION

MINUTES OF MEETING HELD FEBRUARY 15, 2007

 

 

A regular meeting of the Brady Township Planning Commission was held on February 15, 2007 commencing at 7:30 p.m.

 

Members present: Chairman Gary Miller

                              Ed Haberle

                              Jan Becker

                              Mike Henderson

                              Randy Smith             

                             

Absent:  Kathy Guthrie and Todd Weddon.                                                                                                                                                   

 

Also attending:  Township Supervisor Lee Philport and Mike Dee, 5280 East V Avenue, Vicksburg.

 

 

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

            

Mike Henderson made a motion to approve the minutes of January 18, 2007 as published. Ed Haberle supported, and the motion was carried unanimously.

 

 

OLD BUSINESS

 

None

 

 

NEW BUSINESS

 

1.       Election of Officers

 

Mike Henderson nominated Gary Miller to serve as Chairman.  Ed Haberle seconded.  There were no other nominations.  Gary was elected unanimously.

 

Jan Becker nominated Todd Weddon to serve as Vice-Chairman. Randy Smith seconded.  There were no other nominations.  Todd was elected unanimously.

 

Jan Becker nominated Brenda Brock to serve as Recording Secretary.  Mike Henderson seconded.  She was elected unanimously.

 

There was no nomination for Secretary.  This Commission will research the need for a Secretary of the Planning Commission.

 

 

2.       Set Meeting Dates for 2007-2008

 

Ed Haberle made a motion to set the meeting dates on May 17, 2007; September 20, 2007; November 15, 2007 and February 21, 2008.  Jan Becker seconded and the motion was carried unanimously.

 

3.       Request for Alternates

 

      Mike Henderson asked if the Planning Commission should have alternates to attend meetings          

when needed.  Supervisor Philport stated that the Township Board will appoint two new        people to serve as alternates.

 

4.       Zoning Amendment Request from the Township Board

 

There is a request from the Township Board to change the maximum length of a dock from 100’ to 200’.  This request arises from the need to bring the docks in shallow water to a depth of 3 feet, which is considered navigatable. There were concerns about safety and impeding the flow of traffic on the lakes. Mike Henderson stated that the proposed amendment should state that the dock length be based on the distance needed to get to 3 feet of water.  Lee Philport agreed to search the MTA databank for similar dock ordinances from other areas.  Gary Miller stated that this commission should study the DNR requirements for docks. After further discussion, Lee Philport agreed to ask Township Attorney Craig Rolfe to draft language for an amendment to the dock ordinance to be considered at the May Planning Commission meeting.

 

Mike Henderson noted that boat lifts are also a problem.  Lee responded that the DNR controls the boat lifts on the lakes.

 

5.       Review of Brady Township Land Use Plan

 

Chairman Gary Miller read correspondence from Township Attorney Craig Rolfe concerning the need to review the Land Use Plan every five years to determine if revisions are needed. 

 

The Planning Commission was in agreement that the current Land Use Plan is a good, solid plan that has served the community well.  Gary Miller noted that the Land Use Plan has conflicted only once with rezoning since it was approved and that it reflects the desired direction for future growth for Brady Township.  The Commissioners felt that the Plan should be updated with population changes, demographic numbers and percentages, and any zoning changes that should be incorporated into the Land Use Plan. 

 

There was a question of whether a new citizen survey should be conducted.  The last survey completed in 1993 received only a 12% response.  Mike Henderson noted that a survey is an important way to give the citizens an opportunity to express their feelings about desired growth in the township.

 

Randy Smith stated that he went through each page of the Land Use Plan and entered changes he felt were needed.  He asked if the document could be entered into a word processing program (WORD) for easier manipulation of the text.

 

Ed Haberle stated that a new census will be conducted in 2010, and that the census and demographics should be changed at that time instead of using seven-year-old statistics.

 

It was decided that the next Planning Commission meeting on May 17, 2007 would be a working meeting.  The Land Use Plan will be available in WORD and a search will be conducted for surveys from other similar townships.  Randy Smith agreed to work on the survey questions.  Gary Miller agreed to work on the statistics. 

 

 

CITIZEN TIME

 

Mr. Mike Dee, 5280 East V Avenue, had questions about his property, which is in commercial zoning on the Land Use Plan.  He was informed that the land is currently zoned as residential—that the Land Use Plan indicates future commercial growth may take place in this area.  The lot size is non-conforming, but the lot has been “grandfathered in”. 

 

 

REPORTS

 

Due to the lateness of the hour, there were no reports this evening.

 

 

The next regular meeting is set for May 17, 2007 at 7:30 p.m.

 

 

Randy Smith asked if agendas and other mailings could be e-mailed instead of mailed.  It was noted that not all members have computers.

 

 

Mike Henderson made a motion to adjourn at 9:35 p.m.   Jan Becker seconded and the motion was carried unanimously.

 

 

 

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

____________________________

 

Chairman Gary Miller

 

 

 

 

 

Brenda Brock,

Recording Secretary