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Land use, zoning changes are enacted CASS COUNTY BOARD Cass County Correspondent WALKER - The Cass County Board on Tuesday enacted the new conservation development design standards section of the Land Use Ordinance, which will replace planned unit development standards.
The board also approved an updated countywide zoning map. The changes will take effect July 15, according to Administrator Robert Yochum.
The Cass County Planning Commission, Board of Adjustment and Soil and Water Conservation District Board each voted earlier to support the land use ordinance and zoning map changes. Ten Mile Lake Association also passed a resolution of support.
Public concerns were expressed at Tuesday's board meeting - over whether the ordinance provision requiring more open space in developments might lower overall property values or, conversely, might cause all new lots to be too pricey for most.
Concern also was expressed over whether the ESD department could provide adequate oversight to ensure that property owner associations meet requirements set in development plans as ownerships change in the future.
Representatives of groups working on the county's comprehensive plan update reported their work is nearly complete and hearings on the plan revision and minor changes to the Land Use Ordinance likely will be held the second half of July.
The county board selected the lowest of seven bidders, Hawkinson Construction of Grand Rapids, to repave County State Aid Highway 4 this summer for $1,213,521.86. This was 11 percent under the county's estimate for that project.
Assistant County Engineer Kris Lyytinen informed the board that the county has applied a pavement overlay on 24th Street Southwest in Pine River Township and County Road 167 in Sylvan Township.
The county will maintain those roads through 2009. Those will become township roads on Jan. 1, 2010.
Herg Trail and Island View Drive in Hiram Township have been made private roads. The county will upgrade 64th Avenue and Windsong Lane in Hiram and Cooper Lake Road, Little Boy Road and Wabedo Frontage Road in Wabedo Township by this fall.
The CSAH 47 corner received culvert replacements and gravel last fall. Those road sections also will become town roads in 2010.
The county will work on drainage issues on Sah-Kah-Tay Loop Road and County Road 151 in Pike Bay Township this summer and has completed pavement overlays on Cass Lake alleys and frontage roads, all of which are scheduled to become Pike Bay town roads by 2010.
Gravel will be added to County Road 172 this summer, with upgrades on 104th Street Northeast in Boy River Township. Those roads will become town roads in 2011.
The board also approved a conservation easement for Timothy and Kathleen Yeh on 3.64 acres of land near Gull Lake.
Also Tuesday, the commissioners approved revised standardized easement and commercial easement policies for individuals or businesses seeking an easement across county land. All easements will be charged 5 percent of appraised value annually, with a $500 minimum.
Commercial utility easement appraisals will include land and timber values. Land values will be reviewed every five years and payments adjusted as necessary. Easements may be transferred upon written request, with a copy of the purchase agreement and payment of a $500 transfer fee.
Commercial easements must follow existing corridors or show a non-economic hardship for using a new corridor. A certificate of survey must be provided for any new easement, even when replacing an existing easement.
Also, Land Commissioner Norm Moody obtained board approval to award grading contracts for forest access trails to the following low bidders: Gothman Excavating, $2,393 for the Old Grade; Schrupp Excavating, $500 for Private Crossing; and Sawyer Timber, $100 for Variety Lake.
Auditor-Treasurer Sharon Anderson will implement mandatory payroll direct deposit, effective mid-July. She said 85 percent of employees already use direct deposit for paychecks. Web access pay stubs will replace paper ones by Jan. 1, 2009.
Anderson said she is working toward a program for electronic payments on most county financial transactions later this year in an effort to eliminate one employee position in her office by the end of the year.
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