A regular meeting of the Planning Commission of Alexandria Township was held on the 29th day of May, 2013 at the Alexandria Township Conference Room, 610 Fillmore Street.
Roll Call: Commission members present were Julie Haar, Mary Hacker, Larry Steidl and Linda Dokken-McFann. Also present were Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk, and Ben Oleson, Township Zoning Administrator. As said members formed a quorum and the meeting was called to order by Chairman Steidl at 6:00 p.m.
Agenda: Dokken-McFann, seconded by Hacker, made a motion to approve the agenda as written. Motion carried unanimously.
Minutes: Dokken-McFann, seconded by Hacker, made a motion to approve the minutes of the 4/22/2013 meeting as written. Motion carried. Commissioner Haar abstained.
Commissioner Dropik joined the meeting.
Public Hearing: none
Zoning Administrator’s Report: Zoning Administrator Oleson reported that the town board had asked the owner of Jack’s Family Recycling Center to attend its first meeting in June. They also requested that JFRC show significant improvement in its clean-up efforts by that time.
Deputy Clerk Fulghum reported that the town board will put the land use workshops on its agenda for discussion at Monday’s meeting.
New Business: none
Old Business: Sign Ordinance. Oleson reported he did not know the outcome of the county’s public hearing on its sign ordinance. The commission’s comment on the sign ordinance draft is to clarify the timeframe for removal of signs (page 17, c. 1.). They also inquired as to a proposed fee schedule. Oleson stated it had not been defined as of yet. He also said that the fee schedule would be separate from the ordinance itself. Discussion ensued regarding the use of billboards in the commercial/industrial zones.
Variances. Oleson reported we are still waiting on the county’s reaction to the changes made to state law by the MN legislature re amending variance criteria.
Vacation Rentals. The commission elected to not regulate vacation rentals at this time.
Changes noted for Section V.V. of the zoning ordinance re Keeping of Animals are as follows:
Motion by Hacker, seconded by Dokken-McFann, to prohibit entirely the keeping of small animals on lots less than one acre in size; to regulate the keeping of animals on lot sizes from 1 – 2.5 acres; and to have no regulations for lot sizes over 2.5 acres. Motion carried unanimously.
With regard to the types of animals regulated, consensus is to use the verbage “in fenced areas” for the large fowl and small mammals categories. Consensus to include pigs in the small mammals area.
Consensus to table the remainder of the ordinance updates.
Adjournment: Being no further business Hacker, seconded by Haar, made a motion to adjourn the meeting. Meeting adjourned at 7:44 p.m.
Respectfully submitted…
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Bonnie Fulghum, Deputy Clerk
Approved this ____ day of ___________, 2013
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Larry Steidl, Chairman