Winneshiek County Board approves amendments to the county's zoning ordinances

The Winneshiek County Board has reversed course from one week ago and has unanimously approved a series of amendments to the county's zoning ordinances.

Supervisors took the action Monday afternoon after spending nearly two hours to read the ordinance out loud.  Last Monday a motion to approve the first reading of the ordinance failed to get enough votes.  On this MOnday supervisors not only approved the first reading, but waived the second and third readings, then voted 5-0 in favor of the amendments.

The vote was not without some discussion.  Newly-elected county supervisor John Beard criticized the work done so far by consulting firm Yaggy-Colby, calling it "not acceptable."  Beard said he was worried the public would lose its trust in the rewriting of the zoning ordinances if they looked at the performance of the contractor.

But supervisor Mark Kuh said "We need to move forward" on the rewriting of the zoning ordinance and County Board Chair John Logson said members of the public have had a chance all along in the more than a year rewriting process to give county officials input.

Suggestions made by members of the public at last Monday's public hearing by the County Board will be discussed by Planning & Zoning Commission members at their next meeting.