City council seeks input for future planning
Staff reporter
Community planning is among the items on Hillsboro City Administrator Larry Paine's list.
At the Dec. 4 city council meeting, Paine reported that he and mayor Delores Dalke had discussed a work session to discuss community planning for the next 10 to 15 years. Paine said he likes to build a "big" picture of the things to work on then follow a path to meet those goals.
That information then could be used to evaluate Paine's performance.
With planning on its "to do" list, Hillsboro Planning Commission will have a public hearing Jan. 10 to review the city's comprehensive plan, subdivision regulations, and zoning regulations.
Paine encouraged council members to take time to review those documents before approving them because there were some errors made in the previous zoning regulations that had to be corrected.
In other business:
— City engineer consultant Bob Privatera reported he had been working to update the city's flood plain maps. Some areas were erroneously zoned by the county as being in a flood plain. Since that time, more than 20 years ago, the city has annexed that property and the flood plain designation needs to be removed to make way for development.
A letter to amend the map will be sent by Privatera to FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) after the city's business park plat is recorded by the county.
— The council was advised by Privatera that the 40 acres the city sold to Tabor College has existing utilities and easements need to be drawn to allow city access.
— Engineering also will continue for the city's newest business park so development can begin.
— Paine reported that he and Hillsboro Development Corporation Director Clint Seibel are working with a client who is interested in developing a project that the council will need to review.
When the details are worked out, Paine and Seibel will make a recommendation.
The next council meeting is at 4 p.m. Tuesday at city hall.
