Hanna plans for the future

The first meeting of the Hanna Planning and Zoning board was held. on February 23 at the Hanna Town Hall.

In January, three board members met but the board could not elect officers or do much business.

Sam Sikes, Jason Nordquist, Donna Pipher, Vivian Gonzales and Mike Armstrong were all present in addition to several audience members.

After the approval of the agenda, the officers were elected.

Nordquist was made chairman, Pipher the vice-chairman and Gonzales the secretary.

After the officers were elected, Gonzales said there was a need for the board to go through the Town of Hanna’s Municipal Code to see what needed to be examined as outdated.

She pointed out the municipal code referenced a planning and zoning officer to help enforce ordinances and codes.

Hanna does not have zoning officer currently.

“They are the ones that are supposed to be enforcing these ordinances and we don’t have one,” Gonzales said. “Our job here is to recommend to the council on a lot of permits that absorb a lot of the town clerk’s time.”

Jon Ostling, a resident of Hanna, came before the board and suggested removing some ordinances. He said the ordinances pertaining to solar panels were more for solar farms rather than individual residents. Ostling also said he put in a wind turbine before the ordinance concerning turbines were created. He said the ordinance as it stands requires a vertical wind axis turbine, which is not affordable to most people.

Ostling said he believed there were 22 vacant properties and he gave the example of Midwest taking five parcels of land and making them into a park. He suggested the town try and create an Old Town area.

Concerning town properties, he suggested selling them and utilizing funds for future improvements. Ostling said the town could use money for sidewalks and a BMX bicycle track on land near the animal shelter.

Ostling said the planning and zoning board should have long both range plans and short range goals.

“A long range plan from which all other departments work towards, akin to a vision statement with critical success factors and actionable tasks and generally takes five to 20 years,” Ostling said. “A short range plan is generally less than five and contains actionable items to enable the long range plan.”

Ostling said he hoped there would be a flag ordinance because he felt there were some poles in bad condition.

The board thanked Ostling for his time and input.

Patricia Gonzales came before the board next to get a permit for a trailer to be put on some land in the Elmo area.

“I am proposing to put a trailer with a garage on this vacant land,” P. Gonzales said.

The board was shown schematics of the trailer and the board said it looked more like a modular home.

“They are getting more fancy; it doesn’t look like your traditional mobile home” P. Gonzales agreed. “I bought several lots to build on and there will be plenty of room.”

The board approved her permit.

V. Gonzales said that, for the next meeting, the handbook with all the ordinances needed to be reviewed by all board members. The goal is so ordinances that are vague and contradictory can be adjusted.

“Some of the ordinances are just written on paper and shoved in the book,” Sikes said. “It does need a hard look.”

The board agreed, once this was done, looking at violations would make sense.

The next scheduled meeting is at 6:30 p.m. on March 30 at the Hanna Town Hall.