Commissioners get updated on progress of comprehensive plans – Norfolk Daily News

MADISON Input is continuing to be gathered to update the comprehensive plans of Madison and Pierce counties.

Earlier this week, the Madison County Board of Commissioners was given an update on the process from Lowell Schroeder, who represented Five Rule Rural Planning, which has been hired to oversee and lead the updates.

The Kearney-based company had done planning work in Pierce County in recent years and was selected to update the plan after proposals were sought.

Cities and counties are urged to update their comprehensive plans at least once every 20 years. A USDA Rural Development grant is paying for a significant part of the updates.

Schroeder, a community planner with Five Rule Rural Planning, said a website had been developed at http://www.riseourregion.com where people can get updates. The current work includes interviews with people.

Really what the project (consists of) is gathering information and hard data and getting public input and pulling all the information together for the county to meet the requirements to update the county comprehensive plan, Schroeder said.

Schroeder, who formerly worked for the Northeast Nebraska Economic Development District, said the comprehensive plan would provide useful information on which the planning commission can base its decisions, among other things.

Commissioner Ron Schmidt said one of his concerns would be that as cities and towns grown, their territorial jurisdiction grows. With Norfolk, for example, it extends 2 miles from the city limits. With towns, the limit is 1 mile.

Schmidt said the concern is that sometimes there can be feedlots or other intense agricultural uses established. But as the city grows, there is pressure to allow competing residential or other uses located next to the agricultural uses.

Schroeder said that is a concern, and there will be opportunities for public discussion with the updates. It also will include a public hearing before the Madison County Board of Commissioners for final approval.

Along with both Pierce and Madison counties, the communities in the counties are also updating their plans if they havent done so recently.

ECAP, or the Entrepreneurial Community Activation Process, is run by the University of Nebraska and will be conducting a strategic planning process for the communities.

Schroeder said part of the update includes updating the conditions of the bridges in the county. Schroeder said he would contact Dick Johnson, county roads superintendent, to start compiling that information for Madison County.

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Commissioners get updated on progress of comprehensive plans - Norfolk Daily News

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