County council approves $35,000 to set up zoning framework

The Dubois County Council approved an additional $35,000 appropriation to create the county’s first planning and zoning framework.

The money pays for American StructurePoint to draft a plan and ordinance and to help form a county plan commission. Council President Mike Kluesner said the contract is about $28,000, but commissioners added a $7,000 cushion in case the consultant needs extra meetings.

Commissioners President Chad Blessinger outlined the request in an email to the council, and the commissioners discussed it at last week’s meeting.

In addition to creating the framework for what’s being described as zoning light, it would also create a planning commission and board of zoning appeals.

Regarding the idea of zoning light, Kluesner said it was designed to regulate large scale projects.

“It’s not somebody that’s going to build a barn on their farm,” Kluenser said. “This is this is going to be either reviewed by square footage or … if it affects so many acres.”

Council members said it would not affect Jasper, Huntingburg or the areas those cities already regulate outside their limits.

He said a major complaint has been that neighbors learn about big projects only after construction begins. The new process would require public notice and hearings first. (Editor’s note: we’ve been writing about the solar projects planned in Dubois County since 2020 as developers approached the commissioners and council to discuss them in public meetings).

Council member Alex Hohl asked what further spending the county should expect. “That was never discussed. I don’t know,” Kluesner said.

Council member Meredith Voegerl said she’d be surprised by any large new charges, since the effort is still in its early stages.

“It’s like Mike (Kluesner) said, it’s establishing that framework just to get us to the next to the next stage,” she said. “But you have to legally have this to be able to move forward with even zoning light.”

In a related update, Voegerl said the county expects the first draft of its comprehensive plan this week, and the work group meetings for the plan have moved from every two weeks to weekly.