MONROE — On Jan. 8, the Green County Board of Supervisors:
● Approved 13 Human Services Department contracts totaling roughly $2 million as presented by department director Gregory Holcomb for a psychologist, fiscal consulting, shared regional Aging & Disability Resource Center services, a family partnership initiative, family services, a nurse practitioner, therapy and case management, psychosocial rehabilitation, mental health therapy and a two-year contract with Pleasant View Nursing Home for home delivered and congregate meals. Holcomb said $189,000 is reimbursed by the state to provide fiscal agents for child long-term support, and that without the program, parents would be considered responsible for the agents’ employee benefits like insurance. The family partnership and family services are also partially covered by grants, he said.
● Held discussion on rezoning a 6 acre parcel of land in the Town of Brooklyn from agricultural to commercial as requested by Bernard Duane and Kristin E. Byrne south of King Road to host events via the use of a former barn building. Supervisor Herb Hanson said he remembered that the township had established a comprehensive plan which did not allow such uses. “Brooklyn had decided to keep the character rural, farming, and this is not rural farming,” Hanson said. But, he noted, the state removed power from the township on such matters, and noted he had discussed the issue with members of the town board, who had expressed feelings against the rezoning but felt they had no choice but to approve the request. Zoning Administrator Adam Wiegel said he had not received any objections by members of the town board. No one attended the December public hearing of the zoning committee in December to express concerns over the change. Supervisor Dennis Everson abstained from the vote. Hanson voted against the change and the 27 supervisors present voted in favor of the zoning change. Calvin Wickline and John Winters were absent.
● Appointed Supervisor Oscar Olson to the railroad committee until 2022.
● Removed language in the zoning code 4-3-1-2: Agricultural District, 4-3-1-5: Highway Interchange District and 4-6-1-4: Fees that had three mentions of “wind generators” and one reference to “wind towers.” Wiegel said the wording should have been removed in 2014 when the county voted down a chapter 11 ordinance referencing conditional use permits and after the general rules of writing a wind energy ordinance, PSC 128, were enacted by the state Public Service Commission in 2012.
● Determined a microphone may be needed for supervisors when speaking during meetings because the back row of lawmakers has trouble hearing those sitting in the front speaking with their backs to them.