(Spirit Lake)– The process of updating Dickinson County’s Long Term Comprehensive Land Use Plan is entering a new phase.
Based on a committee recommendation, the Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 this (Tues.) morning to hire RDG to assemble the document. Planning and Zoning Administrator Megan Kardell told the supervisors another working committee will be put together to provide input to RDG…
“The committee will consist of two Planning and Zoning Commission members. Those two are going to be Carol Pierce and Erica Schultes; one person from the Board of Adjustment which we have yet to meet so we will go ahead and reach out to those five to see who would like to sit on that. In addition I’ve chatted with Erin Reed, Trails Director; Lee Sorenson, Director of Conservation; Jeff Rose, Director of Engineering and so those three will also serve on that committee. Those will meet about every, we think, six, eight weeks, possibly. I will have updates from RDG bi-weekly.”
Levi Markwardt will represent the Board of Supervisors.
Kardell says several focus groups will also be involved…
“You’ll have utilities, you’ll have the people that are focused on more environments, your IGLA’s, your OPA’s, the Spirit Lake Protective Association. That will be their workshop. There will be a cities workshop where we invite the Administrators or the Mayors of those entities, so there will be a series of different workshops to make sure that those voices are heard as well.”
RDG was one of three firms that were interviewed. Supervisor Steve Clark, who served on the committee that was involved in that process, says there was one factor in particular that put that firm at the top…
“They all had their good points and their bad points, but the ability for them to focus a little better maybe on water quality was what kind of kicked me that way.”
The contract with RDG is in the amount of $102,500. Kardell says the work is expected to be completed in about a year from now.
