As budgets are getting put together for 2018, the Oneida County Board Tuesday approved adding help in the increasingly-busy Planning and Zoning Department. Some of the extra work appears to be the result of changes made by the legislature.
That department administers several programs that affect landowners.
County Board Chair Dave Hintz, who also sits on the powerful Administration committee says they recommended more help...
"....after we went through the budget hearings and the Admin committee felt it was better instead of adding two people to add one person for 2018 and then work through (shoreland zoning changes) and how that will be implemented...the implementations of the short-term rental changes in state law what that means for zoning, so the committee budgeted for adding one position...."
Hintz was referring to state-mandated changes in the shoreland protection ordinance and a measure put in the recently-signed state budget which loosens restrictions at the county level on people renting their property for short periods to others.
Department head Karl Jenrich was hoping for two positions as the department is really busy....
"....these two positions theoretically could help us with the workload that we have as of today, not taking into consideration revisions to NR115 and what we may or may not be doing next year. Plus the Planning and Development committee has to make the determination, along with the county board, 'do you want to regulate short term rentals?' and that's a big thing coming on the horizon...."
The board voted to add one position to the budget and board members indicated they will propose adding a second position using another funding avenue at the budget meeting next month.
