At their July 29 meeting, the Union County Commissioners set a public hearing on the proposed 2008 Zoning Regulations. The public hearing will be held from 10 a.m. to Noon on Tuesday, Sept. 2 in the Union County Courthouse basement. Land Use Administrator/ Planning Director Dennis Henze told the commissioners that the Planning & Zoning Board had voted 3-0 favorably recommending the commissioners adopt the ordinance with three recommendations. He stated the recommendations as follows:

• Three-quarter mile setback from dwellings, schools, churches and other public properties;

• Notification for the Adult Entertainment Conditional Use public hearing be by mail to adjoining property owners; and

• The commissioners have the states attorney determine any other restrictions.

Commissioner Ross Jordan asked if the wording for the recommendations would be available prior to the public hearing. He also wanted to know if the three quarters of a mile setback could be added now. Henze told him that could be done or they could do it at their public hearing. “It can be done all through your adoption process,” said Henze, but later when Jordan asked for more clarification, Henze said that if they are going to make changes to the current written version of the 2008 Zoning Regulations, it should be done at the public hearing. Commission Chairman Doyle Karpen told Jordan that the commissioners could make changes to the document through the second reading of the ordinance. Then both Karpen and Henze said that was a “states attorney question.” Jordan also questioned why the Planning & Zoning Board didn’t adopt the ordinance with those three statements but just recommended them. The final wording is up to the Commissioners, said Karpen. Henze pointed out that the Planning & Zoning Board left the 2008 Zoning Regulations as written, including leaving the Adult Entertainment setbacks at the one-fourth mile, which is according to state law, but just “recommended” the commissioners consider those three recommendations. Commissioner Milton Ustad, as well as many of the 12 who spoke during the Public Input time, suggested that the ordinance be sent back to the Planning & Zoning Board because of the chaos at the July 21 public hearing. Ustad suggested the Planning & Zoning Board hold an organized public hearing, similar to the ones held on the Hyperion rezoning ordinance. “I think it would take a lot of the pressure off the commissioners because I think if we do that, a lot of people would voice their opinion at that meeting rather than come to our hearing,” said Ustad. “They passed the ball,” said Karpen disagreeing. “We’ve got the ball.” “You can do that at your hearing,” said Henze. “It’s kind of like our meetings before we had public input,” said Commissioner Marvin Schempp. “People would come and right in the middle of something they’d go blah, blah, blah about something else. Well, we’ve got things that we need an orderly meeting.” “I guess the bottom line, gentlemen, is we have this,” said Karpen. “The Planning & Zoning has passed it on to us, and it’s done.” “We have to have a public hearing,” he added. “Let’s set the date. Review it more.” With the commissioners facing budget deadlines, they decided to hold the public hearing during an already scheduled special meeting when they are holding the 2009 budget public hearing. “I’m thinking we’re probably going to have a lot of people come,” said Ustad. “Well, that’s fine,” said Karpen. “I have no problem with that. I guess we can look at it. We’re basically speaking of, it sounds like 10 to 15 minutes of time but we’d probably say set it up for an hour, hour and one half, something like that.” Jordan suggested starting the zoning public hearing at 10 a.m., and Karpen suggested ending it at noon. Jordan made the motion setting the two-hour public hearing, and Schempp seconded it. Ustad asked if that would just be the first hearing and another would be held later. “I guess that depends on what we hear at the hearing,” added Karpen about the hearing’s length, “and what we want to do but basically that’s been identified as the public hearing right now.” The vote was unanimous with all commissioners voting. Henze also informed that board the Planning & Zoning Board Member Tom Smith had verbally given him a resignation. “It’s not an official one,” said Henze, asking if the commissioners wanted a written resignation. Commissioner Dale Neely also said he’d talked to Smith who told him he had resigned. “I suggest looking for a new man,” said Henze. The commissioners didn’t take any action or give direction to Henze regarding the matter.  

The Graham Lundt era of Akron-Westfield football began with a summer camp under a hot August sun, Lundt, 23, was named head coach of the Westerners in April and is a physical education and health teacher. “We will start with the fundamentals. Coach Zach Pfantz did a marvelous job last year of getting this back where it needs to be,” said Lundt, a native of Cushing, Iowa. Lundt said as he prepares for 2008, there is no set number for purposes of depth, but the more the better. He already knows of one team strength, senior leadership, as the squad is coming off a 5-4 season. “We have great leaders in the senior class. Our captains are Chad Morehead, Austin Moffatt and Troy Watkins,” Lundt said. “We’re a unique situation in that we’re a K-12 district, so the younger players see the older players every day and put them on a pedestal,” Lundt said. Lundt’s staff consists of Rick Fisher, Jeff Wolthuizen, Kent Johnson, Kurt Van Kley, Dan Tindall and Trent Todd. Lundt said Brian Wilken and Roger Jansen were his mentors. Lundt has playing experience on both offense and defense. The Westerners open the season Aug. 29 at Elk Point-Jefferson. The practice schedule will be mornings the first week, then at 3:45 p.m. Aug. 18-21. There will be a “soap” game at 7 p.m. Aug. 22. Lundt said exact players’ positions will be determined at practice. A-W opens with two road games, before the first home game, against MCC, Mercus-Meridan-Cleghorn, on Sept. 12.