Cloverdale council adopts county UDO

CLOVERDALE — Having opted into the county’s new comprehensive plan, the Town of Cloverdale is to have a say locally and countywide with development.

After hearing County Plan Director Lisa Zeiner outline how the town will do so, the Cloverdale Town Council adopted the county’s new unified development ordinance (UDO) on Tuesday.

The UDO is a single document that combines former separate regulations about zoning, subdivision control and other land use issues. Essentially, the comprehensive plan is the framework for how the UDO is interpreted.

Russellville opted into the plan and UDO with no local zoning governance. In Bainbridge, which has its own board of zoning appeals and plan commission, it is unclear whether the town will cede related responsibilities to the county. Roachdale is yet to approve the UDO, while Fillmore is not participating.

“In looking at what you guys had and incorporating all the other towns, for the UDO we now have five residential districts,” Zeiner told the council. These account for different housing densities and downtown enhancement.

Zeiner noted that Cloverdale’s zoning ordinance does not address a balance between rural residential development and agricultural operations. As agriculture is on the town’s zoning map but is not mentioned in the ordinance, the UDO will hone this.

Drawing on previous discussions, Council Vice President Brice Howell brought up giving up the town’s zoning control to the county. In the end, the town will retain control within the town limits.

“It’s more or less getting uniform with the rest of the county,” Howell said. “I want everyone to know that.”

Having said that, Howell has strongly spoken to Cloverdale’s role in the countywide plan commission. As the town will disband its individual plan commission, Cloverdale will have a say with other areas moving forward.

“If you give up the plan commission, you still have control on rezoning issues,” Zeiner explained to the countywide plan commission’s purview having input from the town. “You would know subdivisions coming up, those types of things.”

While having representation on the county commission, the town will keep front-end and back-end control with zoning for local projects. The town’s plan commission gave its blessing for the changes.

Along with adopting the UDO itself and approving an interlocal agreement for the county administering zoning, the council approved ordinances 2024-3 and 2024-4 related to the county plan commission. Second readings were waived as such.

The council is expected to make an appointment to the county plan commission at a special session prior to its next regular meeting.

In other business:

• Brandon Tancak and Howell were retained by votes as the council’s president and vice president, respectively.

• Though the exact quotes were not stated, the council approved moving forward on the purchases of new ballistic vests and police cameras for the Cloverdale Police Department. Town Marshal Adam Hull noted at the meeting that four officers’ vests are outdated.

It was stated that the vests would be covered by uniform allowance money and donations, while how the cameras would be covered was not discussed.

• The council approved a $20,325 quote from Bastin Logan to repair a spiractor treatment tank at the town’s water treatment plant. The bottom of the tank, original to the plant, has corroded over time.

Eric Smith of HWC Engineering noted that Bastin Logan is unique in that it builds its own equipment, and thus is a good sole source. The repair will have a six-to-eight-week lead time.

• Smith updated the board on the town’s continuing water improvements. Specifically, they relate to a water main extension from Interstate 70 and two projects related to stormwater and wastewater.

The second phase of a project connected to Beagle Club Road, Smith said a permit for the extension crossing the interstate had been submitted to the state, with the majority of the design plans now complete. However, six easements have to be obtained before bids can be requested.

Smith related that the design plans for a stormwater project, which is to address improvements in multiple street areas, are nearly complete. The project’s bids must be acquired by the end of February.

Finally, to the portion that involves treating wastewater from Lieber State Recreation Area, Smith said HWC was reviewing shop drawings for equipment and materials. As a subcontractor, Miller Pipeline is to conduct observation of lines identified as having leaks.

• Waiving the second reading, the council passed Ordinance 2024-1 regarding an allowable cost policy. Generally, allowable costs are those covered by a contract per its terms.

• The council approved for the entirety of Market Street to be renamed Kiley Way. The move is to honor Dave Kiley, who coached Cloverdale High School’s wrestling team and amassed multiple titles.

Councilman Larry Fidler, who opposed a vote last month on the matter, questioned half of the street being renamed. Tancak responded that Cloverdale Schools was amenable to this since it approached him in the first place. The whole length is two blocks.

“I’m still not for it, but I feel like if we’re gonna do it, we do the whole street, so we don’t split that street,” Fidler said to agreement from Tancak.

Ordinance 2024-2 presented at the meeting will be rewritten to reflect the change from naming half of the street to naming the full length. As such, it is to have its first reading next month.

• As council president appointments, the council gave its blessing for Scott Wahl to serve on the town’s stormwater board and redevelopment authority.

With all of its members present, Clerk-Treasurer Kelly Maners, Town Manager Jason Hartman and Town Attorney Richard Shagley joined the council and Hull for the meeting.

The next regular meeting of the Cloverdale Town Council is set for Tuesday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. at Cloverdale Town Hall.