Mayor Beyer opened the Special Council Meeting at Rockford City Hall, 6031 Main Street at 7:00 pm. by welcoming the Rockford Township board members meeting. The purpose of the special meeting is to review an orderly annexation agreement submitted by the Rockford Township and an orderly annexation agreement for the Wagner/Bethiaume property.

Introductions

Rockford City council present was: Beyer, Altringer, Graner, Nichols and Seymour.

Rockford Town Board present was: Beise, MacDougal, Dietering, and Eckblad. Also in attendance was City Administrator Carswell.

Discuss Orderly Annexation

The group reviewed a draft agreement submitted by the Rockford Township. There was discussion about the Joint Planning Board (JPB) that is part of the agreement. The township was concerned about the fifth member being appointed by Wright County.

Further discussion about the administration of the JPB as Wright County does not have staff to administer this group; township doesn’t want to pay for any of the costs involved since they feel the city will reap all of the benefits. Whether the group is responsible for maintaining conditional use permits, etc. was unclear.

The JPB would review ghost plats in the transition area so that the development will be cohesive with future infrastructure and city zoning regulations.

Council member Altringer stated that once the orderly annexation (OA) agreement is signed the group would work to adopt an ordinance for the transition area.

Town Board member MacDougal stated her concerns about the city annexing property that has not been developed such as the Miske/Walters parcel. MacDougal feels that annexed property should be developed and served by water and sewer and that agriculture land should remain in the township.

Town Board member Deitering stated that new developments should be 75% complete prior to another annexation of property.

Council member Altringer stated that the reason the city wants an OA is because it allows the city and township to regulate the zoning of large parcels so that they are not subdivided in a way that restricts urban growth. It was also discussed that the agreement would benefit the township property owners in the transition area, because it gives the township authority on the planning and zoning of the property instead of Wright County.

Town Chair Beise asked why the city doesn’t have plans for the Berthiuame property prior to annexing.

There was discussion about the $700 fee per acre that the Rockford Town Board is requiring in the agreement for all property that is annexed.

The small acreage that the Rockford Township has submitted for the OA is not acceptable to the city. The phase map that is part of the city’s comprehensive plan is what the City of Rockford wants to include in the OA.

There was discussion about the joint zoning district and possibly a shorter time frame on the agreement, the draft OA expires 2023.

The City of Rockford will make changes to the OA and submit it to the Rockford Town Board for review. City staff will research grants that may be available for the efforts of the JPB.

Review Orderly Annexation Agreement/Berthiaume/Wagner

Administrator Carswell reviewed the draft of an orderly annexation agreement for a 5 acre Wagner property and 49 acre Berthiuame property which abuts the city on the southwest edge of Parkwood residential development. The city has received a petition from Mr. Berthiuame for the annexation of his property. Mr. Berthiuame has a purchase agreement with a developer who plans to develop the property as industrial, contingent upon annexation, city approval, etc. Administrator Carswell stated that the orderly annexation agreement for these parcels is the same as the one the city and town signed for the annexation of the Miske/Walters parcel with the exception of the road language.

The city plans to accept the petitions for annexation from Wagers and Berthiuame at the February 12, 2008 meeting. After the petitions are accepted the OA could be approved by the city council and signed, then sent to the township for approval.

Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 9:45 p.m. with no future meeting date set, but with plans that both entities will review the OA and submit there changes to each other.