Berthoud Weekly Surveyor | Covering all the angles in the Garden Spot

Town board back to work after holiday break

January 11, 2019 | Local News

By Rudy Hemmann

The Surveyor

The Berthoud Board of Trustees was again confronted with a council chamber filled to overflowing with angry residents from the Mary’s Farm and Fickel Farm neighborhoods regarding the proposed Farmstead development project.

The citizens were ready to air their concerns even though they were advised by Mayor Will Karspeck that no action would be taken by the board on the proposal. The only reference to the development on the evening’s board agenda was that an executive session would be held “for the purpose of receiving advice on specific legal questions” regarding a “Farmstead Appeal.”

The residents of the neighborhoods had circulated petitions in support of an appeal of the Farmstead development as it was presented.

Mayor Karspeck offered to allow the residents who had signed up to take part in the “Citizen Participation” portion of the meeting before the meeting began.

Approximately 15 residents stood at the podium and voiced their concerns about the development proposal and, maybe more importantly, how the proposal as it currently exists made it through the approval of the planning commission, much less the town board.

Other concerns voiced by the public ranged from: a scheduled community meeting with the developer had been cancelled and not reschedule, to the developer not taking questions raised by area residents seriously, to the developer not following the rules as set forth by the town, to an attorney/resident stating that … the (town) board has an obligation, from a political standpoint, to make sure there is an avenue for the community to be heard. He also stated that “growth needs to be positive growth, it needs to be growth that is well planned, it needs to fit in with the community that is already here …”

The board members turned their attention to updating two ordinances and two resolutions which establish and govern the various advisory committees of the town. Whether town board member liaisons for each committee was necessary.

  • Following over two full hours of discussing the above, the board members decided:
  • Future interviews with new candidates conducted by two board members and a committee member or chair
  • Budget for training and workshops for committee members
  • Quarterly meetings with all committees
  • Continue with liaisons, except for planning commission, define the role of the liaison
  • Electronically record meetings, town board and planning commission must meet in board room
  • Change attendance requirements
  • Agenda set by staff and chair
  • Define the duties and responsibilities of each committee

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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