NEW LONDON -- Joint planning with New London Township was discussed Wednesday at the New London City Council meeting.
The council and township board will meet next week to discuss areas of possible growth and if they can collaborate on some land use planning.
The city and township had discussed an orderly annexation agreement for a few years before they stopped meeting about it in early 2005. An agreement was thought to have been reached in 2004, but several changes were made on both sides. The council agreed at its meeting not to bring up annexation unless the township does.
Councilman John Bergman suggested they find issues that they agree on, such as the types of developments they wouldn't want in the area. He also said they should ask if the township board has plans for certain areas.
Councilman Eric Orson said he's most interested in development on state Highway 23.
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With the newly-completed four-lane, new development is expected there. Part of the highway frontage near the city is in city limits and part of it isn't.
"That could rapidly turn into a big mess," he said.
The council and township board will meet at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the township hall.
Also at the meeting, the council agreed to allow the state Department of Natural Resources to use a storm sewer drain near one of its ponds.
The DNR is planning to split one of its ponds into two. One of those ponds will be lined and to maintain the liner integrity, a subsurface drain will be used to control ground water levels and reduce impacts to neighboring properties, according to a letter from the DNR.
The DNR wants to use a storm sewer drain to control the discharge. If not, it could drain the water directly into the Middle Fork Crow River through a pond dike, the letter states.
The city does not need to give its approval, but the DNR asked for it to be a "good neighbor" and maintain a "positive working relationship" with the city, wrote Huon Newburg of the DNR.
In other business, the council:
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- Approved a plat for land where the new clinic Affiliated Community Medical Centers is planning to build east of state Highway 23. The plat also includes land owned by Tim and Mary Pieh, which sold land to the clinic, and a proposed frontage road on the site.
- Reviewed a document that the city needs to send to the state regarding the number of wetlands on land where it plans to build a frontage road east of state Highway 23. The council decided to delay voting on it until it can talk with its engineer.
- Tabled a decision on ordering pins with a city logo. Five-hundred pins would cost $945. Councilman Kevin Dittbenner suggested having a purpose for them before purchasing them.
- Changed its second meeting in March from the 15th to the 22nd because the city administrator will be at a conference the week of the regular meeting.
