§ 4.27. Utilities and Community Facilities Policies and Recommendations

Policies and recommendations build on goals and objectives by providing more focused responses to the issues that the city is concerned about. Policies and recommendations become the tools that the city can use to aid in making land use decisions.

Policies identify the way in which activities are conducted in order to fulfill the goals and objectives. Policies that direct action using the words "will" or "shall" are advised to be mandatory and regulatory aspects of the implementation of the comprehensive plan. In contrast, those policies that direct action using the word "should" are advisory and intended to serve as a guide.

Policies

General Policies

1. Development proposals shall address the impacts to utilities and community facilities including, but not limited to, sewer capacity, water availability, fire protection, emergency rescue, law enforcement, drainage systems, solid waste collection and disposal.

2. The city shall direct urban growth by providing facilities in designated expansion areas.

3. An approved capital improvement program/budget shall support the development of new public facilities.

4. Development which can not prove cost effective in covering required services, utilities and community facilities should not be pursued.

5. A proportional share of the cost of improvement, extension and construction of public facilities should be borne by those whose land development and redevelopment actions made such improvement, extension and construction necessary. In determining the proportional share, the public benefit of the project/improvement shall be considered. Impact fees should be utilized as a source of funding for capital projects directly attributable to new development. Impact fee programs shall be considered for transportation facilities, schools, parks, and fire protection.

6. Continue to provide service to existing and new customers in all areas of the city, consistent with the legal obligation of utilities to provide service.

7. Maintain the reliability of the city's utility infrastructure as the first priority for utility capital expenditures.

8. Coordinate city capital expenditure planning with capital investment planning by other departments.

9. Work with neighborhood and community representatives in siting utility facilities.

10. The city shall encourage the shared development of all public capital facilities including community facilities such as parks, libraries, schools and community meeting facilities.

11. The city shall require the placement of new utility systems within the existing right-of-way whenever possible.

12. The city shall maintain an inventory of existing capital facilities owned by public entities.

13. The city shall maintain at least a 5-year plan to finance needed capital facilities. The plan shall clearly identify sources of public money for capital facilities, and shall be updated annually.

14. The city shall not unduly impact any ethnic, cultural or class group by essential public facility siting or expansion.

15. The city shall encourage the joint use of utility corridors consistent with limitations of applicable law and prudent utility practice.

Sanitary Sewer

1. Where sanitary sewer service is extended to an outlying developed area through an undeveloped area, laterals from that line shall not be extended to support unplanned development along that lien which would foster sprawl.

2. New development shall not be allowed until adequate sewer facilities, public or private, serve the area.

3. New on-site sewage treatment facilities are discouraged within the urban area.

4. Existing on-site sewage treatment systems should be converted to sewer service when it becomes available.

5. Regular inspections of existing on-site sewage treatment systems should be conducted within the urban area.

6. Extension of public sewer service should not be permitted outside the urban area.

7. The city, county, and special districts shall cooperate to prepare a sewer master plan for the area.

8. The city shall allow phase development of sewer and water services according to future land use needs.

9. The city shall require the connection of all new development to public sewer and water systems when available.

Stormwater Management

1. Stormwater management shall be addressed as a requirement of all development proposals with an appropriate level of review based on potential negative impacts caused by construction site erosion and post-construction runoff.

2. Stormwater retention or detention basins shall be blended into the natural landscape or require landscaping to the greatest extent possible.

3. The city shall require installation of stormwater and surface water facilities in order to minimize construction-related disruptions to the public and to minimize the costs of system deliveries.

4. The city shall require surface water conveyance systems in all new development, including transportation facilities.

5. The city shall implement procedures to ensure that public and private stormwater collection, retention/detention, and treatment systems are property maintained.

Water Supply

1. New development shall not be allowed until adequate facilities, public or private, serve the area.

2. Existing private wells should be properly abandoned in accordance with state regulations and converted to public water service when it becomes available. Programs to ease the transition to public water service should be developed.

3. Extension of public water service should not be permitted outside the urban area.

4. The city shall review new residential projects for the availability of an adequate water supply.

Solid Waste Disposal and Recycling Facilities

1. Household hazardous waste collection shall be performed at least once every two years.

2. New contracts for service shall include consideration of working with a neighboring community on solid waste collection/disposal and recycling services.

Parks and Outdoor Recreation

1. All park facilities shall be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

2. Concentrated residential developments shall be within a service area of a neighborhood, city, or regional park facility.

3. Trail surfacing materials which are permeable and do not compound drainage and erosions problems shall be used in public recreational areas.

4. Ensure a sufficient quantity of suitable land is set aside for parks and recreational purposes during the site planning process for new residential development projects.

Utilities and Communication Services

1. Telecommunication facilities and towers shall utilize and coordinate with existing facilities to the maximum extent possible and shall be designated to be as safe and unobtrusive as possible.

2. Underground placement of new or existing distribution lines for electricity, telecommunications, and cable entertainment shall be pursued to improve neighborhood character and appearance.

3. Utility accommodation and abandonment ordinance shall be utilized to administer utility placement with public right of ways.

Libraries and Schools

1. Library facilities shall pursue fund raising and the building of relationships with private or individual contributors in order to reduce the burden on local government.

2. Library facilities shall be available to residents with a reasonable distance of the city.

Fire/Rescue Facilities

1. An evaluation of fire protection staff, services, and equipment shall be completed on an annual basis.

2. Opportunities for shared service agreements shall be maximized whenever possible.

3. Support the consolidation of fire protection services.

Police Protection

1. An assessment of department staffing, equipment and training levels shall be assessed annually.

2. Programs or activities which increase community access or relations with the police department shall be pursued.

3. Determine the training and equipment needs of the police department and incorporate it into the capital improvement plan.

4. Opportunities for shared service agreements shall be maximized whenever possible.

Government Facilities and Services

1. The city shall continually review staffing and professional service needs relative to planning, ordinance development/enforcement and other governmental services.

2. The city shall assess its capacity and needs with regard to administrative facilities and services and public buildings every five years.

Health and Child Care Services and Facilities

1. The city shall make opportunities available for the citing of needed health and child care services and facilities.

Recommendations

Recommendations are specific actions or projects that the city should be prepared to complete. The completion of these actions and projects is consistent with the city's policies, and therefore will help the city fulfill the comprehensive plan goals and objectives.

1. Implement the projects listed in Section 4.25 as shown on Map 4-2.

2. The city should study the use of impact fees as a source of funding for capital projects directly attributable to new development.

3. When future contracts for solid waste collection/disposal and recycling services come due, the city should conduct an evaluation on the benefits of working through the United Communities of Clerk County (UCCC) Group.

4. A utility accommodation ordinance shall be considered to inform the city on the placement of utilities, maintenance and abandonment within local road right-of-way. An ordinance of this type should be studied and developed jointly between the United Communities of Clark County Group (UCCC) Group.

5. Agricultural, Natural and Cultural Resources.

The natural resources of a community offer a clean and abundant supply of groundwater and surface water, assure safe air to breathe, and provide a natural landscape of terrestrial and aquatic habitats such as forest, prairies, and wetlands. Natural resources included the parks, trails, scenic areas, and other outdoor places people rely on for recreation. Natural resources are essential to a vibrant economy - measured in tourism revenues, enhanced property values, sustainable agriculture and wood products, low cost raw materials (such as sand, gravel, and stone), available water for manufacturing processes, etc.

While Wisconsin's natural resources benefit each community they are also susceptible to internal and external forces. For example, the increasing human demands by a growing state population increase consumption of water, land, and raw materials. Our natural resources generally do not increase to meet this extra demand. Additionally, unplanned or poorly planned development patterns in the last several decades are often the result of a demand for "healthy country living," which is transforming our rural landscapes. This rural migration along with the expansion of the urban fringe, forces local governments to consider expanding their services to meet the demands - sometimes costing more than will be recovered in new tax base revenues.

There are many state and some federal regulations designated to protect Wisconsin's natural resources. Some state laws, including those for floodplains, shorelands, and wetlands, establish minimum use and protection standards that must be adopted and administered by local governments. But not all natural resources are protected by state law. Local governments throughout the state have the flexibility to plan for and develop their own local ordinances to deal with the unique land use issues/conflicts in their community and to protect the natural resources that they value most. As population growth, land consumption, and technological improvements continue, communities need to take on the additional role of stewards and protectors of these resources.

Land development patterns are directly linked to the natural, agricultural, and cultural resource bases of each community. Therefore, these features need to be considered before making any decisions concerning future development within the community. Development must be carefully adjusted to coincide with the ability of the agricultural, natural and cultural resource base to support the various forms of urban and rural development. This balance must be maintained to prevent the deterioration of that underlying and sustaining base, because these resources make each community unique. The agricultural, natural, and cultural resources found within the City of Greenwood, as well as Clark County as a whole are, most often, not limited to jurisdictional boundaries. The natural features found within the county require coordinated efforts between towns, villages, cities, counties, and the state. These features promote civic price and often create a sense of place.

Significant Natural and Cultural Features

Significant natural and cultural features within the City of Greenwood include:

• Black River

• Rock Creek

• Robert Schofield House

• Branstiter Old Streets Museum

• Greenwood County Park

The following sections discuss in more detail those features which impact the natural and cultural environment of the City of Greenwood.