Writer highlights the key 'elements' of smart growth plans Dec. 1, 2009 To the Antigo Journal:
This letter is in response to Herb Buettner and C Palmer’s letters to the editor on smart growth.
I, like most people, didn't really know a whole lot about the smart growth law so I decided to look it up and see if your arguments had merit. So rather than quote Abraham Lincoln, our founding fathers, or complaining about how others do their job. I thought I would include the nine elements of the law and the statutory language of the seventh (7) element verbatim.
The important stuff is highlighted.
1. Issues and opportunities element.
2. Housing element.
3. Transportation element.
4. Utilities and community facilities element.
5. Agricultural, natural and cultural resources element.
6. Economic development element.
7. Intergovernmental cooperation element. A compilation of objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs for joint planning and decision making with other jurisdictions, including school districts and adjacent local governmental units, for siting and building public facilities and sharing public services. The element shall analyze the relationship of the local governmental unit to school districts and adjacent local governmental units, and to the region, the state and other governmental units. The element shall incorporate any plans or agreements to which the local governmental unit is a party under s. 66.0301, 66.0307 or 66.0309 (note: previously, s. 66.30, 66.023, or 66.945.) The element shall identify existing or potential conflicts between the local governmental unit and other governmental units that are specified in this paragraph and describe processes to resolve such conflicts.
8. Land-use element.
9. Implementation element.
Identifying conflicts between our county and other counties and having a process to resolve issues.
I think this is a far cry from giving up complete control to Madison and our neighboring counties. It kind of sounds more like having a dialogue and working together with our neighbors so that everyone has a say in how their neighborhood develops whether that neighborhood straddles a county line or not.
If I live near a county line and people on the other side of that county line want to construct a toxic waste dump I would have a way of voicing my opposition and stopping it if it negatively impacts my life and well-being.
People should have the freedom to do what they want with their land, but society should also have the right to protect itself from the individual when the interests of health safety and well-being conflict.
Public participation on this issue is important, and I am glad you are promoting it, however having a referendum on this issue is not needed because we have a representative form of democracy, where the people we elect vote on these issues.
The formation of a representative democracy is in our constitution and this issue, like every other will be decided by those we elect.
If you don't agree with your elected officials then vote them out, don't call for a special referendum because you disagree, that's called having sour grapes.
Having a dialogue and a process to resolve conflicts with our neighbors isn't a power giveaway it's called cooperation and it requires each side (Langlade County and it's neighbors) to put a little forethought into how its actions affect it's neighbors. Thus the name smart growth.
Jordan Scupien
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