News Article

Date: June 8, 2006
By DAVE RANK - Daily News Staff

Panel votes against PDR Reverses previous opinion

The county’s proposed purchase of development rights (PDR) program took a serious hit Wednesday.

With five newly appointed members, the County Board’s Planning, Conservation and Parks Committee voted 5-2 to recommend rescinding the board’s March 14 decision to create the first county-funded PDR program in the state.

It’s not the program they oppose, said Mark McCune, a County Board supervisor from the town of Erin, "it’s the funding." Private organizations should fund such a program, he said.

That recommendation now goes to the full board Tuesday for a final debate and vote.

PCPC Chairman John Stern, town of West Bend, recommended county residents contact their County Board supervisors before Tuesday to share their opinions on a PDR program.

On March 14, the board voted 17-11 approving a resolution that asks for an ordinance creating a PDR program and funding it with at least $800,000 annually from the county’s sales tax revenue.

But on April 4, things changed.

Following the spring election, nine new supervisors were elected to the board and shortly after a new County Board chairman was elected, Thomas Sackett from Hartford.

Sackett, who voted against authorizing a PDR program, quickly called for a second debate on the proposed program, saying there remained unanwered questions and the new supervisors deserved a change to express an opinion on the issue.

He formed two groups of supervisors, one pro-PDR, the other against the program, and charged them with compiling a list of 10 reasons to support their positions. Those position papers were then to be presented to the PCPC, which was charged with recommending either a go-forward or stop resolution for the full board to consider.

That happened Wednesday.

Following two hours of a polite if sometimes testy debate presented by the two issue groups, it seemed no one on the board changed their mind except, perhaps, Kenneth Brandt from the town of Addison.

On March 8, Brandt voted with the 5-1 majority when the PCPC recommended that a PDR program be implemented.

Wednesday, he changed sides. Also voting to stop action on a PDR program were committee members Mark McCune, town of Erin, Charlene Brady, Mel Ewert and Daniel Knodl, all from Germantown.

Brandt said he felt the issue should go to the voters in an advisory referendum.

Voting for a PDR program were supervisors Sternand Donald Berchem, also from the town of West Bend.

McCune, Brady, Ewert, Knodl and Berchem were all newly appointed to the PCPC in May by Board Chairman Sackett, replacing three returning supervisors who supported PDR.

While saying government should not get involved in any business, Knodl did indicate there might be a leak in his wall of opposition to a PDR program.

He said he’d like to hear more about how maintaining open spaces can aid in reducing flooding and recharging the underground aquifer, from which most communities get their well water.

Observing the PCPC debate, Sackett said he took no pleasure in the rescinded vote, but expressed satisfaction with the process of the debate and the discussion of the issues involved.

He said the PCPC vote "says as much about the sales tax as anything else."

The County Board will meet at 9 a.m., Tuesday in room 1019 of the Washington County Court-house, Government Center.