NAH NU NAH NU...NAH NU NAH NU....

Did I enter "The Twilight Zone?"  Had I gone beyond "The Outer Limits?" Maybe I was seeing an exhibit at "Ripley's Believe It Or Not?"  That was the surreal atmosphere that I and a few others experienced at the Special Meeting of the Eureka Planning Commission on January 20th.


First, a little background to set this up:

At its December meeting, the Board had directed the Commission to come up with a procedure and an updated application form for the Water Ordinance.  The VRWJPO ceded its authority for the implementation of the Ordinance over to Eureka at the Township's request.  (You might remember that some have repeatedly expressed what many would consider sound reasoning as to why this should not happen. See previous blog posts.) The Board had set the date of March 1st to start enforcing the law.

Because of this, Board Chair Kenny Miller emphasized the need for a timely drawing up of these items to Commission Chair Butch Hansen and suggested that perhaps a special meeting in the month of December was in order.  Hansen indicated that it would be done at the PC's January meeting. Miller said, "Are you sure you can get this done at one meeting so the Board can review it at its January meeting?"  Hansen's reply: "No problem."

HOWEVER, when the January meeting of the Commission was held, Commissioner Hansen chaired a meeting at which the main order of business discussed (until nearly 11:00 p.m.!) was that Perennial Favorite, the proposed Agritourism Ordinance!  The VRWJPO item was on the agenda, but Chair Hansen never got that far, nor did he move it up on the agenda or even indicate to the rest of the Commission the Board's urgency on this matter that had been expressed to him earlier. Hence, no procedure, no updated form. So much for "No problem." So the Board's priorities were left unaddressed. Further, the Commission's work on the Agritourism Ordinance, even at the late hour of nearly 11:00 was still not completed.

At the Board's January meeting, upon hearing of the Commission's failure to fulfill its directive, the Board directed the Commission to have a January Special Meeting on the Water Ordinance (an expenditure of Township $$$$ that could/should have been avoided), and further, specified ONLY the Water Ordinance be the subject of this Special Meeting.. The Board was now left with asking for the procedure and the form by its February meeting.  This does not allow much time for any additional changes and finalization, as that is only just before the start date of the Township's enforcement of this major piece of legislation.

During the January Board meeting it was also made clear when the subject of having another Special Meeting on Agritourism was brought up, I believe by Supervisor Ceminsky,that the Commission was to engage in any further discussion of the Agritourism draft language at their regular February meeting, which was time enough, and not at a Special Meeting. When that language was deemed complete by the Commission, it was directed to send the final draft language for the Agritourism Ordinance back to the Board for its review before any public hearing should be scheduled.

Supervisor Ceminsky and Commissioner Novacek (who was filling in as liaison for an absent Hansen) were directed to communicate all this to Chair Hansen.  They indicated they would.

A Special Meeting of the Commission was scheduled for January 20th.  The Agenda?  The VRWJPO permit process and the Agritourism Ordinance! Hmmmmmmmmm......... In addition, the meeting was scheduled for a time that Commissioner Jennings was not available.  She is very knowledgable about the Vermillion River Watershed and it would have been valuable for the Township had she been able to participate in the discussion.


When it came to the Agritourism issue, the Commission made a number of (what I consider unfortunate and ill-reasoned) changes which I will discuss later. Chair Hansen then went on to say that he wanted to schedule a public hearing on Agritourism!

A member of the audience raised his hand and said that the Board had indicated at their meeting that they wanted to see the final draft language before a public hearing.  Supervisor Ceminsky, as Board liaison, was asked about this.  His response was along the lines of,  "I don't remember that, but this topic has been around a long time and it should get moved forward."

ENTER THE TWILIGHT ZONE!!!!!  Supervisor Ceminsky had been tasked with relaying the Board's directive to Chair Hansen (before the special meeting, I might point out) and now as the Board liaison at that meeting he was actually urging the Commission to move ahead with the hearing? That sounded to me like a Supervisor becoming a Board of One!

I then raised my hand and stated that the first audience member was totally correct even if Supervisor Ceminsky seemed to be having a problem remembering! Well, then Commissioner Al Novacek raised his hand and said he had been the Commission liaison at the Board meeting and he did not remember this directive from the Board either!

The only thing to say was, "Well, then you have a bad memory, too!"

The first audience member then said to Ceminsky, "Mark, don't you remember the Board discussion on this?"  Ceminsky's response was, "I don't remember a motion on this."  (Emphasis mine.) Audience Member No. 1 replied, "Not a motion, but the discussion!  Don't you remember the discussion?" I don't recall that Mr. Ceminsky answered that question.

 Both Ceminsky and Novacek had agreed that they would inform Hansen, but were now publicly professing that they could not even remember their task or perhaps questioning that they even had a task! Citizens who had also been present at the Board meeting and could speak to the matter were simply ignored. So, rather than having a Commission that follows Board direction,or a liaison that communicates the directive properly, do we have a "loose cannon" or two instead? The public hearing was scheduled for February 3rd.  Check to see if it is posted on the website or is properly published as required in the two official newspapers of the Township.

And if you see any three-eyed aliens running around Eureka, ask them if they know who is running the Township!  Tell them Rod Serling and I would like to know!