Salem council members to draw zoning map

By BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

SALEM ? With the end of the year rapidly approaching, the Salem City Council is attempting to clear the desk.

Paramount on the ?to do? list is completion of the city?s zoning ordinance. City leaders discovered last summer that neither a city zoning ordinance nor accompanying zoning map has ever been filed with the county, therefore making the existing city ordinance basically toothless. State law requires cities file a zoning ordinance and map with the county recorder.

Salem does have a zoning ordinance and council members decided last night to meet in a work session Thursday, Dec. 13, at 2 p.m. to draft a zoning map.

?You need somebody to come up with a map outlining the (zoning) boundaries,? City Attorney Patrick Brau told the council last night. ?The map has to be made by somebody familiar with Salem and it might be good to have a committee to do it.?

The council decided it would be the committee.

?You can have a committee of all the council members but then it has to be a public meeting (to meet the requirements of the open meetings law),? Brau noted.

Several council members offered their opinions on zoning districts. ?I think the whole square should be commercial, whether it is or not (i.e. there could be residences in a commercial district),? offered Councilman Chuck Kramer. ?I also would like to see us zone a little farther out of town to keep confinements from locating close to town.?

Zoning beyond the community?s borders, however, is not legal, unless the land is annexed by the city.

Brau said the council has the final vote on both the zoning ordinance and map. He also offered a short scenario of how zoning matters are handled. ?First, a (building) permit has to be issued and then planning and zoning determines whether it (the construction) complies with the zoning ordinance. Then, the planning and zoning gives the council its recommendation,? the attorney said.

The council has the final say on all zoning matters as it can accept, reject or refer zoning issues back to planning and zoning.

In other business, the council:

? Approved the hiring of Autumn Nichting as the city cleaning person.

? Approved giving city employees $25 gift certificates for Christmas.

? Okayed the prize amounts in the holiday lighting contest ($25 for first place, $15 for second and $10 for third).

? Set the January meeting for Wednesday, Jan. 2, at 7 p.m. in the community center since the council?s normal meeting night is New Year?s Day.