Town Board Work Session — Agenda packet

Oregon Town Board AGENDA 1138 Union Road, Oregon, WI 53575 Monday, September 15, 2025 at 3:00 p.m. 1. Call Town Board meeting to order 2. Roll Call 3. Appearance by Jerry Jensen, 274 Cranbrook Ct., Nekoosa, WI, 54457 re: Parcel #0509-154-9311 4. Review applications for open position on plan commission 5. Appearance by Sharon Lezberg, UW-Extension re: Vision Input Meeting 6. Assessor’s Report 7. Approval of Payment Vouchers 8. Adjournment Posted 9/11/25 Note: Agendas are subject to amendment after publication. Check the posting locations Town of Oregon Hall, 1138 Union Road and the Town website at www.townoforegonwi.gov. It is possible that members of and possibly a quorum of members of other governmental bodies of the town maybe in attendance at any of the meetings to gather information; however, no action will be taken by any governmental body at said meeting other than the governmental body specifically referred to in the meeting notice. Requests from people with disabilities who need assistance to participate in this meeting or hearing should be made to the Clerk’s office at 608-835-3200 with 48-hour notice. 1 2 3 4 Town of Oregon 1138 Union Road Oregon, WI 53575 Phone (608) 835-3200 Fax (608) 835-2235 Web Site: www.townoforegonwi.gov Carl Walser, Chairperson Arlan Kay, Supervisor Laurie Fitzgerald, Supervisor Tim LeBrun, Supervisor Steve Jernegan, Supervisor Jennifer Hanson, Clerk Stephanie Goth, Treasurer PLAN COMMISSION INTEREST FORM Please complete this form if interested in serving on the Town of Oregon Plan Commission. The Town of Oregon Plan Commission meets monthly on the third Tuesday at 6:30PM. Type of property you own: (Select from list below). Certified survey map (CSM): Residential lot: Farm (over 35 acres): How long have you lived in the Town of Oregon? __________ What do you feel you can contribute as a member? (You may attach additional sheet of paper, if needed) _______________________________________________ _______________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Page 1 of 2 16554 042/050916400010 5 years I have attached a secondary document. 5 Applicant’s Name: ________________________________________ Address: ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ Phone Number: __________________________________________ Email Address: ___________________________________________ Thank you for showing an interest in serving on the Plan Commission for the Town of Oregon. Please email application to sgoth@townoforegonwi.gov or drop off application at: Town of Oregon 1138 Union Rd. Oregon, WI 53575 Questions: Please call Oregon Town Hall at 608-835-3200 Page 2 of 2 Laura Wilmot 5596 Windridge Rd, Oregon, WI 53575 608-515-8697 laura.wilmot2020+town@gmail.com 6 Laura Wilmot 5596 Windridge Rd, Oregon, WI 53575 I believe I can contribute a strong combination of firsthand experience, community involvement, and professional skills that align with the responsibilities of the Plan Commission. I was actively engaged in the town’s process of updating its development plan, which gave me valuable familiarity with the document and the vision it outlines for our community. In addition, I have personally gone through a rezoning, a lot line adjustment, and a building addition, which provided me with a clear understanding of the processes, challenges, and impacts that residents and property owners encounter. These experiences allow me to approach planning discussions with both a practical perspective and an appreciation for how policies affect community members. Professionally, I am collaborative, detail-oriented, and skilled at analyzing information to weigh risks and benefits. I am quick to research, learn, and evaluate new information, which helps me make informed and balanced recommendations. My motivation for serving is rooted in preserving our community values while supporting smart, responsible growth that benefits both current and future residents. I believe my background, combined with my open-minded and pragmatic approach, will allow me to contribute thoughtfully to discussions, foster consensus when needed, and help ensure decisions reflect both the town’s vision and the needs of its residents. 7 Vision 2040 Input Meeting Draft Facilitator’s Agenda Date: Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2025 Time: 5:00-8:00pm Venue: Oregon Town Hall, 1138 Union Rd., Oregon, WI Food: Taco bar, beverages Materials: Projector and screen, microphone, flip chart stands, paper, markers, name tags, Agenda Item Time Process Arrival & Food 5:00-5:30 pm Give people time to get nametags, food. Should we have any posters up? With summaries from the survey? Welcome & Speakers Total: 30 min 5:30-5:35pm: Welcome, introduction to planning committee 5:35-5:55pm: What we learned from the survey 5:55-6:00pm: What we want to hear from you What we want to hear from you: - What are the main aspects of the vision for the future? - What is different from the present? - What do we need to do to realize the vision? - What are ‘easy wins’; what are long term issues that we should be planning for? - What is realistic given the current budget? Discussion table 1 30 min total 6:00 - 6:30 pm ● Land Use & Growth; ● Community & Quality of Life; ● Natural & Cultural Resources Draft questions below this table. They need to be refined. Report out from Discussion 1 10 min. 6:30 - 6:40pm Full discussion - key strategies for each area - Each topic would have a flip chart. Table groups report out on main discussion point for each of the topics. Recommend that the focus 8 have groups report out and flip chart them. be on ‘strategies’ (see below) Switch tables & Break 10 min. 6:40 - 6:50pm Discussion table 2 30 min total 6:50 - 7:20pm ● Facilities & Services ● Housing ● Transportation Draft questions below this table. They need to be refined. Report out from Discussion 2 10 min 7:20 - 7:30 Full discussion - key strategies for each area - have groups report out and flip chart them. Each topic would have a flip chart. Table groups report out on main discussion point for each of the topics. Recommend that the focus be on ‘strategies’ (see below) Full group discussion on Local Government Initiatives as suggested by the survey 15 min. 7:30 - 7:45pm 1) Communications: how the Town can be better at communicating with residents about issues? 2) Investments in facilities, modernization (cell, internet), bike trails, without increasing taxes? 3) Land Use: engaging community in learning about changing land uses (e.g., from farm to prairie; solar; woodlands); understanding groundwater issues 4) Farm Business/Farm history: changes over time; specialty farm businesses Facilitated conversation with full group. Ideas generation. Brainstorming - all ideas accepted/not debated. Individual sticky note exercise (or end of session questionnaire) 10 min. 7:45 - 7:55pm Process: Individuals are asked to write 1 idea per sticky note to address the following questions: Sticky notes on table. Three flip chart pages to ‘harvest’ comments for the three questions proposed. Ask people to take a few minutes to write down their responses, and to put their Commented [1]: I'd skip this. # 1-3 are more prevalent in comments and survey. 9 What’s the most important thing for the town to focus on between 2025-2040 to respond to the priorities of the community (as learned in the survey)? What should the town NOT do? What are the barriers to implementing the vision? sticky note on the page as they leave. (after the closing) Closing Host concludes meeting - Thank you for your time and ideas - We will be putting together a Vision 2040 report and will send you the link - Contact Carl if you have any issues or problems Discussion Table 1: 1) Land Use & Growth Survey results indicate support for the following statements. Discuss: (1) what the implication of the statement is, and (2) what strategies the town can implement in response. ● The Town should seek agreements with neighboring communities regarding future land use & growth. ● Residents place high importance on discouraging new development and alleviating the potential impacts of new development on local infrastructure. ● New developments should pay the fees to defray costs of public services associated with development (roads, parks, sewage). ● Planning should prioritize protecting resident quality of life and property values from impacts of development on neighboring properties. 2) Community & Quality of Life Survey results indicate support for the following statements. Discuss (1) what the implication of the statement is, and (2) what strategies the town can implement in response. ● Maintain the small-town atmosphere and rural lifestyle. ● Protect natural features and open space. ● Maintain a high quality school system. ● Residents are concerned about property taxes & the cost of housing. 3) Natural & Cultural Resources Commented [2]: Committee should choose 3 bullet points for each topic. Recognition that there's much more that could be discussed but that we wanted to stick to the most salient issues. Commented [3]: Consider having a flip chart print-out with the responses to the specific question 10 ● Residents place the greatest importance on preserving groundwater quality. Residents also support protecting natural areas and open space for wildlife habitat, and preserving and improving the quality of lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. ● Maintaining the town’s agricultural and rural character can include marketing agricultural products locally, quarry operations, and solar farming, but there is disagreement on these issues. ● Residents have a high level of concern about potential annexation of Town property by the Village of Oregon, and feel that the town should consider mechanisms to avoid annexation (if these mechanisms do not lead to higher property taxes). Discussion Table 2: 1) Facilities & Services ● Important facilities and services that need attention include cell service, high speed internet & broadband service, and street & road maintenance. ● Fire protection and EMS/ambulance services are currently highly effective and should be maintained as such. Town Government, Parks & Recreation, & Garbage & recycling services are highly rated. ● Some residents expressed support for expanding TORC hours and establishing a 24/7 drop-off facility. 2) Housing ● Most residents are opposed to new housing development in the Town of Oregon. A large majority of residents feel that housing development should occur primarily in the Village of Oregon, or near Village boundaries. ● Cluster design of housing preferred (smaller lots with preserved open spaces). ● Little support for more development or higher density housing. 3) Transportation ● Residents support creation of more bike paths, especially to connect the Oregon Rotary Trail and the Badger State Trail. ● Residents support creating bike lanes when streets are being repaved and on existing streets with signage and striping. Local Government/Community Initiatives (questions are in the table above) - Information sessions on topics including taxes, zoning, etc. - Improve communication networks to maximize information exchange - Honor farming history Commented [4]: There is a comment about the asphalt plant destroying water quality (arsenic) Commented [5]: Worth showing this graph (pdf pg. 22) because interpretation may vary. There's no clear cut answer for solar farming and quarry operations, ag. conflicts and converting farmland. Commented [6]: show graph - Figure 12. pdf page. 23. Not straightforward. This and the bullet point above would be good topics for discussion. 11 12 13 14