Supervisors vote 3-2 to replace O’Rourke on county planning and zoning commission

By Zach Jensen,

Decorah’s Paul Lillegraven will replace Melissa O’Rourke on the Winneshiek County Planning and Zoning Commission.

Planning and Zoning Administrator Tony Phillips announced during Monday morning’s regular meeting of the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors that the terms of commission members Dave Meyer and Melissa O’Rourke would expire Oct. 1. Both Meyer and O’Rourke applied to keep their seats on the commission, and Thomas Hansen of rural Decorah and Paul Lillegraven of Decorah had also turned in applications to be appointed to the planning and zoning commission. Phillips said later he has worked with all the potential appointees, and he has reasons “that we probably won’t be discussing in a public meeting” for his recommendations.

Phillips recommended Meyer keep his seat on the commission but requested O’Rourke be replaced by Lillegraven.

“I talked with P&Z commissioners about it this week, and they feel like a really strong team right now, working together,” said Supervisor Shirley Vermace. “(O’Rourke) has a law degree, and she works in ag through the ISU Extension. If we’ve got volunteers who want to continue working on a commission, we should graciously say ‘thank you’ and reappoint them for another four years.”

“I see no reason why, after a person has served a certain period of time, we cannot have some new members on that commission,” Kelsay said. 

Full article available in the October 3 Decorah Leader.

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