Relaxing shoreland regulations will let developers “do whatever they want,” says county board supervisor

Dave Holtze says WCA has “climbed in bed with the enemy.”

Some friction developing between county governments in Wisconsin and a statewide group designed to help counties.

At the most recent La Crosse County board meeting, supervisor Dave Holtze objected to an apparent plan by the Wisconsin Counties Association (WCA) to relax zoning ordinances for shorelands around the state.

“They call this getting local control (which) is letting counties opt out of shoreland zoning completely,” Holtze said. “So, in other words, we should play ostrich, go hide and let the developers, or whoever, go do whatever they want.”

The WCA is running into opposition from some county lawmakers themselves. The plan could reduce the amount of shoreland zoning put in place by counties.

La Crosse County administrator Steve O’Malley said urban counties like his and rural counties don’t always look at issues the same way.

“Many of the counties that are not as urban as we are,” O’Malley said, “have a different perception on this particular issue but, quite often, it’s a judgement call on how much influence you can have on legislation at the state level.

“Some counties want less restriction and some counties … want to protect the environment and shoreland construction that regulates erosion and infringement on waterways.”

Holtze claims counties are getting “shafted” by the proposed changes.

“I think the WCA has done the same thing here, that they did with the extension, reorganization,” Holtze said. “They climbed in bed with the enemy and I’m extremely upset.”

Holtze is referring to the plans for combining local University of Wisconsin-Extension offices into regional branches, instead of letting each county operate its own office.  

County board chair Tara Johnson suggested inviting a representative of the WCA to a future La Crosse board meeting.