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Newton public missing from hearing on town's future By
Katrina Cartwright NEWTON -- The Town Council held a special public meeting Thursday night to discuss the new town general plan. But the public failed to attend. Besides the council members Gil Miller, who helped write the plan only Mark Rigby, chairman of the planning and zoning commission that developed the plan, and this reporter attended. Rigby was the only one in attendance, save the council members, who lives in Newton. The meeting ended less than 15 minutes after it began. "You can tell there was a lot of public interest," Mayor Floyd Salisbury said ruefully. "I guess we should write down who's here." After Councilwoman Helen Rigby took roll, Miller, the circuit writer and planner for the 21st Century Communities program, told council members they would need to wait until their next regular meeting May 2 to approve the plan. Two changes have been made to the plan since the November 2001 draft. The first changes were made on Page 26, where 1990 census information was updated with information from the 2000 census. On Page 41, the sentence "never sell Town property for residential property" was changed to "discourage sale of Town property for residential development." The council determined to pass the plan as it currently stands at its next meeting. The Planning and Zoning Commission will meet on Wednesday and will include in its discussion an annexation plan, which was not included in the general plan but would be needed by the end of the year, Rigby said. "The annexation plan will be easy," Miller said. He said the plan would include defining the role of the planning commission and making any necessary adjustments we well as discussing zones -- what will be permitted and where, including any setbacks of particular zones. "It's all fairly straightforward," Miller said. After closing the meeting, Councilman David Cooley passed out the finished applications for the new youth council the town is implementing. Applications are due by May 1. Applicants must be between 12 and 18 years old during at least part of their term. The youth council is to be advisory in nature and meet 90 minutes before the town council meets. Members of the youth council will be appointed by the town council, and members will elect a chairman to preside over their meetings, Cooley said.
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