John Scarffe, Nederland. The Town of Nederland Board of Trustees considered a resolution for a minor subdivision for Centennial Bank and a land donation to the town during their regular meeting on Tuesday, June 2. The Board also heard an implementation plan for the Town’s new disposable bag fee program.

Susan Schneider, branch manager for Centennial Bank in Nederland, requested a Minor Subdivision for Centennial Bank at 26 S. Highway 119 and offered a land donation to the Town. The bank owns lot A of the subdivision. The lot would be split in half, providing enough room to operate the business, and they would donate the other half of the property to the Town to serve as drainage for the subdivision, where the Town could pile up stone.

The Bank will give it to the City free of charge, and on June 26, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., the bank will have a celebration, Schneider said. She is a member of the Board of the Nederland Downtown Development Authority, and she said the concept came out of a DDA meeting for an east to west pathway.

The Bank doesn’t use this land and it is well traveled. “People don’t know they are on private property,” Schneider said. “It should belong to the Town and contribute to the Town.”

The bank would like to donate this portion of its property along the riparian corridor to the Town to further preservation efforts. The new subdivision will be known as Adler Subdivision Replat A.

The application is compliant with Town code for the subdivision. The Town will care for the donated land and will seek biologist study and recommendation to guide this care. The property contains a segment of a social trail, which will likely remain in place. As part of this agreement the bank will retain the ability to clean the land up to five feet north of the end of the bank parking lot.

The Adler Subdivision was approved by the Board of Trustees on May 28, 1996, to allow for the creation of what was then Peak Bank and Ace Hardware. The subdivision plat included the delineation of wetlands, a bio-retention area for the entirety of the lots, which will continue to function in this fashion after the minor subdivision and land transfer to the Town.

The Planning Commission adopted the updated Comprehensive Plan in fall 2013. The Planning Commission reviewed the application on May 27, 2015, for the minor subdivision, as well as the resolution to accept the land donation. The Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval of both to the Board of Trustees.

The Trustees also voted to approve the minor subdivision and to accept the land donation.

Bag fee plan

The Board approved Ordinance 737. The “Bag Fee Ordinance,” at its May 5 regular meeting. Town staff was then directed to present an Implementation Plan at the June 2 regular meeting. Town Intern Alexander Armani-Munn presented that implementation plan, recommending a three-phase plan for implementation of the Ordinance.

In Phase I, education will focus primarily on raising local and regional awareness while also assisting businesses in preparing for implementation and enforcement. During Phase I, marketing graphics will be displayed and a news release distributed.

Distribution Bags will be sold for $1 at locations throughout Nederland with an infographic included. A community forum will inform and engage residents, and an open meeting with businesses will discuss implementation.

Phase II implementation will begin on the Ordinance’s effective date of October 1. Phase II will essentially be a “trial period” with no penalties imposed for non-compliance, according to the plan.

Community outreach and reusable bag distribution will continue through implementation as funds allow. During Phase II, businesses will be invited to conduct monthly reporting with technical assistance from the Town in a collaborative effort to prepare for hard enforcement.

Town staff will administer a second open meeting for businesses to discuss challenges and share solutions for administration of the fee. By the end of the fourth quarter, Town staff will have in place a sound procedure for collecting fee revenue and relevant data. Businesses will be asked to submit fee revenue and data by January 15, 2016; however, no penalties will be levied for non-compliance (soft enforcement), according to the plan.

In Phase III, enforcement, the Town will begin enforcing the Ordinance with penalties for noncompliance. Enforcement represents the move from implementation to actual enforcement, according to the plan.

All businesses will be expected to report data by April 15, 2016, with penalties imposed for non-compliance. In May 2016, Town staff will report to the Board on compliance.

General Funds and $1,500 in grant funding earmarked for Nederland-branded reusable bags will pay for costs incurred prior to the collection of fee revenue. As revenue is collected, it will go towards offsetting the Phase I and Phase II costs.

Mayor Joe Gierlach said he thinks this plan is a great example of what the Town is striving for. The Trustees evaluate the ability of staff members to carry out Board direction and policy and the ability to negotiate with the public.

The Board agreed to move ahead with the implementation plan. The next meeting of the Nederland Board of Trustees will be on Tuesday, June 16, at 7 p.m. at the Nederland Community Center.