The Scandinavia Town Board disapproved proposed county zoning amendments and reviewed an upcoming school district referendum during its monthly meeting Sept. 9 at the Scandinavia Municipal Center.
Board members voted to sign a resolution disapproving the 2026 amendments to Chapter 34 of the Waupaca County Zoning Ordinance. Chair Bryan Fuhs led the five-member board through the decision, which highlighted local actions taken during the evening session.
The Waupaca County Planning and Zoning Committee is facing local pushback over proposed 2026 amendments to Chapter 34 of the county zoning ordinance. The comprehensive overhaul introduces definitions and regulations for data centers, manure co-digester facilities, battery energy storage systems, and utility-scale solar and wind energy farms. Under the new rules, data centers would be restricted to Heavy Industrial Zones.
Public interest in the changes forced officials to reschedule an August public hearing after attendance exceeded fire code capacity. Officials rescheduled the hearing for Sept. 17 at the Waupaca Recreation Center. The updates are not yet finalized and face resistance from local municipalities. The Weyauwega Town Board officially adopted a resolution Sept. 14 disapproving the countywide amendments in their entirety. Under Wisconsin law, town-level disapproval can block county zoning updates from taking effect within those specific town borders.
In other business, Iola-Scandinavia School District Administrator Chris Nelson presented information and answered questions regarding an operational referendum that will appear on the Nov. 3 election ballot.
Mike Mazemke presented the August treasurer’s report, which revealed a check register balance of $72,113.34 as of Aug. 31. The board voted to accept the financial report and approved the payment of outstanding bills, including expenses for the Village of Scandinavia, highway maintenance by Scott Construction, and a third-quarter assessment for the Iola Ambulance Service.
The board also received updates on ongoing road maintenance and zoning issues. Recent highway work included filling potholes, completing wash-out repairs, and applying gravel to Rasmussen, Bergen, and Paulson roads. Board members noted they continue working with Waupaca County Zoning and Planning on junk and salvage yards owned by Ron Gavin and Vandyke, and on an update to the Knauer conditional use permit. Additionally, officials said they are working with the Iola Car Show regarding Randy Stuczynski on Oak Ridge Road.
The next regular town board meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct. 14, at 5:30 p.m. at the municipal center.
