County planners receive new board member
By Martin Reed
Staff Writer

County planning commissioners Kristin Paulsen and Harold Albright will continue to serve on the board, while a new member is joining the group.
County commissioners last Tuesday selected Lander area resident Paula Hunker to fill the planning board position that Bob Joslin vacated at month’s end.
County leaders were faced with deciding who would serve in the three openings on the board that arose at the end of the month. In addition to Joslin’s vacancy, terms of service expired for Albright and Paulsen.
Commissioners decided to reappoint the board’s two incumbents to their seats after interviewing Albright, Paulsen and five other candidates including Hunker last week.
The three selected join continuing planning commissioners Lukas Fidler and Diane Frank.
Other candidates interviewed for the Planning Commission were Jason Cross of Riverton, Jane Pearce of Riverton, Cade Maestas of Lander and Margaret Wells of Dubois.
Hunker, who has lived in Fremont County since 1974, said she has served on the state’s real estate commission and works for the Nature Conservancy.
“I’d like to see my kids, my kids’ kids, live in Fremont County,” she told commissioners. “I’d like to see just healthy communities, and I think part of that is figuring out how to grow and be smart about it.”
Commissioners asked about her thoughts on subdivision regulations in the county.
“I don’t have an agenda going in,” she said. “What I do have is to listen to the issues and what we are not meeting” in the county.
Hunker said she would listen to people to learn “what are their issues and what are their complaints.”
She called herself a “private-property person” and a proponent of maintaining open space that is free from development.
“I like open space. I work to protect open space,” she said.
Hunker does not want to see federal regulations mandating what should happen at the local level for property owners to provide open space.
“Ranchers should be paid for the services they provide us,” she said. “They’re the true conservationists.”
She said she believes the Planning Commission should adhere to rules and regulations in deciding whether to recommend approval of a land proposal.
“You set clear expectations. You address the issues,” she said. “You either accept it or deny it. You can’t add issues. ... You don’t make up rules in the middle of the game.”
Paulsen during her interview told commissioners she enjoys her work on the board.
“I found that it’s exciting, it’s interesting and I feel like I add something to the Planning Commission,” she said.
“There’s a lot of work to do,” said Paulsen, who works as County Title Inc. in Lander and Riverton.
When asked about the time commitment for the board, she replied: “With the job that I have and this being what I do for a living, it fits right in.”
Commissioner Dennis Heckart said her experience fits well with the job of a planning commissioner.
“I think the board is very pleased to have your professional experience there,” Heckart told Paulsen.
Albright during his interview said he has gained valuable experience over his previous two terms as a planning commissioner.
“When I got on the Planning Commission originally I had an agenda” with priorities for irrigation, roads and conflicts arising out of easement issues, Albright said.
“I thought we could do a better job of eliminating or mitigating those issues,” he said.
Albright said he sees the county moving in a positive direction in terms of planning and development regulations.
“I think the regulations in place now are pretty darn adequate,” he said. “I believe the development in Fremont County over the last eight years has been positive.”
He wants to ensure county development regulations do not become overly burdensome on landowners.
“I think what we need to be careful of is not to over-regulate,” he said.
He also said the county does not need to adopt the Legislature’s decision to allow counties to regulate subdivisions with parcels up to 140 acres from the current 35-acre threshold.
Albright complimented the board’s decision-making abilities.
“The Planning Commission came to recognize ... that we can say no and we can say no if we believe it affects public health and safety,” he said.
“We are very diverse,” he said of the board’s members. “We’ve got a diverse pool of knowledge to draw from.”
Concerning the work of the county planning department, he said, “I think Fremont County is really lucky and in an enviable position to have the staff that they have.”