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Jenn Cram has resigned from her position as Peninsula Township Planner, and will be moving on to a planning job in the private sector. She has been with the Township since November 2021, and her last day with the Township will be Tuesday, Jan. 14.
At this week’s Planning Commission meeting, Township Supervisor Maura Sanders read a letter into the record, noting all the work and many projects Jenn has helped bring to fruition during her time with the Township. Read on for Maura’s letter, which includes next steps for continuity in the Township’s planning process.
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January 7, 2025
The Township extends its sincere gratitude to Planner Jenn Cram as she embarks on her next professional chapter. We appreciate her contributions and the significant progress made during her tenure. Fair winds and following seas!
In her role, since November 2021, Jenn has done the following:
- Assisted the Planning Commission and Township Board on Master Plan, Zoning Ordinance, and General Ordinance issues
- Supported the Parks Committee and Non-Motorized Committee
- Reviewed Special Land Use Permits
- Issued land use / zoning permits as needed
- Implemented the continuation of the Purchase of Development Rights program
- Advised the land development community
- Assisted the public on a day-to-day basis
Jenn also picked up the Master Plan from draft and brought it before the Town Board for adoption. She commenced the Building Heights study group and carried it all the way through ordinance amendment at the Town Board. Jenn commenced the Shoreline Regulations Study Group, which is a highly visible and impactful concern of all residents in our Township. Her dedication to fostering consistent and transparent planning practices has been invaluable. We are building a foundation for a more efficient and equitable planning process and remain committed to moving away from past inconsistencies.
The Township is exploring several options to ensure continued progress. These include engaging a third-party zoning administrator consultant and expanding our scope with Gourdie-Fraser and Associates, our longtime Township Engineering firm of record, to support our Planning efforts. They have always provided excellence in engineering, surveying, testing and operations. These immediate sourcing abilities will allow us to maintain a high level of professional service while we uphold the principles of transparency and consistency that are crucial to our community’s growth.
We are confident these steps will position the Township for continued success in planning and development.
Sincerely,
Maura Sanders, Supervisor
Peninsula Township
At the meeting, planning commissioners praised Jenn’s professionalism and skill, along with her ability to keep the work of the Township moving forward during a very contentious time in our community’s history.
“You’ve done a fabulous job,” said Planning Chair Randy Hall. “It isn’t an easy task to sit on a planning commission. Sometimes it is — we have routine things to do — but a lot of time, we have difficult things to consider, complex projects. You made it as easy for us as it can be, with very thorough due diligence, well-written, sometimes exhaustingly thorough reports. It’s been a professional pleasure to work with you.”
Kevin Beard noted that in the 16 months that he’s been working with the planning commission, he’s found Jenn to be thorough, professional, and objective in evaluating the applications against the code.
“I think it’s difficult for the general public to appreciate the work that these planning and zoning professionals do, a great deal of which is never seen by the public,” he said. “When someone comes through the door with an application seeking approval on it, and it just isn’t going to fit the code, these professionals work with those applicants to try to get a project that will significantly comply with the code, before the planning commission ever sees it. That’s a ton of work behind the scenes analyzing these things. To have someone who can tactfully and diplomatically work with them to get them to where they want to be, a project that meets their needs, their desires, their hopes and dreams, as well as the code, that’s a tough chore. I think Jenn has done a tremendous job doing that. I wish her the best in her next endeavors.”
Planning Vice-Chair Susie Shipman praised Jenn for her ability to work through issues during a difficult time in the community’s history.
“Jenn is the sixth planner that I’ve worked with, and she’s by far the most professional and capable … this Township has never been more litigious, more contentious, and more aggressive than the time that Jenn has been here .. I want to acknowledge that it could not have been harder, and she still smiled and was hopeful and worked through and kept us going on a productive path.”
She added that Jenn not only accomplished a great deal during her time with the Township, but took things “that were big messy piles and somehow passed those through to completion,” said Susie. “So thank you. We are so grateful.”
Donna Hornberger, the longest-running planning commissioner of the current group, has also been through six planners, “and in that period of time that I’ve been on the board, we have accomplished so much more under Jenn’s competent work. It’s just so impressive what she’s done under very difficult circumstances. Most people who watch these meetings from their computers at home or come in, don’t realize what goes on before and after these meetings to make sure that we do what you want us to do to the best of our ability. Jenn has listened to people, she’s taken into account what the public wants, and we try to do what you want us to do, as long as it’s for the betterment of the community. Jenn has done that for us.”
Before the meeting ended, Jenn commented on her time with the Township. “It’s been an honor and a privilege to serve this planning commission, this board, this community, and I have learned so much and grown so much as a person and as a professional.”
She said she’s not going far, and is going to try working in the private sector for a while. “I have never done that. This year, I celebrated 30 years of professional public sector planning, but I’m going to try the private sector. So I hope that I’ll have the honor to serve this community again in the future in a different capcacity as a consultant. But just know that I am always here as a resource. I care about this community and all of you. Thank you so much for your kind words. It has been a pleasure to serve you.”
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