Jonathan Perez, Upland town manager, introduced Maura Hoff as the new town attorney at the city council meeting, April 1.
Hoff will work closely with Perez and Mary Fletcher, town clerk-treasurer, to draft ordinances for the council, answer legal questions and assist in development projects. She has practiced law for approximately 20 years, 18 of which have been in municipal law, she said.
While Hoff works in Muncie, she looks forward to engaging with this new community.
“I’m very excited to work with Upland because it’s a town that is growing and changing,” Hoff said. “To be able to support that is always exciting.”
The rest of the council meeting attested to the town’s season of growth. When Council President Shawn Sizemore opened the floor for public feedback, several community members took to the podium with questions regarding the changes occurring in Upland.
Community member Dave Smith addressed the detours that have been put in place as downtown construction progresses. He noticed there has been an excess of traffic on Eighth Street, specifically by large semi-trucks and dump trucks.
Sizemore said they will discuss these concerns with Police Marshal James Cassidy.
Tracy Burnham, another Upland resident, asked about the implication of Taylor University’s plans to build more apartment buildings across from where she lives. One of the houses might be affected by the construction of these new buildings, she said. She also asked about zoning.
Zoning refers to the regulations that determine what can and can not be built on a specific property.
Perez said as far as he knows, there are no construction plans that will directly affect that home.
Other council business included review of financial reports and the introduction of appointments to the Upland Planning Commission.
Council meetings take place the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Town leaders encourage the public to join to hear more about community updates and changes. The next meeting will be April 15.
