Dubuque County hires consultant to craft streamlined development code

The Dubuque County Board of Supervisors will work with a consultant to craft a code to guide future property development — as departments, residents, assessors, developers and landowners have struggled in recent years with the county’s current ordinances. During a Monday meeting, the supervisors voted, 2-1, to select MSA Professional Services to create the unified development code for $100,000. The project will lead to significant changes to how properties can or cannot be developed in unincorporated areas of Dubuque County. The planned code should “modernize, clarify and streamline” a mosaic of ordinances the county has added to the books over decades and which county staff say are a barrier for developers.