The Minonk City Council discussed Ordinance 2005-11which covers all of
the stop and yield intersections in the city at the council meeting
Monday
night. The proposed additions to the ordinance would require
Walnut Street to stop for West Third Street and West Second Street to
yield to Walnut Street.
Mayor Koos said that this is the first reading, so action
will be taken at the next meeting. Alderman Brian Petersen reported that he had driven all of
the unmarked intersections before the meeting and said that he would like to see the Council
to also address the 2 intersections of 9th & Jefferson Street and 9th
& Johnson Street that are unmarked.
Mayor Koos said that they cannot include it in Ordinance
2005-11, but can start the process of another ordinance.
Alderman Sean Cunningham said, "I’m not crazy about
adding stop signs adding that he does not really want to
hinder traffic. If it’s a speed issue,
let’s write tickets."
Larry Hill of 403 Walnut Street said that he does not like
stop and yield signs for controlling speeders. Alderwoman Keri Carls responded
that she drove that street every day going to her baby sitters’ house and said there have been 5 instances in the past 8 or
9 months that would have resulted in accidents if she had not stopped at those
intersections on Walnut.
Hill responded that every
intersection can be dangerous.
The City Council agreed to add yield signs at 9th
& Johnson and 9th & Jefferson because they are unmarked
intersections, not because of complaints.
City Administrator Trent Smith said he will add these 2 intersections to Ordinance 2005-11 and
bring it back for the final reading at the next meeting on October 3, 2005.
VFW donates $500 to Parks & Rec
A delegation from the VFW Post 7185 made a monetary presentation to the
Parks and Recreation Board. Members of the
delegation were Jerry Glowacki, Bernie Yago, Richard Oncken, and Vernon
Matter. Jerry Glowacki, spokesman,
presented Mayor Koos a check for $500 to be used for Parks and Recreation
activities. Mayor Koos thanked the VFW
for their donation and said it would be put to good use.
Residents complain of modular home in Builta Addition
Agnes Gaspardo of 728 Claire
Street addressed the Council regarding the protective covenant in the Builta
addition where she lives. She thought
that the enforcement of the covenant was the City’s responsibility once this
addition was accepted into the City. She
said that homeowners in the Builta addition are concerned with a modular building
that is going to be brought in and placed on a lot in the addition. She said that Jan Hovey has several pictures
of the building, which is 14 years old.
She added, "We are worried about our home values, but maybe the City can lower all of
our real-estate taxes, which I don’t think the City wants to do."
The covenant specifically
states that no previously built structure of any kind shall be moved on said
premise. Gaspardo stated, "When we built our home we
followed the covenant. Where can we go
to get help?"
City Administrator Trent Smith said that the
Builta addition is zoned as R-1. He added, "As far
as the covenant is concerned, it is a private contract. A covenant is a private contract that goes
with the sale of the land. It does not
have anything to do with the City. It is
a contractual agreement between the purchaser and the seller of the property. An individual homeowner can get an attorney
and take it to court, but it does not have anything to do with the City. We look after our own ordinances. We are not obligated to enforce the covenant
and in fact we cannot. If we tried to
enforce it, the person trying to bring in the residence because it fits our
zoning could sue the City. There isn’t anything in our zoning that is
disallowed. There is nothing about this
residence that does not fit the zoning.
The way they place it on the lot fits all the setbacks and they are
attaching a 22 x 24 garage to the front of it.
It is a modular unit."
Jan Hovey said that the 1500
square foot building has a value of $80,000.
She said their house cost over $200,000. She said that developer Howard Builta says it is not his place to do anything and that the City should
stand by the covenant and also the zoning board.
Trent Smith responded that the
City’s attorney does not agree with that opinion. Alderman Cunningham says the
Builta addition residents need to talk to an attorney and get some type of
injunction to stop the owner.
Shell Truck Stop drainage
At an Economic Development Committee meeting City Administrator Trent
Smith said that the Farnsworth Group engineers have determined that the
only option for drainage of the Shell truck stop parking lot was to put
a tile in to move the storm water from east to the west and tie in with
a manhole located west of Motel 6. From there, the water could
either be diverted through a field tile that went under I-39 to the
west or tie the manhole into the drainage pond system.
Truck stop owner Rick Marketti said he wanted a long term solution, not
a band aid on the problem. He is planning on developing the
vacant property to the north of the gas station to accommodate parking
for 150 to 200 more semi trucks and install a truck/car
wash. He also has been taling with McDonald's Restaurants and
they have shown interest in establishing a franchise on the
property. He says his facility could do at least three times the
business it is doing now.
Smith said he will get more detailed costs from the Farnsworth Group on
improving the drainage. The only costs provided at this point are
an estimate of $35,000 to $35,000 using local contractors to direct
water to the west. Marketti said he would provide the land for
the second detention pond if it was determined that this solution would
alleviate any future problems.