Council, owner, come to an agreement over time line to clean up hill top
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
GLENWOOD CITY — It was a hot time at city hall last Monday evening, March 18th as the council addressed it’s ordinance 323-4 over the storage restrictions of junked vehicles and appliances.
The ordinance was an agenda item and was addressed first by Mark Nelson who had complained about his neighbor’s collection of junk on the hill behind his home on First Street.
Nelson noted that Mark Johansen has stored old vehicles, appliances and later in the meeting the council learned that over 25 old snowmobiles are stored outside on that hill top property.
Johansen informed the council that he deals in scrap and stores them there, and there are no appliances there now and the keys to the vehicles have been stolen.
Nelson added that its been “going on for four years and nothing has been done.” He related to the council that kids come across his property to play in the junk. “I have lost 11 cameras,” Nelson told the Council.
All most all members of the city council got into the discussion with them telling Johansen that he was in violation of the city ordance and requesting a time line and a plan to get that area cleanup up or building a building to house his scrap. Johansen was reluctant to make a plan and told the council hat if he takes his old scrap to a junkyard he will lose money and that he may sell an item but then buys another in its place.’
Council members Jess Olson loudly point out to Johansen that “you will not bring in more stuff, getting rid of five items and bring in a couple more, it will go on for 20 years.”
In the end the council gave Johansen a break but he must show that he has a plan and is moving all the items out of the residential zoning with the police chief making a regular inspection.
In other action the council approve spending $5397 in APRA funds to purchase two pressure relief hydrant values. Over the past number of years when he fire department is operating from a fire hydrant and flowing a large amount of water, then someone shuts of value off in a hurry it caused a water hammer and has broke several old water mains that were costly to repair. These relief values should solve the problem.
Heard a report from outgoing mayor Rob Unruh about the $1500 bill from a grant writer for work for the fire department on applying for two grants. One would be for 18 new self-contained breathing apparatus (air masks and tanks) and a new compressor that can fill more than one tank a time. The grant application is asking for over $100,000. The second grant application is for a new tanker pumper truck and the grant is asking for somewhat over $400,000.
The council approved the extension of the contract with ADRC using the community center space for their noon meals at the same current rate.
They put off any action until next month regarding a zoning administrator for the city and accepting cardboard from businesses at the recycling center.
