WAYNE – The first of two regularly scheduled Wayne City Council meetings in the month of October was held earlier in the week.
From council chambers inside City Hall on Tuesday, council first approved the mayoral appointment of Amy Bloomquist to the Library Board.
Bloomquist will make up an Advisory Board of five hosting monthly meetings which is an entity within the City of Wayne but also raises their own funds. Library Director, Heather Headley provides activities for all families.
A public hearing was held Tuesday evening concerning the request of Jonathan Webb to open the alley for traffic behind his property at 319 South Nebraska Street.
City Administrator, Wes Blecke described the difference between a closed alley along with an alley that is not open to the public.
“A closed alley is a formal action that can be taken by council to close an alley and then sometimes it gets vacated to abutting property owners and those types of things,” said Blecke. “This case was one was that had never been officially opened by the City. So, it’s a grass alley that the City can use for utilities and things like that but technically the public couldn’t use it or wasn’t supposed to use it because it was not an opened alley.”
A request would be the City of Wayne would open the alley, grade it, cover the cost to rock it and push snow as they do for any other ‘rocked alley’.
The question was then brought up in 10 years what happens when it needs to be re-rocked.
Blecke added to improve your alley you can sign a petition with other property owners abutting along the alley.
“To cost-share with the City to get new rock put down on the alley,” Blecke added. “We spread it, there’s a form that Joel Hanson has. There was a concern that ‘well if we don’t want to pay for new rock in my alley and I don’t use that alley’, well you don’t have to be a part of it.”
Those who want to be a part of the cost-share would be responsible for paying the cost.
Council also passed the release and abandonment request of a 14 foot utility easement. Nick Junck has bought two lots in the Vintage Hill 3rd Addition and will be combined into one to build down the middle.
A couple house keeping items were brought forward by Wayne Area Economic Development. Christmas on Main Celebration/Annual Parade of Lights will be set for Thursday, November 17. The use of the State Highway System was approved along with parking being prohibited on Main Street in the 200 and 300 block from 5:30 – 8:00 p.m.
About 70 letters were sent out this summer pertaining to yards not being taken care of for vegetation which is higher than 12 inches.
Chief of Police, Marlen Chinn explained the process to councilmembers that once the letter is received you legally have five days to mow the property. If the vegetation is not mowed during the time frame allowed by the City of Wayne, the City will come in and mow it themselves at a rate of $300 an hour.
If the property owner doesn’t respond to the invoice to make the payment, a lien will be put on the property.
“We’ve had others that the City has mowed but they have paid that bill,” Blecke mentioned. “These three properties did not pay their bill so the liens were put on their properties.”
These three properties were 208 West 10th Street (Lena Roberts); 105 West 4th Street (Bradley and Lena Roberts) and 120 West 9th Street (Bradley and Lena Roberts). If the lien is not paid, the property could be foreclosed.
Discussion was also addressed regarding sidewalk installation along the Chicago Street project. South Sherman was built to the end of the block where the final property had a sidewalk put in a portion of the front yard while the other half of the front yard was not put in until another project would come up.
The uniqueness of this corner lot, the side yard would connect into the trail system. The rental property owner was alerted and a timeline of nine months was set to install the remainder of the sidewalk.
Council then moved their attention to the Bradley J. Woehler and Bradley F. Roberts vs. City of Wayne litigation matter.
Two attorney’s are working on the lawsuit. Any litigation matter is outside the contract for City Attorney, Amy Miller who continues to work on this legal matter as additional expenses are incurred to the City of Wayne.
“It’s also been turned into insurance,” said Blecke. “So, we have a deductible to meet before insurance takes over. So, now we’ll be paying Mark Fitzgerald and his firm until the deductible kicks in.”
The next regularly scheduled Wayne City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, October 18.
‘View from Wayne America’ interview (10/4).
