Staff writer
Peabody City Council adopted an ordinance Monday night to charge for vendor and camping fees at Peabody parks. In the past, the city has not charged vendors or campers to hook up to city utility connections at the parks.
The city will require that vendors and campers register with the city clerk and pay a user fee at the rate of $5 per day or $100 per month.
“This has come up several times in the past two or three years,” City Administrator Mac Manning said. “We have been reluctant to charge, but the expenses at the parks continue to rise while the parks generate very little revenue.”
The council’s vote was unanimous to approve the measure.
In other business:
- A review of the city’s travel policy and consideration for renting a vehicle instead of reimbursing employees who drive their own cars to meetings and training produced no change in policy. The city will continue to reimburse employees for driving their own vehicles.
- After discussion of the Peabody Street paving job, council members expressed an interest in having Marion County Road and Bridge Superintendent Randy Crawford return to a council meeting and review the verbal agreement reached in September 2011 and outlined in Manning’s minutes of that meeting.
- Manning made a video presentation of a plan for a schedule of capital improvement projects between 2012 and 2016. Following the presentation and discussion, the council adopted the resolution unanimously.
- Peabody Main Street and Peabody Economic Development Director Shane Marler told the council that Peabody Lanes has a new owner and will be opening soon. Samantha Weerts will open a new business in the “Walker Building” at 129 N. Walnut in the next month or so.
- Mayor Larry Larsen announced that a drive past the city park restrooms in the past day or so revealed the door to the men’s room had been kicked in. A report also was made that someone has been vandalizing plants in the park flowerbeds.
- Council member Pam Lamborn asked the council to step outside and take a look at the grounds around the city building. She was concerned about the appearance of dead grass along the street gutter and around the parking slab in back of the city building. She asked if city employees could trim the areas instead of poisoning whatever growth was along the curb. No action was taken.
The next council meeting will be at 7 p.m. May 29 in the city building.