Burn pit on Florence council agenda
Florence City Council members entered into a lengthy discussion Monday evening concerning burn pit hours, burn permits, and the problem of people illegally dumping trash at the Florence burn pit. The topic had been tabled from the previous meeting.
After discussion, Barbara O'Dell moved to reopen the burn pit three days a week and discontinue the practice of issuing individual burn permits to citizens wanting to burn leaves or limbs. Her motion included a provision for one warning followed by a fine if people are caught burning on their property.
The city will move a taller fence from the water tower property to the burn pit and build an additional half gate to allow vehicles access to the burn pit.
Tentatively the council approved opening the burn pit on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon. The police department will be in charge of opening the gates and locking them again. The hours could change during the winter months. Council members approved all the changes 4-0.
In a related matter, Mayor Jeanie Meirowsky announced that she had issued a burn ban for Florence, effective July 29, until such time as the city receives sufficient rainfall to end the current dry spell.
Brian Harper addressed the city council concerning the men's softball tournament to be held Aug. 2-4 at the Florence baseball field. Harper received permission to move picnic tables from Grandview park to the ball field, use city dumpsters during the tournament, and block off necessary portions of 8th and 9th streets as long as residents on the streets could get to their homes.
Harper told the council that the bleachers at the field had been painted and repaired in anticipation of the tournament, the fencing and backstop had been fixed, and the outfield watered.
Florence Boy Scouts will be in charge of admission and concessions. Tournament sponsors will be responsible for moving and returning the tables and dumpsters, keeping the rest rooms in order, and picking up the trash.
Twelve teams will participate in the tournament, playing 23 games and potentially bringing hundreds of visitors to Florence over the weekend.
Tom Orme asked the council to enforce stricter parking regulations near the Catholic church on Sunday mornings. He noted that parishioners are parking so close to the corner that they interfere with traffic at the intersection of Marion and 8th streets.
Mayor Jeanie Meirowsky told Orme and the council that she had already spoken with church officials and they would be printing an announcement in the weekly bulletin about the problem.
Electrical licenses for Elcon Services, Jim Davis Air Conditioning, and Total Home Repair and Appliance were approved.
Trayce Warner gave council members a Labor Day committee update. She reviewed the events taking place each day of the celebration and outlined requests for the use of public areas like Veteran's Park and Grandview Park.
The committee has determined the number of tables, dumpsters and portable toilets needed, also extra electricity, additional trash pick-ups, and which streets will need to be barricaded for various events.
On a motion by Dan Ludwig, the council approved the committee's requests.
Mayor Meirowsky asked that the Labor Day group remind people riding four-wheelers and golf carts in the parade that they will not be allowed to drive on the sidewalks or through the crowds of parade watchers before or after the parade.
"We had some problems with that last year," said Meirowsky. "There were complaints."
Warner agreed the committee would warn people that any motorized vehicle which is not tagged and street legal needs to be parked as soon as the parade ends.
The council unanimously approved the resignation of Howard Kahler as chief of police, effective at 6 p.m. Aug. 15. A replacement for Kahler has not been named.
A "vicious dog" ordinance was discussed. The council agreed to have city attorney Bob Brookens draw up an ordinance for consideration.
City superintendent Stuart Funk will bring lease-purchase agreement information for a tractor to the next council meeting.
The council recessed briefly and then went into executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel. No action was taken after returning to open session and the council meeting was adjourned.
