New Peabody mayor, councilmen sworn in
Tom Schmidt was sworn in as Peabody mayor and Edmund Slocombe and Tim Peterson were sworn in as city councilmen Monday night at Peabody City Council meeting.
Schmidt was appointed acting mayor in January when Randy Dallke was elected to a position on Marion County Commission and had to vacate the mayoral position in Peabody.
Schmidt ran unopposed while Peterson, Slocombe, and Jon Gard ran for two council positions. The positions were held by Gard and Slocombe.
Dallke has remained active by serving as liaison between city, engineer, and contractors working on the new sewer. He gave a report Monday to council members that work began April 4, the access road is complete, the wet well will be completed Thursday, and the lagoons are being dug.
Dallke said he was concerned there was no inspector on hand when the contractor began working on the wet well. After a call to Al Reiss, city engineer, an inspector arrived to oversee the work.
Dallke also told the council the access road is not as the council envisioned when planning the project. He noted he had concerns about some aspects of work being done on the project.
Dallke and city administrator Jeff Benbrook will get in touch with Reiss this week and go over those issues in hopes of getting some clarification.
In another matter, Benbrook told council that in 1920 and again in 1985 the city officially abandoned the alley between Vine and Olive streets and vacated the rights-of-way on either side. Those properties reverted back to the landowners at that time.
The ownership issue seriously complicates correction work on the ditch. After considerable discussion, council decided to clean out the ditch at Division Street and Third Street in hopes of making it run more freely. No other work is scheduled.
Benbrook was instructed to write a letter to property owners and explain the situation. The city will hold a special meeting with them and offer options for their consideration.
In other business the council:
— heard that it is not against the law to publish the name of a minor charged with a traffic violation as long as the minor is 14 or older.
— heard that city crews are no longer going to pick up storm debris or brush from private property. Property owners will be responsible for taking limbs and brush to the burn pit.
— accepted Michael Kavan as a part-time inspector on the sewer project, scheduled the May 30 city council meeting for May 31, heard that insurance for boring under the railroad has not been acquired, and heard that encasement for pipe under U.S.-50 will be 16 inches rather than 18 inches as noted in the bid specifications.
— approved resolution 041105 which will allow Burlington Northern railroad to put crossing arms at the Maple Street railroad crossing. There will be no cost to the city, but it will be the city's responsibility to install yellow and black warning signs.
— reviewed nuisance properties and decided the abandoned trailer at Second and Spruce streets will be moved by the end of April; Tammie Yoder will attend the next meeting with a timeline for moving the camper in which she is living; to give a 30-day extension to Peabody State Bank to get the deed to 309 Sycamore; and to meet July 11 with Lindsay Davis for review on the property at 411 Maple.
— heard a quarterly review from Benbrook regarding the budget. Because of the cost of storm debris removal, several areas are over budget at this time. However, as revenue continues to come in, the disparity between expense and income will lessen.
— heard a quarterly report from Jeff Pohlman about the police department. He gave council members a breakdown of all expenses, case statistics, and activities. Figures for previous years also were available.
— heard police officers have begun issuing tickets for inoperable vehicles, will assist in "Safe Camp" for kids April 30, and completed a survey of information on businesses and emergency contacts for each.
— approved a city logo design created by Stephanie Ax. It will be used on letterhead stationery, uniform patches, and city vehicles.
— heard from health and safety officer Deb Buser that another round of letters has gone out to owners of nuisance properties. She also noted she sent letters to business owners asking them to keep their properties mowed and trash picked up.
— heard the new insurance coverage has gone into effect. Benbrook told council a skateboard park would not be covered.
— heard the city is ready to close on the property at 910 N. Olive it is purchasing.
— entered into an executive session for the purpose of discussing personnel. No action was taken on return to open session.
— agreed to hear a presentation from Stone Creek Nursery of Hesston about placing city parks on a schedule for tree and shrub replacement and landscaping.
