New Peabody ordinance means no campers, trailers on city streets
By SUSAN MARSHALL
News editor
Peabody City Council agreed Monday evening to move cautiously into the enforcement process that will accompany a new ordinance prohibiting the parking of recreation vehicles, campers, and trailers on city streets and rights-of-way. The new ordinance requires RVs, campers, and trailers used to haul equipment be parked on private property.
Peabody Police Chief Jeff Pohlman presented council members with a list of residents currently in violation of the new ordinance.
"You just need to know that if I start contacting these people, you are going to be hearing from them," he said. "It's my job to enforce the ordinance and I intend to do it, but I thought we should talk first about how picky you intend to get on this."
After lengthy discussion, council members decided to have city administrator Jeff Benbrook send a courtesy letter to those people using city streets for parking prohibited items.
"I am as concerned about the safety issue as anything," said councilman Gene Schmill. "Some of those vehicles and trailers take up a lot of room on our streets."
Council agreed that police officers should begin with those residents who continue to park on the street after receiving a courtesy letter asking them to move the vehicles and trailers.
A second nuisance issue also was raised by Pohlman.
"The bird problem from the Christian church east to Maple Street is getting worse," he said. "The smell is pretty disgusting and it is going to be a real health issue if it isn't already."
He showed councilmen a gas "cannon" that has a timer and can be set to fire at regular intervals.
"From what I can find out, it should only take a week or so for the birds to leave if this interrupts their roosting," he said. "They will likely move on to another area, but with this (the cannon) we can remove them from there too."
Council approved the $370 purchase.
In other business the council:
— heard the proposed mercury cleanup at the former sewer plant has been formally accepted by Kansas Department of Health and Environment. The actual recovery process will begin this week.
— agreed to have city superintendent Darren Pickens review South Plum Street following a request by resident Richard Knauf. Knauf noted the street has never had any maintenance. Council agreed to have Pickens re-grade the street and have it rocked.
— complimented Pickens on the looks of the rock work on the new Peabody sign at Ninth and Walnut. Council also agreed to pay for a small plaque indicating the letters of the sign were originally part of the former Peabody High School building.
— heard from Benbrook that the annual process for evaluating city employees will begin after Labor Day.
— heard also that Benbrook has prepared a public notice to go out for bid for the city's comprehensive plan.
— declared nuisance conditions abated at 111 S. Vine and 405 N. Vine, agreed to a review by health and safety officer Deb Buser for the property at 407 N. Plum, and ordered Peabody Police Chief Jeff Pohlman to secure the property at 807 Locust until such time as an owner of record can be established. Council also extended the formal review process on 411 N. Maple until Oct. 30, to give the owner additional time to finish exterior work.
— entered into an executive session for the purpose of discussing the acquisition of property. No action was taken on return to open meeting.
— tabled until a future meeting a request by Verna Gervais to connect to public sanitation sewer system at 803 and 711 Prairie Lawn Road, a discussion of weeds in the ditch north of Fifth Street between Vine and Walnut, a decision on designating a physician for city workman's comp issues, and a request from Main Street director Kristen Hooper to share the cost of her training with the Main Street organization.
— heard a note of acknowledgment from new school district music instructor Jack Coleman for Hooper's effort to welcome him to the community.
— heard the street resurfacing project has been moved back until after Oct. 1.
— heard that Benbrook and councilman Ed Slocombe attended the Aug. 24 informational meeting with Army Corps of Engineers in El Dorado. The meeting included a discussion of Marion Reservoir although no action was indicated by ACE spokesmen.
— appointed Benbrook and Slocombe to the Marion County Water Quality Advisory Board.
— discussed a report by Pickens for the installation of lights at Peabody swimming pool. Council agreed to postpone a decision on the purchase of the components until after the first of the year.
— approved the use of a city credit card for Hooper and agreed to pay one-half the cost of a grant writing workshop she will attend in Wichita.
