Peabody City Council reduces 2007 mill levy years ago
By SUSAN MARSHALL
News editor
Peabody City Council Monday night accepted a budget with a slightly lower mill levy for the coming year. No one was present from the community to ask questions or challenge any part of the proposed budget.
"Council members are to be commended for staying on task with this," said Mayor Tom Schmidt. "All of you were in attendance at every work session we held on the budget. Thanks for all your hard work."
The mill levy will go down to 61.608 mills from the 62.799 mills that funded the budget in 2006.
The budget was unanimously accepted by council.
In a related issue, city administrator Jeff Benbrook informed council members they would need to give their approval to proceed with the legal work needed to place the one cent sales tax increase on the ballot in the general election in November. Council approved moving ahead, 5-0.
Benbrook presented for final approval a revision of the ordinance regulating mobile and manufactured homes. Council last meeting had asked Benbrook to seek legal wording to create a "grandfather" clause for existing properties. The clause as written allows the properties to exist until such time as they have been vacant for 30 days. Approval of the ordinance was unanimous.
A second ordinance was reviewed involving the parking of recreational vehicles on streets, street rights-of-way, and on private property. No final approval was made, pending additional information from the chief of police at the next meeting.
In other business the council:
— heard a request from Randy Dallke for a refund of his 2005 city license to sell fireworks on his property. At the time, Dallke thought the property on which he set his fireworks stand was owned by the city and he paid the proper license fee. When he made application for a 2006 license, it was discovered that the property had never been officially annexed by the city, thus was still in the county. Dallke was able this year to sell fireworks from that location anyway after the county commission (of which he is a member) approved a new ordinance allowing the sale of fireworks anywhere in the county. Council agreed to refund him the $50 fee from 2005.
— agreed to abide by a new plan to regulate the issue of private swimming lessons being given at the municipal pool. A new set of guidelines regulating pool use for public and private swim lessons as well as practice by swim team members was approved.
— approved a $14.22 sewer charge credit to Carl Renner for charges in conjunction with a water leak.
— heard Dr. Randy Whitely has agreed to work with the city on workman's compensation issues and provide employee drug testing as required.
— after discussion of requested funding for a study of Marion Reservoir, agreed to send Benbrook and councilmen Ed Slocombe and Tim Peterson Aug. 24 to El Dorado for a conference with Army Corps of Engineer officials. The purpose of the conference is to find out if ACE will accept and act on the information in the local study or if Marion, Hillsboro, and Peabody will have to fund, at a later date, a second study by the Corps.
— heard from city treasurer Stephanie Ax about internal bookkeeping procedures and agreed to combine two money market accounts to streamline the funds transfer process.
— discussed a bird control problem located in a narrow swath from behind the First Christian Church and the Alan Yock home, straight east to Maple. Hundreds of starlings have begun nesting in that area at dusk, covering the ground and buildings with bird droppings on a nightly basis. No solution was reached.
— accepted from the county a certificate for special assessment of $1,450 to be added to the property tax of individuals whose property was mowed by the city from August 2005 to August 2006.
— approved an extension until Oct. 16 for James and Ranita Brown to tag and insure two vehicles they own that are in violation of city ordinance.
— accepted a bid of $1,518.90 for a fence along the north border of the park adjacent to Division Street where the city has removed shrubs and lilac bushes. Additional trees also will be removed.
— accepted the 2006 versions of the Standard Traffic Ordinance and Uniform Public Offense codes.
