“Is the city planning on picking up my limbs?”
Staff writer
Peabody City Council ended its meeting Monday night with a discussion of how to best handle the coming demand for information about clearing storm debris from homes, streets, public areas, and gutters.
“We have already received inquiries about whether the city crew can help,” clerk Stephanie Lago said. “And the other thing is where to tell callers to take their limbs and branches. The burn pit is muddy and not likely to dry out in the next few days. We are going to have people getting stuck in there.”
Council members, police chief Bruce Burke, and public works director Ronnie Harms reviewed some possible spots for people to take storm debris.
“In 2005, we had them take it to the lot east of the park, where the volleyball pit is now,” councilman Steve Rose said. “This probably isn’t going to be as big a debris pile, but there may not be room to burn it there. Plus that area is wet also and will end up full of tire-track ruts and make mowing harder next summer.”
Harms said people will probably get stuck at the burn pit, but that he could get a couple of loads of rock to take in there and create a roadway for residents to use to get in and out.
“Of course, it won’t last long, but if the weather stays decent, it might be enough to take care of what everyone is dealing with after this storm,” he said.
Harms said he could get gravel here in a couple of days. Residents should check burn pit conditions before taking in a load of limbs and branches.
Council members also agreed to put a hold on sending letters to residents about nuisance conditions if the conditions include piled up storm debris.
“Maybe we’ll get lucky and this won’t hit us again,” council president Travis Wilson said. “In the meantime, hopefully this will help.”
In other business:
- Kansas League of Municipalities honored two Peabody city employees and two elected officials for their length of continuous service. Burke, Lago, and Rose were each presented a plaque for 15 years of service. Mayor Larry Larsen was absent, but was named as recipient of a plaque for eight years of service.
- The council approved the necessary resolutions and an ordinance to proceed with refinancing the city’s general obligation bonds for water and sewer projects, saving $77,575 on the life of the loans.
- Council members went into a 10-minute executive session with Burke to discuss personnel. On return to open session, the council approved additional advertising in the Peabody Gazette-Bulletin to fill the position of animal control officer.