After a more in-depth reading of the current septic system ordinance was explained to the council by Uhl, the council realized a variance was not required, as it does allow for a temporary septic system with no limits on timelines. The only requirement is that if a septic line is placed near the front of the property, the homeowner must hook into it.
Council member Tom Godbey expressed his belief that development to the west of the current property would happen. “I believe in Garretson, and I believe it’s going to grow,” he said. The rest of the council agreed, and said as long as the system is temporary, they would not require Nussbaum to build a line to the front of the property.
Despite the realization that the variance was not required, Mayor Greg Beaner thanked the Bobb’s for their patience and repeated appearances and requests. “It’s good for us to have these conversations,” he said, “because Garretson will grow.”
While there was more discussion with regards to limiting the boundaries at which the septic line should be required, the council opted to table further discussion on that topic for the time being.
Mayor Beaner then opted to move to a request by Blue Dragon Academy for a request to have first right of refusal to purchase the property to their east if it ever came available for sale. BDA Board member Todd Fink was present to make the request.
City Maintenance Supervisor Nussbaum pointed out that a sewer line runs diagonally through that city-owned property, which would require an easement if it were ever sold. Due to that, the council was in favor of proposing a long-term lease instead of a sale, so that Blue Dragon Academy could use the area as a parking lot. No decisions were made and Fink agreed to take the information back to the board.
Nuisance Board Addresses Camper Ordinance
Nuisance board requests were then addressed, with community member Doris Nedved presenting with regards to the camper ordinance. She had been unaware of the ordinance prior to receiving a notice in July, and was unwilling to place an improved area on her lot in order to be in compliance.
“My camper is stored eight months out of the year,” she said. She believed improvement was not necessary, as she takes care of the space around the camper, mowing and trimming.
“Most people have the courtesy to take care and mow, but not everyone does,” said Mayor Beaner. “And we can’t differentiate. We don’t want to be mean to people. It [the ordinance] is a pretty standard one.”
Nedved then questioned the order that the enforcement officer followed, wondering why she got a certified letter and didn’t receive a phone call. She felt that would have been more personable, and she would have been more willing to work with the code enforcement officer that way.
The council and Uhl explained that not everyone answers their phone, and there has to be documentation that is provable. This is why a certified letter system is used, because it documents that it was received. The officer is also required to follow up to ensure action was taken, or levy fines if it is not. He had asked Nedved for a plan proposal in order to avoid the fine, and the plan given by Nedved was just to leave it until October 15, when she planned to bring the camper to storage for the season, which was not acceptable.
After Nedved agreed to ensure she had an improved space on her property next year to avoid the same situation, the council agreed to waive the fine as long as the camper was moved by the 15th.
State Park Entrance Support
Last month, Palisades Township member Oran Sorenson had requested the City help voice support for keeping a lifeline into Garretson from Palisades State Park once the new entrance is built.
Currently, the entrance is 2.9 miles from downtown Garretson. The new entrance would be 4.4 miles away, down a different road, and Sorenson wanted support from the City to help encourage the State to reconsider closing the current entrance permanently. He would like strong support voiced for at least an exit from the park, and a way for the current road to stay paved.
Council member Bill Hoskins had agreed to write up a resolution that stated this tactfully, and it was read at the October meeting. The resolution, which congratulated Palisades State Park on its new venture and encouraged the State to study the placement of the entrance thoroughly, did not satisfy Sorenson.
“They’ve already decided where the new entrance will be,” he said. “There’s no changing their mind. We need to request an exit only from the present spot into Garretson, and give a vein or artery for direct access to Garretson.”
The council noted that only a very small number of visitors to Palisades actually come to Garretson, something that was recently found in a survey taken by Palisades State Park.
“Garretson is the City of Parks,” said Sorenson. “We have a long, shared history with that park; Palisades town started there.” He was of the opinion that not having a direct line to town would cut off the park from the town.
After a visibly-agitated Hoskins questioned whether Palisades Township had passed a resolution of their own, Sorenson responded, “It has to be a larger group of people, not just me or the mayor- they listen to votes and if they know it’ll impact their votes, they’ll consider it. We’ve had a great relationship with Palisades and the town, and we would like it to continue, and have them see a bit about the history.”
Council member Richelle Hofer then asked about a petition. “This letter is not as poignant as a straightforward petition,” she said. A petition could likely be signed by anyone who wants access to Garretson.
The council opted to table the resolution to see if other action needed to be taken.
After the meeting, Sorenson met with the Gazette and explained in more detail how important the current road is to the town.
With the long-shared history between the two, he believes having at least an exit from the park that goes directly into Garretson is extremely important. This is an area where a bike trail is likely to go, and business owners are worried that reduced visibility of town from the Park entrance will impact Garretson strongly.
Even if current park-goers only see Palisades Oil, Dollar General, and River Ridge Golf Course, that is still more than they will see with the new entrance. The town will not be in view at all, as visitors would turn two miles west of town and travel another two miles south. While Sorenson believes Garretson can do more with regards to promoting the town, in his opinion, the feeling of disconnect may grow, especially if access is limited.
Further Pet Limits Proposed
Next, a first reading of Ordinance 649 was addressed. Currently, the pet ordinance limits pets (except birds and fish) to five animals within a household.
From seemingly out of nowhere, Council member Godbey was proposing that this be limited further to a two dog maximum. He believed that having so many pets in a home is unnecessary.
While the council explained that they cannot discriminate against certain animals, they did entertain the proposal to limit domestic animals within a household to three pets.
As the discussion continued, community members in attendance expressed their opinion that this would be extremely unpopular.
Council member Hofer expressed an opinion that less than five animals is meddling in peoples’ lives. While she understood that barking dogs were an issue, and that even if people should have the freedom to have as many pets as they wanted, others should also have the right to peace in their own homes. She did feel that this was more of a noise issue than a number of animals issue.
Due to this being a first reading, no action was taken. The ordinance will be further discussed and voted on at the November meeting.
After passing policy updates on time cards and cell phone use for City employees and agreeing to a tax abatement for the Palisades Healthcare facility, the council voted to enter Executive Session and adjourned.
The next meeting of the City Council will be on Monday, November 4 at 6:30 pm at the Legion.
