City to address nuisance properties
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.
The Mount Ayr City Council Monday evening said it is going to get tough on nuisance properties within the city limits.
The city says it will start addressing nuisance concerns in April.
Nuisance definition according to city code is “whatever is is injurious to health, incident, or unreasonably offensive to the senses, or an obstruction to the free use of property so as essentially to interfere unreasonably with the comfortable enjoyment of life or property.”
The ordinance says that conditions which are deemed to be nuisances in the city are offensive smells, filth or noisome substance, blocking public or private ways, storing flammable junk, weeks and brush, junk or junk vehicles, dangerous buildings and storage and disposal of solid waste.
The ordinance says that whenever an authorized municipal officer finds that a nuisance exists, the property owner will be served a written notice to abate the nuisance within a reasonable time.
City Attorney Erin Hardisty, if a defendant if found guilty a civil penalty and court costs could be assessed to the property owner and if the nuisance isn’t taken care of within 30 days the city can enter the property, abate the nuisance itself and assess the cost to the defendent.
Park program
The council also approved a fitness series at Judge Lewis Park.
The series, to be taught by Ann Iannotta, will include multi-level circuit training, Zumba, aquatics for mobility and arthritis relief, and stretching for relaxation and mobility.
Iannotta, who recently moved to the area from New York, provided the council with a number of letters of recommendation for her programs.
Proposed budget
The council held a public hearing on the budget for yet fiscal year beginning July 1. No one spoke in opposition to the proposed budget proposal and it was approved.
Closed session
The council went into closed session to discuss the purchase of particular real estate. No action was taken after coming out of the closed section.
Insurance increases
The council decided to increase their general insurance program to a $2,500 deductible per incident and increase their umbrella policy to $3 million.
Other actions
• The city approved a chicken permit for Kinda and Dustin Larsen at 703 West Columbus Street.
•Approved spending $17,374.50 on the concrete plant sewer lift station.
•Approved a new scoreboard at Judge Lewis Park, the cost to be covered by existing Little League funds.
•Approved increased part time employment hours for the summer from 40 hours to 50 hours.
•Set an open house for the pool for May 23 from 4-7 p.m. at the ROA building in Mount Ayr.
•Received information that the airport with be getting totaling $129,000 for improvements.
•Received recommendations for pay scales at the municipal pool for the summer.
