Staff writer
City council didn’t budge Monday on the asking price for a strip of property in Batt Industrial Park.
Brendan Kraus has met twice with the council, offering to buy half the lot that lies north of his business, Spur Ridge Veterinary Hospital, for half price.
Council members at the earlier meeting had sold additional land to another business at full price.
Krause has said that he may add a building for a pet kennel, but is not sure how soon. His initial goal is to expand parking area.
After lengthy discussion, council members voted to offer him the half lot at full price and provide a rebate if he later builds the kennel. Kraus didn’t agree to the purchase on Monday, preferring to ponder the council’s offer.
Violators of a proposed littering ordinance could be fined up to $100 if the measure goes into effect.
Council members got their first look at a proposed littering ordinance intended to prevent trash, garbage and waste material from piling up in streets, gutters, alleys, parks, and other public places. If a property owner doesn’t clean up the litter along their property, the city can have the litter removed and charge the cost to the property owner.
After adjourning, council members took a bus tour of city properties. The tour was suggested during budget workshops when council members said that too often they didn’t understand why work or projects were done when they approve expenditures.
Stops on the tour included the municipal building, Main St., water plant, electrical shop, fleet storage, levee flood gates, substation and switchgear building, sewer lagoons, organic material disposal site, library, parks, museum, water towers, lift station, cemetery, ball fields, EMS building, police and fire stations, and the Santa Fe sidewalk project.