City Council hears ditch complaint

During the Public Forum segment of the Monday, April 17, El Dorado Springs City Council meeting, Linda Groom was present to discuss her property at 507 S. Ohio where her son lives. She said she had issues with the corner culvert at Marshall and Ohio. She said the bank was too steep to mow and that while picking up trash, she had run into more than one needle. She said Compliance Officer Jennipher Buller had suggested that she burn what was in the ditch, but she didn’t want to put pollutants back into air.

“I’m not going to clean it up,” she said. She said she didn’t want to be fined or told to clean it up ever again. She said she had talked to City Manager Bruce Rogers about the drug issue and the culvert and Rogers had suggested that she buy a culvert and the city would install it. Groom said she wasn’t going to do that. She did not create the problem, the city did years ago. She also mentioned that trashcans across the street were overflowing with trash and dogs would get into it and have the trash strewn all over and they would have to pick it up in the morning.

She also mentioned that people would stand out in the middle of the street and smoke marijuana.

Groom mentioned that she would pay for magnetic signs to be placed on cars owned by volunteers that would warn people that they were being watched. She also suggested a Neighborhood Watch program. She said she had sold a house in that neighborhood for $62,000 that should have gone for $125,000. She mentioned that the lower the property prices the more riffraff there is.

“I want it fixed,” she said.

Rogers asked if the city made the ditch mowable would they keep it mowed. Groom stated they would.

All councilmen were present for the meeting: Mayor Brad True, Jim Luster, Nick Bland, Randy Bland and Jerry Baldwin. City Clerk Lisa Allison was present along with City Manager Rogers.

After Luster and R. Bland were sworn in as councilmen, True was re-elected mayor and R. Bland as mayor pro-tem.

The council voted yes on the first and second reading of Bill No. 12-05, Ordinance No. 1895 to change the number of Picnic Committee members to ten. Eight members will hold no other position with the city and be appointed by the City Council. There will be one city council member and one member from the Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.

Later in the meeting Lisa Brown, Tammy Melton and Kandi Baldwin were appointed as members of the Picnic Committee for three-year terms.

The council also approved an agreement with Allgeier Martin  and Associates to provide water tower design and inspection services and  approved an agreement  with Anderson Engineering to provide water well design and construction inspection service for well number six.

Rogers reminded everyone that Clean-up Day is this Saturday, April 22. He said there would be special dumpsters for tires and construction materials. Call the El Dorado Springs Chamber of Commerce at 876-4154.

Rogers said that the Park Board had requested that the city reduce the youth golf membership from $100 to $75 for golf team members. The council voted to reduce all youth golf passes from $100 to $50 through May 19, then the price will go back to $100.

R. Bland asked about the house at Jackson and Cruce that burned, Rogers said it had been condemned and the city is ready to get a search warrant and tear it down. Bland said he was asked about a stop sign on westbound Hospital Rd at Main Street. Rogers said he would talk to the Street Department about it but feels it wouldn’t be feasible.