The Trenton City Council approved two ordinances, turned down one and heard several informational items during a meeting Wednesday night at City Hall.
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The Trenton City Council approved two ordinances, turned down one and heard several informational items during a meeting Wednesday night at City Hall.
The council passed an ordinance, setting up a municipal forestry program and establishing a board to oversee development and administration of the program. The ordinance sets up guidelines which are to be followed in regard to the maintenance, planting and removal of trees in city right-of-ways as well as city-owned property and establishes a list of what are considered “appropriate” trees and shrubs to be used in those areas in regard to size and disease resistance.
The five-member mayor-appointed board established by the ordinance would study, investigate, counsel and develop and/or update annually as well as administer a written plan for the care, preservation, pruning, planting, replanting, removal or disposition of trees and shrubs in parks, along streets and in other public areas. The plan would be presented annually to the city council for its approval and would then constitute the official city tree plan for the city of Trenton.
The ordinance came as the result of a citizen’s committee working to develop a plan to promote awareness of the proper care and maintenance of trees in connection with the Tree City USA Program. An application to the program has been made and, according to spokesperson Laura Lymer, several of the criteria has already been met. If a city is designated as a “tree city,” it would become eligible for matching funds to develop a comprehensive tree program, including replacement of existing trees, planting new trees and shrubs and removal of those trees and shrubs that would be prone to disease.
Also approved by the council was an ordinance to rezone property owned by Mike and Jane Cooksey from O-1 open space to R-2, low density residential. The council had annexed the property into the city earlier this year and last week, the Trenton Planning and Zoning Commission recommended the land be zoned R-1 to allow development of a subdivision. Should the Cooksey’s choose to do so, they would be required to present plans to the planning commission and the city council for approval before development could begin.
An ordinance granting a conditional use permit to Heather Rorebeck for a nail technician business at her home at 2110 Sportsman Road was denied.
All votes were 5-0. Present were Tim Allnutt, Gary Black, Larry Bunnell, Gary Hurst and Troy Smith. Dr. Ted Lymer II, Tom Witten and Terri Henderson were absent. Allnutt presided over the meeting as president pro-tem in the absence of Mayor Tim Whitaker.
In other business, the council was told that specifications are being drawn up so that bids can be sought on renovation and expansion of the City Public Safety Complex. The expansion would provide more space for emergency vehicles as well as additional room for the Grundy County Ambulance Department. City Administrator David Blackburn said that city and council officials are in agreement with the final design.
Blackburn also told the council that a report in regard to the replacement of the city’s asphalt plant would be presented at the next council meeting and that the administrative committee is looking at developing an ordinance to prohibit smoking inside the C.F. Russell Stadium facility.