Council OKs Conditional Use Permit; Votes To Close Street

While there was nothing particularly controversial on the agenda, Tuesday’s meeting of the Trenton City Council resulted in two split votes and a brief discussion of the ongoing issue of the city’s breed-specific dog ordinance.
The split votes came on the question of whether or not to approve a conditional use permit and the acceptance of a bid for a water main to the wastewater treatment plant. On the conditional use permit, sought by Terry Hearn and approved by the city’s planning and zoning commission earlier this month, the vote was 6-2, with First Ward Councilman Kevin Klinginsmith, Second Ward Councilmen Danny Brewer and Marvin Humphreys, Third Ward Councilman Dave Mlika and Fourth Ward Councilmen Duane Urich and John Dolan all voting yes. First Ward Councilman Lance Otto and Third Ward Councilman Robert Romesburg voted no. The request by Hearn was to locate a used car lot on property at 907 E. Ninth St. Hearn, who had appeared at a public hearing on the matter, had been told he will need to pave the area. It was noted that the cars that will be placed there are not his, but are privately owned by those selling them. It was also noted that he is to pave the area before any more cars can be placed on the lot. No reason was given for the dissenting votes.
On the issue of accepting a bid from Earthworks to construct a water main from the area of Second and Kitty streets to the wastewater plant, the only issue that seemed to concern anyone on the council was the $10,725 line item for seeding of the area, which is actually through an agricultural field. The vote on the bid, which was for $171,203 and had been recommended for approval by the utility board, was 6-2, with Humphreys and Otto voting no.
A brief discussion was held on the city’s breed-specific dog ordinance, which was upheld by the council on Sept. 27 when the vote to repeal the ordinance failed 2-4. On that vote, Urich and Brewer voted to repeal the ordinance and Otto, Humphreys, Mlika and Dolan voted to leave it in place. Klinginsmith was absent from that meeting and Romesburg, owner of Pet Central, abstained. On Monday, Otto said he is living up to the commitment he made to the crowd that was at the Sept. 27 meeting to continue looking into ways the city’s current dangerous animal ordinance can be strengthened to ensure the city creates what he called “a culture of responsible dog owners.” 
Humphreys said he thought the issue was settled and asked how many times it’s going to get considered. Urich responded “as many times as it comes up” and said the issue is more of changing the behavior of the owners than the animals. Humphreys replied that changing the behavior of people is a big step.
Other action items at the meeting included:
• voting to close a portion of 12th Street between Mable Street and Tinsman Avenue to allow the Grundy County Museum to construct a building in that area for covered storage of items.
• accepting the high bid of $701 from Robert Burkeybile for the purchase of property at 1002 W. 14th St.
• approving an ordinance amending the filing dates for city elections, which will now be the 17th Tuesday prior to the election until the 14th Tuesday prior to the election. This shortens the filing period, which for this year would be Dec.7 to Dec. 28. The terms of Klinginsmith, Humphreys, Mlika and Urich will expire.
• approving a policy on seasonal utility services shut off as was recommended by the Utility Committee.
• approving a bid from Sentinel Emergency Solutions in the amount of $270,762.40 for self-contained breathing apparatus for the fire department. The items will be paid for through the Assistance to Firefighters Grant received by the department earlier this year. The grant is funded through the Department of Homeland Security.
• voting to offer a position as a police officer to Cameron Hind, who will graduate from the Law Enforcement Academy on Dec. 3.
• discussing the possibility of entering into an agreement with MoPEP in which the city would go to a virtual ownership operation. The city would continue to own its generators, but MoPEP would maintain them. City Administrator Ron Urton said the city spends about $190,000 to own and maintain them but gets about $170,000 a year in credits for being able to generate power. If the city entered into the agreement, they would not get the credits, but also wouldn’t have to maintain them. The incentive to MoPEP, Urton said, is being able to ensure that cities who are in the agreement would be able to generate the power they say they can when storms like last year’s “polar vortex” hit the area. The idea is only in the discussion stages at this point and Urton said his only concern is that the city’s employee who maintains the generators would still have a job.
The next council meeting is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 8.