During the December 14 Ostrander City Council meeting, the council heard a request from Lyn Mills, along with Michelle and Mark Rathbun. They asked the council to consider allowing them to raise poultry within city limits.
Mills said if they are given permission, they would raise no more than four birds, and no roosters. She added that their cleaning practices would control excessive odor from the pens. Wendy Brincks shared with the council a copy of Spring Valley’s ordinance on poultry, and suggested that if the council chooses to allow poultry, it would be wise to also create a penalty fee for violations.
Council members discussed that Ostrander formerly allowed poultry in the city, and therefore, a couple of citizens were “grandfathered in” when the ordinance was changed to ban poultry. There was discussion that others in the city may be keeping poultry without any legal right to do so. After discussion, the council took no immediate action. Brincks said she would ask the Zoning Board to consider the request and make a recommendation to the council.
The council discussed the Gary Carpenter foreclosure sale, with Wendy Brincks explaining, “It’s set to foreclose. The sale is March first. My question to you guys is, do you want the property?… If it doesn’t sell, it’s back on our plate.” She added that if someone buys the property at auction in March, the city could still face legal costs and headaches with any potential new owner, as she stated, “As long as they pay the taxes on it, it’s still an abandoned house.” She said the city’s costs in dealing with such a situation could become quite high.
DJ Start asked if it might be cheaper for the city to proactively purchase the property and simply have the house demolished and removed. Brincks did not know specifically what the purchase price might be if the city chose not to send the property to auction, nor did she know an approximate demolition cost, since she said there is a large amount of clutter on the property, and possibly asbestos that would require more costly removal. Brincks said she will find out the city’s purchase price, and an approximate demolition cost, so the council can make an informed decision no later than the January council meeting.
The council discussed code violations within the city, regarding the “junk ordinance” and related issues. Brincks shared copies of letter recently sent to Nathan Cole on this matter. Dan Hellerud said he had recently been approached by Cole, who was upset about the content of the letters. The council approved sending letters to six other property owners in the city with similar code violations.
Brincks summarized the monthly report from the Fillmore County Sheriff’s Department. She said according to the report, “There’s six ambulance, one alarm, one death, one animal complaint, one funeral escort, and one fire escort.”
Brincks shared a draft of the city’s Schedule of Fees for 2022, with a few additions and changes she is suggesting. She pointed out some changes, including a snow removal fee of $100 minimum or $150/hour, and the dog-at-large fees of $45 per dog (first offense) $90 per dog (second offense) and $500 per dog (third offense). The council approved the Schedule of Fees as submitted.
The council’s next regular meeting will be Tuesday, January 4, at 6:30 p.m., in the community center. The public is welcome at all meetings, other than special closed meetings.
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