On July 10, the Spring Valley City Council held a public hearing prior to their regular meeting to discuss the proposed noise ordinance.
The ordinance states “it is unlawful for any person to make, continue or cause to be made or continued any excessive, unnecessary or unusually loud noise or any noise which either annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others, within the limits of the city.”
This ordinance is a results of complaints from residents regarding noise issues and frustrations over the lack of enforcement.
“We have to have a statute or ordinance to enforce on,” Fillmore County Sheriff John DeGeorge explained. “Once adopted, if it is a violation of what is in that ordinance and it is witnessed by a deputy or we have video evidence of it then we can take action. We just have to have the mechanism to enforce it.”
Numerous Spring Valley residents asked for the proposed times of 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. be extended.
During the regular meeting the council voted to approve the ordinance with an amendment of the time, which will be 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
“Its a start of where we need to be,” council member Greg Brooks stated.
Police contract changes
Though it is still early in the year, DeGeorge spoke to the council about changes to the 2024 police contract.
“When we talk about our contract for services, our first priority is always to make sure we provide the service that the city is contracting for and then we figure out how we are going to staff that and pay for it afterwards,” DeGeorge said. “But, as we’ve looked at staffing over the years it has become clear that modifications need to be made.”
Currently, the contract has the city budgeting for the salary and personnel cost of the three officers assigned to Spring Valley, along with the majority of the equipment, squad cars and fuel.
DeGeorge noted this arraignment left holes in the scheduling. Traditionally these shifts would be covered using part-time officers. Unfortunately because of the lack of staffing and abundance of full-time positions in the field there are no part-time officers to cover the shifts.
“We are to a point now where we need to make some changes to the contacts to make this viable going forward. The contracts are always meant to be an actual cost contract; it should never be a contract were the county profits from it,” DeGeorge told the council. “There is no way to continue forward with the model we’ve been using. In order to simplify everything and use our resources more effectively while making sure we can fulfill all of our contracts, but our county patrol obligations, as well there would be a agreed upon contracted number of hours and an agreed upon hourly rate.”
The estimated rate would be $61 an hour, which, according to DeGeorge, would still keep the cost to around what it would have been using the previous contract. He also stated he plans to have a designated daytime officer while the nightshifts would be rotating officers.
“What a lot of people don’t understand is this is what is happening already. We are now just making it legitimate,” DeGeorge clarified.
Later in the year, DeGeorge will come to the city with the new contract for continued discussions.
Street improvement update
Drew Weber, of Bolton and Menk, addressed the council with several updates.
First up was the street and drainage improvement project covering the areas of Territorial Road from Sample Road to West High Street, Broadway Avenue from Jefferson Street to Highways 16 and 63 and the alleyway north of Jefferson Street from Broadway Avenue to Highways 16 and 63.
“The goal is to bid that project in August and try to keep the plans and specifications pretty flexible to make sure we meet the budgeted dollars for the project,” Weber explained.
The council approved the plans and specifications, as well as the advertisement for bids.
Next was the Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP).
“We’ve used it beyond it’s extended life and really squeezed every dollar out of it,” Weber said of the WWTP. “There is now work that is required to be done and a deadline that has to be met.”
The requirements are in relation to compliance requirements for the new total nitrogen limit, which could open the city up to more funding opportunities.
Bolton and Menk provided the city with a proposal for the preliminary engineering tasks and costs for the upcoming project, the total cost of which is $128,200.
The council approved the proposal and work order.
Public Works Director Chad Hindt also noted the parts and equipment for the new rail systems and pumps have arrived and are being installed.
Other Business
• The council voted to follow the county’s regulation for regulating the sale of hemp derived cannabinoid products.
• The Bear Creek Ag lot purchase proposal, as well as the First Baptist Church lot purchase was approved pending completion of all necessary paperwork.
• The next council meeting will be held on August 14 at 6 p.m.
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