Decatur council talks trash, gets new member

Some city amenities opened for the public

DECATUR — The City Council addressed two key issues during its June 8 meeting in the conference room at city hall and via Zoom videoconferencing.

Just before the start of the meeting, Mayor Bob Tharp administered the oath of office to Randy Boone, who was appointed to fill the Ward 1, Position 2, council seat vacated by Robin Holt in March. Boone will fill the seat until the Nov. 3 general election.

After the swearing-in, the council moved on to address the problems of unsightly yard waste and property maintenance which have been ongoing issues for the council over the past five years. A resident addressed the council with a problem she has tried to get resolved for the past several months without success.

The resident, who lives near Edmiston Ball Park, reported finding trash on her property from a nearby property and asked the City Council for help. After her presentation, the council talked to Police Chief Steve Grizzle, who is one of Decatur’s code enforcement officers. Grizzle told the council the address had been contacted by mail in the past two months and has yet to see any attempt at fixing the problem.

During the April 2019 council meeting, an ordinance was passed establishing city codes and enforcement for unsightly properties. Since its enactment, Grizzle, who has addressed several issues with property owners over the past year, told the council he has had positive results with several property owners.

The council asked Grizzle if he could take the next step in the process for two problem properties, including the one near Edmiston Park, and report the results during the July meeting.

The council addressed the question of the pool closing. Several requests to open the pool for the remainder of the year have been received through council members and the city clerk’s office.

Since the pool can only operate at one-third of its normal capacity and a larger staff would be necessary to meet the covid-19 safety requirements, the council determined, since the pool has lost more than $10,000 a year, that opening it wouldn’t be possible this summer.

Tharp and the council also reviewed the opening of city buildings and parks.

At present, the council voted to keep city hall, the library, the Bunker at Veterans Park and the concession stand at Edmiston Ball Park closed until further notice. As far as the parks are concerned, the walking trail and the disc golf course will be opened. As for the parks themselves, all seven are open for use by the public as long as people observe social distancing.

For a complete list of Decatur facilities open and closed, contact city hall at (479) 752-3912.