The Cherokee Village City Council held its regularly scheduled meeting Sept. 15.
The agenda was approved with an addition of the discussion of chickens in the Village.
Following the approval of minutes from the August meeting and the financial report, Mayor Russ Stokes presented his report.
“I’ve got three items for the public’s information, we’ll be conducting our fall curbside pickup on Oct. 10 through 14 and you can call in and give your address to city hall through the (Sept.) 19th starting Monday of next week through Oct. 6. There are a list of items that should not be put out curbside.. this information will be posted on the city Facebook and web page,” Stokes said.
He also addressed the progress of the construction of new bridges near city hall.
“I know some people have been wondering what’s happening with the low water bridge project that’s under the department of transportation so I made an inquiry and there’s an issue with an acquisition of a parcel of land that includes part of Papoose Park. Apparently, there’s no record of that parcel being deeded back from the original owner to SID although that’s their intent. So they’re securing a quit claim deed to handle that,” Stokes said.
The LED sign and whether it would have to be moved was also briefly addressed. Stokes said he was waiting on clarification as initially he was told it was going to have to be moved but was later told it was on the boundary line and should not be affected.
Next to be discussed was department reports beginning with the animal shelter.
Councilman Martin inquired if there had been any further development regarding a potential grant.
“I don’t know if it’s a rumor or hearsay but at the SID meeting there was conversation about us getting a $70,000 grant for animal control,” Martin asked.
Stokes said it was not a grant but a bequest from an estate and was currently on hold.
“Currently we lease it, and the mapping of the area is going to have to be reviewed. We don’t need all that acreage out there if we’re going to continue to operate,” Stokes said. “The city inspector and I went and wheeled it off and we’re looking at something like two and three tenths or two and a half acres maybe. We’re hoping this may be donated to us but we’re still working on it.”
Stokes said there had been a change in community service management at Sharp County and he received notification the city would have prisoners available to do additional work.
“We’ve been approached that they would help clean up some of these illegal dump sites here in the Village and that will be welcomed,” Stokes said.
As the council moved through department reports, Stokes paused to briefly address the fire department report noting that the majority of calls were coming from Sharp County rather than Fulton County.
Stokes noted under Planning and Zoning permit fees had gone up considerably from 2021, something he attributed to the storms earlier this year.
Following department reports and having no old business, the council moved on to new business, starting with the amended agenda item of the discussion of chickens in the Village.
Councilman Martin approached the podium and read a letter he had written explaining a misunderstanding which had unintentionally caused grief to the council and residents of the Village.
Martin said he had guided residents interested in having chickens in Cherokee Village on how to get items on the agenda, however; due to standing processes, the agenda was ultimately set by the mayor and the order.
Martin apologized for the misunderstanding and stated the issue was slated for discussion for the October agenda with the first read of the drafted ordinance pending.
“If it passes, I’ll make the request if the council would like the doctors to speak during the November meeting, their presentations are about a half an hour each,” Martin said. “The council will be able to figure out if it wants to move forward with that or not.”
The special use permit for White Cane Days was approved, followed by discussion of a resolution to certify the City of Cherokee Village Property Tax.
“This has to be done and then the respective county clerks need to be notified in Fulton and Sharp County,” Martin said.
A motion was made and passed to approve the resolution certifying the city millage rate for 2023 at five mills which has been the millage rate for the past several years.
A resolution to use a portion of American Rescue Plan Funds for the purchase of a replacement vehicle for the animal shelter was discussed.
Stokes said the current vehicle is worn out and poses a risk to operate citing a number of issues. Stokes said if the purchase was approved it would leave approximately $652,000 left in the budget from the ARP funds.
The council voted to approve the expenditure at $8,000 to obtain a replacement vehicle.
The discussion then turned to the purchase of a new fire truck for the fire department.
Fire Chief Kal Dienst spoke to the council and stated in recent years, the city had been planning to spend approximately $400,000 for a new fire engine, however; several financial challenges had removed that option from the table.
Dienst proposed a smaller apparatus be purchased at a drastically reduced cost which could be used to run medical calls and in turn save wear and tear on the existing engines, assist with the ISO rating and reduce fuel costs.
After some discussion, the council voted to approve the purchase of the truck.
A conditional use permit regarding a piece of property was the final topic of discussion. A request was made for a special use permit to grant the permit to be extended for a period of one years time to allow the Planning and Zoning Commission to rezone a piece of property from Commercial 1 to Commercial 2 on land near the old hospital.
The conditional use permit was approved as extended for a period of one year.
Public comments were next.
Kim Alexander was the first to address the council and expressed her feelings many citizens in the Village feel their voices go unheard and stated her support for the chicken initiative.
A series of property owners followed and reiterated their support for chickens in the Village, some citing federal law and stating they have fully intend to acquire chickens and mobile coops.
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