Nuisance, animal cruelty top council discussion
Hebron City Council leaders took the oath of office Monday night as the board made the transition from old to new. Pictured above (l-r): Back row: Ward III–Robert Dodes, Hebron Mayor Shane Day and Ward II–Beth Goldhammer. Front (l-r): Ward I–Rich Koch, Ward I–Jay Bauer, and Ward II–Larry Fangmeier. Not pictured is Ward III councilman Kurk Wiedel. Fangmeier was also installed as the Council president, a position he has held since 1998.
The Hebron City Council spent its final meeting of 2010 discussing nuisance properties, the purchase of a new tractor and snow plow for a pickup, hiring of a building permit inspector, a sewer line project, and the leasing of a skid loader. They also received rat and dog complaints before turning the council chambers over to the new board.
Although the animal complaints were not on the agenda, the animals involved are connected to one of the nuisance properties already appearing on the council’s radar. Neighbors in the 400 block on Second Street are complaining about large rats occupying a dog cage in the back yard of 415 N. Second St., and Monday night attended the council meeting to let city leaders know about the situation. The neighbors said they feel the dogs in the cage, two German Shepherds, are starving and have taken it upon themselves to provide food and water because, as one of the neighbors stated, “It’s too hard to watch them starve, too hard to watch the situation.”
A couple of weeks ago, the female Shepherd and two pups disappeared from the cage, the neighbors said, but the male is still there. It is believed the female was placed in a separate cage at a different location in Hebron. One councilman said he thought the owner was breeding the animals. The council has received no response from the owner regarding the nuisance property. A letter was sent to him in September.
The council decided to take the next step in cleaning up the nuisance property to control the rats and will discuss with City Attorney Joe Murray their rights on the matter of animal cruelty.
In other business, the council accepted a $77,850 bid for a New Holland tractor, agreed to a five-year lease contract for a skid loader, and okayed the purchase of a new snow plow for approximately $6,000.
They also accepted a $37,000 bid on a sewer pipe project under 13th St. The pipe is leaking and needs to be fixed. The project will begin when weather permits.
Finally, the council agreed to hire Bud Ficken as the building permit inspector and passed an ordinance stating the inspector will receive $100 a month plus $25 per requested permit.
At the close of the meeting, acting mayor Larry Fangmeier passed the gavel to incoming mayor Shane Day and welcomed new councilman Robert Dodes. Mayor Day then began his term by making committee assignments which include:
Financial planning and appropriations (* indicates chairperson): *Larry Fangmeier, Beth Goldhammer and Kurk Wiedel; utility services (electrical, water, sewer): *Jay Bauer, Kurk Wiedel and Rich Koch; transportation and community beautification: *Robert Dodes, Jay Bauer and Larry Fangmeier; parks, recreation and city facilities: *Kurk Wiedel, Rich Koch and Beth Goldhammer; ordinance, policy and business: *Rich Koch, Larry Fangmeier and Robert Dodes; risk management (insurance): *Beth Goldhammer, Robert Dodes and Jay Bauer.
The Council continued to support Larry Fangmeier as president; he has held this position since 1998.
Other appointments include clerk Jean Nagey, treasurer Carla Seaman, attorney Joe Murray of Germer, Murray and Johnson, and physician Dr. Tim Sullivan.
Thayer County roads superintendent Richard Heinrichs will act as consultant for the City roads department.
Randy Stubbs, Mike Prellwitz, Kyle Timmerman, Dwight Pumphrey, Ray Meith and Jim Rauner (alternate) will man the board of adjustments.
Prellwitz, Lyle Burd, Judy Hunt Shirley Finke and John Musgrave will sit on the planning commission board and Lucy Wegener, James Fangmeier, Stacey Bowers and Eldon Kassebaum will serve as the tree board.
Merle Hartley, Dan Jantzen, Glenn Hinz, Joyce Beck, Darcy Heitmann and Lori Werner serve on the board of economic development while Al Wilshusen, Ellen Long and Roger Virus serve as the recreation board.
Shirley Huber, Sheila Stubbs, Deb Pope, Amy Neff and Kristi Casey will serve on the library board and Pat O’Hanlon, Jim Kenner and Judy Gerdes will oversee park business.
Other appointments which can be viewed at the City office include the Community Center board, the Board of Health and the Cemetery board.
The designation of Depository of Funds is Thayer County Bank.
