Playground
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“They’re all kind of fun-looking,” said Ald. Sarah Diedrich.
The council voted 6-1 to purchase the “Nature Play Clubhouse,” with Ald. Flink voting no and Ald. Jon Podevels absent.
The new playground equipment will be installed next spring or early summer, Soyk said.
Council debates park signs
The council took no action on a proposal by Ald. Jeremiah Zeiset to possibly replace some of the signs at Red Arrow Park with ones that are “a little bit more welcoming.” Zeiset acknowledged that the city has had problems with people damaging equipment and leaving behind trash, but he doesn’t want to send the wrong message.
“My desire is not to make it sound like we don’t want people to be there,” he said.
One example he pointed to is a sign at the park’s basketball courts, which says “Pick up your trash or the basketball hoops will be removed.” He said he would like to see the threat of removing the hoops taken down and replaced with something like “Help keep our parks beautiful. Throw away your trash.”
Soyk, however, said putting up that sign has made things “100 times better” at the park, and he also pointed out that the city council could vote to take down the hoops if problems persisted.
Flink said he thinks the signs should be left the way they are, comparing them to ATV signs that are “blunt” about riders needing to stay on the trail.
“I don’t see anything that’s mean about these signs,” he said. “It’s straightforward.”
One audience member pointed out that the Spanish translation on a couple of the signs is incorrect and could be confusing. One sign also includes an image of someone throwing trash into a garbage bin, and Soyk said people should know to properly dispose of their trash.
Ald. Selenia Espino said it would be nice to fix the translations in the future, but she doesn’t see it as a pressing issue.
“They may not be perfect, but I think the people understand,” she said.
Ultimately, the council agreed to keep the signs the way they are at this point.
Other business
■ ■ Mayor Jim Weix told the council that an anonymous donor has stepped forward to cover the entire cost of new signs at local fire stations within the Central Fire & EMS District. With each sign costing $4,450, the total will amount to $13,350 to essentially relabel the stations in Dorchester, Abbotsford and Colby as stations 1, 2 and 3 of Central Fire. Weix said more information about the donations will be available at the next fire district meeting.
■ ■ The council approved a Class B beer and liquor license for La Takeria El Nopal, a new restaurant that is being opened within the former Napa Auto Parts store at 107 N. Fourth St. The license used to belong to La Botana bar on Second Street, but the council refused to renew it after a series of citations were issued following multiple incidents at the establishment.
Two other parties also applied for the license, including one applicant who wants to open a dance hall and event space at the old armory on First Street and another who wants to open up a dance hall at the former Shopko store in East Town Mall. Zeiset expressed concerns about excessive noise levels coming from a dance hall downtown.
Now that Abbotsford’s last remaining liquor license has been awarded to La Takeria El Nopal, the city has the option of acquiring an additional license from another municipality for a $10,000 fee, which would ultimately be paid for by one of the proposed dance halls.
“It would be up to the council if that’s something they even want to pursue,” Soyk said.
■ ■ The council approved several revisions to its agreement with the city of Colby to operate a joint municipal court, which became official on Tuesday after Colby’s council approved the same changes. The revisions were made to comply with state statute, including a provision that the judge must be a qualified elector within Colby or Abbotsford and is not required to be a licensed attorney. The new agreement also makes it clear that the judge is responsible for retaining all court records within the office of the clerk of courts, and that the fine for contempt of court can be no more than $200 unless increased by the state.
■ ■ The council approved building inspections of four trailers within the Oak Street trailer park and of a house at 118 N. First St., based on concerns about the livability of the structures.
■ ■ Library director Jenny Jochimsen said 90 youth and 62 adults and teens participated in this year’s recently completed summer reading program. She also noted that the library has acquired a new collection of TonieBoxes, an interactive audio storytelling device for kids. Also, using a grant from UW-Madison, the library has purchased a virtual-reality headset that will allow patrons to explore topics related to polar and arctic science.
“If you see a lot of penguins around, that’s why,” she told the council.
COMING IN 2025 - This graphic from Lee Recreation shows the “Nature Play Clubhouse” option, from two angles, chosen by the Abbotsford City Council on Monday for new playground equipment at Shortner Park. The new equipment includes two slides, monkey bars, and four swings. SUBMITTED PHOTO
