Abby to block access to unimproved alleys
Homeowners in Abbotsford who have grown accustomed to using city-owned grass alleys as an their own driveways will find their access blocked off as of Sept. 1.
At the recommendation of DPW Craig Stuttgen, the city council voted last week Wednesday to close off all “unimproved” alleys in the city. These are strips of land in between rows of houses that have not been paved or covered with gravel.
Stuttgen said these alleys are only to be used by maintenance vehicles in the case of emergencies, such as a plugged sewer line. The problem is that nearby property owners often treat these areas as if they are fully finished alleys, he said.
“People drive down the grass, and they just make mud,” he said.
Stuttgen said he could think of at least four such alleys across the city, but only two of them have the problem of adjacent property owners misusing them.
The public works crew has had to repair the grass three or four times in one of these spots over the past few years, Stuttgen noted.
Also, in between Sycamore and Butternut, he said the city allowed someone to build their garage with the door facing directly into an unimproved alley. Stuttgen said the original owner of the garage used it to store lawnmowers and other equipment, but the new owner drives in and out of the alley all the time.
“I just want to close off our property,” he said. “If it’s not supposed to be driven on, we shouldn’t be driving on it.”
Mayor Jim Weix said the situation wouldn’t be so bad if people would just use common sense before driving on the grassy areas.
“Inevitably they do this after a rainstorm so everything is saturated, and it’s just a muddy mess, and these guys end up fixing something we shouldn’t have to be fixing,” he said.
Stuttgen told the council to expect a backlash once posts are put up to block the alleys.
“I’m warning you, there are a few people who are going to be upset because they use it as their own property,” he told the council.
Ald. Lori Huther suggested giving the adjacentpropertyownerssomeadvanced notice before installing barricades.
Ald. Sarah Diedrich made a motion to cut off access to the city’s unimproved alleys after giving the adjacent homeowners written notice that posts are going up by Sept. 1. She said cutting off access to four alleys is not a drastic move.
“It’s not like we’re asking to shut half the city down,” she said.
Ald. Roger Weideman cast the lone no vote against the motion.
If anyone wants to argue against closing one of the alleys, Grady said they could always do so at one of the council’s next meetings, Aug. 2 or Aug. 30, at 6 p.m.
The council voted to look at what other municipalities charge for building permit fees after Stuttgen raised concerns about the city’s current rate discouraging people from building anything beyond a basic house.
To obtain a building permit, an applicant must pay a fee equal to $2 per thousand dollars of construction value. Because there is no maximum fee in place, Abbyland Foods had to pay $60,000 for a permit to build its sausage plant in 2016.
The city council ended up knocking $5,000 off that fee as an incentive for Abbyland to build the $30 million plant.
The money generated by building permits goes into the general fund, but Stuttgen said it doesn’t cost the city much in man hours and infrastructure when preparing for a new building to go up.
“I don’t know why we charge so much,” he said. “It’s as much (work) for us if someone builds a house or builds a sausage plant.”
Stuttgen said Abbotsford charges far more than other municipalities in the area, which generally only collect a flat fee for a building permit. City administrator Dan Grady said he believes Neillsville charges a maximum of $50.
“Most of the areas around here are not expensive,” Grady said.
Stuttgen suggested a $1,000 cap for all building permits, regardless of the size of the building.
Ald. Lori Huther said even a $200 building permit for a new $100,000 house could be a disincentive for people looking to put up homes in the city.
“When you’re building a house, every cent counts,” she said.
Huther made a motion to have Grady find out what other cities and villages charge for building permits and to bring that information back to the next council meeting for possible action.
_ The council approved the hiring of Christian Lemay as a new full-time police officer for the Colby-Abby Police Department. Ald. Diedrich, who sits on the police commission, said he was the best applicant by far, with previous experience as an officer in Chippewa Falls. She said one of the three applicants didn’t show up for the interview, and the other had no on-the-job experience.
_ The council voted to install security cameras at the Red Arrow Park shelter and at the nearby well number 4. The action came after back-to-back incidents in which vandals smashed all of the lightbulbs inside the shelter building. Other acts of vandalism have occurred there in the past, said utility operator Josh Soyk.
“We’ve got cameras at Shortner Park; I think it’s time we look at putting cameras at Red Arrow, too,” he said.
Ald. Jeremiah Zeiset also urged the council to look at installing cameras at the Boy Scout cabin near the basketball courts, as it often appears as though drug activity is taking place there.
_ The council approved two contracts with Jay Soyk Carpentry, one for $2,900 to replace the shingles at the Red Arrow Park shelter and another for $4,900 to reside the Shortner Park building and add two new metal doors.
_ The council voted to transfer $25,622 from the general fund into a special account designated for unexpected fire district expenses. The amount being transferred is equal to what the city saved after Central Fire and EMS dropped its annual fire protection fees this year. Grady said the new account can be tapped if the fire fees go up or if the district needs extra money for an ambulance or fire engine.
_ The council approved a motion to open a new Red Arrow savings account to hold an anonymous $50,000 donation made in 2019 that has not yet been designated for a specific project at the park.
_ The council voted to update the names of the signers on a pair of Nicolet Bank accounts that still had former city officials’ names as signers.
_ The council reviewed and approved $564,640 in monthly bills.
