The Owen Common Council held their regular meeting on Tuesday, August 13. Resident Mel Lorence came to ask about why 7th Street was not finished to the end of the street. He said it is getting worse. DPW Chad Smith said it was done that way by a previous DPW because the end section has water and sewer running beneath the street. Lorence then asked when it would get done. The response was that money is needed to do street work. Lorence also said that he felt a third police officer wasn’t necessary, that the city already spends too much money, and taxes are too high. He wanted to know if Pat Esker still intended to do anything with the property at the east end of town. The response was no. Lorence also asked about progress on the tire plant. The response was that it is a work in progress. He also asked about the duplexes in Countryside Estates. Mayor Scott Jalling said they are talking to the city attorney about these issues. Jalling also said that Mid Country Homes currently couldn’t build there due to the covenants.

The council approved the resolution approving the ordinance adopted by the fire department in regard to billing. Alderperson Bob Wilczek said the fire district bills the municipality and the municipality bills the property owner. He said this was done before but the signed copies can’t be found. It is currently in effect but the council needs to approve it again so the department has a signed copy.

The update on the dog nuisance abatement on 4th Street was that the dogs have been vaccinated and are licensed. The fencing is scheduled but not currently in place. Fencing companies are behind schedule because of all the rain. The neighbors haven’t had any issues with the dogs since the previous council meeting. The item will stay on the agenda until the fence is complete. If there is an issue before the fence is completed, the police will remove the dogs. Chief Fehlman said the owners are keeping him up-to-date on their progress, as are the neighbors.

The update on the nuisance property abatement on 2nd Street was that the police are waiting on information from the city attorney. The police started writing citations again on May 1. There was some confusion about who was supposed to contact the attorney. Chief Fehlman and 2nd Ward Alderperson Wilczek will set up a time to do so.

Under Finance Update, there hasn’t been a meeting, but Wilczek said everything is going okay.

During the Public Works Report, DPW Smith said they still have a few lead and copper surveys to complete. They did a couple business cross connection inspections. The water tower will be painted next week and may be down for up to 21 days depending on how fast the paint dries. They have been doing some meter testing and are preparing for the 2024 water system inspection. For Sanitary Sewer, they have been removing duck weed from the ponds. Smith passed his Attached Growth test. He did this looking to the future as there will be some changes to sewer treatment. There are four types of treatment systems, but Smith feels that the Rotating Biological Contractors (RBC) system might be best for Owen’s facility. He is also studying for Suspended Growth Processes, which uses large tanks to slow the flow and to grow bugs. This is also a possibility for Owen’s plant in the future. They also jetted sewer mains. In the Streets Department, they spent time setting up for the Owen fair. In regard to boulevard trees, Smith and the police both feel they are the homeowner’s responsibility. They mowed three yards. Public Works also built a ditch on the alleyway by the trailer park. They crack sealed 49 city blocks. He has a meeting coming up about the Bike Trail Grant. They jetted the storm drains on Central Avenue. Smith also rolled some of the city owned lawn making it easier to mow. They removed trees to make way for the dog park and an old tree in preparation for the planting of the Centennial Tree next year.

Under the Mayor’s Report, Jalling said he talked to the attorney after the closed session. Going forward the attorney would like to review developer agreements, contracts, and land sales before they are approved by the city. This will be on the next council agenda for formal approval.