The Owen Common Council met for their regular meeting on Tuesday, July 9. Resident Jeffer Scheuer spoke under Public Opinion. She said that her husband is an amateur photographer and he has taken many pictures along the trail on the north end of the Mill Pond. There used to be a lot of birds there because of the shrubs and berries. Other animals lived there too. Now the path has been shaved leaving no cover for the birds. Scheuer said “it was a beautiful nature walk but now is sterile and silent.” She was at the meeting to protest the shaving of the area. She said there is now nothing to impede the geese. She suggested judicial pruning of the area rather than cutting everything.

The city needs to decide what they want to do about the TAP grant they were approved for so the walking trail could be redone. Dennis Mack from Cedar Corporation was present to answer questions. The original grant with two alternatives was over $1 million. DPW Chad Smith came up with a price of $213,491 if they did most of the work themselves for just the existing part of the trail. Mack said that since going through the Wells property was no longer an option, that would reduce the cost. The DNR is also okay with the city just doing the existing trail and not adding to it. Existing wire for the lights could also be kept to reduce the cost. After discussion, Mack said he could change the amount for the grant to about $602,000 and ask the state to push it out as far as possible. A contract needs to be awarded for the project by June 2027. In the meantime, the city needs to sign a three party contract with the state by December of this year. Most of the bills wouldn’t have to be paid until late 2027, early 2028 to allow the city time to come up with their share of the grant. Mack was going to check but said that typically the DOT pays the bills and then bills the city for their share. In-kind matches are no longer allowed. The city still has some training and documentation to complete and will make a final decision on the grant by August.

Only one person got shut off for a delinquent water bill. Everyone else either paid or set up a payment plan. When asked about businesses, Clerk Tracy Rau said they are not currently shutting off any businesses.

City Hall staff has been busy getting ready for the upcoming primary election, setting up deferred payment agreements for the water, getting started on the information for the 2023 audit, getting out the liquor and beer licenses, and fair set-up, e.g. the garage sale map.

Under the Public Works Report, DPW Smith said they had done quarterly water reads and submitted information for the PFOS settlement. Under Sewer they had done a full cleaning and service on lift station #3. Under Streets, they had the overhead doors at the shop fixed and installed new remotes. They have been painting curb and sidewalk, and cutting grass in the ditches. He has ordered signage as part of the safe crossing grant. They have also been preparing for the Owen Jr. Fair. Clark County did a campground inspection for Crowley Park and the only thing required that hadn’t been done was to put up a notice on where the nearest 24-hour phone access is. That is now completed. One property owner will be charged for Chad and Matt Bottlemy mowing their lawn with weed trimmers because the grass was so high. They have had to do some tree clean-up after the storms as well as spending time protecting the dam due to the amount of water. The DOT land purchase is complete. There was also some discussion of what to do with trees creating hazards along the boulevards. Smith noted that the city doesn’t own the property along the walking trail on the north end of the pond, but they do maintain it. It only gets a major trimming every few years.

The street closure permits for the Owen Jr. Fair and Red Daisy Girl were approved. The Car Show permit was not completed yet so will be approved at the next meeting as will a picnic license for a youth baseball tournament at Crowley Park.

Mike Kochaver was present from Bowmar Appraisal to answer questions that alderperson Ray Kilty had about land values in the city. Kochaver said the issues with variation in values will be fixed as part of the revaluation in Owen next year. He said they are still working off the 2007 model which is the last time a revaluation was done in the city. He said that Owen is at 60% of market value right now. They have to be within 10% of market value every five years and went out of compliance in 2020. Some communities do revaluations every 5-8 years. Kilty said that Owen’s high taxes are keeping business out. The properties that didn’t get building permits will get two tax bills next year as the city can go back two years.

The council was given information on what lots in Countryside Estates had sold for. It varied from $1 to $7,700 (including curb and gutter). The current price is $3,000 per lot.

Alderperson Pam Jaffke reported on the Police Committee meeting. She mentioned the public comment at the beginning of the meeting, the traffic report, tobacco and THC use at the school, the garage and the damage that mice are doing to the vehicles, K-9 Jimi doing better, and the vehicles. She said they will be talking about a third officer at their next meeting.