| Ruanne Leeflang administers the oath of office to the new Orangeville councilman, Kevin Reynolds. |
With the resignation of Councilman Kelly Alton, the Orangeville City Council’s first item was to appoint a replacement for Alton. Mayor Bart Cox explained the process of selecting a new person. “State law sets the guidelines for the process. We advertised the vacancy and six citizens have applied for the position. The council reviews the applicants and during this meeting our first step will be for each councilman to vote for two of the six. Following that round, they will vote for one of the two and that person will be sworn into office as the replacement councilman,” stated Mayor Cox.
After the council followed the process outlined by state law, Kevin Reynolds was sworn into office by Ruanne Leeflang. Reynolds assumed the council chair and the meeting proceeded.
In his first official action, Reynolds voted, along with the remaining council members, to install Shirley VanZyverden to the position of Land Use Authority secretary.
A public hearing was held to take comments about redefining corner lots and accessory structures, and establishing a recycling zone within Orangeville City limits. Council person Carole Larsen explained that her committee has been discussing this issue and has some proposals. These proposed amendments will allow for more flexibility on the corner lot issue, and will give the property owner the right to determine which side of the lot is the front.
Under the proposals, the setbacks for the home on the property must be 25 feet from each property line, the back and each side that abuts the street. Several questions were asked by the residents, and no comments were heard that were against the proposals.
As for the changes in accessory structures, the proposed changes included excluding playhouses and treehouses from the existing ordinance. Their recommendation is to no longer consider those accessory structures, and they must be less than 200 square feet and not exceed the setbacks.
Council person Larsen also explained the recycling zone proposals. The recommendations were to establish recycle zones in the light industrial and commercially zoned portions of Orangeville. This designation would allow those businesses in those two zones to receive tax credits for recycling.
After the public hearing was closed, the council approved the adoption of the resolutions to designate the light industrial and commercial areas of Orangeville into recycling and enterprise zones. They also approved the ordinance changes to redefine corner lots and accessory structures.
The council also approved a resolution from a previous public hearing which states that anyone who does not obtain the required zoning clearances prior to building will be warned and given 10 days to obtain those clearances. If the clearances are not obtained, they will be fined $50.
The final resolution approved by the council was resolution R-2006-14. This resolution adopts the National Incident Management System. This resolution puts Orangeville into compliance with homeland security matters.
Citizen concerns heard by the council were: a suggestion to look at the ordinance requiring the foundation of a home to be higher than the crown of the road; to replace the picnic tables in the park with new metal units; obtain grant money to complete the curb and gutter in town where there are sidewalks; and to clean up Main Street by removing the old, uninhabited houses.
The next Orangeville City Council meeting will be held Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in the city hall building.