~by Janice Harbaugh for GreeneCountyNewsOnline
County attorney Thomas Laehn explained to the county supervisors at their June 6 meeting why they need to review the county’s ordinances. “We can’t have ordinances dormant on the books,” he said. “It’s a violation of due process to charge someone with an ordinance that has not been regularly enforced. If an ordinance is on the books, we have to enforce it.”
Laehn reviewed a list of existing county ordinances with the board and made suggestions for combining ordinances and amendments as part of the recodification process the board is undertaking. Ordinances not included in the new code would automatically be repealed.
After discussion, the board proposed combining a flood plain management ordinance with its amendment; the ordinance adopting a uniform rural address system with its amendment; and an ordinance providing for the division of taxes in urban renewal areas with its amendment.
The board also proposed combining an ordinance establishing a local option sales and services tax in Churdan with its counterpart covering the rest of the county.
The supervisors proposed bringing three ordinances under the control of the use of courthouse and grounds policy: the monument protection ordinance, the courthouse grounds protection ordinance, and the courthouse parking ordinance.
Two ordinances are slated for repeal: the county’s yard waste disposal ordinance and an ordinance establishing a local office fee for UCC information requests.
Supervisor Mick Burkett asked about an “ordinance for junk.”
“What would be the definition of junk?” supervisor Dawn Rudolph asked.
The board discussed non-working vehicles “sitting in weeds out in the county.” Supervisor Burkett spoke of tires and the board acknowledged differences in definitions of weeds.
“Any supervisor who wants an ordinance can propose it to the county attorney,” Laehn said.
Rudolph said, “There might be things already in place at the state level.”
The next step is to compile the recodified ordinances in a standard format and hold a public hearing on the recodification, Laehn explained.
Laehn said the board could then vote on adoption of the recodification.
In other business, the board unanimously approved hiring Tori Gettler as an accounting clerk in the Auditor’s office beginning July 1 at an annual salary of $45,000 with a $1,000 increase after a positive 6-month review. The increase would be $500 for the remainder of the fiscal year.
The board also unanimously approved a request for $5,000 from the Highway 30 Coalition to conduct an economic impact study with Snyder and Associates.
The funding request was first made in February to the board by coalition president Adam Schweers. The request was made to counties affected by proposed Department of Transportation plans for modifying Highway 30. Two designs are reportedly being considered: a divided 4-lane highway or a super 2-lane highway with passing lanes.
Sheriff Jack Williams reported a jailer position vacancy had been open much of the year and the unused funds from this would be enough to pay for a siren system at Spring Lake. The board had discussed the need for a weather siren there at a previous meeting.
Williams said the system could possibly be installed by August.
Engineer Wade Weiss reported roads will be checked for maintenance needs and recent rains have prevented secondary roads clean-up in some areas.
Weiss recommended a drainage attorney be invited to speak to the board about laws related to drainage of water into rights-of-way and ditches.
