KANOPOLIS — Concerns with the enforcement of a city ordinance dealing with health nuisances led to patrons packing the room during the June 11 meeting of the Kanopolis City Council.

At least nine patrons addressed the council with concerns. Here is a sample of the conversation:

Elizabeth Morrison said part-time Kanopolis Police Chief Jeff Weigel came to her home and mentioned items in her yard that needed to be cleaned up.

“I had friends come over and it was cleaned up,” she said.

Subsequently to that next day clean up, Morrison said she received a certified letter in the mail regarding compliance.

“Naturally, I was very upset, because I had already done what he told me needed to be done,” she said. “This letter cost like almost $10 with all these pages and all these things. Does the city have that much money that they can go around sending out $10 letters? Maybe a postcard could do just as good.”

Morrison said it was an abuse of town funds and Weigel not paying attention.

“Maybe he went around and it really wasn’t that noticeable to begin with,” she said.

Morrison said Kanopolis is a small town.

“Everybody should be able to be nice, polite and if people need help, go in and help,” she said.

Morrison said the community needs practical help such as clean-up days, signup sheets.

“I’m all for that,” she said. “But a lot in our town are elderly, poverty level. So what, we’re going to threaten to lock up anybody because they’re low on funds or in poor health? That’s not very smart — or very nice.”

Mayor Anthony Hopkins asked Judy Gebhardt how many people have signed up with the city who need help cleaning up their property.

“Right now, we have two,” she said.

“It has been in every water bill, about the cleanup days,” said city clerk Debra Kralik.

“People need to calm down and read the letter for what it is, come here, talk to us and we’ll work with you,” Hopkins said.“We’ll help you get help to clean it up.”

Hopkins said he ran for mayor on a platform of cleaning up the town.

“We get a new officer,” council member Michelle Schwerdtfeger said. “We asked him to start enforcing these and then this is what we get. It’s a no win situation. You have citizens in here complaining because we’re not doing anything about the debilitated houses, and people with junk in their yard or grass that is too high. So when we have somebody and we start doing something about it, now we get the repercussions because we are doing something about it. It’s a no win situation. We’re not going to make anybody happy. I don’t know what you guys want us to do. We just had an open enrollment and anybody could sign up for city council. Nobody does. But everybody wants to come in here and tell us how to do it. It is frustrating.”

Schwerdtfeger said the council is willing to work with people, but they need to reach out and communicate with the council.

“Communication is a twoway street,” said council member Marc Stroede.

Eugene Perez said he didn’t deserve a citation because the trash in his yard comes from customers throwing trash out as they leave the Kanopolis Drive-In.

Hopkins suggested getting no littering signs. He will talk to the owners of the drive-in to see if they would be willing to put up a sign as well as a trash can.

During the meeting, the council granted 30 day extensions as requested to Dave Stroede, Gary Falk, Larry Pacey and Robert Ramirez.

Weigel said the only other person to get a certified letter was Darrell Podlena and that Podlena has not contacted him about the situation. Weigel said that the next court date is the third Tuesday in July. Hopkins instructed Weigel to move forward with the court action.

In other business:

• Janice Essick expressed concerns about drivers speeding on Kansas Avenue in Kanopolis.

“It’s been going on way too long,” she said. “We have a lot of children in and out of the park and there will be more because we’re going to have the food program going in another week or two.”

Essick also raised concerns about people throwing their grass clippings into the street.

“I think the city needs to be setting the example before you can ask these other people to do things,” she said.

• Hopkins said the city will need to increase water rates to pay for the water project. He noted the city would need to charge about $25 per meter to cover the loan payment. Hopkins would like to raise it in steps so water customers would have time to budget. Hopkins suggested raising the current $22 minimum by an additional $10 in August 2019, then an additional $5 in February 2020 and another $5 in July 2020.

The council approved a motion to have an ordinance drawn up.

• Hopkins read the proposed chicken ordinance which will be placed on the November ballot for the public to vote on. The ordinance would allow chickens within the City of Kanopolis

The ordinance would allow only six hens and no roosters. Those owning the chickens would have to receive permission from neighbors living within 50 feet. The owners would have to keep the chickens in a fully enclosed structure and apply for a $25 permit.

The council tabled further discussion on the ordinance in order to receive public feedback.

• The council approved a request by Stacy Hicks of the Kanopolis Rec Department for $500 for Fort Harker Days.

• The city received some cold mix to place in pot holes around Kanopolis.

• Hopkins said the city has been notified that Peggy Kempke is resigning as parttime city treasurer at the end of July. He suggested Kralik place an ad in the Ellsworth County Independent-Reporter seeking applicants for the job.