WILSON — The possible fate of trees at an unoccupied residence along 31st Street dominated discussion Monday, during a short meeting of the Wilson City Council.

Carol Petz said her grandparents’ limestone home on 31st Street has been in the family for 100 years.

At a previous council meeting, council member Chuck Crawford raised concerns about the trees, which he said were hanging over the street, causing ice to build up in the winter and then muddy conditions.

Petz said her grandparents planted the trees because they loved flowers and trees.

“The house and trees are an historic landmark in Wilson,” Petz said.“They are an historic part of Wilson.”

Petz said she would like to get a grant to repair the home and have it placed on the Kansas State Historic Register. She would also like to turn it into a bed and breakfast.

Petz said the trees were planted at a time when the city streets were still 15 feet wide.

“They were planted on the property and not on an easement at the time,” she added. “I think that would be grandfathered in.”

Petz said she has never had any trouble with mud and ice on the street there.

“Please don’t cut my trees down,” she said.

Petz said her children have started to trim and cut back the trees and bushes that are in the easement.

“They said they’d come back and work on it more,” she said.

Petz asked the council for a little more time in order to get an abstract of the property to determine the property lines.

“Everything that I’ve seen that they’ve done so far looks good,” said city superintendent Ted Soukup. “They said they were going to clean up some more. We’ll see where it ends and then we’ll go from there.”

“I care about individual concerns and I care about your trees,” Crawford said. “But I care more about the traveling public.”

Petz and her husband, Marlin, asked why there is a problem with the trees now.

“Nothing has ever been said before,” Petz said.

“So far, Carol and Marlin, it has not been voted on that the trees be removed,” said Mayor Larry Ptacek.

In other business:

• Although the transient guest tax was not acted upon nor discussed by the council because two council members were absent, Joe Curtis of Simple Haven Bed and Breakfast briefly discussed how a committee would operate in determining the distribution of such funds.

“If that money is collected than we really want to make sure that those people involved in tourism are the ones who are making the decision,” he said.

“We agree with you,” said council president Cindy Heinze.

• Approval was given to the shooting off of fireworks to celebrate Independence Day from 6 a.m. to midnight on Thursday, July 4, unless there is a county burn ban in place.

City clerk Susan Kriley said she has received a large number of compliments regarding the recent Biking Across Kansas stay in Wilson.

The next meeting of the Wilson City Council is at 7 p.m. Monday, July 1, at city hall.