WILSON — There was news during Monday’s Wilson City Council meeting concerning the vacant lot owned by the city where the former Otasco building once stood.

Mayor Mike Peschka said a group would like to develop the lot and has applied for grant funding to do so. He said uses include the painting a mural, placement of a small Czech egg such as those seen elsewhere in downtown Wilson, and development into a park.

In other business:

• Peschka said the Wilson Winners 4-H Club, which takes care of the flowers in Lions Club Park, requested the park be renamed after the 4-H club since there is no longer a Lions Club in Wilson. If allowed to do so, the club plans to place a new limestone sign in the park with the name change, plus a smaller sign stating it was formerly Lions Club Park.

After discussing the request, council members said they need more information before a decision is made.

• During an update on the city board of health, the property at 408 24th St. was cleared from the violations list since the car there has been removed.

Peschka said the owner of 2115 Ave. C hasn’t contacted the city lately, so the city will start looking for a contractor to clean up the property.

Five new properties cited by the board of health for violations were discussed. In each case, the council approved moving forward. This includes sending the property owners letters giving them 30 days to address the violations or to request public hearings.

The properties are 407 31st Street, 415 31st St., the Kyner grain elevator and the Sunflower Coal building.

• No action was taken after a 15 minute executive session with Theresa Staudinger, city attorney, to discuss non-elected personnel (the police chief position).

• No action was taken after a five minute executive session with Staudinger to consult on privileged matters of attorneyclient relationship (the condemnation easement).

Once back in open session, Staudinger said a hearing on the condemnation was recently conducted and the judge ruled to move forward with the process. She said three disinterested parties from Ellsworth County will appraise the property.

• During the public forum portion of the meeting, Dan Erdman noted public policy ordinances and codes are good to a point.

“What we’ve got on the books is necessary in case things go to the point where they have to be used,” he said.

However, Erdman said they have become overused, stretched and onerous.

He said it appears city ordinances such as those for the board of health and abandoned buildings are a form of abuse — taxation without representation.

“If we don’t like the outcome of what happens here, we don’t have any redress or anything,” Erdman said. “It’s not right.”

• The council approved $3,950 to pay J.R. Audio to transfer equipment from the old Wilson Police patrol car to the new one.

• Peschka said the search is continuing to find a place to move the city burn pile. He noted the county plans to replace the nearby bridge sometime in 2023 and it will require the relocation of the burn pile.

• The council gave approval to spend up to $2,500 to replace a regulator at Water Well No. 4. The city crew will install it.

• Approval was given for the Wilson Fire Department to purchase a new tire and wheel for one if its mini fire trucks at a cost of $590.

• Joe Soukup, city superintendent, presented a list of city equipment he would like to sell on Purple Wave in order to purchase a new street sweeper for the city’s skid steer. Included are old street sweeper, the street roller, the old Case tractor and auger, a Land Pride finish mower, a seven-foot Bush Hog and a rock spreader.

Peschka suggested no action until Soukup has time to get estimates of what the equipment is worth. The list could then be revised and a decision made by the council.

The next meeting of the Wilson City Council will be at 6 p.m. Monday, Oct. 3, at city hall.