Mike Ellis – In his capacity as Planning Commission chair, Steve Beacham tried at city council Monday to intercede with neighbors who complained about a ghost tour in a residential neighborhood. After meeting with both sides, Beacham said he did not see a ready solution since residents did not want anyone to get off a tour bus. The bus, however, operates on a city street, and tourists get off onto a sidewalk.
Residents had reported problems with noise and tourists wandering onto private property, but tour operators want to offer an up-close experience of a property said to be haunted. “I don’t know what to recommend,” Beacham said. “It seems like a licensing issue, something beyond our scope.”
Alderman Joyce Zeller warned that getting involved in this situation would create a dangerous precedent. “What happens when Parks gets their trails?” she asked. “What are we going to get ourselves into? I can see a big hassle coming up.” She suggested letting the parties “tough it out among themselves.” City Attorney Tim Weaver agreed that the tour operators could continue to operate if they did not violate noise ordinances.
Final items
- Mayor Butch Berry said a budget freeze begun in April has made some dramatic differences. He explained that the freeze covers hiring, pay rate increases, travel, training, or anything other than essentials. He gave department heads credit for doing their part to cut spending wherever possible. Aldermen welcomed the news, although David Mitchell noted that almost every possible cut has already been made, and the city will need to look toward generating more revenue instead.
- Susan Tharp was approved for a term on the Cemetery Commission.
- The next agenda will include an ordinance prohibiting parking on a section of Washington St., from Summit St. to Gavioli Chapel. Berry said all department heads agreed with the recommendation. He said the road narrows so much that allowing parking essentially reduces the road to an alternating one-lane area. Mitchell said property owners in the affected area agree with painting the curb red.
- A workshop for the development of Improvement Districts will be held at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, June 8, at City Hall.
- An appeal of the denial for a Conditional Use Permit for Jaclyn Cross was postponed.