W’bago agrees to allow a front yard fence put in
Also says yes to lights at a cost of $16,000
Before their regular monthly meeting could get underway on Tuesday, Oct. 8, the Winnebago City Council held a special meeting first.
It was held in conjunction with the Winnebago Planning and Zoning Commission, which also held a special meeting with the council.
The topic was considering a Conditional Use Permit for a chain link fence in the front yard of Sean and Shanna Meyer’s home at 326 First Avenue NW.
Members of the city staff, including city attorney David Frundt and city engineer Matt Cole as well as members of the Planning and Zoning Commission, gave some background on the fence in question.
While front yard fences are not allowed under the zoning regulations, a previous City Council had issued a CUP to the Meyers to permit the fence, city attorney Frundt explained.
However, a construction project on First Avenue caused the fence to be removed and the street was widened.
“You have two things to decide,” Frundt said. “A new CUP would need to be issued because of the change, if you decide to do so. And then, if you allow the fence, you need to decide where it can be placed.
The Meyers have a physically challenged daughter and they have a sand box and other items in the front yard.
Engineer Cole said the street setback is 19 feet, which would end up in the middle of the sandbox.
The council discussed the situation at length. In the end they voted 4-1 to allow the CUP and the fence. Councilman Chris Anderson cast the no vote.
Then the council discussed the distance and eventually decided on allowing four feet from the sandbox and 12 feet from the curb.
The council also had a long list of items to take care of during the regular meeting.
One of those was to OK the purchase of security lights on public buildings.
Police chief Nathan Goette presented three bids and the council accepted the bid of $16,293 from Hawke Alarm System of Mapleton.
The council also noted it was the end of chief Goette’s six month probation period, and raised his pay to $42.63 per hour and authorized a $1,500 sign-on bonus.
In other business at the meeting, the council:
• Approved the hiring of Alandra Eisenmenger as deputy city clerk. She will start at salary step five, which is at $22.41 per hour. She was one of 14 applicants.
Her father, councilman Paul Eisenmenger, did not participate in the discussion and abstained on voting on the motion to hire her.
• Approved an increase in utility rates in the city, effective with the January 2025 billing. All of the rates received different amounts of increases.
Overall, it was reported that an average family using 4,000 gallons of water per month would see an increase of $6.27 per month.
• Voted to hold the city’s annual Truth in Taxation Public Hearing on Dec. 10, at 7 p.m., which is their usual council meeting night.
• Heard an update from State Representative Bjorn Olson, who talked to the council about how he would be able to present funding projects during the next legislative session.
• Heard an update from city engineer Matt Cole concerning the current street/utility projects in the city.
The council also approved a pay request for the work done in August and September, which came to $702,831, out of a total project cost of $6.2 million.
The council also approved a change order in the project which would change the completion date to Aug. 1, 2025.
• Accepted several donations to the city and approved making a donation of $100 to the Blue Earth Area Foundation.
• Approved a change in the zoning ordinance to allow BENCO Electric to build an electric substation in the city.
• Also approved selling a small piece of city-owned property, closing a block of Cleveland Avenue for a Halloween Parade and a National Friends of the Library Week proclamation.