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Monday’s heavy, wet snow was the straw that broke the camel’s back at the city shop, where the accumulation on the roof caused a collapse. Fortunately, the equipment was removed without major damage. Public Works Superintendent Alex Hamilton estimated the total snowfall amount to be at least 12 inches.
It’s the popular place to be
Librarian Tara Engel reported that the library is booked up with different groups and will be gearing up for the library’s own events coming in April.
Catts gets around
Chief of Police Doug Catts has met with some different groups since the last council meeting. At the Gregory Ministerial Association meeting, the partnership between the churches and the police department was discussed, regarding assisting those who are in need for temporary housing, fuel, etc.
Catts was invited to a meeting at the Gregory hospital for a program called SANE - Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners. They asked for his experiences in law enforcement investigations, such as collection of evidence, how to question victims, and hospital and law enforcement protocols.
Catts also spoke with the Department of Public Safety Office of Highway Safety and the South Dakota Emergency Medical Services for Children in reference to a power point presentation that they will be sending to the police department so that the officers can go to the school and meet with the students in reference to driver safety.
The regular meeting of the Gregory City Council was held at 6:00 p.m., Monday, March 15, 2021, at City Hall.
The police department has made contact with the owners of several vehicles in the city right-of-way. Some have been moved, and they are working to get more resolved.
Do you want snow removed, or do you want streets?
Public Works Superintendent Alex Hamilton asks for patience from city residents regarding snow removal this week. His department is trying to let as much melt as they can; right now removing the snow is doing more damage than good because the streets are so soft.
As if snow removal wasn’t enough for one day
The snow was heavy enough to cause the roof of the city shop to collapse, so they had to spend time in the midst of snow removal to get it jacked up. They were able to get the bucket truck and snow blower out without damage.
Rocky Ridge Retreat gets green light
The council adjourned to convene as a board of adjustment to review and approve a building permit for a storage shed inside the fence at Rocky Ridge Retreat.
Ask and you shall receive
After adjourning as a board of adjustment, the council convened as a board of equalization to review four objections to real property assessments. They recommended the following adjustments: Alice Slade - leave the assessment on the house at $84,000; Darwin and Kerri Grim - adjust the value of the house to $105,000; Nick and Britany Reber - adjust the total assessment value to $135,000; Brady Lane - adjust the total assessment to $150,000. These recommendations will go to the county board of commissioners for final determination.
It’s time to brainstorm again
BID Board President Laura Petersen spoke about the upcoming strategic planning meeting scheduled for 1:00 - 4:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 23, and 8:30 a.m. - noon, Wednesday, March 24. BID held a strategic planning meeting in 2019, at which time a mission statement and vision were determined as well as a number of goals. Most of those goals have been met or are in progress, so it is time to do it again. She encouraged the council members to attend one or both sessions at the community room at the Gregory Memorial Auditorium. The same facilitator will again help run the planning sessions.
Survey shows good news, bad news
Dr. Joe Hull presented an overview of the results of the BID business survey that he, Rick Messerschmidt, Gregg Drees, and Dan Vavra undertook at the end of last year. His impression of the results were that they were quite positive, but some things that need attention also stood out.
Most responded that their markets were stable, and a few thought they were increasing. Most were either optimistic or very optimistic about their business moving forward. Hull noted that this is especially encouraging and reflects great resilience given that the survey was conducted during the COVID pandemic.
The ratings of services in the community indicate that there is a good feeling about Gregory. He noted that the areas that didn’t score well aren’t within BID’s purview to do anything about.
One recurring theme was the importance of keeping Main Street strong. Some indicated that Main Street may be slipping a little, so it is important to keep the physical appearance as good as possible.
Housing and work force needs are broken record
Two important points are the availability and stability of workers in the area, which were rated very low. One factor that contributes to that is that affordable housing, and housing in general, is very limited. Hull believes that this is something the city should look into for different options.
Career fair to showcase opportunities
Petersen added that BID is hosting a career fair to help students to see what kinds of careers are available in Gregory. She also mentioned that the results of the survey will be posted on the BID website so that everyone can look at it in more detail.
FD has healthy line-up
The roster for the Gregory Volunteer Fire Department was given to the council so that new members may be added to the insurance for the department. A couple changes were noted; Hamilton will get those to council member Guyla Husman.
No price too high for mosquito control
The city’s old mosquito fogger has breathed its last breath of pesticide after 20 years of service to the city. Hamilton presented a price quote for a new unit at a cost of $11,376.00. Although this is not a budgeted item, the city has enough money to cover the cost. City Manager Al Cerny indicated that grant money will likely be available to help out with this.
Extra footage justifies price increase
The council re-evaluated the selling price for the two remaining lots on Grande Circle. They are currently priced at $20,000 each, but the city has added more feet to each to increase their frontage. They agreed on $25,000 each for Lots 2A and 5AA.
Pleasant View’s streets not a pleasant view
Council members Cory Graber and Seymour Studenberg toured the streets of the Pleasant View Addition. Hamilton commented that one of the problems with the streets there is that three garbage trucks drive through there every week on very soft streets. He didn’t think that chip sealing would be a long-lasting solution because the streets don’t have a good base. Cerny suggested the council reassess the budget at the end of the year and possibly put some leftover funds into that area.
They also talked about grading the streets so that the water will drain off better.
Apartment dwellers to soon pay their own sewer fees
Studenburg questioned whether the apartment complexes in Gregory are metered for each individual unit rather than just one meter. Cerny said that the water has been adjusted to each individual unit, but the sewer has not. Studenberg stated that this needs to be done.
City takes opportunity to get rid of lots
The city has received two offers for lots in the Prairie Winds Addition. One offer is for two lots for $5760, and the other is for six lots for $15,000. Mayor Anshutz questioned how the stipulation that a house must be put on each lot within three years will work since it is unlikely that either buyer plans to build a house on each individual lot, but this was not resolved. The council decided to accept the offer for the six lots. The buyers have already been told that they will either have to install a lift station or a septic tank.
Another Grandview lot is off the market
The governor’s house in Grandview sold earlier that day, Anshutz informed the council. The deal made was $10,000 up front and $10,000 over the following years for the lot.
Note date change for next meeting
The regular date for the next meeting falls on a holiday, so it has been moved to the next day, Tuesday, April 6.
