Centerville Tidbits
Hanzal Resigns From Planning Commission
Centerville City Hall is looking for a new face on the Planning and Zoning Commission after the abrupt resignation of longtime member Jeff Hanzal.
Hanzal's one-sentence resignation letter, addressed to the "City of Centerville" and forwarded to the City Council for its October 11 meeting, read as follows: "It is with deepest regrets that I must resign from the Planning and Zoning Commission effective immediately following the October 3 meeting due to family obligations."
The council accepted Hanzal's resignation on a unanimous voice vote, but not before several council members offered formal thanks for his service.
"Jeff has served for many years on the Planning Commission, and I'd like to take this time to thank him," said Council Member Rick Terway, for example.
Added Mayor Mary Capra, who also asked that a formal certificate of appreciation be forwarded to Hanzal: "We really do appreciate all those years of service, and if anyone is interested, we have an opening."
Those interested in replacing Hanzal on the commission should contact City Hall at 651-429-3232.
Sidewalk, Right-Of-Way Ordinance Changes
The council also unanimously approved two local ordinance amendments intended to specify that property owners - and not City Hall - are responsible for maintaining sidewalks and adjoining rights-of-way near their residences.
The city's existing ordinances are "not real clear as to the maintenance of sidewalks or the maintenance of green space . that that's what these [amendments] are intended to do - clear that up," City Administrator Dallas Larson explained shortly before the council's vote.
Several council members questioned whether property owners should be liable for cracked or broken sidewalks directly outside their homes, for example, with Council Member Tom Lee commenting that at first blush, "that seems like it's not quite fair." However, Larson explained that "it is common" in Minnesota to shift sidewalk and right-of-way maintenance liability "away from the city."
"Many, many cities do it this way. In fact, I'm sure I could safely say that most cities do it this way," Larson said. He also compared property-owner liability under the amendments to that when snowplows disrupt sodding on sidewalk medians.
"It's the property owner's responsibility to replace that, too," Larson said.
He noted that typically, that responsibility will involve property owners notifying the city if their sidewalks or rights-of-way fall into disrepair.
The amendments, Terway added, will also assure that "you have a pair of eyes on that sidewalk [or right-of-way] consistently."
After a brief discussion, Lee, too, was convinced about the wisdom of the new sidewalk and right-of-way amendments.
"I think this is the right thing to do, even though I'm not too crazy about it," Lee said. "I think this is the right thing to do for the city, anyway."
City To Acquire Digital Camera
Centerville City Hall will get a new digital camera soon - in part to bring chronicling the city's upcoming sesquicentennial celebration into the Information Age.
"This will make sesquicentennial programming that much easier," Capra said shortly before the council voted unanimously to authorize the purchase of a new six-megapixel digital camera for up to $400.
The first occasion at which the new camera was scheduled to be used, according to Capra: this week's annual Centerville class reunion.