Sheldon, Iowa — With some of them looking as if they felt like their hands were tied, the Sheldon City Council has decided that Aaron Beenken’s “yard art” — which includes part of an old car body — constitutes a nuisance, according to city code, and they decided that according to code, he would need to remove it.
However, many council members were also open to the idea of changing the code section that is in question. Council members were told by legal counsel and city staff that that would entail many weeks of work. City Manager Sam Kooiker also mentioned that one way the issue could be abated is by moving the “yard art” to the backyard of the property and then constructing a fence to obscure it from view.
The council has given Beenken 30 days to remove the ’57 Chevy body, which is just the hollowed-out rear two-thirds of the car, and was to have been turned into the showpiece of a landscape fountain in his front yard. At this point, the exterior of the car appears to feature rust and primer.
In other business, the council approved the consent agenda, including the minutes from the last meeting, a list of claims, the approval of a street finance report, a request from the O’Brien County Snowtrakcers, a request from the SCDC for a street closure on Monday evening October 14th, the approval of the annual finance report, the approval of a pay application for the Oak Street Project, and the approval of a fire tanker deduct change order.
In new business, the council held a public hearing on whether to issue $2.7 million in general obligation capital loan notes for a Western Avenue street project, and hearing no objections, they approved the measure.
The council also voted to accept a strategic planning proposal from Tim Moerman. The planning will be in conjunction with the Sheldon Chamber and Development Corporation (SCDC).
In his update, City Public Works Director Todd Uhl told the council and the community about their latest dealings with FEMA.
He also had an update on Oak Street Paving.
Uhl says people can expect more trees to be removed in Sheldon in the near future.
Uhl says after that, there will still be about 200 trees yet to remove. The main reason for the tree removal is the Emerald Ash Borer, a beetle that kills all ash trees until there are no more ash trees in the community. Uhl was asked if any of the trees could be treated instead of cut down. His response indicated that it is his opinion that it’s too late to try to save the ash trees.
Click here for a link to the meeting agenda.
