City council eyes ordinance to assist in cleaning up properties

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The alley behind the Deer Creek Community Center will receive a fresh coat of asphalt this summer or early fall. 

During its regularly scheduled meeting on Monday night, the Deer Creek City Council approved a low bid from Performance Paving and Sealcoating for $23,636 to replace the asphalt in the alley between Highway 106 and Baker St. North. Deer Creek City Council member Danny Hendershot abstained from the voting.

The project will be 404’x20’ and will be completed by Oct. 1. 

The bids ranged from Performance Paving’s low bid to a high bid of $68,385. 

In other news

• Discussed the need for a new ordinance to help guide the city and residents in cleaning up dilapidated properties, as well as those who have too much blight. 

• Approved a donation of $1,500 for Deer Trail Day. The event will be moved this year to the last weekend in June. 

• Discussed an increase in the mower the city was attempting to purchase. The mower cost increased from $9,119 when the mower was originally quoted to $10,552 today. 

• Heard there was a potential buyer for a 10 acre chunk of land on the west side of Deer Creek. Much of the discussion on Monday night concerned roads that were proposed for the housing development that never came to fruition and whose responsibility it was to maintain those roads. City clerk/treasurer Tom Parish said he looked back at past minutes from 2008 that stated the city would have no financial responsibility for the roads if the development came to fruition. 

• Heard the parking lot next to the Deer Creek Museum is now under city ownership and just needs to be recorded at the county.