Deer Creek FD to burn dilapidated house

By Chad Koenen

Publisher

The City of Deer Creek is making progress towards its goal of cleaning up properties in town. 

During its regularly scheduled meeting last Monday night, the Deer Creek City Council heard from New York Mills Police Chief Bobby Berndt about an effort to clean up properties in the community. The city council has made a concerted effort of late to clean up properties with excess junk or unkept properties within the city limits.

Berndt said the city recently sent out letters to 24 properties about nuisance in the city limits and has already noticed an improvement to many of the properties in the city. Included in the letter was a description of what needed to be addressed at the property, as well as pictures to show the property owner of the blight. 

While the hope was that the first written notice will be enough for residents to clean up their properties, a second notice and subsequent steps could be taken to address properties that are not cleaned up to meet city ordinances.  

In other news

• Heard the Deer Creek Fire and Rescue received a Volunteer Fire Assistance grant of $2,500.

• Heard the plan is to have a controlled burn for a condemned property located at 107 Clark St. in Deer Creek as soon as October. 

• Heard that the city will receive an increase of 15.5 percent in its Local Government Aid in 2024, which will total $91,079. In previous years the city received just over 1 percent annually in an increase in LGA. The increase for next year is approximately $10,000.

• Discussed the 2024 preliminary tax levy. In the past the City of Deer Creek has approved a 10 percent preliminary tax levy, but the city council said it will discuss the preliminary tax levy at its September meeting. 

• Accepted a $2,000 donation from the Deer Creek Lions Club for the Deer Trails Day celebration.