City deals with public works supervisor's resignation

With the resignation of its city public works supervisor, the Lake Shore City Council learned Monday, June 23, that the city hired a service to mow Lake Shore Memorial Garden Cemetery, Fritz Loven Park, city hall and the location of flags at the north end of County State Aid Highway 77.

The restrooms at Fritz Loven Park will be cleaned and garbage is being collected.

Jim Thomes, public works supervisor for nearly 15 years, recently resigned. The city will split his work into two positions - public works maintenance and sanitary sewer.

The city will hire a part-time public works maintenance worker who will be responsible for the general maintenance of city-owned buildings and facilities, including the park and cemetery. Secondary responsibilities will include minor street repairs and equipment maintenance.

The city has a temporary agreement for $1,305 per month for wastewater operator services with the Pine River Area Sanitary District, and said so far that agreement is working well.

Road issues

The council talked about various road issues, including the status of this year's road improvements, roads damaged from heavy rain and a road residents may want improved.

Improvement projects on 72nd Street, Jacob's Road, Diana Drive and Doyle Parkway are proceeding.

Roads damaged because of heavy rain include Portview Road, Lincoln Green, Pohl Road, Robinhood Way and Wienzel Point.

And at least one resident and the council talked about Mitchell Road, an unmaintained gravel road that some have used as a detour during Jacob's Road construction and which has sustained damage from rain. An improvement option would be to have the city take over the road with 100 percent assessment to property owners to pave the road; then the city would maintain the road.

The road couldn't be maintained as a gravel road, because that doesn't follow city policy, which requires city roads be paved. City policy for about the past 15 years has required developers to build roads to city standards when building a housing development.

Mitchell Road property owners likely will meet with city administrator Teri Hastings to determine who may be assessed to improve the road, which would help them decide whether they want to petition for a city-maintained road.

There are six houses on Mitchell Road whose homeowners use the road. A seventh house has a driveway access, but also has access to another road.

If Mitchell Road residents gather enough signatures on a petition, the city would pay for a feasibility study to get estimated costs to improve the road, and later would decide whether to proceed.