Town ordinances on chopping block again

After an executive session to discuss personnel and matters of litigation, the town council approved a motion to allow Mayor John Zeiger to act on behalf of the town in a court hearing against Randy Stevens on Friday.

Prior to going before the judge, attorneys for the two parties settled on a tentative deal that is contingent on both sides signing the agreement.

“In my opinion, it was a win-win situation,” Zeiger said in an interview Tuesday.

Stevens will empty a container and the town will move the container out of the way so it can finish work on the alley north of Stevens’ property.

The town will put in dirt ramps to unload and move the trailer and move any remaining dirt to Stevens’ other property within a mile of town limits.

In an interview Monday, Stevens said the town would also tear out a $70,000 retaining wall and rebuild it, but Zeiger said the retaining wall was never discussed.

“We’re satisfied with the settlement,” Stevens said.

If the agreement is signed and the project completed, Stevens plans to seek compensation for the damage he says he suffered.

Saratoga resident David Worthington asked the council to revise what he said were airport ordinances written in 1978 that gave the airport board authority to override any appeal made to the town council regarding airport board decisions.

“I’ve had an empty hangar for three years - I’d like to rent it out and I’ve been going to the airport board for three years,” Worthington said in an interview Monday. “The airport board denied it and the town council denied it.”

Even though the council denied his appeal, Worthington wants to change the ordinances for future actions.

“The airport board is the only board or commission that has a final say so,” Worthington said.

The council appeared to agree with the need to revise the ordinances governing the airport board and approved a motion by Councilman Mike McWain to hold a workshop at the airport board meeting on Feb. 13.

“Maybe I read the ordinances wrong as far as the airport goes, but the way I read it, and correct me if I’m wrong, it appears to me that the airport board has way more power even over the council and I think that is something we need to address,” Zeiger said.

The council’s aim is to rework the airport ordinances so the airport board functions more like the planning commission and makes recommendations to the council rather than adopting policies on its own.

Zeiger said the public would be invited to a workshop with the airport board, but wouldn’t be allowed to comment until a later public hearing to consider the recommendations for changes to the ordinance that come out of the workshop.

In addition to reworking the airport ordinances, Worthington said he was concerned about safety risks as a result of the new hangar being built at the airport by Brush Creek.

“My biggest investment in my life is up there and I don’t want my hangar or my plane or anyone else’s plane to flip over,” Worthington said.

“With our southwest wind there is a possibility that there is going to be a Venturi effect coming through those hangars, between them that is going to increase wind speed,” Town Engineer Chuck Bartlett said.

A Venturi effect is caused when the flow of air or a fluid is funneled through a smaller area increasing its velocity.

“I’ve been in contact with Brush Creek,” Bartlett said. “They are looking at it and can put up some wind breaks on the southwest side.”

Bartlett said he also talked with Worthington about snow drifting and the possibility of putting up snow fences.

“(Worthington) has a legitimate concern up there,” Bartlett said. “As far as stopping construction, construction is not going to stop up there, but now is the time to start looking at what other things need to take place to prevent something happening to (Wothington’s) hangar or someone else’s.”

Because of his concerns, Worthington said he had not given the okay for the contractor building the new hangar to use electricity from his hangar.

“I want to be neighborly and say go for it, but I don’t want to contribute to the building and then have a problem,” Worthington said.

Councilman Steve Wilcoxson said that was a matter for the Airport Board to resolve and suggested Worthington request to be put on the agenda for the next Airport Board meeting.

Councilwomen Judy Welton and Sue Howe, as re-elected council members, took their oath of office and Zeiger, Wilcoxson and McWain reaffirmed their oaths.

The next town council meeting will be Jan. 15 at 6 p.m.