1984-09-05 Regular Meeting and Public Hearing

Browse Search

II""'" "'lllll e e . Minutes, Regular Meeting and Public Hearing La Porte City Council September 5, 1984, Page 4 Mayor Cline: All right. We have discussed the pros and cons of encroachments in the City. My personal feeling is that if we have one that's been brought to the attention of the Council we need to take some action on it one way or the other. But I would say that we need to treat them all alike - one and the same. So if we're not going to do anything with ones that are not detrimental in construction of streets Or digging of ditches, only those that are in the way, if the public works department or whatever department - utilities department - handles it before it comes to Council then I don't think we should ever have any other encroachments violations brought before the Council. Let the staff handle it. . Mr. Westergren made comments about the residents in that addi- tion being unable to get to the water because. of large 'slabs of concrete with rebar sticking out of it. Thes'e 'concrete ' slabs are sticking further into City property. He feels it is a plan ,to deter anyone from going to the water, and it needs to be corrected. He stated that people 'living in that addition have gone down there and been ordered off of that property because they have been told, "this is private' 'proper'ty." He questioned if the City has any liability if an injury occurs down there. He urged staff to go down and look at the situa- tion. Mayor Cline inquired if the City Manager was aware 'of this situation? The City Manager replied he had only examined the addition on the streets that were being redone and he was not aware of any concrete in the other portion and did not examine it. Mr. Hodge stated he was also not aware of the'situati'On, and if it is in the street right of way and is a danger', ,he' 'will have it removed, without question. Mayor Cline asked if perhaps the City had put it there 'to deter erosion, and Mr. Hodge replied it was not the City but it may have been a contractor. . Councilperson Skelton: I feel that all the citizens, the 'public, has a right to use the public right of ways, whether they are paved or not; as long as they're public right of ways they belong to the citizens. And we have 'an obligation to see 'that these right of ways are safe as.we can, or at least as safe' as the areas surrounding them, ,if it be the bay. And I think out staff should see that this is taken care of, .as far as the safety aspects.' ....