COURTLAND – Resident John Stadick, along with eleven other residents of Courtland, were present at Thursday evening’s Courtland City Council meeting to again discuss the water drainage issues on Wishbone Way.

Stadick said this is the sixth meeting that he has attended to talk about Wishbone Way’s ditches and drainage issues. Included in discussions at past council meetings was to whether cleaning the ditches should be paid by the city or assessed to the homeowners.

Council Member Justin Kraus explained that Bolton and Menk have checked the ditches and culverts on Wishbone Way. They found the culverts do drain, but the ditch needs cleaning for water to drain away from the homes.

“I suggest that for the Wishbone Way’s properties, the city should allow property owners to apply for a permit to work on their property’s ditches from culvert to culvert and make a straight grade,” said Kraus. “But, if a neighbor does not clean their ditch, you may still have water in your ditch. With the interesting geography in Courtland, some water issues cause damage to property, and some are just nuisance issues. Wishbone Way’s issue is more of a nuisance issue.”

“My property is ponding after every heavy rain,” said resident Thomas Suess. “What makes mine unique is after I built an addition in 2017, the grade allows the water to drain to my property and sits there because there are obstructions between culverts that stop the water from draining away from my property.”

“My original question a year ago was if I could use a skid loader to clean the ditch on my property and said nothing about the neighbors,” said Stadick. “You advised me not to because I would have a pond in my yard. Plus, then you thought you had to check all the culverts. I could get a pump and then pump the water to my neighbor. I am happy about the permit idea.”

“A concern I have is about the possibility of the damage to the curb stops when they clean the ditch. It could be a problem if the next time we want to shut off the water and it does not work,” said Maintenance and Utilities Supervisor Dave Ubel.

“It should be inspected after the work is done. Whoever does the work is responsible,” said Council Member Paul Bode.

A motion was approved to give Wishbone Way property owners the right to apply for a permit to work in the right-a-way to clean their ditch to grade, culvert to culvert, so the water drains.

Public Utilities

Ubel explained that one of the high service pumps is leaking. There is a hole in the middle of a copper pipe.

“I have received one bid for $3,500 to repair it, but I am going to try and get another bid as that seems too high to me,” he said.

Other Business

“The double doors at the Community Center are in bad shape and probably either need to be repaired or replaced,” said Council Member Paul Bode.

City Clerk Julie Holm advised Bode that there is a Community Center fund that should be able to pay for that expense. It should be discussed with Courtland Township as they along with the City should make these decisions.

Mayor Al Poehler was approached by a developer interested in parcels north of the city. After discussion, the council decided to have Poehler get an estimate for a Feasibility Study from Bolton and Menk to extend the city’s water and sewer lines to the property.

Holm explained the zoning needs to be decided for the Ordinance Pertaining to Cannabis and Hemp Businesses for the city.

One Cannabis and Hemp business is allowed per 12,500 population within a county. Questions arose regarding registration, compliance, and enforcement with no definite decisions. Holm will prepare a draft ordinance for the council’s review at a future meeting.

The city office will be closed for the holiday on February 17. The office will also be closed March 18-21 to allow Holm to attend the Clerk’s Conference. She will be available by email during those days.

Approvals

The council approved of a $200 a year raise, from $1,900 to $2,100 a year per retiree for Fire Relief benefits. Also approved was Ordinance 25-101 Xcel Energy Franchise agreement, the January 2 regular meeting minutes, and the bills for $48,667.79.

The council also approved to keep moving forward with the contract for the Fire Department Joint Powers. The city of Courtland and the townships of Courtland, Cambria and New Sweden make up the Joint Powers.

The next council meeting will be Thursday, March 6, at 7 p.m.