By Adam Pack
The Ronceverte City Council met for their regular meeting on Monday, Aug. 1, at 7 p.m. at 693 Edgar Avenue. Items on the agenda included the reading of a letter requesting an amendment to layout of the Dog Park, an update on the condition of the Old City Hall building after the review of an engineer’s report, the consideration of an ordinance regarding abandoned and unlicensed vehicles, and the consideration of the financing of a new excavator for use by the City Water Department.
The Ronceverte City Council began with discussion regarding a conflict with the layout of the fencing surrounding the new Dog Park and the traditional grounds of the Ronceverte Horseshoe Club. Representatives of the club were present to relay to the council that the fence of the dog park is too close to the horseshoe pitching area for the purposes of the State Horseshoe Pitching Tournament, which will be coming to Ronceverte on Aug. 27. The club claimed that the fence bars access to the large number of people who will be attending. Said attendees have historically brought their own four-legged companions and canopies to set up stations for shade and rest, and to sell food and baked goods to help cover travel expenses. The group further claimed that they had appeared at the construction of the fence to state the issue. Feeling at the time that the issue was resolved, the horseshoe club saw no need for further action and was not notified of any conflict that would occur. However, upon seeing the completed fence, the club claims the issue became apparent and they drafted a letter to request a modification to the fence. The Horseshoe Club is afraid that they will have to call the State Horseshoe organizing body and inform them that Ronceverte cannot be used as a suitable location. The grounds at Ronceverte are used on a rotation with other grounds, with the state tourney coming to the River City every two to three years.
Despite making it very clear that the council was incredibly pleased to see recreational activity all around Island Park and that they in no way wanted to discourage or dissuade the Horseshoe Club from continuing to “have a presence, and enjoy the things you enjoy” at the park, the Council voiced their displeasure with the request being made upon completion of the fence, as opposed to during construction. The City also stated that the cost of this modification may be prohibitive, and it may take more time than the Horseshoe Club has, as advanced preparations must be made, such as the delivery of regulation equipment, requiring access for trucks which currently is not possible. The Council also stated that while they did not notify the club directly, they were not aware of there being a conflict nor were they aware of the extent of the Ronceverte Horseshoe Club, such that it did not come up during discussion on the park. Said discussion, the Council also made a point of noting, was had at several public meetings and there was much publicity surrounding the Dog Park.
Ultimately, the council moved to authorize City Administrator Pam Mentz to begin an inquiry on having the fence moved. Mentz has discretion to proceed or not with the findings of her inquiry given that they are timely and fiscally reasonable.
Moving on, the city updated the public on the status of the old City Hall building. As of now, City employees are working to relocate any and all salvageable furniture and features from the old building and placing them in the new City Hall location at 693 Edgar Avenue. Fortunately, most of the furniture is still in good condition, as well as most of the cabinets and filing cabinets. As for the structure itself, an engineer’s report has been compiled and provided to the Council. The findings of this report were discussed and it was the general consensus among members of the council that the building was more than likely unusable. This is due to the presence of natural springs on the cliff face above the building, as well the fact that two storm water drains apparently end underneath the building. The floor is damaged and warped such that the foundation is beginning to weaken, and one wall in particular is structurally unsound and could perhaps fall, posing the possibility of condemning the building. Despite these issues, the final decision on the fate of the building was tabled as the council waits for the findings of an independent, outside engineers report.
Next, the council introduced a potential ordinance regarding abandoned or unlicensed vehicles within city limits. The ordinance would allow local employees to impound such vehicles in a fenced lot, charging a fee in the form of a citation. This move would help alleviate the problem of abandoned vehicles and also generate some cash flow for the city, addressing two problems at once. As the council members had not yet had adequate time to review the language of the ordinance, it was laid on the table for action at a later date.
The last item of regular business was the discussion of purchasing a new excavator for the use of the city’s street and water departments. Those departments have an excavator but it is beginning to show wear and tear from age and the increased usage due to ongoing water lines projects. Pam Mentz produced a quote for the new excavator, and informed the council that the purchase can be financed through People’s Bank at a rate of 6 percent for three years, with a $1,300 payment. The city is not currently financing any other equipment. The council then voted on and unanimously passed a motion to purchase a 2022 Bobcat E50 R2 Series excavator.
Mayor Deena Pack reported that a third party engineer from Greenbrier Technologies has been contacted and will begin the process of installing cameras on Island Park, that the overgrown grass ordinance passed several weeks ago is now truly in effect and will be prosecuted. The mayor was quick to point out however that if any residents were willing to remove garbage, clutter, or tall grass but lacked the means to do so, they could contact city hall and the city would “do all we could to help anyone who needs it. We don’t want to get anyone into trouble or hurt anyone, so if you want to clean up your property but can’t for whatever reason, we want to be very understanding and help people and make our town that much more beautiful in the process.”
The Council also would like to extend a thank you to all the people who helped make the recent summer events in and around Ronceverte a success, including The River Festival and The Skyline Bluegrass Festival, as well to Mark Mengel who donated the use of large colorful sunshades to multiple events.
The Ronceverte City Council meets on the first Monday of every month at 7:30 p.m. at 693 Edgar Avenue, the new City Hall building. The public is encouraged to attend.