Council opts to buy illegally built structures

Staff Reports

Jefferson City Council chose to purchase, for $1, a fence and raised bed planters which were built at the end of River Oaks Drive without Council approval, instead of having them removed.

“I’m in favor of purchasing them since [Mildred Manning]  had a petition with a number of people wanting it to stay,” said Ward 2 Alderman Paul Keith.

Adjacent property owner Barbara Anderson has been objecting to the newly installed fence and planters for several months citing her loss of access to the back of her property from a public thoroughfare. River Oaks Drive dead ends at her property.

Keith told Council that Manning had agreed to maintain the structures at her own expense in the future. A written agreement to this effect was not provided, nor required by Council.

“I’ve stayed out of this as I live on River Oaks Drive,” said Ward 2 Alderman Ray Hengst. “In the future someone can hold the City for ransom, and I don’t like it.”

Jefferson Mayor Patricia Finstrom said the City needed to do this to end the dispute “because the person wanting it torn down so badly and is harassing…”

Anderson spoke during public comment stating she was opposed to the City purchasing the structures as they were not approved to be built in advance.

The purchase was approved 3-2-1, with Doug Thompson (Ward 3) and Hollis Shadden (Ward 1) opposing the purchase, while Keith, Bubba Haggard (Ward 1), and April Taylor Johnson (Ward 3) voted for the purchase. Hengst abstained from voting on the matter.

In other land related business, Council approved closing all of the alleys in Block 114 of the Urquhart Addition near the former MasterCraft property, and selling them to SK & Sons Investments LLC of Fairview, Texas. The alleys were sold for $0.10 per square foot, per Council precedent.

Council also approved building permits for Sharon Goolsby at 312 N. Walnut, and Donald Foxworthy at 205 N. Bridge.

More street overlays are in the works following Council’s approval of spending $207,135 to put a 2-inch cap on portions of East Harrison, Henderson, and Elizabeth streets.

Lastly, the Wildan Corporation withdrew their contract offer to provide the City with Building Permitting and Inspection services, citing conflicts with their schedules and staffing availability.