Civic Corner: Board of Aldermen Recap – Nov 15, 2022
By Ricki Garrett, PhD, Alderwoman at Large
The Board of Aldermen met for their first meeting in November this week, and, for the most part, it was a fairly routine meeting. In its first action, the Board denied a request for a Dimensional Variance from the owner of 108 Keith Lane to add a larger than usual exterior storage building to his property. One of the adjoining neighbors voiced her disapproval of the building, and the Board voted four to three not to approve it. The Blue Sky Exxon on Northside Drive provided a site plan to add a wood-burning smoker at the rear of their business, and it was approved by the Board. In our first conditional use request for a short-term rental, the Board approved, in a six to one vote, Brad McHann’s request for 601 A Capitol Street. The Board also was pleased to approve a site plan from McNeely Plastics for an expansion of their business in Clinton.
Fire Chief Jeff Blackledge made a request to move funding from contract labor to salaries for the purpose of providing EMT incentives that are important in keeping EMTs employed in our city. The Board unanimously approved the request.
Several purchases were approved by the Board, including a 2023 Dodge Ram pickup truck for the Fire Department, and a portable air compressor and a pre-mix heater for the Public Works Department.
In other business, Board Member Chip Wilbanks put a motion on the table to change the zoning of property on Midway Road from Residential Estate to Agricultural. The argument for this change was to correct a possible error in the zoning, since a strip of the property was already zoned Agricultural, and to allow a potential buyer of the land to raise alpacas. Both Alderman Martin and I argued against the change, because we had previously denied a similar request from another citizen, the majority of the property is zoned Residential Estate, and because we were already working on a conditional use for owners of Residential Estate property to allow them to have a certain number of animals, based on the size of the property. The Board approved the change from Residential Estate to Agricultural in a five to two vote.
The Board went into Executive Session at the end of the meeting in order to deal with a personnel issue in the Public Works Department.
The Board of Aldermen continue to work on a number of issues, including updating our outdated personnel policies and developing possible ordinances in the event that a referendum is held on Medical Marijuana and garners majority approval by the citizens of Clinton. The Board will also continue to look at its Comprehensive Plan and make sure it is compatible with our zoning laws.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Space will be provided in each issue of The Clinton Courier to the Board of Aldermen for a recap of each meeting. Aldermen are asked to volunteer to provide this recap for the Courier.
