Washburn property issues addressed and commissioners hoping for permanent change
By Danielle Abbott
The Washburn City Commission recently mailed letters to residences within the Washburn community who had vehicles and other machinery on their property, which the city wanted moved or removed. The response to these letters has been mixed, and while several residents easily complied and relocated their property, several individuals have had difficulty or refused to comply with the requirements. During Monday’s city commission meeting, the commissioners discussed the upcoming deadline to have all of the vehicles relocated, which is Nov. 6. Commissioner Mark Lelm has been contacting residents that have issues with the stipulations. "The Mayor asked me if I would look into the letters sent out to the residents. I’ve talked to some people who had concerns, and I’m going to deal with them personally, one by one," Lelm said, "If there are residents that have trouble or do not understand the ordinances, they can contact the city and leave their name and a time that they can be contacted, and I will contact them directly." Lelm and the rest of the commissioners are trying to make this cleanup successful, unlike past attempts. In previous years where these issues have been addressed, the date for removal of unwanted property has passed with little or no effort from the community. There are a number of people working on cleaning up their property, the commissioners understand that some individuals do not know what to do with their items, and how to properly store or rid themselves of the property. Larry Thomas said, "Some people just don’t have a way to get rid of their stuff, and we will be able to help them out with that." The city wants everyone who received the letter addressing their items to take the matter seriously. Lelm said, "As long as everyone is willing to work with the city, the city is willing to work with them. We aren’t going to let this slip through, we are going to evaluate each one of these letters and make sure that everyone complies. I will help them on how to clean their yards and the direction they can go." With Lelm and the commissioners devoting their time to making this a cleaner and safer community, residents are encouraged to contact the city office with any questions or concerns.
