On the evening of July 27, the Marshfield Board of Aldermen gathered, ready to take on their agenda.
The first item was looking over the banking service contract with Southern Bank; after reviewing the information, the board approved it. The next item of business was the North Mill Street Sewer; after some discussion, it was decided to table it until more information was gathered.
The last item of unfinished business was an update on one of the city's wells. Some citizens may have noticed their water appeared "milky," causing some concern. After looking into the matter, the city found out that despite having enough water in the aquifer, one of the wells was sucking in air, which caused discoloration in the water. Crews were able to resolve the issue by lowering the well. The city also tested the water and found there were no health concerns.
The meeting then moved on to new business, the first item being a six-month financial report. The board reviewed the information, and with nothing of concern coming up, it was approved to publish the report. The board moved on to approve a liquor license for the Jackson Grille.
The next topic was a discussion on Recreational Vehicles. Under the city ordinance, no guidelines currently exist on how long people can stay in RVs. Lately, the city has started seeing more people staying in and living in RVs.
"While it is not necessarily a problem everywhere," explained Sam Rost, City Administrator, to the board. "The problem that comes with it is a lot more trash and debris around them, and it is tough for us to address issues that come up when we receive complaints from neighbors." With no code to enforce, it is challenging for the city to convince people to do much of anything. The city also noticed this trend with other cities nationally as people are looking to downsize and find it challenging to find a new place to live, thanks to rising housing costs.
"I see both sides of this issue," said Mayor Natalie McNish. "I cannot imagine being a new couple and trying to buy a home or rent. I see the pinch." It was decided the matter would need to be addressed in another meeting as it required further discussion into what an ordinance could look like for the city, along with some exceptions.
The last item for the night was a question on recreational marijuana sales tax. Specifically, whether the city should put a bill into November or April elections asking if citizens would approve an additional three percent sales tax on recreational marijuana. After a brief discussion, the board approved putting the question on the Nov ballot.
The board then recapped and introduced any future agenda items and adjourned for the evening.
According to the city's website, the Board of Aldermen's next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 10 at 6:30 p.m.
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