(Spirit Lake)– The Spirit Lake city council Tuesday adopted a resolution making it possible for the city to charge for issuing certificates of compliance when apartments are converted to condominiums. The city has picked up that cost in the past.
Under the resolution, whoever’s responsible for having the work done would pick up the inspection cost. City Attorney Earl Maahs told the council state code requires the inspection to ensure the conversion meets building code.
In other business, a request from Okoboji Wine and Lobster Company to hook up to the city’s sanitary sewer was referred to the Utility Committee for a recommendation. City officials are concerned over the possibility of setting a precedence since the business is outside city limits.
The council authorized the city’s Betterment Committee to apply for a grant through the University of Okoboji Foundation that would help fund the pedestrian underpass project; and they adopted a resolution requiring cell phones be either turned off or put on silent mode during city council meetings. Several interruptions caused by ringing cell phones at a recent council meeting drew the ire of councilman Kevin Bice, who requested the issue be put on the agenda.
The council also talked about a pigeon problem in the downtown area. Council member Barb Ricke, who also works at First Bank and Trust, says they and other businesses in the downtown area are getting complaints from customers about pigeons and their droppings. Ricke says it only makes sense the city deals with the issue, what with all the money that was spent to beautify the downtown area. Not only that, but she says it could be a health issue as well.
The matter was referred to the city’s Public Safety Committee for a recommendation. Ricke hopes they can come up with a solution by the time the tourist season arrives.
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