Minutes-04/12/1989

The Tiffin City Council met in regular session on Wednesday, April 12, 1989 at the fire station. Mayor Potter called meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Members present were Eggers, Stoner, Spivey and Stratton. Morgan was absent. Also present were Paul Springmire, Mick Potter, Duaine Smith, Tim Spivey, Mike Ryan, Mike Hart and Stephen Greenleaf. No one spoke during community forum. Motion Spivey second Eggers to approve agenda. Carried unanimously. Motion Stoner second Eggers to approve minutes of March 8, 1989. Carried unanimously. Potter: Ryan asked council to open alley beside his house. I have no power but would like to see city sell it to property owners for enough to cover legal fees. I don't want to see it opened up. How much would it cost to open the alley? Hart: I don't know. It would cost more for surveys than for the land. Springmire: I want it open so I can get to the back of my property. The newspaper says its currently closed. I don't understand that. Potter: No one has used it for a long time. Stoner: I would just leave it as it is. You still have access. I would open it far enough for Ryan. Ryan: I won't buy it for my access only. Stoner: The city could grant an easement to you only or sell a portion to you only. Eggers: Would we need to grant easements to others? Mayor: You'd be setting a precedent. Ryan: I'm not anxious to maintain it. I didn't anticipate this problem. It's the only thing holding up my getting a mortgage. Others have access through their alleys. The city has the right to open or close. This seems arbitrary. Others have been denied easements in the past. If I come to the council and ask it to be opened and the council say "no", it seems like there is an inconsistent policy. When I bought the property I thought I'd have the alley access there. M. Potter: My garage sits right on the alley and there are telephone poles in the alley. I'm against opening the alley. I don't want any traffic going through there. Potter: I don't want it opened up and having people driving up and down. I don't want the town to have the extra expense. We'd have to ditch it and pretty soon we'd have someone asking us to oil it for dust control. It hasn't cost us a penny so far. Give each property owner the option to buy it and make enough for legal fees. Ryan: If I need it for access, I don't have an option. It should be all or none. I won't purchase it. If I have to get another legal description, it'll hold up the purchase. I'll put a driveway on my property beside the alley. I don't want it. It's the city's property and I don't want to pay the taxes on it. Spivey: Leave it like it is then. Ryan: I would have to design a different house. Greenleaf: Giving the alley away is not an option. The city can't do that. Potter: Can we leave the alley closed? Greenleaf: It would be better to vacate it. That's a formal way of letting it go. If telephone poles are sitting in the alley you have the question of adverse possession. Not sure it is the city's anymore. Hart: The phone company would have a franchise and a platted right-of-way.