“Years of poor planning’
Work session sheds light on Navy Street
Trending
HANCOCK -- Hancock City Council hosted a work session before Wednesday's regular meeting in order to shed some light on the Navy Street issue. Five council members present spoke about conflict of interest, how much the issue is costing taxpayers and the overall goals of the project.
Mayor Kurt Rickard opened up the work session outlinging where the project is currently. Monday's Planning Commission meeting yielded no further action taken on the matter. As it stands, Rickard said the city needs to approve new easements for developers Andy Lahti and Tylor Auguston. It also would then need to go back to the planning commission for developer site plan approvals, as well as going back once more to the council for final approval.
Councilor Laura Givens said she was frustrated with the process so far. "We still don't have easements on all the parcels," Givens said. "This has been years of poor planning and poor decision making, for years before we have been here."
Givens asked for updates regarding fire access for Lahti's property. Rickard said the Auguston and Lahti developments should be listed as two separate projects, as they require different road access.
Mayor Protem Whitney Warstler said the portion of Navy Street near Lahti's property is only 13-feet wide, as it stands now. Rickard said the current plan is to give Lahti fire truck access to his development on the west end of Navy Street. For Auguston, he would need at least a one-lane road with a walking path, leading to his future development's driveway.
Warstler also brought up the cost of the project so far. She said it has cost the city around $85,000, with attorney fees and engineering studies. Although, some who spoke during public comment after the work session are skeptical of the figure.
"It's taxpayer money, we should know how much it costs," Warstler said.
Rickard explained how the conflict of interest between Taylor Auguston, and his aunt, City Manager Mary Babcock would be treated. He said the council will make easement and additional Navy Street decisions, but city staff, including Babcock, would still need to follow those decisions.
Givens explained one of the reasons she was frustrated was because the Navy Street committee consisting of her, Rickard and Warstler, had not been appointed by council and was discretely dissolved after last council's closed session.
Givens said the attorney told the council the former committee was not allowed to talk to Portage Lakeside Condo residents about the project, as they were not an official group.
Public commentsaw residents both supporting and admonishing city council.
"There's three things that can't be hidden: the sun, the moon and the truth," PLC lawyer Matthew Eliason said. "This was a bad idea to begin with."
"All the residents of this city, really should have access to this water," Steven, a Navy Street resident, said. "Andy? Why don't you give an easement so that we can put the road all the way thru east to west ... If that road was built, the city's going to benefit, not just two developers."
Other Navy Street residents voiced concerns with safety.
"We need a written guarantee from the city, if that road gives way and pushes our garages... take a look at Ripley -- things like that can happen," PLC Association President Glenn Bugni said, referencing the 2018 Father's Day Flood. "Will the city pay the damages? We need some type of guarantee that if you do this, the city would assume the liability."
Nancy Bugni, added to her husband's comments and said the condo association notified Auguston, as well as Rickard, the city, its police department and the drain commissioner -- he would not able to have access to the properties through the easement.
Sara Lahti said conflict of interest should perhaps not be a big concern. "This is a small town. There's a lot of conflict of interest," she said. "So, unless we have a clear policy in place where we all understand what to do with conflict of interest -- this chaos is ridiculous... I can't believe how unclear this process is."
The next Hancock City Council meeting is on Oct. 21 at City Hall.