City starting to clean up town for celebration
PROTECTED CONTENT
If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.
Username and Password Help
Please enter your email and we will send your username and password to you.
The Chrisman City Council held the first of two meetings for the month of April on the 4th. Previous meeting minutes were approved, along with claims in the amount of $26,560.46.
A building permit was also approved for 102 North Maryland Street. Matt Shelato was approved for hire for the seasonal mowing position.
Anita Marvin was in attendance to inquire about the city moving the ‘Dumpster Days’ to the weekend before Chrisman Days, instead of after the celebration. “So people can get their properties looking nice for the 150th celebration,” Marvin said. “I know it’s way off, but it’s something that our community has talked about.”
Marvin also inquired about the painting that is set to be going on in the park and asked if the gazebo was part of that. “It wasn’t on my list,” Commissioner Thad Crispin said. “But we can consider it.”
Anita also offered that if the city needed help painting this summer that herself and group of community members would lend a hand. “We’re going to be real busy, because we’re going to be painting stripes,” Mayor Danny Owen said.
Marvin also requested that her husband, Eric, paint the cakewalk along with the two Chrisman signs. “He would be the one to help you out that way,” Anita said. Mayor Owen stated that he appreciated the help.
The sidewalk next to the new hair salon, owned by Sarah Mills, that will be opened in the future was brought up as needing fixed. Many of those visiting the doctor use the sidewalk and have had difficulty with it. “I have a list of all the sidewalks on the square needing fixed,” Crispin said.
Chrisman resident Jacob Lewis was in attendance as well to seek help from the city. Lewis bought the home previously owned by Jordan and Debbie Hale at the end of Jefferson Avenue. Water in the basement of the home has been an issue before and Lewis put a plug in the basement.
“After the last few times we’ve had big storms, it’s back filling into my basement and popped the plug out,” Lewis said.
This has led to the foundation wall on the south side of the house to crack and is falling in. Lewis had to install a brace to keep the foundation from caving in. The cost to get it fixed was estimated at $12,500.
Lewis has already had to replace the water heater and had to have Service Masters, through State Farm Insurance come out and clean up the mess. “The water that was coming through was mud. It ruined the water heater and condenser pump for my furnace,” Lewis said. “Luckily, it’s mounted up on the ceiling so it doesn’t see the water.”
Lewis was seeking help from the city due to his problems that he has encountered and the large amount of money.
“We’ll check with our insurance and see what they tell us,” Mayor Owen said. Jacob gave the commissioners the paperwork they needed to provide the insurance with.
Commissioner Bryan Haddix said that it will actually create a type of hydraulic pressure that could push the floor right out of the basement.
“I tried to do a stand pipe and it shot out like a missile,” Lewis said. “I’ve lived there since October of 2020 and I’ve had at least seven times with two foot of water.”
Mayor Owen asked if Lewis had sump pumps in his basement, to which Lewis replied that he had two and they pump 7,200 gallons an hour, but they couldn’t keep up.
Commission Haddix said that himself, along with Erik Bohle will be trying to get a jetter and put a trace wire on it to see where the plug is with the storm drainage.
At least four homes and possibly more on Jefferson have been affected by the plug. “We can’t just go digging across everybody’s yard,” Commissioner Haddix said. “We’re going to have to find it.”
The unfinished business of the backhoe and box culvert were tabled until the next meeting. Commissioner Crispin stated that he had spoken to Eric Lewsader at Lewsader Electric on the status of the electricity being installed at the new pavilion. “Electrical should be looked at this week. Ameren is supposed to come down,” Crispin said.
Crispin also received a quote from Lankster and Gore for the bathrooms to be built by the hour and not to exceed $10,000. “To finish all the plumbing, bathrooms, put up the stall walls and basically finish it,” Crispin said. “He said it shouldn’t come close to this, but he just wanted to cover his basis.” The council approved the bid. Crispin turned in his budget for all of the storm sewers and various other projects he plans to take care of.
Commissioner Haddix mentioned that he had seen side by sides and golf carts that do not have stickers or expired stickers. “I know I’ve seen one quite a bit that doesn’t have a windshield or lights on it,” Haddix said. “A side by side came by with no stickers.”
According to the side by side rules, people who do not live in city limits, even though they drive them in town are required to have stickers due to driving on a city street.
Haddix also mentioned a number of vehicles with no license sitting in homeowners’ lawns.
“I know there’s one sitting down on Ohio Street,” Haddix said.
A grant has been found by the clerks in the city office that can be used towards storm drains and sewer projects.
It was brought to Haddix’s attention that a couple of the lights on poles in the park are in bad shape.
“They need to come down,” Haddix said. “If they can’t get them down. I’m going to insist that no one use the park. I don’t want a kid to smack the pole and it fall on them.”
Erik Bohle stated that he had spoken to Eric Lewsader on the matter of getting the lights fixed. “It’s as high as his bucket truck can go and it maxes out the weight on it and he was fearful it was going to tip the truck over,” Bohle said. “Once the truck starts to go, it’s not like he can let go and rectify it.”
