At their Monday night meeting in the Minburn City Hall, the Minburn City Council discussed the Minburn Sesquicentennial, scheduled for Aug. 24, 2019. It was decided to combine the Fourth of July celebration with the Sesquicentennial, including the parade, even though the dates are one month apart.
Susan Andrews of the Minburn Sesquicentennial Committee recommended combining the celebrations in order to alleviate the need to find volunteers for both events. Andrews said there will likely be many more people coming to the area for the holiday who might not be able to make it in August.
Minburn Mayor Travis Connick suggested checking with Woodward Academy to see if any of their residents would be available to volunteer to help.
Gloria Renshaw was recommended as a good source of photos to use for the 2019 Sesquicentennial program. Renshaw has taken many photos over the years since she is part of the Women’s Club, which is now working on disbanding.
The Sesquicentennial Committee might also collect photos from residents to use as a slideshow in the school gym during the Sesquicentennial.
The committee is also working on ways to include veterans in the Sesquicentennial Celebration.
Minburn Public Works Director Mitch Johnson said the Old Millstone in Meek Park needs repair or rebuilding. The brick surrounding the stone is no longer structurally sound, Johnson said. There are concerns that the Old Millstone could suffer irreparable damage if nothing is done, he said.
The millstone was dedicated at the Minburn centennial in 1969 as “a symbol of the grinding and polishing of good character of present and future generations of the Minburn community,” according to the commemorative plaque by the stone.
The council discussed whether to allow residents to keep chickens, and they decided to allow yard birds in town but with some stipulations, including a ban on roosters, a limit on the number of chickens based on the size of property and a requirement.
Minburn City Clerk Kris Fitch said she will send in the deposit check for the replacement of the lagoon shed. The council considered moving the shed for convenience, and they noted the meter would also have to be moved. The Minburn Public Works Department is going to look into moving the meter.
The upgrading of Fitch’s computer software and the possible replacement of the Public Works computer was discussed. The city clerk also presented research on the feasibility of tablets for the city council members.
Fitch said she will explore the possibility of purchasing cheaper tablets and upgrading to iPads or something similar in a few years. The cheaper tablets could eventually be passed down to other city departments when the upgrades are purchased. Having access to a camera would be also helpful to document nuisances and problems, Fitch said.
Several council members said they were happy to see the improvements to the streets with new blacktop. They asked why asphalt was not used and learned it is too costly.
The council also discussed rewriting the parking ordinance to include no parking on the corner of Fifth Street near the school and requiring that all vehicles parked in front of houses be parked in the same direction as the traffic.
