By Clara Osten,
clara@wayneherald.com
Speed limits, stop signs and future land use were on the agenda when the Wayne City Council met on Tuesday.
An ordinance creating speed limits in the area around Prairie Park, the Summer Sports Complex and the access road near the Community Activity Center was approved and the three readings waived. This will allow for the posting of signs indicating the speed limit in those areas is 20 miles per hour. This also makes the speed limit in these areas consistent with other areas in the city.
Council members also gave first reading approval to a portion of that same ordinance that will create a 35 mile per hour (mph) speed limit for a portion of 21st Street that runs through the Wayne Golf Course.
Discussion centered on where to begin the 35 mph limit, as a portion of the road east of Claycomb Road is gravel. It was noted that this part of the street currently has a 50 mph speed limit and motorists tend to continue to drive faster than the posted limit of 25 mph near the golf course.
Council member Matt Eischied said he would like see the 25 mph limit be extended a longer distance to the east and noted that creating a 35 mph limit on a portion of the street would be a good idea as "you can't reduce speed limits more than 20 mph at a time."
Council members voted to reduce the speed limit to 35 mph from a point 1,906 feet east of the east line of North Main Street east to the city limits. The item will be on the council's next meeting agenda for second reading.
Stop signs along Fourth Street in the area of the R. Perry apartments were discussed.
City Planner Joel Hansen explained to the council where the stop signs should be installed and said it is "important to do this now as Prairie Park and the R. Perry apartments are being developed."
The ordinance was passed and the three reading waived, allowing the stop signs to be installed in the near future.
Council members also spent considerable time discussing Ordinance 2024-2, which will amend the Future Land Use Map of the Comprehensive Plan.
The ordinance had received first reading approval at the last meeting, using a version with fewer acres than that which was recommended by the Planning Commission as that to be developed into residential housing.
B.J. Woehler, who owns property in the area that would be included in the area, asked the council to "go back to the larger area. This would benefit the fairgrounds and it would be better to include this area now rather than later. I want to help you (the city) grow and this is a way to do that."
Mayor Cale Giese said he felt the area that received approval on the first reading was "a great start and we can re-visit this at any time and least annually."
Following discussion, the ordinance received second reading approval and will be brought back before the council at the next meeting.
In other action, council members voted to approve a request from the Mid-State Conference in regard to waiving the rental fee for the Wayne City Auditorium.
Wayne Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Mark Lenihan, representing the conference, explained to the council that the conference would like to host the annual Art Show at the Auditorium April 21-28.
Dr. Lenihan said that in the past the Art Show has been held at the mall in Norfolk but that will not be possible this year.
He said that the nine schools in the conference will bring in more than 400 pieces of artwork which will be on display for the public to view during that week.
"The show opens on Tuesday of week and each of the schools will take turns having students and staff monitor the show. This will bring visitors to Wayne and give Wayne residents the opportunity to view some incredible artwork," he said.
The conference has already provided the security deposit for the use of the facility and by waiving the rental fee, the conference will have additional funds to use for scholarships for those in the various art program.
Council members unanimously approved the request.
An update on the Community Activity Center Relocation Project from City Administrator Wes Blecke included information from the committee's March 13 meeting in which the design is "being fine-tuned.
At the March 27 meeting they hope to have an estimate to be presented."
Tentative plans call for a Town Hall meetings in regard to the sales tax issue that will be on the May 14 primary election ballot will be held at 5:30 and 7 p.m. on Wednesday, April 10 at the Wayne Community Activity Center.
Blecke said that information on the project is on the city's website, under the Government Tab - community projects.
The Wayne City Council will next meet in regular session on Tuesday, April 2 at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers.
