City wants to hear from residents
Managing editor
North Cedar Street will be opening this week and Marion city officials want public input regarding parking on the busy street.
When the street re-opens, there will be no parking on the east side of the street, as before. City Administrator David Mayfield said some residents want a two-hour time limit on the west side or eliminate parking.
“Cedar is a narrow street,” Mayfield said. “There are a lot of kids on bicycles on Cedar Street and they have to go around parked cars. That’s not safe.”
Police Chief Josh Whitwell agreed.
“That street, from Main Street to U.S. 56, is an emergency access in and out of the city,” he said.
City Street Superintendent Marty Fredrickson also weighed in on the discussion saying, from a maintenance point of view, he was in favor of no parking.
“Do you think we should poll residents who live there?” Councilman Stacey Collett asked.
All agreed that public input was warranted.
The public is invited to the next council meeting at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 8. The meeting was changed from Sept. 7 because of the Labor Day holiday.
Signs also will be erected to limit truck traffic to only local deliveries.
Mayor Mary Olson also suggested crosswalks be painted at Lawrence and Cedar streets for children walking to school.
Fence issue continues
During public forum, Tony Schafers asked the council and City Attorney Dan Baldwin about progress of a fence in the alley in the 400 block of North Cedar Street.
According to Schafers, a fence along the alley is blocking visibility for drivers as they approach Hudson Street from the alley.
At the last city council meeting two weeks ago, Schafers asked the city to check into the possibility of requiring the property owner to remove the fence.
Baldwin said Monday night he still was checking into the situation and it might be another two weeks before he would have the answers required for the council to make a decision.