LaHarpe to snuff burning regulations

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April 13, 2017 - 12:00 AM

LAHARPE — LaHarpe City Council members acknowledged Wednesday the city’s rules regarding open burning after dark probably need to change, because the city often is one of the violators.
The city’s ordinances ban any open burning after sundown, unless the fire is contained in a pit of some sort. However, LaHarpe occasionally burns off a brush pile near city park after residents fill the pile with downed limbs, trees and other shrubbery.
Even if the city starts a fire early in the morning, the pile will burn and smolder for days, Councilman David Lee noted.
“Our burn rule creates all sort of hate and discontent,” he said. “We need to look at relaxing some of the rules.”
Mayor Mae Crowell agreed, noting the city has had to dispatch volunteer firefighters to douse some small fires after dark, even if those fires are controlled, and even if those residents have obtained a burn permit.
The Council should look at allowing burning after dark, provided the fire is maintained and somebody is at the burn site, Councilman Danny Ware agreed.

THE COUNCIL will look at taking bids on city-owned property in the 500 block of West Sixth Street. Floyd and Sharlyn Thompson, who own a house adjacent to the property in question, have inquired about buying the undeveloped land from the city.
However, the property historically has been platted for a street thoroughfare if Lincoln Street — which ends at Sixth — were ever to be extended.
“I don’t think we’re ever going to put a road through there,” Crowell said. “We don’t need to be mowing it or maintaining it if we have people interested in taking it over.”
While both Lee and Ware said the city would be short-sighted to assume Lincoln would never need to be extended, it would remain in LaHarpe’s best interest to allow the property to be sold. Council members agreed the fairest way to sell the land would be through sealed bid.
Sharlyn Thompson serves on the Council, and recused herself from the discussion.

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