Monterey Town Council’s December Meeting

The Monterey Town Council met for it’s monthly meeting on December 2^nd.

Mayor Ronald Wimer reported on the status of the town water grant.  The Town Council voted last month to go to bid, but Mayor Wimer said that, after further discussion with the engineering firm and town employee Mike Isles, a decision was made to wait.  It was decided the best time to go to bid and advertise will be after the holidays, in order to get a more competitive bid package.  Advertising will probably begin the first week of January.

County Attorney Melissa Dowd presented a draft of a written Snow Removal Policy for Monterey.   After review and discussion, the Town Council voted to adopt it as presented.  The snow removal policy is as follows:

WHEREAS, it is the intent of the Monterey Town Council to maintain safe

sidewalks in the Town; and

WHEREAS, the Town of Monterey Charter authorizes the Monterey Town

Council to require and compel the abatement and removal of all nuisances,

including the removal of snow or ice from the sidewalks in front of private

properties.

The Monterey Town Council shall make every effort to remove snow and ice

from Town sidewalks, if the snow or ice accumulates to three inches (3″) or more,

within forty-eight (48) hours after the end of any given weather event.

All persons and businesses within the Town of Monterey limits are required to

remove snow and ice from any sidewalks immediately in front of their private

properties, to the extent it is not removed by Town employees or Town contractors,

within forty-eight (48) hours after the end of any given weather event.

All persons are encouraged to report suspected hazardous sidewalk areas

immediately to the Town Office.

All persons are encouraged to use ordinary care, caution, and common

sense when walking on Town sidewalks during and after inclement weather.

The failure of a person or business to abate and remove accumulated snow

and ice of three inches (3″) or more from the sidewalk immediately in front of

his/her/its private property within forty-eight (48) hours after the end of the weather

event may result in the Town removing the accumulated snow and ice at the

expense of such person or business.

Also at the meeting, County Attorney Melissa Dowd reported on a revision to the county’s Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance.  She said the state legislature made changes to the statute in order to pick up taxes on fees from accommodation intermediaries, such as Airbnb.  Accommodation providers were previously only assessed a tax on a room charge, but now with this change that will also include intermediary fees.   The legislation went into effect in September.  Dowd is working on a revision of the county’s Transient Occupancy Tax Ordinance to have it match the current legislation and the town’s ordinance also needs to be revised.   Dowd anticipated having the draft finalized by the Town Council’s next meeting, so Council members voted to set a public hearing on the revised ordinance for it’s next meeting on January 6^th.