Schell City council revokes ballfield lease

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The city of Schell City took action Wednesday evening to retake control of the city softball field.

"I think the ball field should be under city control because the ball association is not fulfilling the lease," mayor pro tem David McCubbin said.

The city's softball field has been leased to the softball association for several years and is currently in a state of disrepair.

"The ball field needs a ton of work," McCubbin said. "I am against renewing the lease."

City clerk Erin Lee said the softball association was behind in lease payments; that she has only received the $1 lease payment once in the past three years.

Wednesday evening, the city council voted unanimously to revoke the lease agreement with the softball association effective immediately.

In other business, the council and assembled audience discussed the continuing issues of city residents recklessly riding ATVs on public streets.

Lee said local children had been hit by gravel thrown up by the ATVs and bullied off the road.

There has also recently been an incident of a resident's dogs killing a neighbor's chickens.

"If the dogs do that to animals, sooner or later, they will do it to a kid," McCubbin said.

McCubbin said the city would inform the residents in both cases that they are in violation of city ordinance and will consult the city's legal counsel on how the city may resolve the violations.

The Vernon County Sheriff's Office can only enforce city ordinances by contract, which McCubbin said the city does not have the money to pay.

The city of Sheldon recently ended such a contract in which they paid approximately $600 per month to have a deputy assigned to the city an additional 48 hours each month.

* The board unanimously approved April's payroll and city water bill as well as a change in the monthly meeting date from April 5 to April 12.

* The board unanimously approved a bid from Jake Harms for $3,200 to provide grounds keeping services for seven months.

Lee said five of the six bids were within $150 of each other, and one was more than $6,000 but Harm's reputation and community involvement factored into the decision.

The board had reviewed the bid prior to the meeting.