North Webster Town Council turned down a request to vacate two platted alleys at its meeting Tuesday. Council members Jon Sroufe and Tim Hine voted to not vacate the town’s right-of-way as platted. Lisa Strombeck voted against not vacating the property.
Attorney Steve Snyder represented petitioner Robert Phillippe who owns the property at the southwest corner of Dixie Drive and Effie Mae Street. Snyder presented the case that no one has ever used the right-of-way, there are no utility easements on the property and the area is all developed.
Hine announced his opposition to the vacation early on during the meeting. “We don’t know what the future holds. As a town council, we are now stuck with things that really shouldn’t have been done,” he explained.
Phillippe’s neighbor, Rob Fisher, noted, “I could not drive through to my property, if needed, if the right of way ceases.”
Another neighbor voiced his opposition to the tree that had been planted on his side of the right-of-way by Phillippe. Phillippe said it would be moved within the week.
“To me there seems to be no advantage to vacate. I move to not vacate the town’s right of way,” Sroufe said. Hine seconded.
Snyder asked for the council to be polled, which resulted in the two-to-one decision.
The town’s budget workshop was set for 8 a.m. Wednesday, July 30, at town hall, 144 S. Main St.
Police Chief Greg Church explained that the North Webster-Tippecanoe Township Chamber of Commerce had asked that all of West Washington Street be closed for Dixie Day, Saturday, July 26. Hearing that the North Webster-Tippecanoe Fire Department and the North Webster Police Department had no objections, the council voted for the closing. East Washington Street will remain open that day.
Clerk-Treasurer Betsy Luce announced that sewer payment books will be mailed after July 20 so as not to confuse anyone.
The next regular meeting of the council will be 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 19, in the party room of the North Webster Community Center, 301 N. Main St.