Etna Green Town Council Member Keith Claassen talks with his fellow council members during a May 12 meeting. InkFreeNews photo by Liz Shepherd.

By Liz Shepherd
InkFreeNews

ETNA GREEN — The Etna Green Town Council discussed the town’s noise ordinance and property upkeep during an in-person meeting on Tuesday, May 12.

A town resident, who did not provide her name, addressed the council about neighbors who are using mopeds and working on vehicles late at night. The woman described the noise as “intolerable.”

“Someone’s going to run over them,” she said. “I almost backed over one of them while I was getting out of my driveway and they were running behind me on a moped and I didn’t see them.”

Council Member Jason Hanes also mentioned an ordinance that states only golf carts with visible orange triangles on them are allowed on town roads.

“You have full right to call the sheriff’s department if you see them doing that,” said Hanes. “They can enforce that and they’re not allowed out there without any type of registration.”

Hanes, Clerk-Treasurer Patti Cook and Town Attorney Jay Rigdon asked the woman to make a written report of the incident and keep track of how many instances of loud noise occur.

“It (a written report) really should be from someone from the town who experiences the noise and hears it,” said Rigdon. “Because they’re the folks that I would have to rely on as an attorney to call in and be a witness. That eliminates any potential risk of ordinance violations or disputes being seen as a neighbor telling on another neighbor to the town.”

Hanes also started a discussion on dilapidated homes within town limits and asked council members and Rigdon for their thoughts.

“I see five homes in a row that are all tore up and bad,” said Hanes. “Four of the five are properties that the owner does not live in, they’re renting out. I think we should have some sort of an ordinance for landowners that do not live in their properties, to keep their properties up to the level that our people in our community are keeping properties up to. It’s sickening to see a row of beautiful houses and people taking care of their stuff, and then you come up across these rental properties.”

Council members moved to think on the issue until next month’s meeting and continue the conversation then.

The installment of eight hardwired security cameras at Heritage Park was also approved by council members. The town has been experiencing vandalism to the park’s playground equipment.

Council also made financial donations out of the town’s promotional fund toward flowers at Remembrance Park and the annual Randy Miner Memorial Country Run, which is still set to take place on June 13.

The council’s next meeting is at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 9.