Du Quoin Council Upholds Zoning Board Decision

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[The Du Quoin City Council Monday upheld a Du Quoin Zoning Board ruling that denied a request from 110 South Musselman Street resident Scott Lind to continue to encroach on city right-of-way with a fence he is reconstructing.

The council also denied a request from Lind that would have allowed him to keep horses on the same property.

The council appreciated the fact that Lind used the proper protocol in appealing to the zoning board and then to the city.

But, at the end of the day the fact remains that the fence encroaches on city property by up to six feet at one end, and it doesn't matter how long the previous fence had been there. By the same token, city ordinances prevent the keeping of livestock in the city, which the council fell back on in making its ruling from Lind to keep horses on the property.

The council was also ready to accept a bid from George's Excavating in the amount of $2,100 to remove a trailer and clean up debris on the Joyce Poole property in the 400 block of West Cole, but again Poole has talked the court into hearing an appeal which could take another 21-26 days. That continues the issue up until the end of October. There is no city court in November because of the Veterans Day holiday to get a final decision, so the decade-long issue could continue until the end of the year. The council accepted the bid contingent upon a favorable outcome.

In other action, the council approved emergency plumbing and sealing repairs of the city's underground drinkable water reserve not to exceed $15,000 and approved sewer line repairs not to exceed $15,000.

Council members also paused to remember longtime city commissioner Tom Moss and resident Norma Uhles for their unconditional love of the city.