Sparta passes year-end ordinances
</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[December tends to be a busy time for all of us, and city councils are no exception, as they hurry to meet end-of-year-deadlines.
The Sparta City Board of Commissioners had a lengthy agenda Monday and passed a number of ordinances, some of which were to meet compliance for various laws.
One such ordinance was the approval of a tax levy for fiscal year 2009, which requires approval before the end of the year. The levy is for Sparta's portion of Randolph County real estate taxes from April 1, 2009 through March 31, 2010, in the amount of $498,656.
The board also approved an ordinance to provide for reasonable alternatives, as required by tax incremental financing laws.
A resolution for maintenance of streets and highways by municipalities was approved. The resolution allows the city reimbursement from highway funds for costs associated with such road maintenance as street sweeping, snow removal, street patching, highway mowing, etc.
Ordinance IX was amended to expand the members on the cemetery board from five to six to include a military veteran on the regulatory body.
Two ordinances were passed amending Title V. The ordinance limits trash hauling to vehicles with two axles. The action was taken because garbage trucks with three axles cause too much damage to streets.
The first ordinance explains truck specifications for trash haulers operating in the city and the second deals with licensing regulations.
An ordinance citing property as abandoned and unsafe was also passed. The board cited a former residence at 515 Jefferson owned by Capital Equities Partners, a firm based in Missouri. The city is going to court to try to get the owners make the building inhabitable.
A building permit was issued to Hardees for renovation of their restaurant at 1201 N. Market.
Francesca Vallo was appointed to the Library Board.
The board's next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Dec. 28. A public hearing on a property transfer will be held during the meeting.