Weimar holiday cheer kicks off

The Christmas season is near and the City of Weimar is making preparations with plans for a “Down Home Christmas.”

Tammy Hilley presented council members with plans for a new Christmas festival during their regular meeting Thursday, Nov. 11. The streets of downtown Weimar will magically come alive as they are filled with Christmas music, a live nativity and Dickens Street Christmas Portraits Friday, Dec. 5.

“We wanted to bring something different to Weimar, something we haven’t had before,” said Hilley. “Our German town is beautiful and unique enough to draw a lot of people.”

The “Down Home Christmas” event is scheduled for Friday, Dec. 5 in downtown Weimar from 5-8 p.m. The tentative schedule includes live Christmas music beginning at 5 p.m. along with a live nativity, silent auction, make it take crafts, moonwalk, indoor craft show, Dickens Street Christmas portraits and kiddie train ride. There will also be extended shopping opportunities downtown.

Other attractions planned for the evening include Santa rides and photos with Santa. There will be children’s contests, scripture reading and a Silent Night performance.

The Weimar Area Chamber of Commerce will sponsor the event. A finalized schedule will be available at www.weimartx.org.

Following Hilley’s presentation, council approved a motion to block the following streets for the festival: East Post Office Street from Center Street to just past MG Farm Service Center and North Mechanic at Main Street to just past Post Office Street intersection.

Code enforcement

Weimar code inspector Randy Cantwell addressed council regarding the city’s current property maintenance ordinance.

“Some issues have come up but we haven’t been able to do anything because of our ordinances. There’s a lot we don ‘t cover,” said Cantwell. “I’m asking council for the authority to amend and make these ordinances stricter.”

Some of the issues discussed included utilities, number of individuals in one home, home maintenance responsibility and occupant responsibilities regarding animals.

Regarding electricity, Cantwell said the issue has come up where people have remained in a home for an extended period of time with no water, sewer and electrical service.

There was also discussion regarding making standards for floor space per person, sleeping space per person and special provisions.

“We’ve had some houses getting overloaded,” said Jones. “It’s something we need to look at.”

Under home maintenance, council members addressed topics such as eliminating holes and excavations that could cause injury; securely covering closed wells, cisterns and cesspools; removing dead trees and tree limbs; and keeping vacant structures closed to prevent unauthorized entry.

Regarding animals the amended ordinance will address removing animals from a structure if the presence of the animal is a health hazard.

Post office sale

Weimar City Manager Randall Jones gave an update on the sale of the post office. He said the prospective buyers had dropped the offer to $110,000 from the previous $190,000. Jones said the city’s position now was not to do anything.

“We are pursuing other buyers,” he said. “We don’t have to sell right now. We don’t need the money.”

Junk vehicle ordinance

The city’s junk vehicle ordinance and recent action to curtail the number of vehicles in the city was addressed Thursday.

Weimar Police Department Chief Bill Livingston addressed the council after councilman Kevin Fishbeck said he had gotten a visit from a resident who received a junk vehicle ordinance letter from WPD. Fishbeck asked Chief Livingston to go over the new procedure regarding the junk vehicles and changes.

The letter stated that the vehicle had been declared a “junked vehicle” and it must be removed within 10 days of the date of the notice. If it were not removed in 10 days they would be fined $500. They do have the option of a hearing.

Chief Livingston said there had been about 15 letters sent out so far.

“Each officer has a quadrant and they are making junk vehicle lists in those quadrants,” said Livingston. “The list is given to the city secretary who sends out the letters.”

City attorney George Cason said in some instances two letters go out - one to the registered owner of the vehicle and one to the property owner.

“Sometimes people will sell a vehicle but never transfer the title, so it’s still in the old owner’s name,” said Cason.

Weimar Police Report

During October the Weimar Police Department answered 170 calls for service, 11 of which resulted in criminal cases being opened. There were 36 motor vehicle citations issued in October and three traffic accidents worked.

In other business the council: