By Kevin Boneske
Staff Writer
HOWARD – To treat people accused of the same offense uniformly, the Howard village board approved a resolution Monday, Aug. 12, to amend the village’s bond schedule.
The amendment was enacted in response to the board previously having adopted an ordinance prohibiting sexting by minors as well as approving a measure to ban open fires and grills of all kinds at the Duck Creek Quarry.
Each offense is punishable by a fine of between $1 and $1,000.
Village Administrator Paul Evert said Municipal Judge Gregg Schreiber recommended a bond amount for each of the two violations at the quarry of $124 – which includes a $50 forfeiture, $10 jail assessment, $13 penalty assessment, $38 in court costs and $13 crime lab fee.
For a sexting violation, Evert noted Schreiber recommended placing it on the bond schedule at $313 – which includes a $200 forfeiture, $10 jail assessment, $52 penalty assessment, $38 in court costs and a $13 crime lab fee.
In all cases, Evert pointed out defendants may come to court and ask for a reduction of the forfeiture if they plead no contest or guilty, or are found guilty at a trial.
The board last revised the bond schedule in May 2018.
Vacating road for new park
In other action, the board approved a resolution in favor of vacating a portion of Co Co’s Run and Graceland Terrace to create Valley Brooke Park and a saleable residential lot.
Community Development Director Todd Wiese said the village last December bought a 3.2-acre parcel in the Valley Brooke subdivision from the original developer. The intent was to create a residential lot that the proceeds of the sale would help fund new playground equipment for the park.
“We’re doing current road work out there right now to take out the stub-in street and kind of make it curved-through (roadway),” Weise said. “We’ll have the potential to carve off a lot and vacate the roadway and build the park. With that being said, we’ve got two parcels that we need to vacate.”
Wiese said the road vacation must be referred to the village’s Plan Commission for a recommendation before receiving final approval.
“This (resolution approval) starts the final process,” he said. “This still has to go to the Plan Commission for a recommendation, and you will see a public hearing that will come back to you, so we’ll hold a public hearing on the final resolution. The vacation process… is quite cumbersome.”
Public Works Director Geoff Farr said a storm water pond would service the development with the park and single-family lot being created.
At the end of the meeting, the board went into closed session to discuss an offer to purchase property the village owns at 1111 N. Military, as well as the village’s potential purchase of 10 other lots, but took no action.