Spencer Council OKs traffic study; railroad maintenance scheduled
Local traffic safety, critical infrastructure upgrades and small business support topped the agenda at the May 18 Spencer Town Council meeting. Operating as a two-member quorum in the absence of council president Jon Stantz, vice president Evan McKalip and member Ginger Kohr swiftly cleared the night's administrative docket—including approving standard claims and prior meeting minutes in a series of unanimous 2-0 votes—before diving into pressing community issues.
Public affairs took center stage as the council evaluated a request from the American Legion Call-Payton Post #285 to host the annual Apple Butter Festival Street Dance. Organizers requested permission for street closures and barricades to take place on Sept. 19 and Sept. 20. The scheduled closures are set to run from 2 to 11 p.m. on Saturday and will close at 7 p.m. on Sunday, with the timeframes explicitly encompassing both active event hours and required setup and cleanup. A motion to approve the request was made, seconded and carried by a 2-0 vote.
The council addressed ongoing complaints submitted by residents regarding the deep disrepair of railroad tracks crossing residential streets. Although Stantz was absent during the formal meeting discussion, it was reported that he had previously agreed to speak directly with the railroad company to seek remediation. In a follow-up breakthrough, an update revealed that Stantz successfully contacted railroad representatives, who have committed to beginning extensive repair work on June 2 (weather permitting) with coordinated operational support from the Spencer Street Department.
Alyssa Howel took the podium on behalf of an organized group of downtown business owners to present a formal petition requesting the complete removal of downtown parking meters. The merchants argue that the infrastructure is actively detrimental to local retail operations. Furthermore, they emphasized that because the meters currently do not work, their non-functional status casts a negative reflection on the town. Following an open council discussion and a review of incoming suggestions, the board resolved to take the issue under advisement until a formal decision on how to proceed can be reached in the future.
In a major development for local traffic management, Kovenant Liby reported that she is in the process of drafting a comprehensive Safe Streets Grant targeted at improving areas experiencing persistent traffic bottlenecks and safety concerns. To support the grant application, Liby requested permission to execute a temporary empirical study using curb bump-outs and lane narrowing configurations. The study will focus on three prime high-traffic zones: the local elementary school, downtown streets and Hillside traffic lanes.
To pull off the logistics of the study, Liby requested the utilization of municipal staff hours, specifically naming street department superintendent Tony Floyd and Spencer Police Department (SPD) Chief Terry Sips, for an estimated total of 96 hours distributed over a three-month testing period. McKalip introduced a motion to provide the necessary town manpower for the study, which was seconded by Kohr and officially passed with a 2-0 vote.
In departmental reports, Chief Sips requested that two aging fleet vehicles be officially designated as surplus. Town attorney Richard Lorenz agreed to prepare the necessary legal documentation and statutory notice of sale to be published in the local newspaper. Chief Sips also brought forward a positive personnel update, noting that SPD Assistant Chief Rannix Tinsley is expected to return to full operational duty within the next week or two.
The Spencer Town Council meets on the first and third Monday of each month, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Spencer Municipal Building, 90 N. West St., Spencer.
