City Council Briefs

Council orders special election for Simmons’ seat

The Olney City Council on Feb. 26 ordered a special election to fill the unexpired term of Councilmember Brad Simmons.

Mr. Simmons resigned in January, after moving outside the city limits and becoming ineligible to hold a Council seat.

The special election will be held in conjunction with the May 4 General Election, but will appear in a section on the ballot marked “Special Election,” City Secretary Tammy Hourigan said.

The City began taking applications for the open seat on Feb. 27 and will continue accepting applications until 5 p.m. on March 5, Ms. Hourigan said.

In addition to filling Mr. Simmons’ seat, Olney voters also will decide on two City Council seats and the Mayor’s race, as well as three school board races.

Olney Hamilton Hospital’s Board of Directors canceled its May 4 election because none of the board candidates drew opponents.

Council cancels meeting for spring break The City Council canceled its March 11 meeting and rescheduled it for the following Monday, March 18.

At that time, the Council will decide whether to have another meeting one week later or cancel the regularly scheduled March 25 meeting.

Council works on container ordinance The City Council considered amending an ordinance that allows residents to run electricity to shipping containers used as outbuildings but not plumbing.

The Council passed an ordinance last September that allows shipping containers to be used as workshops or sheds in all residential zones but Residential Zone 1 - near the Olney Country Club.

At that time, the Council considered allowing residents to run plumbing to the containers to drain condensation from “minisplit” air conditioners but ultimately stripped it out of the final ordinance to prevent people from living in them.

The Council took no action on amending the ordinance, Mayor Rue Rogers said.

Olney Police Detective Dustin Hudson, who also handles code enforcement, is researching potential language for an amendment, he said. “As of now, the ordinance remains the exact same that was passed last November,” he said. “That ordiannce allows electricity, but does not allow plumbing.”

Council considers helping Megargel with code enforcement The Council discussed a proposal to allow Olney’s code enforcement officers to help the City of Megargel with code enforcement.

Mayor Rue Rogers met with the Megargel Council last month to discuss an interlocal agreement. Megargel’s Councilmembers had reached out to OPD Det. Hudson for help with the process of condemning and tearing down dilapidated buildings, Mayor Rogers said.

“This was the first opportunity for us to discuss [the agreement] as a Council and there are several questions still to be answered surrounding our ability to do this,” he said.

Olney’s first fulltime code enformcement officer, Joe Logan, left the OPD last month for another job, leaving his post vacant as the City embarks on an ambitious plan to condemn and tear down up to four dilapidated structures per month.

Police Chief Dan Birbeck said he is looking for a new code enforcement officer.