SABINA — The Trahera Lane issue in town has not gone away.
The issue revolves around the fact Trahera Lane is within Sabina’s corporation limits, but it has not been dedicated as a public street.
Former Sabina councilperson Marc Wallace appeared before council Thursday night and brought up the question. According to Wallace, because construction of the housing development is done, the property owners along the street “no longer have a say-so” whether Trahera Lane will be dedicated by the village.
Wallace said that stipulation can be found in the deed covenant, under restrictions.
If Wallace’s interpretation of the deed is right, it would put the Trahera Lane issue in a new light. That’s because there are several property owners who have told council they don’t want the street dedicated. “Dedication” involves a property owner giving the government a land easement for public use.
Sabina Mayor Dean Hawk replied he’s been told that assent from property owners is indeed not required for a street dedication — if the street is on the map plat when the land was subdivided into lots. But, it’s Hawk’s understanding that Trahera Lane was not on the plat.
After Wallace spoke, resident William “Billy” Olds also touched on Trahera Lane.
“Do we not send a snow plow out there to clean that street in the wintertime? Do they not have village water and sewer and electric hookup out there? Do they not have mailboxes in their front yards with post numbers on it?” Olds asked.
He added it seems to him like the Trahera Lane homeowners have everything they want, notwithstanding they don’t want to comply with giving the village a public easement as a condition of the real estate development.
“It’s the only street in the village that is not dedicated. That is so preposterous,” said Olds.
Wallace plans to attend a Planning Committee meeting 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 18 where the topic will be discussed.
In other news from council, Wilmington Savings Bank’s Business Development Officer Jonathan C. McKay was invited by the mayor to the council session. Hawk said his interest in previously meeting with McKay is to see whether McKay in his professional capacity can help the start-up businesses in town that village officials hope to attract.
McKay also is president of the Wilmington-Clinton County Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors.
Sabina Village Administrator Rob Dean said bids will be opened later this month from companies wishing to be the village’s contracted trash collection service. Currently, Caribou Sanitation LLC performs trash pickup as Sabina’s contracted service, but has advised village officials it will not seek a new trash pickup contract.
Whichever company is awarded the contract, residents will still have the option to choose a trash pickup business on their own to collect trash at their household, as presently is the case.
Dean also reported picnic tables were damaged at the village park, with benches torn off tables.
“I don’t understand why somebody would get any kind of enjoyment out of tearing those tables up, but they sure seemed to,” said Dean.
Dean requested an executive session to discuss a personnel matter, which council granted. No action on the matter was taken afterward.
Council members approved a building permit for a local shop, Accurate Machine & Weld Company, to add a 40 x 40 x 15 section at the rear. A dozen people work for the business.
In addition to the Trahera Lane question, Olds publicly brought up other concerns he has. He said New Sabina Industries should agree to having its property annexed into village limits, which would make its employees subject to the town’s current 1 percent earnings tax.
The town needs financial help now and in the future, said Olds. He said he finds the company’s opposition to annexation “a direct insult.”
Olds alleged Sabina Village Councilman Jim Mongold described him on Facebook as a village idiot, after a prior council meeting where Olds made public comments. Olds on Thursday made a second allegation about Mongold’s Facebook postings. During the Thursday session, Mongold denied the second allegation, but not the first.
After Mongold spoke for a while, Hawk said he grows weary of negativity.
“I don’t have the negative opinion this town is dead. There’s a lot this town has to go for it,” added the mayor.
Reach Gary Huffenberger at 937-556-5768.
