Twenty Questions (in case you were wondering, too)

Most of us, I think, are familiar with the “Twenty Questions” parlor game. I haven't played it myself in a very long time. Usually when I've heard that phrase it's customarily in the form of a declarative statement as in “We're not playing 20 Questions here” or something to that affect. And the inference is that the person who says that seems annoyed with what they feel is a barrage of queries – twenty or more of them!

In the course of a normal week I get stopped by friends and acquaintances alike who stop and greet me, maybe shake my hand and beyond sharing the normal pleasantries ask me various questions (none of which I want to make clear, annoy me) regarding the city in case I might know. Here's a few of them in no order of frequency or sense of urgency.

Nothing fishy going on with Douglas Street

“When is Douglas Street going to be repaved?”

Back during the summer, Douglas Street, between 2^nd and 4^th Streets, got ripped up as part of the annual cycle of repaving certain designated thoroughfares (City Park Drive, 15^th Street and a section of Kleve Street were also redone). In a relatively brief turn-around, the Barron County road crew returned and repaved every street that “the grinder” had tore up and resurfaced them – except between 3^rd and 4^th Street. There was a reason for that. For quite awhile now we have had a water line in need of repair and so Public Works Director Dan Knapp contracted the job to coincide while the road was being worked on. The street projects were concluded in August and the company hired informed Dan that they could not get to us until September. As we moved through September, they let Dan know they couldn't be there until October. So, for the time being, 'it's hurry up and wait.' (At Refuge, it once took a guy six months to get there four months after he said he would!) That's why Douglas Street between St. Boni and Off R Rocker remains undone.

It's all about keeping kids safe

“Why is it posted 25mph on Hwy SS between Chain of Lakes and the city limits near the old Snug Harbor resort?”

I maybe get asked this more than any other question put to me. Part of the frustration with the presently posted speed limit is the reality that in Cameron driving past both the high school and the new elementary school the speed limit is 35 mph. On the north end of town there's a few businesses, some storage facilities and only one residence. Why would it be necessary to curb our enthusiasm way before we reached Subway or Dairy Queen? To more than a few they conclude the only reason is to generate revenue for the city. “Jeff, you got yourself there a bonafide police trap” is how someone put it to me one day at The Center.

Here's what I've come to know. Those speed limits were not set locally but at the county level. What's more, as part of the Safe Routes to School initiative that brought all that new sidewalk on the north end of town, the deal was slower speed limits had to be set. Now, I don't think I've ever seen any kids walking to school on SS. And if I did, I'd probably pull over and offer them a ride. You'd probably do the same thing, too.

That tall grass there is there by design

“Who's responsible for cutting the grass on SS beyond Heritage Credit Union?"

That, too, is a County matter. A few weeks ago I was stopped at Kwik Trip by a resident who lives on Elizabeth Lane by Christ Lutheran upset about the length of the grass in the ditch by the storage units. I spoke with Joe Atwood who does a lot of the mowing of public property in our town and he told me to call Barron County Road Commissioner Mark Servi. I did. Mark was very accomodating. While the county does mow the ditches alongside the highway they do so only once a year and usually in the early summer after the spring rains have passed. Within a week or two a county mower showed up and cut the tall grass from Elizabeth Street to Pinewood on both sides. As for the scrub that remains growing along the fence line of the storage units as far as I understand it that is on the owner's in maintaining the appearance of their property.

“Who's tree is that?”

Several years ago, we planted a bridal wreath bush at the edge of our property. Since then, it's leafed out incredibly and when it's in full flower, we enjoy a lot. But by city ordinance, every bit of our bush that leafs out across the line no longer belongs to us. If Happ & Kathy want to trim their “side” of it, they are totally within their rights to do so because once my bush crosses the property line its no longer my bush. Now, good neighbors that they are, if it was a problem they would call us up and we would work out some equitable solution like neighbors are supposed to do. But technically, they wouldn't have to do that. They could sheer away up to the property line.

A few weeks ago, a friend of mine who drives for Erb Bus let me know that there was a low hanging limb on 7^th Street just south of the school that was causing bus drivers to cross the center line to avoid it. I put a call into Dan who in turn let one of his guys know about the matter. When Joe showed up to deal with it, however, the owner was adamant that he skeddadle, that he was in no way going to touch “their tree.” Once again, when a tree limb either crosses a property line or, in this case, creates a potential public safety issue, that limb will come down regardless of who it belongs to. (That issue has since been resolved.)

No complaints here

“How's that 'mayor-ing'-thing going?”

I've been in office now six months and bar none that is what I am asked most often. I infer from that question several others most that center around this one: “Do I have “buyer's regret”?” Or am I sorry that I decided to run for office? Here's my short answer: Nope. No regrets. I'm truly enjoying the opportunity to serve the community I call home as well learning all about how municipal government works. Honestly, there was SO much I never paid attention to before elected mayor. I only went sparingly to city council meetings. And while I read whatever the Alert printed about city proceedings, I usually didn't connect a lot of dots. I didn't run for office with an ax to grind. I wasn't mad at anybody. I just was willing to serve. And the more I learn and the more meetings and proceedings I'm involved in, I'm beginning to develop my own opinions on how we can make our community better.

She even does windows

Even at his birthday party he wouldn't sit down

I was given a lot of advice in the run-up to the election most of which has proved to be true: City Clerk Carmen Newman, Deputy City Clerk Cassandra Larson and Water Utility Clerk Karen Zimmerman are, indeed, wonderfully capable people that we are fortunate to have serving us. That goes for Public Works Director Dan Knapp and his crew along with Chief Petersen and the rest of Chetek's finest. There are a lot of good people who work tirelessly and without a lot of fanfare to help make our small town a place people want to be and come back to. No question about that. 

Addendum: Since posting this I thought of another question I am asked from time to time:

"Does the mayor have any authority to prevent the train coming through town and blaring their horn at 3 a.m.?"
None. Nadda. Zilch. Zero. They come through when they darn well please and on account of safety regulations are required to blow their horn at every intersection. Personally, I think some of those guys enjoy that privilege just a tad too much.