Little League program receives approval for temporary signs on Maxon Field

Onaway Area Little League officials received approval from the Onaway City Commission to place advertising signs on the outfield fences at Maxon Field, but with some restrictions.

The three-by-six signs will be allowed to go up from the time the Little League season opens practices, until the end of the Little League World Series. The dates approved were from April 15 to August 15.

Little League officials were interested in Maxon Field because it is located right next to M-211, which they believe will be attractive to local businesses.

It was the third commission meeting in a row the topic has come up for discussion at city hall.

REPRESENTING THE Little League program were Lee Ann Neelis and Clark Chapman, who tried to alleviate the concerns of the commission by showing them an example of what a sign would look like.

Chapman said it would be a way to generate revenue and keep the cost of playing baseball and softball affordable.

He said the signs would be placed only in areas where they would not obstruct the views traditionally enjoyed by parents and fans in the past.

The smaller sign didn’t receive any objections, but commissioner Bernie Schmeltzer said he wanted only the name of the business on the signs and not a lot of extras, such as products offered or phone numbers.

“Most people know where they (the business) are,” said Schmeltzer.

Neelis disagreed. Being a business owner herself, she believes extra information about the business is needed for visitors.

Neelis said the signs will tell people of the “choices that they didn’t know were here before.” She said if the signs were restricted to just the name of the business, she wouldn’t purchase one.

COMMISSION MEMBER Mel Perkins didn’t have any objections saying, “I don’t have a problem with them decorating the signs.”

Perkins recommended a committee be set up to approve the signs, but it was ultimately decided, to speed up the process, to have city manager Joe Hefele make the final determination about what the signs will look like.

Hefele, in earlier discussions, had reservations about the signs, because of their proximity to downtown and wondered how they would reflect on the appearance of the city.

City attorney Mike Vogler recommended that the commission only approve the advertisements as temporary signs and to keep it to the Little League season.

The Little League season in Onaway begins May 14.

IN OTHER MATTERS to come before the commission: o Hefele was going to send out letters and property access slips next week, as city crews were to begin making sewer hook-ups again.

He’ll also be getting letters out to property owners whose plumbing issues have made it impossible for the city to hook them up. The city will give the owners 90 days to get hooked-up.

* A snag in the construction of a new DPW building will probably delay the city moving from the present building by September 1, the date specified in a purchase agreement with Brewbaker’s Housing and RV.

USDA-RD reviewed its rules and determined, because the city received a grant for the project, they will need to have an architect establish blue prints.

Hefele told the commission “this information would have been more useful several months ago.”

John Hammen from Wilcox Professional Services, who drafted the specs, floor plans, and elevations the city thought would meet USDA requirements for this project, was hired to keep the project moving.

“He (Hammen) tells me that the turn-around time on the plans will be about four weeks, though he will fast-track it the best he can,” said Hefele.

* Hefele completed the application for a fire truck grant applicatio

n and e-mailed it on Friday, after the fire board and chief Eric Rose reviewed the narrative.

“Though there is no guarantee that we’ll get the funding, particularly since our newest pumper is only 20 years old, I do feel the narrative makes a pretty strong argument for the truck,” said Hefele. * An application for a plow truck grant application was to be completed and mailed by today.

The commission authorized Hefele to proceed with the application for a $55,000 grant and a $55,000 loan for the truck from USDA.

* It was reported that Wakefield Construction was making excellent progress on the Onaway Courthouse, which may allow the relocation of city hall to start within the next six weeks.