Lense Ramey III, a local developer, went before the Kiefer Town Board of Trustees to propose a housing development that will be named Villages on Main. The tract of land on Main Street was originally a mobile park containing 10 mobile homes.
Ramey told the Board that he had originally planned to build 4 triplex rental properties but he changed his mind. “We decided to change that up because it’s so dense, 4 triplexes would be 12 residences, so we were discussing putting 8 homes to sell in there, and we decided that was too tight as well, so we settled on 6.”
He emphasized that this proposal was “very preliminary” and “We are getting ready to get this to the surveyor and to all the people involved to get this platted.”
He told the board that if they had any questions, they could call and concerns would be addressed. “We would sure appreciate any input from you guys.”
When asked about the size of the homes he stated they would be between 1,100 and 1,150 square feet. “There is a pretty big demand for smaller houses, especially with the rates being up like they are.”
The Board brought up parking and Ramey assured them the houses would have garages with two-car driveways.
In other town business, the Kiefer Public Works Authority met and approved the Consent Agenda which consisted of approval of previous minutes and approval of police and fire department reports, and purchase orders and checks as presented.
The natural gas line upgrade on Mary Street was discussed but no action was taken
Kiefer resident Jeff Arnold addressed the Board about his concerns over the newly built practice fields, complaining that the facilities were not adequate for his group and laid out a litany of related complaints about the new fields. Ostin Broadhead, president of Kiefer Youth Sports explained to the Board the reality of the situation. The end result was talk of cooperation between the two groups and a need for patience.
The purchase of a skid steer was tabled, as was the purchase of a sander/spreader, and a tractor with front-end loader.
There was discussion about appointing a volunteer director for the Resource center (a donation and distribution center for those in need), the item was tabled, thus no action was taken.
The Board approved signing a contract with Indian Nations Council of Governments for a 2023 Rural Economic Action Plan grant in the amount of $54,343.00 to purchase equipment to remediate a consent order placed on the Town’s lagoon sewage system.
The town maintenance employee, Fred Fuss, informed the Board that a hot asphalt machine needs to be purchased to facilitate longer lasting street repairs.
The Board discussed the disposition of a Gradall (excavating machine) that has major hydraulic issues. It was stated that repairs were estimated by the manufacturer’s repair shop to be approximately $55,000. The land developer from earlier, Lense Ramey Jr., offered to purchase the machine and repair it. The Board asked Ramey if he would repair the excavator for the Town, and Ramey said that he would do so for a fee which would be less than the original estimate. No action was taken since this was under old business.
The Kiefer Town Board meets every Tuesday at 6.pm., at City Hall.
