At the Sept. 22 Eureka City Council meeting, Jamie Lindamood provided an update on the successful Community Service Day, which took place on Sept. 16 and involved approximately 250 students from Eureka Junior/Senior High School (EJSHS). “The students did jobs all around the community,” Lindamood said. Projects included helping reset the pavers at the All Veterans Memorial wall, cleaning the display cases at the museum, and working at Memorial Hall, the hospital, the post office, and Lions Diamond, among several other sites. Many of the students helped clean and refurbish the Greenwood County Community Center. “The kids worked really, really hard,” said Lindamood. Community service day is meant to promote a sense of accomplishment and connect teens to their community while boosting self-esteem and confidence. The students were served hamburgers for lunch provided by the Greenwood County Cattlemen and Cattlewomen.
Library Director Anneliese Brubaker acknowledged the good work done by the EJSHS volunteers at the library on community service day. They dusted shelves, pulled weeds, and made new patron welcome bags. “They were very helpful,” said Brubaker. Brubaker presented her first library director report since taking her position in June. In her report, Brubaker spoke on the subject of building and technology. She told the council that the patron bathroom doors are meant to be storm shelter doors, but because of a hardware issue, the latches have been removed for the time being and will be replaced as soon as possible. The doors are still functional at this time. Additionally, Brubaker shared that other technology and building updates may be expected in the future. In regard to materials, Brubaker said she sees a need for more materials for teens and those interested in nonfiction. She said she is working on a collection development grant to get more books for the young adult section. The grant would also provide for sustainability in the form of signage and updates to the area of the library. Discussing services, Brubaker shared that Eureka Public Library has acquired a card swiper through Kan-Pay, at no cost as an extension of their library system benefits. Finally, in news and marketing, Brubaker said that she has started an online newsletter that includes items new to the shelves, upcoming programming, and a note from Brubaker. She said she hopes to continue the newsletter as a way to interact with patrons and ask what they would like to see or do at the library. The newsletter can be found on the library’s website, eurekapubliclibrary. org.
During the Sept. 8 city council meeting, the safety committee had been asked to meet with the city attorney to potentially reconsider Eureka’s current Pit Bull ordinance, animal control code chapter II article 4(f). The code states that, within the city limits, it is unlawful to possess any pit bull dog, which is described as any of several bull terrier breeds, mixes of these breeds, or any dog that physically resembles those breeds or mixed breeds. Safety committee member Jason Brandt reported on Sept. 22 that, after much discussion on the subject, no changes are recommended at this time. “That ordinance was put in place for multiple reasons. We recommend leaving it alone,” he said.
Miranda Colangelo requested to make a public comment where she called to question the method of determining breed, noting an ongoing situation where a Eureka man’s dogs have been impounded awaiting blood test results to determine if they are pit bulls. “Nowhere in the bylaws does it say a blood test,” stated Colangelo, noting instead a knowledge through identification clause indicating an expert opinion, such as that of a veterinarian, would suffice. Recently, Gary Hansard relinquished his two dogs in cooperation with an order under the city’s pit bull ordinance. However, according to Hansard, the dogs’ rabies vaccination certificates list the dogs as Labrador and Rottweiler. Hansard feels that because of this, he should not have had to give them up. Mayor Stephen Coulter explained that the vaccination form is not considered a reliable method of identification, as vets often take the word of the owner in describing a dog’s breed. “We are bound by our laws,” said Coulter. To determine the dogs’ breeds, “we are going to do it in a way that we know it (the breed) without any question.” Blood test results are pending on Hansard’s two dogs. If the dogs are found not to be pit bulls, they will be released to Hansard without a fee.
During new business, Administrative Assistant Karen Simon gave an update regarding the new fire station project. Three adjacent buildings in the 100 block of S. Main St. have been slated to be demolished in order to make room for the new station. Simon shared that because the structures are in the state historic district, anything to be done needs prior permission from State Historic Preservation Offices (SHPO). Initially, that permission has been rejected. The city now has the option to revise the project to avoid damaging the structures or to issue a letter to state that the governing body has studied all options and found no other viable solution but to demolish the structures. Code Enforcement Officer Steve French stated that he’d studied the buildings and that each has significant structural problems. The council approved going forward with the letter to SHPO with the expectation of approval once it has been reviewed by the state.
Resolution 25-20 was approved for property located at 123 S. Mulberry. The resolution will address several windows that are broken or missing and general property cleanup. The council approved lake board appointments for Luke Adkins and Tom Troilo. The council also voted their approval of the 2027 budget and 2025 audit proposals as presented in writing by Jarred Gilmore and Phillips, which is a contract for services.
The consent agenda was approved as presented.
The next city council meeting will be held on Monday, Oct. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Eureka Public Library.
