Harrington council discusses preservation, funding

HARRINGTON – City council discussed the Historic Preservation Commission before a frank talk about the city’s grants at its March 9 regular meeting.

Diane Sanchez of the Historic Preservation Commission (HHPC) gave a current report of the HHPC's activities and interests.

"We don't want to change Harrington in any way. We just want to preserve the buildings we have,” Sanchez said. “And what we're presently doing is working with a lady named Jody Opheim whose specialty is to help us write grants or help anyone write grants for rural communities."

She said HHPC is aiding in obtaining a grant to finish the Town Square project. She also suggested that there are available grant monies to rural communities for bringing in engineers to assess buildings along Main Street.

Sanchez also praised Les LePere for getting funding and an artist to repaint the ghost signs on several of the historic buildings and that he has put together a work crew to help HHPC move the two stone pillars at the north end of town.

Councilmember David Buddrius had several comments regarding the moving of the historical pillars and calling that preserving history when trying to move them may well result in their destruction. He also stated that they are moving markers of the original boundaries of the entrance to town.

Mayor Jess Silhan exchanged a few comments with Sanchez and then gave a revealing collection of details on the critical condition the city is in regarding grant funding.

"For the past month I've been working on ordinances like a growth management in a critical area and we are this close to losing $87,000,” Silhan said. “(This) has been going on for the past four years to get all these grants because we don't have three or four ordinances in place that have been on the books for like four years.

“This stuff has been started and dropped and we are right now scrambling to get these three or four ordinances through so we don't lose our sewer modification plant which is 1.8 million dollars,” he continued. “We've got a couple ordinances that have to get passed before these kind of things can even happen.”

Silhan stated that the city now has another 30-day reprieve and is receiving assistance from HUD, the State and Margie Hall.

Other topics discussed by the Mayor and Council included contractual issues for Johnson Family Towing, receipt of a resume for the position of Treasurer, the need to place an advertisement for the position of Treasurer, MKB Lawn Care contract, Public Works interviews, junk vehicle ordinance in process, and the scheduling of a Workshop for March 23 at 7 p.m.