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The issue of blight came up during the Calumet Village Council meeting Tuesday. Trustee Rob Tarvis identified two properties that have drawn the ire of residents lately. The worst is an apartment complex near 4th and Pine. Tarvis says that illegal dumping is a concern there as well.
The council is concerned that if steps are not taken before winter starts, it won’t be done until next spring at the earliest. Tarvis said that the materials will be a mess then, after snow plows and other equipment are operating in the area.
The village received the first offer from its insurance company regarding a payout for the property it had in the buildings destroyed by the Fifth Street Fire in May. The offer is for a little under $21,000, which the trustees chose to decline. Tarvis says that the village put on a metal roof for the building housing the old Parkside and Evergreen restaurants, in connection with an easement, which cost close to $30,000 by itself.
In their last order of business, the council accepted a bid from Carlson Tree Service for $4,200 to remove several trees from the green space next to the Calumet Theatre on Sixth Street. Carlson’s will perform stump grinding as well. The hope is to get the trees down before winter. They are dead and it is feared that branches may come tumbling down under a heavy blanket of snow or ice, potentially creating a liability for the village if someone is injured during such a scenario. Other trees may need to be taken down soon in Agassiz Park.
