Hopkins declares horse a nuisance

Hopkins resident Jason Dobbins addressed the Hopkins City Council at the July 2 meeting on a nuisance letter his family received about their horse.

The letter was written by Hopkins City Attorney Taryn Henry, who also attended the meeting.

Dobbins said the nuisance letter was vague and didn’t state how the horse was a nuisance. Due to the seven-day notice given in the letter, Dobbins felt forced to get rid of the horse.

Henry said there was no city ordinance forbidding horses within the city limits. The city could, in the future, pass a horse ordinance. The Dobbins family is considering getting another horse and he wondered if it would be grandfathered in. Henry said it would depend on how the ordinance was written.

Dobbins had questions on the ditch maintenance on the south side of his property. It is blocked and causing flooding. Chief Maintenance Operator Jack Baldwin said MoDOT was responsible for the ditch and the city was told not to clean it out. Alderman Brandon Kreps said he would be talking to MoDOT and would pass along Dobbins’ information.

Kreps is said to be planning to move away from Hopkins in the foreseeable future. Dobbins asked how he could be considered to fill Kreps’ term of office. Mayor Kelly Morrison said when the position became open, Dobbins could write a inquiry letter to be considered by the council.

Dobbins’ final request was whether the city had any other problems which he needed to address. The council indicated there were none.

In other business, Baldwin was reassured by Mid America Road Builders the street project would be completed before the Hopkins Picnic which starts on Thursday, August 1.

The primacy fee will be applied to the July billing. As City Clerk Dee O’Riley has been hospitalized, her help was unable to include the fee on the June billing as originally intended.

The council, along with Henry, went into closed session to discuss attorney-client privilege on possible litigation.

At the June 17 closed session of the Hopkins City Council, Chris Bird was hired as part-time maintenance.