Everly council discusses Commercial Club replacement

Everly Mayor Brad Behrens is hoping a city-led committee can replace the impending void left by the Commercial Club.

Behrens on Monday told the council he would like to see the city establish a committee that would help organize community events and oversee remaining monies left by the Commercial Club. The 107-year-old group, which is in the process of dissolving due to low membership and a lack of local interest, met earlier this month and agreed to proceed with disbanding.

According to discussion at Monday's council meeting, legal counsel is reviewing the next steps before the Commercial Club can officially dissolve.

"If we don't do anything, it's done for good," Behrens said.

Behrens proposed his idea to the Commercial Club at its meeting last week. If it gets the go-ahead, the city would receive the group's remaining funds and assets, which would go into a separate account. A committee would be established to oversee needs for former Commercial Club-led events like Everly Community Days.

The council would have the authority to approve or deny the committee's spending proposals, according to Behrens. He said the group would not be completely responsible for planning events like Everly Community Days, but would hold the purse for some attractions like a free meal or bouncy houses.

Behrens hoped the dissolution of the Commercial Club and subsequent creation of the special committee would lead to more community involvement. The planning of many events like Everly Community Days has been largely left up to the Commercial Club, and the few members who remain have grown tired of planning everything for so long.

"Some of them have been doing this for 25 years or more," Behrens said. "It's going to take a little more community involvement...so it's not the same 10 people doing everything."

Behrens encouraged the council to approach residents about helping out with Everly Community Days and other events so they can continue in the future.

"If we don't do anything we're going to be a town with pretty much nothing when it comes to unity because there's not much left," he said. "We have to get some new, fresh blood in and change with the times a little bit here."

Behrens offered a plea to the council, businesses and residents to not only donate their money, but also their time for community events.

"We have a lot of people in this town that give very generously, but money only goes so far with these events because you need the help, too," he said.

• Lack of industrial space discussed

Behrens also mentioned a lack of commercial industrial space as a point of concern for the city.

He said he was recently approached by a business owner wondering about property availability in Everly. The mayor noted there were little to no areas within city limits or bordering them that were conducive to commercial development, and he was unsure how to proceed in the future.

"Do we just plan on the town dying? Is that where we're at?" he asked the council. "We don't have anything to offer [to prospective businesses]."

Council Member Tara Patrick also noted frustration regarding the issue.

"There's just no place within the city limits to erect a new business," she said.

The council very briefly discussed the possibility of creating an industrial park for the city, but funds don't presently exist to invest in a project that large.

"I would love to develop an industrial park in the future," said Council Member Shaun Iske, noting the city's current financial obligations to the sewage pond upgrades and future pandemic-related budget uncertainties.

Berends wanted to make the council aware of the problem if any business owner approached them about land in Everly.

"It's not that I don't want to help, I just don't know where to go with anything," he said.

• East Fourth Street lots to be sold

Two city-owned lots on East Fourth Street near the railroad will be put up for sale.

The third lot, which is used to pile snow, will be retained by the city.

The council passed a resolution detailing requirements for any future sales. The lots will be sold for $1,000 apiece, and any structure built or placed on the lots will need to have a cement foundation. Any building that is moved in has to be approved by the zoning officer via a building permit after a review of pictures of the structure.

In other business, Behrens believed the city needed to start targeting owners of eyesore properties in town to get them cleaned up.

"They need to either fix them, sell them or figure out what to do," he said. "If we keep letting things go longer, it's just going to get worse."

The council agreed and believed spring was a good time to start.

"There are a lot of properties that need to be cleaned up," said Council Member Cheri Hoye.

Behrens said several properties have accumulated copious amounts of junk in their yards.

"It's ridiculous," he said. "It's getting crazy. With stuff with Covid winding down, we need to be getting back on that."