Kanab City Council approves Jacob Hamblin Park retaining wall

KANAB — The meet­ing of the Kanab City Council held on March 10 started in good time, with members of the public arriving as the Find the Spine event next door concluded. Council member Chris Heaton promoted the next installment of the Kanab Museum’s “Back When” series, coming soon. City Manager Kyler Ludwig re­minded the public of the Easter Egg hunt coming on April 4.

Photo courtesy of Kanab City.

During the public comment period, a member of the public stood to appeal to the city council for help, stating, “A lot of folks come and they bring old vehicles, old cars, old RV’s … and it just doesn’t look good for the community. We had a real estate agent come out and tell us it would be a chal­lenge to sell our home based on what our neighborhood would look like. I’m not that guy who just wants to complain … but when it means value to you, it gets you to pay at­tention.” The citizen stated they had filed multiple complaint forms and appeals on the city website and at the city offices; in response, city staff confirmed the sending of compliance letters in response to the complaint form, giving notified individuals 30 days to remove the of­fending debris or incur a fine. After the fine, city ordinances allow staff to remove the debris themselves.

The council then entered the agenda in earnest, starting with the appointment of Kevin and Mary Gla­zier to the Heritage Board, with Heaton stating, “The board is a little light on members right now … they’ll do great and we’re really excited to see them added to the board.” The council approved the appointment unan­imously.

Kelly Stowell with the Kane County Board of Economic Opportunity presented on the projects in col­laboration with Kane County Center of Edu­cation, Business and the Arts, including improvements on out­door recreation, local business training and film initiatives. Ce­leste Meyeres of the Kane County Commis­sion stood to voice the county’s support for the programs, reiterat­ing their import to the county.

Following a brief lot joinder approval, the council then con­sidered improvement of a retaining wall at the Jacob Hamblin Park baseball fields, a project for which the city has been bud­geting for years. Per Ludwig, “This is a project that should have been finished a decade ago.” The coun­cil approved the project unanimously. The wall would be composed of interlocked concrete slabs, and would miti­gate erosion, shifting foundations and flood damage.

The new retaining wall project would ex­tend the existing wall around the perimeter of the field.

The meeting con­cluded with a review of upcoming council topics, including plans to update outdated signage in and around Kanab, after which the council voted to adjourn.