At its July 1 meeting, the Pacific Board of Aldermen opened first reading on two ordinances to vacate public right-of-way and agreed the board could amend one bill at second reading to include an adjacent alley, after a nearby property owner raised the omission in public comment.

The matter arose when resident Doug Ors of 430 North Fifth Street asked the board to add a north–south alley to the city’s vacate map so that the city’s action would remove the entire alleyway. “The alley needs to be added going north and south is my recommendation,” Ors said during public participation. He supplied survey drawings to the city, he said.

The bill identified in the meeting as Bill 5284 addresses a 20-foot-wide alley dividing the Zitzman addition. Alderman Cleave sponsored Bill 5283; the board discussed whether the bills belonged in the land-use sections of the municipal code (Title 4) or elsewhere. Mayor Kelly and staff advised the board that the particular ordinance is for section 404.23 of the code, not Title 200 nuisance code.

After hearing Ors and discussing the scope of the alley described on the drawings, the board voted by voice to permit an amendment on second reading to add the additional alleyway Ors referenced. Mayor Kelly said the amended bill would be brought forward on the board’s July second reading to encompass the full area shown on the drawing.

Discussion only: the board did not adopt a final vacate ordinance at this meeting; the vote allowed an amendment to the bill on its next reading. The transcript shows the board discussed whether the alley described as 20 feet wide encompassed the full portion Ors described and agreed to consider the change at the next meeting.

Action on the underlying vacate(s) remains pending until the ordinance(s) return for a subsequent vote.