Jackson County Schools asks to reroute buses to Park Street; residents press council for traffic control and cleanup after Walnut Grove fire

Jackson County Schools has requested permission to reroute some buses to Park Street instead of crossing a nearby railroad track, city officials said at a Sept. 9 work session.

Council members and residents said rerouting would reduce bus backups caused by repeated railroad crossings. Residents described multiple buses arriving at the same time in the morning and recommended short-term police traffic control during peak pickup and drop-off windows. One resident asked whether the city could "set a police officer there for that 15 minutes or that 20 minutes" to ease congestion; the council discussed whether officers could be assigned on a temporary basis.

Why this matters: Bus routing changes affect daily traffic patterns and student safety. Council members said the request requires coordination with school district transportation and police for temporary traffic control.

Separately, residents raised concerns about a house fire in the Walnut Grove neighborhood and ongoing debris cleanup. Neighbors reported rodents and snakes entering nearby yards and said property-owner cleanup had been slow. Council members said they had asked the property owner to remove debris and noted the owner had used dumpsters and a forklift on-site; residents said progress was insufficient and urged more prompt removal.

City staff also discussed the municipal practice of charging homeowners for city-conducted evictions or post-eviction cleanup when the city must remove and dispose of personal property. The council described a possible process of sending a bill to the property owner for cleanup costs and placing a lien if the charge is not paid; staff said a formal code or process would be needed and that the city typically allows items to sit for a short period (discussed in the meeting as two days) before disposal.

Ending: Council members asked staff to coordinate with Jackson County Schools on the routing request and to report back on options for temporary traffic control. Staff also agreed to follow up on Walnut Grove cleanup and to draft any required procedures for billing property owners for city cleanup costs.