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Residents press council on tree lighting, downtown traffic signage and housing development progress
Summary
Public commenters asked city officials for additional holiday tree lights, suggested downtown traffic signage or turn-lane options to reduce congestion, and asked for updates on local housing developments; staff responded with inventory checks, traffic-count context and sales-price figures.
Several residents used the public-comment period to raise straightforward neighborhood concerns.
Mike Lowry asked whether the city budget could cover additional lights for the newly delivered holiday tree and whether the tree could be wrapped deeper to improve appearance. Public works staff said they would check existing inventory and return with a number and noted the city would evaluate whether the manager’s authorized budget would cover additional lights.
Resident Richard Karnes raised persistent downtown congestion at the intersection approaching State Route 571 and asked whether signage directing westbound traffic to use Church Street could reduce backups. Public works staff and the city manager said traffic counts, permitted wide loads, and prior construction closures had contributed to recent congestion; staff said they would investigate signage and described tradeoffs (diverting state-route traffic may affect state gas-tax counts that fund local allocations).
A council member asked for an update on new housing development activity; staff reported more than 70 homes have been built across two developments and cited average sale prices—about $310,000 for small ranch‑style homes and roughly $333,000–$340,000 projected for two‑story homes.
City staff committed to follow up on lighting inventory and traffic‑signage feasibility and noted planned communications about the town’s tree-lighting event on Nov. 29 at Maine and Washington at 6 p.m.
