Resident tells council she waited 34 days for answers, urges removal of unpermitted fair signs

Jennifer Couchman, a Mayfield Subdivision resident, told the Imperial City Council on March 18 that the city has not provided written answers to an inquiry she first raised on Feb. 13 and that she has waited 34 days for a response. "How can anyone claim that I am not being ignored when my inquiries have sat unanswered for 5 weeks?" she said.

Couchman said her questions concerned a CFD number for the Mayfield neighborhood and missing tax information, and she also alleged unpermitted signage at the county fair that she said violated Imperial City code sections 3-6.1 and 3-3. She asked the mayor to hold the city manager and the finance director accountable, requested a written response by the end of next week, and asked for the immediate removal of any signs in the public right-of-way that lack a city permit.

Finance staff member Victor responded that he had told Couchman he would follow up and that he expects to provide the requested information next week. "I did told miss Cushman, last week that I was gonna get back to this week," he said, and said personal issues had delayed his response.

Chief Riel addressed the signage allegation: he said he had not checked since the fair shut down but believed South End signs placed by public services had been removed and that the small no-parking signs on the north side were noncompliant and nonenforceable. Later in the meeting staff confirmed the signs along 2nd Street had been removed.

The mayor asked staff to follow up on Couchman's requests. Couchman left the council with three clear asks: a written response to her Feb. 13 inquiry by the end of next week, accountability for the city manager and finance director, and removal of unpermitted signage.

The council did not take separate formal action on Couchman's requests during the meeting; staff committed to follow up.