Clinton board unanimously backs recommendation to vacate alley near police station

Members of a Clinton City board voted unanimously to forward a recommendation to the city council to vacate small sections of the alley adjacent to 113–119 6th Avenue South so the Clinton Police Department can enclose part of its parking and create a secure area for processing evidence.

The recommendation followed a presentation from an agency official with the Clinton Police Department, who said the fenced area would protect patrol and personal vehicles parked at the station, provide additional secured space for larger items seized during searches and reduce trespass and garbage on the lot. “We have to take property through search warrants, vehicles, larger items that we have to have secure and we really only have one bay to do that in,” the agency official said.

The official described a design with two electric fence runs controlled at poles on the north and south alleys, gated openings on the east–west alley for emergency and city-vehicle access, keypad entry and key fobs for patrol cars, and existing camera coverage of the lot. The speaker said funding for the work is included in the FY26 capital improvement program and that contractor Alliance has installed poles and run wiring to control boxes; remaining wiring and final site markings remain to be completed.

Several nearby property owners spoke during public comment. Sandy Petri, who said she owns multiple affected properties, sought assurance that access to her garage and the one-way circulation that exits to 6th Avenue South would remain usable and said the fence placement appeared to be on police property behind her storage shed. “That’s what we wanted to make sure ’cause our carport is a one way,” Petri said.

David Rose, owner of Rogers Automotive next to the police station, said he was opposed to vacating the alley because closing it would hurt economic development and restrict circulation. “I’m not against the fence all the way around. I think the employees can walk 20 foot without having a fence on each side. I think the gates can be put at the end of the property you want to do too ’cause you got to have gates anyhow. So this would put gates across the alley and I’m not for that,” Rose said.

A committee member who said they had met with Rose told the board the planned closure would affect only a small segment and that the east–west alley would remain passable to the city property line and out to 7th Avenue South, which the member said preserves business access. “The alley is open going from east to west past Mr. Rose’s business to our property line … there would be no blockage of traffic,” the committee member said.

Before the board voted, legal counsel Jim told members that the body’s role is to report and recommend to the city council rather than to enact a final vacation. Jim summarized the legal standard the board must consider, saying the board must find that vacating the alley would not deny property owners reasonable access or that the alley is not necessary for public use at public expense.

A motion to recommend approval of the alley vacation for 113–119 6th Avenue South was moved and seconded; a roll-call vote recorded Umesh Batia, David Brown, Charlie Graph, Jan Hansen, Mike Schultz and Carolyn Tallet as voting yes. The recommendation will be forwarded to the Clinton City council for final action.

The board adjourned after the vote.