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Resident Ben Stossen defends recycling business, urges city to fix hydrants not buy $30,000 siren
Summary
Public commenter Ben Stossen defended Dawson Recycling after online targeting, presented counts of condemned/abandoned/dilapidated properties across Gregory (condemned 22, abandoned 29, dilapidated 43), and urged council to spend $30,000 on functioning hydrants and fire trucks rather than a siren.
Ben Stossen, a public commenter who identified himself during the meeting, defended his Dawson Recycling business and pressed the council to focus spending on fire suppression infrastructure rather than purchasing a $30,000 siren.
Stossen listed neighborhood property conditions he said are a public-safety concern and gave a neighborhood tally he said he had compiled: "That gives you a total of condemned properties of 22, abandoned 29, dilapidated 43," and argued that failing hydrants and fire units should be prioritized over a siren purchase. He said his site stores metal and wood stockpiles and disputed claims that the operation is unduly hazardous to the city.
Council members acknowledged the concerns and said staff was working to address blight and infrastructure issues. The mayor/meeting chair noted the council's awareness of those problems and invited follow-up, but no council action on those specific recommendations was taken during the meeting.
Stossen also criticized a proposed siren purchase, saying the device would not have helped during a recent large fire and urging the city to invest in working hydrants and fire trucks instead. "Why not put that $30,000 towards working fire hydrants around that area?" he asked.
The public-comment exchange raised local safety and code-enforcement concerns; it did not produce immediate council directives or budget changes during this session.
