Dawn Rye | Writer

During last week’s Monroe Town Board meeting, Anne Beil’s building permit was discussed and a motion was made to surplus fuel tank, along with several other items on the agenda. 

Board member David Kleinsasser said the board has to declare Mike Kiggins’s fuel tank surplus. He explained once the fuel tank is surplus, it needs to be published in the paper. Kleinsasser noted the board would have the opportunity to vote at the next meeting. He commented that way, everyone would get a chance to place a bid. 

Board member Brad McCoy asked once the board declares its surplus in the paper, can the board start to accept bids? 

McCoy said the board couldn’t take any action on anything until they are in a meeting. He commented that he believes the board needs to read off every single bid. 

Resident Gene Berg noted that the board is forgetting to place a closing date on the bids. 

Next on the agenda was Beil’s building permit to put up a fence. 

McCoy asked Beil if she had a sight plan?

Beil noted that she didn’t make up a plan. She explained the fence would start at the corner of her house and go around. 

McCoy asked if the fence would be near the property line?

Beil said it would be right on the property line on both sides.

McCoy explained the ordinances states that neighbors are allowed input at the meeting if the fence is on the property line. 

Resident Mike Feste asked Beil if she knew where the property line was?

Beil said with Feste’s  fence in place she intended to place her fence against his fence. 

Feste explained his fence is not on the property line; it’s a couple of feet off. He noted he is off on the pins in front and cheated with the pins in the back, so he wasn’t against their property. 

Beil asked if it would bother Feste if she placed the fence against his fence and Feste said he would prefer that Beil not place her fence against his fence. 

McCoy recommended that Beil find her own property line. 

Beil asked if she went off of Ruth Unruh’s property and went over 140’ would that work?

Unruh said she gave Beil permission to place the fence as long as it’s not on their property. 

She noted she does have a professional to build the fence. 

McCoy commented the board is not in the business of finding property stakes. 

Beil said where the fence would go is not on Feste’s property; it’s Ebeling’s property. 

Feste explained, depending on which direction, he leases it from the Ebelings. He commented that he prefers if Beil didn’t attach her fence to his fence. She said it wouldn’t be attached to his fence; it would butt up to the fence. Feste explained Beil’s property is at a different angle than the rest. He said he recommends she get a survey done since they don’t know where the property line is located. 

Ben Beil said they are not doing that.

McCoy noted the board could approve the permit to have the fence on the property line. He said it would be the owner’s responsibility to make sure it’s placed on the property line. McCoy explained if the fence was not placed on the property line, it would cause future problems the board would need to address.  He said it sounds like Unruh is ok with the fence at the property line and Feste is ok if it is on the property line. 

Feste noted that he is ok with it; however, his fence is not on the property line. 

Ben Beil said they would do as Feste did, just put a fence up. 

He explained they would make sure they would place the fence two feet away from his fence, with nothing in the front. 

“So it would look a little stupid. We will do it that way,” exclaimed Ben Beil.

Feste explained his fence is not on the property line and that there’s a stake in the front and he cheated away from their property. 

“You cheat a lot as we found out,” said Beil.

McCoy noted the south property line is ok with Unruh. He said on the north property line it is ok with Feste. 

Ben Beil explained they would change it; they are going to place the fence straight up the garage and straight back to the property line. He said that way, they would be 20 feet from it. 

McCoy asked about the west side?

Beil said it’s in the back five feet. 

McCoy questioned if Beil knew where the property line was in back?

Beil noted they would go from post to post. 

Lois Ebeling commented that she believes Beil doesn’t know where the property line is. 

Beil said they would take the fence straight across.

McCoy noted to Ebeling to think carefully, is that going to cause problems for equipment?

Ebeling said yes, it would. 

Beil agreed to stake out some posts and have Ebelings come out for approval before the fence goes up. 

Ebeling said she doesn’t know precisely where the line runs. She noted Feste doesn’t know where the back post for the property line is. 

Ebeling commented the end of Feste’s fence might not be where the property line sits. 

Beil asked if she should go 150’ on her property, or six inches off the property line. 

Feste said it would be short of the property line in the back and more than six inches. 

Beil commented she has 150 feet x 150 feet of the property line to property line. She said if she went 140 feet, it would be off the property line. 

“Why don’t you just go put your stakes out, then we would check it out,” said Ebeling.

McCoy noted to him this sounds like a necessary discussion. He said the debate needs to happen before a fence gets built. 

Melloon commented from his understanding, Beil would place stakes where the fence would be placed. He said then Ebeling would approve the stake location so that it doesn’t interfere with the field. Melloon explained Beil wants to go from the corner of Unruh’s property straight north to the garage. He noted it would be 18-21’ away from Feste’s fence.

Beil said the property is not straight and it’s not square but that it sits at an angle. 

She commented that she would not take action until Ebelings could approve where the stakes were placed. 

“I get along with Lois and LeRoy and I don’t want to start anything with them,” said Beil.

Ebeling noted she believes it’s a good idea that Beil puts up a fence because the corn is currently shoulder high. She said she would hate to see if a child walks in there; it would be a disaster. 

The board agreed to table Beil’s building permit until the August meeting.