Committee report, made public, raises questions about intentions

ORIGINALLY WRITTEN BRENDA CONYERS
A report made available to the public last week has raised some questions in the minds of community leaders in Marion.


At the Nov. 13 city commission meeting, Police Chief David Mayfield, while presenting his weekly departmental update, included a report from the Beautification Committee of the Marion Chamber of Commerce.


The report stated the committee’s negative assessment of several residential properties in Marion. It listed names of some of the residents and included comments such as “messy and eyesore,” “building in front needs paint,” and “house unreal.”


Eloise Mueller, Beautification Committee chair, said the committee had divided Marion into six districts. Members of the committee were then assigned a district and evaluated private property for violation of city codes. A report was then compiled and given to the police chief for the police department for follow up and possible citations.


Contacted several days after the commission meeting, Mueller said she was unaware the report had been made part of the public record.


“I gave the report to David Mayfield for the police to check out,’ she said. “It wasn’t supposed to be made public.”


Mueller denied being aware that names had been typed beside some of the addresses, but did acknowledge having compiled the list.


Asked how observations about exterior painting, “messiness,” and recliners related to city ordinances, Mueller said such things could be “eyesores” for the community, though not a violation of city codes.


“Marion has been fighting this trash thing for several years,” she said. “There should be something done about junk cars and a limit to dogs that people can have. People shouldn’t have to live by neighbors like that.”


Margo Yates, executive secretary of the Chamber of Commerce, said, “The Beautification Committee has done a lot of really neat things for Marion, like painting the trash cans that are downtown, and redoing the benches in the park. But I do wish the report had been brought to the Chamber before being taken to the city.”


Dennis Nichols, city administrator, said: “This report is not connected to the city at all. This committee is a function of the Chamber of Commerce.”


Chris Costello, president of the Chamber, said he had not seen the report and knew nothing about it. But he did say some committees within the Chamber do act independently.

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