Helper City Council’s inaugural virtual meeting in response to the COVID-19 situation was hosted on Monday evening, beginning with a request from the recently built Family Dollar for a local area consent to sell beer in the establishment.
The consent requires council approval before it can go into effect. There was not anyone present in the meeting from the Family Dollar, though Mayor Lenise Peterman did open the discussion. After brief conversation, Councilman Gary Harwood motioned to approve, which was seconded by Councilwoman Michelle Goldsmith.
Following this, a possible yard of the month program for Helper was discussed. There would be two awards each month; the yard of the month and the most improved. Councilwoman Goldsmith presented this possibility to her fellow council members, stating she was prompted to begin this for two reasons.
The first was that there are violations in yards that many are concerned about, which have been turned over to Sgt. Rigruto. She stated that, on the other hand, there are a lot of well-kept yards in the city. During the last drive she took through the city, she noticed a citizen that told her to come when his yard looked great. She has chosen two yards already, with the choice for the most improved being suggested by more than one source.
The process of nominations was questioned, which Councilwoman Goldsmith stated those that wish to nominate a candidate can let those know at the city hall, where it can be passed onto her. Other members of the council can also be informed. Furthermore, those that wish to submit their yards for the most improved can submit before and after photos.
The plans for the awards were then brought into question. The current plan is that yard signs will be printed and if approved, they would begin in May as the signs would take some time. This was approved by the council.