About 40 people gathered Thursday for an Otoe Village Board meeting regarding a scrap metal business on main street and untidy residential properties. Photo by Dan Swanson

The chairman of Otoe’s village board hopes the 40 people who gathered at the community center Thursday to discuss untidy properties will incite a new push to clean up the town.

Residents told the chairman, Michael Cardinal, that they are ashamed of the town’s appearance and many of the comments were aimed at Haag Manufacturing on Main Street.

Residents say there were no problems when Bill and Russ Haag opened the business in 1985. They recycled metal and manufactured commercial machinery used to bail aluminum, appliances and cars.

Russ Haag told the board Thursday, however, that the record prices for scrap metal caught him by surprise.

Truckloads of metal were arriving faster than Haag could process it, and Cardinal said complaints started to pile up.

“I’ve talked to all the people about cleaning things up. I’ve been to this house and that, but all they do is point down to Haag’s,” he said. “They say if you make Haag clean up, then we’ll clean up,” he said.

Haag said Friday he is no longer accepting scrap metal in Otoe and he plans to deliver the remaining recyclables to market.

Otoe has ordinances that forbid abandoned vehicles and conditions that are “offensive to the senses.” Cardinal also signed a 2006 ordinance that bans salvage and junk yards within the city limits.

However, he said, it costs the village lawyer fees every time a letter is sent out asking a property owner to comply with the law. He said the town can not afford to fight every property owner in court and asked Haag to take the lead by cleaning up.

Questions were raised about grants that might be available to help the town, but town board member Ralph Edwards said it misses the point.

“We don’t need a grant. We need elbow grease and to quit having the attitude that it’s not my problem,” he said.

Edwards said the town’s residents know whether or not people need help hauling things away. He said Otoe needs neighbors helping neighbors.

“I’m more than happy to help you,” Haag said. “I’ve been here a long time. I like the town, I raised my kids in this town,” he said.

Village Clerk Dena Bennett agreed to place a notice in the town’s 88 water bills giving everyone 30 days to comply with the village’s nuisance ordinances.

Cardinal said there are a lot of people in Otoe who are still proud of their community, but said chances are slim there will much progress on cleaning up this fall.

“I’m not giving up, but maybe I’m getting burned out,” he said. “I’m proud of this town, I’ve been here for 30 years and it has never been as bad as it has the last six years,” he said.

At the meeting, Dan Pester of Syracuse, who works part-time at Haag’s, said there should be less complaining and more suggestions for solutions.

“There’s only one solution, clean it up,” said board member Willard Ropers.

Otoe County Commissioner Dale Haverty, who attended the meeting, said the entire county cares about what happens in Otoe.