ELLSWORTH – After a closed session at the June 7 Ellsworth Village Board meeting, the board approved a raze order for 245 Broadway St. in the East End business district.

The village has been receiving complaints from neighboring property owners since 2016 concerning 245 Broadway St. After complaints picked up traction again in June 2020, the board concluded on giving the raze order to demolish the property.

“After all these years of dealing with this eyesore, it feels good to make this decision,” said Ellsworth Village President Becky Beissel. “Property owners have a responsibility to the community to keep their properties in good shape. Blighted properties decrease surrounding property values, pose safety hazards, and reduce local tax revenue. It affects us all.”

T. Gregory Amann is the current owner of the property at 245 Broadway St., according to Pierce County property records. The property’s most recent business was law firm Amann & Associates, although it’s been vacated for several years. Prior to that, it was a former thrift store that opened in 1980.

Village website

Civic Plus is building a new website for the village of Ellsworth. The new website will provide different pages for each villagerun department and be accessible on all types of electronic platforms. The coding for the new website is planned to be updated every four years after it launches later in 2021 and will cost $8,500 for services.

Police report

One full-time Ellsworth police officer has resigned from their role. No name of this officer has been given publicly.

The Ellsworth Police Department plans to hire a new officer this summer, which has been approved by the village board. Ellsworth Police Chief Eric Ladwig said he hopes to hire one more full-time officer and more part-time officers as the year goes on.

In his report Monday night, Ladwig said arrests in Ellsworth are expected to rise as the jail is beginning to accept bookings again as of this week. The jail had not been accepting any new bookings because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Other business

•The village board approved transferring $41,947.26 in 2020 unspent library funds into the 2021 library funds. This will help provide funding for renovations and summer, fall, and winter programs for the Ellsworth Public Library for the remainder of this year.

•The board approved an initial resolution authorizing general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $525,000 for library projects (such as moving from its current location to 388 W. Main St.)

•The board also approved an initial resolution authorizing general obligation bonds in an amount not to exceed $265,000 for street improvement projects.

•The board approved an initial resolution authorizing general obligation refunding bonds in an amount not to exceed $440,000.

•The board approved the resolution providing for the sale of general obligation corporate purpose bonds, series 2021, not to exceed $1,230,000.