SALEM — City council approved updates to the city’s regulations regarding mobile food vendors and fences during its meeting Tuesday.

Council voted unanimously to approve two ordinances updating the regulations for fences on a shared property line; mandating that property owners who want to build a fence on a shared property line to either have the property officially surveyed to determine the location of the property line and to submit that survey to the city zoning officer; or to have a signed and notarized agreement with the neighboring property owner agreeing to the location. Councilman Jeff Stockman explained during an Aug. 19 rules and ordinances committee meeting that many residents expressed frustrations with the ordinance’s previous requirement that fences built without a signed agreement from both property owners be set 3- feet back from the property line –arguing that it amounted to ceding three feet of their property to the adjacent property owner.

The mobile food vending ordinance designates that a permit application be submitted “to the city zoning officer or his or her designee” and a that “a separate application packet must be submitted for each unit.” It also specifies that fees for single day, six-month, and annual licenses will be set and published as part of the city’s annual fee schedule, and that all permit fees also include an additional 10% surcharge “to cover the cost of refuse removal from city trash receptacles.”

Council also discussed a resolution authorizing the parks commission to enter negotiations for the transfer of real property from the county park district regarding an approximately 0.35-acre property at 364 Sharp Avenue.

The property, which was first discussed during the parks commission’s Aug. 20 meeting, was gifted to the Columbiana County Park District by the Columbiana County Land Bank with the condition that no profit could be made from the property and that it must be used as a park or for recreational purposes. However, as the parks district does not have a purpose for the property nor any other nearby properties it is looking to transfer ownership of the property to the parks department.

Councilman Jake Gano asked what the plan for the property would be and Mayor Cyndi Baronzzi Dickey said that the parks department wanted to build a playground on the property and was seeking grant funding to cover that cost. Gano asked why a playground couldn’t be built at Kelley Park instead and Dickey said that she had been told that Kelley did not have sufficient space. The council ultimately voted to approve the resolution with Gano casting the lone dissenting vote. When asked why he had voted against the resolution Gano said he felt development should be focused on the city’s existing parks.

“Geez Louise how many parks do we need in this town? I’m not against parks; I just think we should be investing in the parks we already have, not taking new ones on,” said Gano.

Other matters approved included the appointment of Craig Fehr to the Salem Utilities Commission. Fehr will succeed Commissioner Randall Malmsberry who is resigning his position effective Sept. 30 due to his upcoming relocation outside of Columbiana County.

The city council will meet next 7 p.m. September 16.