Jasper Council reverses original decision vacating alley amid property owner dispute
The Jasper Common Council voted to deny a petition to vacate a public alley behind Becher-Kluesner Funeral Home at Wednesday’s council meeting, repealing Ordinance Number 2026-5 and confirming the alley’s continued status as a public right-of-way.
The dispute centered on a north-south alley the funeral home had long used for deliveries, client services, and accessible rear-entrance access for elderly and disabled patrons. Neighboring property owners Jeremy Schroeder and Michelle Wiertel petitioned to vacate the alley, citing ongoing issues with vehicles blocking access to their property and damage to it.
Last month, the council discussed rescinding an earlier decision to vacate the alley because adjoining property owner Becher Kluesner Funeral Home was not properly notified of the petition.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Attorney Caroline Brinster, representing Becher Kluesner Funeral Home, opened the discussion by presenting a proposed compromise on behalf of her client. She said the funeral home would agree not to park under its carport during working hours or during visitations, and would work with vendors to double-stack vehicles to prevent parking in front of the neighboring property’s carport.
“The alley has been being used for 87 years consistently for deliveries, client services, visitors, and accessible rear entrance access for the elderly and disabled patrons,” Brinster said, noting that the petitioners did not dispute the alley’s use but objected to how it was being used.
Funeral home director Joe Kluesner clarified that working hours were generally 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, but acknowledged the nature of the business made scheduling unpredictable. “Every funeral is different,” he said, noting that people drop off gifts at all hours.
Brinster further clarified for the record that the no-parking commitment would apply from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or at any time visitations fell outside those hours.
Michelle Wiertel, speaking on behalf of herself and her husband Jeremy Schroeder, pushed back on the proposal, saying the compromise terms were too vague and that the couple had not been given adequate notice of the offer before the meeting.
“Before I even start, the fact that nothing was presented to us before we came to this meeting is not acceptable to me,” she said. “We should be conferring with our attorney before we agree to any sort of compromise.”
Wiertel said that since the previous council meeting, 39 vehicles had come through the alley, stopped, and parked, with only one driver being mobility-impaired—Becher-Kluesner has stated the alley provides access to the entryway ramp for elderly and disabled patrons to the funeral home. Wiertel further said the couple had made more than 10 documented attempts to resolve the issue directly with the funeral home before bringing the matter to the council.
“We came to you guys as a final resort,” she said. “Because we know that the attempts that we made weren’t working.”
Wiertel also clarified the original intent behind the vacation petition, saying the couple had never planned to block the funeral home’s access entirely. “If the alley was vacated, we would allow them to use it, but when we need to use it, we get to,” she said. “It is also our property.”
Councilwoman Nancy Eckerle urged both parties to resolve the matter without further legal intervention, reading a prepared statement calling on the neighbors to meet across the kitchen table rather than through attorneys or the court system.
“Your families have been friends for years,” she said. “Now is not the time to break up those longstanding family and friendship relationships.”
Councilman Kevin Manley appealed for more time, saying he did not want to see the council vote without another conversation between the two parties.
He petitioned the council to wait again and then come back for a decision if the two parties couldn’t work out the situation.
“I see both sides. I understand their business. I understand their house. I believe everybody here understands both sides of this,” Manley said.
He also said he felt leaving access to the alley intact would be the best way forward.
Property owner Schroeder told the council that the time for compromise had already passed and said that he couldn’t agree to the vague terms being offered by Becher-Kluesner’s counsel.
“I do believe we could come to some reasonable solution,” Schroeder suggested through he disagreed with the idea that the terms of the agreement being offered were that “Joe Kluesner’s gonna do his best.”
Councilman John Schroeder initially had moved to deny the petition at the beginning of the discussion, citing that the petitioners had not been properly notified at the outset of the process. The motion was seconded, but after the discussion, the council rescinded it.
Then, after both parties indicated they believed a compromise could still be reached, the council briefly considered tabling the decision for 30 days.
Mayor Craig pushed back, though. “We are just deciding if they were notified properly to vacate or not vacate, that’s all we’re deciding,” he said.
City Attorney Renee Kabrick confirmed that the decision before the council was whether or not to repeal the vacation of the alley.
As the discussion continued and it became clear that no agreement between the two parties was imminent, Schroeder reinstated his motion to deny the petition. The council voted in favor, with Manley supplying the single nay vote. The motion passed, confirming the alley as a public right-of-way.
In other business, the council unanimously passed Ordinance 2026-16, rezoning the so-called Giesler Farm property — a farm field north of Jasper Industrial Supply — from R-2 residential to I-2 industrial. The rezoning is restricted to warehouse and distribution facility use only, with no solar farms, battery energy storage systems, or data centers permitted. A 100-foot landscape buffer is required on the western edge of the property, and access is limited to Lottes Drive. No development timeline has been set, as the purchase agreement is contingent on the rezoning.
The council also approved Ordinance 2026-18 on first reading, establishing a special non-reverting capital fund for the Department of Parks and Recreation. The fund allows a portion of driving range proceeds — anything above the $65,000 annual maintenance cost for the Whitey Schroeder Practice Facility — to be directed toward a future pro shop. The amount transferred will be determined year by year in consultation with the city’s legal department.
Ordinance 2026-19, also approved on first reading, formalized operating hours and seasonal dates for city park properties, including the golf course, splash pads, soccer fields, and the municipal swimming pool. The ordinance aims to give the public clear, consistent information about when facilities are accessible.
The council passed Resolution 2026-17, authorizing the transfer of $10,037.75 in unused local matching funds from a completed Community Crossings grant project back to the local road and street fund.
The council also accepted donations to the Arts Department totaling $2,373.51, comprising an unrestricted gift of $1,950 and a restricted donation of $423.51 designated for performances.
