Monterey council opts out of alley survey

Monterey Town Council members have decided that a survey of an alley should be paid for by the property owner, not the town. 
The council discussed for several minutes, during a regular council meeting on July 10, whether it is the responsibility of the town to pay for a survey so that an alleyway can be vacated and the property owner can install a fence in that alleyway. 
Currently the alley, in the area of Washington Street on the east end of town, isn’t maintained by the town but there are state laws that prohibit structures from obstructing alleyways. The alley could be vacated with the approval of the town council. 
Town attorney Justin Schramm said because someone is wanting to install a fence it should be up to that person to have a survey conducted. 
It appears that one property owner would like for the alley to be vacated but the second property owner does not want to split the alleyway property. Schramm advised that the town shouldn’t be the mediator between the two property owners.  
Council president Doug Denton wants the town to send the property owners a letter explaining that they are responsible for the survey. He doesn’t want the town to be responsible to measure any of the property lines. 
A motion was approved to send a letter to the property owners adjacent to the alley that one of them has to obtain a survey if they disagree with the town assessment.