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Bi-State Regional Commission seeks feedback on transportation, economic development issues

on Thu, 04/10/2014 - 00:35   by Editor

The Bi-State Regional Commission wants your feedback on transportation and regional economic development issues facing the greater Quad Cities region.

The planning commission this week launched a discussion forum – Moving Forward, Starting Today: The Bi-State Region, IA/IL – which allows residents to submit comments and provide feedback on a variety of transportation and economic development questions and issues.

You can share your thoughts as well as read the ideas from other residents on local transportation and economic development initiatives.

Hospital wants city permission to mount billboard-size banners on building for a year

on Tue, 04/08/2014 - 20:26   by Editor

UnityPoint Hospital – formerly Trinity at Terrace Park – wants to take Bettendorf's ordinance allowing temporary advertising banners to a whole new level.

The hospital would use its building essentially as a two-sided billboard for a year if the Bettendorf Board of Adjustment gives its approval to variances of the city's mobile sign ordinance. The variances will be considered by the board at its Thursday (April 10) meeting.

(Editor Note: The UnityPoint Hospital variance was removed from the Board of Adjustment April agenda at the request of the hospital.)

The hospital wants to mount two 300-square-foot banners on the two sides of its building facing Interstate 74. City ordinance limits a company to one banner, 32 square feet in size. The hospital also wants to keep the "temporary" banners up for a year. City ordinance limits the display of such banners to 60 days.

5th ward alderman resigns; two announce interest to fill council vacancy

on Sat, 04/05/2014 - 00:15   by Editor

Bettendorf's 5th Ward alderman recently resigned from the city council, and two ward residents – Patty Herzberg and Scott Webster – have announced their intention to seek to fill the vacancy if a special election is held.

The Bettendorf City Council has discussed whether to hold a special election July 1, or fill the vacancy temporarily with an appointment. A decision on whether to schedule a special election is expected at the council's next meeting April 15.

Herzberg currently serves on the Bettendorf Public Library Board of Trustees and Webster ran unsuccessfully for the 5th ward seat in 2011.

City issues $20.8 million in bonds; 20-year payback will cost taxpayers $8.12 million in interest expense

on Fri, 04/04/2014 - 21:16   by Editor

Even with a competitive 3.354 percent net interest cost, the City of Bettendorf's latest $20.8 million general obligation bond issue will cost taxpayers more than $8 million in interest over the next 20 years.

The bond proceeds will be used to pay for capital improvement projects approved by the city council including $3 million for paving Forest Grove Road, $1.85 million for paving Hopewell Avenue, $1.55 million for repaving and widening of Utica Ridge Road, $1.4 million for new recreation trails along Crow Creek and Highway 67, $1.2 million for street reconstruction of portions of Summit Hills, Olympia Drive, Shadowbrook Drive, Central Avenue and Halcyon Drive, downtown and park improvements and a new roundabout at Middle and Crow Creek Road.

City Administrator Decker Ploehn and the city's bond counsel, Springsted, Inc., told city council members at Tuesday's (4/1) meeting they were very pleased the bidding attracted nine bond underwriting firms and that the interest rate from the low bidder was within a thousandth of what the bond consul had been expecting prior to the city's recent downgrade by Moody's Investor Service.

High debt burden cited by Moody's in downgrade of Bettendorf general obligation bond rating

on Sat, 03/29/2014 - 00:29   by Editor

Citing Bettendorf's high debt burden, Moody's Investor Service Thursday (3/27) downgraded the city's bond rating from Aa1 to Aa2. The lower rating is expected to result in higher interest on the more than $20 million in general obligation bonds slated to be issued next month.

The agency in its rating rationale said the city was in a "sound financial position supported by prudent fiscal management and flexibility to adjust tax levels," but added the lower rating "reflects challenges tied to the city's elevated debt burden, high fixed cost ratio and moderate exposure to two underfunded cost-sharing retirement systems."

Moody's also said the city could move its rating back up with "moderation of the city's high direct debt burden," which will reach $133 million after completion of this spring's general obligation bond issuance. The city's debt will reach 86 percent of the maximum debt allowed by the state after the new bonds are issued.

Grain Processing Corp. fined $1.5 million; ordered to comply with air permit regulations

on Fri, 03/28/2014 - 22:10   by Editor

Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) has agreed to a record $1.5 million fine and ordered to hire an independent firm to conduct a comprehensive environmental audit of its Muscatine corn-processing facility to assure compliance with federal and state environmental laws.

The consent decree approved Thursday (3/27) by a Muscatine County judge resolves a lawsuit filed by the Iowa Attorney General in December 2011, and addresses air and water pollution violations cited by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) as far back as 2009.

The Muscatine firm, owned by Kent Corporation, announced a $100-million capital improvement program for the GPC plant after the lawsuit was filed, and in its news release Thursday promised the plant upgrades will reduce air emissions "well below the newest and more stringent air quality standards now set by the EPA."

The company also said when its new corn-drying facility is complete, "smoke, odor, and haze will be nearly eliminated" at the facility.

Muscatine has been designated as in "non-attainment" for fine particulate (PM 2.5) pollution by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In 2013, of the 14 exceedances of air quality standards for PM 2.5 statewide, seven were recorded in Muscatine. For the same period, all 67 exceedances of air quality standards for sulfur dioxide (SO2) statewide were recorded in Muscatine.

QC area mayors, Bi-State side with business interests in opposing tougher ozone standard

on Thu, 03/27/2014 - 01:06   by Editor

If you suffer from asthma or other breathing problems aggravated by ground-level ozone pollution, you may be surprised to learn Quad Cities area mayors and the region's planning agency have sided with business and industry groups to urge the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) back off its plan to set tougher ozone pollution standards.

Without public notice, public hearings or a public vote, the mayors of Bettendorf, Davenport, Rock Island, Moline, East Moline and Muscatine along with the Scott and Rock Island County Board chairmen signed a letter from the Bi-State Regional Commission to EPA opposing the lower emission standard for ozone stating the change "would impose new and more costly standards on local businesses at a time of recession and historic unemployment nationwide."

The letter sent March 14 argues that "only areas without (air) monitors, smaller urban and rural areas, would be able to attract businesses and industries. This outflow of industry from large and midsize urban areas would be counter to smart growth and sustainability implementation strategies."

The EPA has been sitting on tougher ambient air quality standards for ozone emissions since 2008 and is finally moving ahead with the process that would lower the standard from 0.075 parts per million (ppm) to a level between 0.060 to 0.070 ppm. The 8-hour "primary" ozone standard is designed to protect public health and is based on "human clinical studies showing effects in healthy adults at 0.060 ppm, and results of EPA's exposure and risk assessment."

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