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Family Museum director resigns after less than 2 months on job; council approves new search

on Fri, 10/18/2013 - 18:49   by Editor

The recently hired director of the Bettendorf Family Museum resigned from the job effective Oct. 11 after less than two months at the post.

Margaret Kuhl, who previously was director of the Felix Adler Children’s Discovery Center in Clinton, cited the need to devote time and attention to her family in her letter of resignation.

Kuhl, who was hired in late August at a salary of $62,250, replaced Tracy Kuehl, who retired at the end of 2011. Jeff Reiter, the Family Museum's business community relations manager, and Kim Kidwell, manager of learning experiences, served as co-directors until Kuhl was hired.

Middle and Crow Creek Road intersection targeted for city's second roundabout

on Sat, 10/12/2013 - 00:46   by Editor

Bettendorf is planning a second traffic roundabout – at the intersection of Middle and Crow Creek Roads – more than a decade after the city's initial roundabout at Middle and 53rd Avenue was installed amid howls from drivers puzzled by the region's first major intersection without stop signs or signal lights.

Complaints about the first roundabout have diminished over the years as motorists have learned how to navigate around the roundabout. However, even in recent years there have been calls to replace the roundabout with a traditional signalized intersection.

The rift widens between PV schools and LeClaire over use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF)

on Wed, 10/09/2013 - 00:26   by Editor

It wasn't lost on Pleasant Valley School Superintendent Jim Spelhaug that the comfortable chair and well-appointed LeClaire City Council Chambers were paid for primarily by school district taxpayers.

And, it wasn't lost on LeClaire Mayor Robert Scannell that Spelhaug and one other school district official were the only taxpayers at the council meeting to question the city's continued use of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to pay for a growing array of municipal amenities.

Spelhaug's appearance before the council Monday (10/7) was to strenuously object to the continued use of a "layered" TIF by the city, a practice which has helped the city build a new library, city hall and sewage treatment system improvements.

Thanks to the TIF established nearly 20 years ago, the city has been able to funnel property taxes levied by the school district and Scott County into city coffers for use as rebates to developers or to pay for city capital improvements.

Goals, goals and WOW, more goals

on Tue, 10/01/2013 - 01:45   by news

As we're now three months into the city of Bettendorf's 2013-14 fiscal year, it's time to turn our attention to what city leaders – the mayor, council and city administrator – plan to work toward over the remaining nine months.

Here is the "top priorty" list which emerged from several meetings in March/April or thereabouts (the public wasn't invited to participate and the press didn't attend):

  • Labor negotiations and contracts (direction)
  • Comprehensive plan and strategy for economic development
  • Community center/recreation and aquatic center
  • WOW Project
  • City events and festivals

'Wet weather' sewage discharges no longer publicly reported by Iowa DNR

on Thu, 09/26/2013 - 19:34   by Editor

When workers in Iowa City damaged a sanitary sewer pumping station in July, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) distributed a news release state-wide detailing the resulting 30,000-gallon sewage spill into a local creek and posted details about the incident on its web site.

When the city of Bettendorf pumped an estimated 5 million gallons of raw sewage – diluted with another 3.3 million gallons of rainwater – into the Mississippi River March 10, the IDNR did not notify the media or anyone else about the discharge despite the amount of untreated sewage being exponentially larger than the Iowa City spill.

So why does the IDNR make a public announcement about a 30,000-gallon sewage spill in one community and not provide the same information about a discharge nearly 200 times as large?

The primary reason, according to IDNR officials, is the Bettendorf discharge was diluted with rainwater – which had seeped into sewer lines – likely keeping the level of pollutants below the maximum allowed by the city's discharge permit.

Federal appellate court hands EPA sweeping victory in North Dakota's challenge of air pollution 'haze' regulations

on Tue, 09/24/2013 - 22:23   by Editor

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) acted properly in requiring stricter air pollution controls on several of North Dakota's largest coal-fired power plants, according to a ruling issued Monday (9/23) by the 8th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.

The case involved the EPA's implementation of a federal plan to reduce power plant emissions which create haze at national parks, specifically the Theodore Roosevelt National Park near Medora, ND, and the Lostwood National Wildlife Refuge near Kenmare, ND.

"Although the state was free to employ its own visibility model and to consider visibility improvement in its reasonable progress determinations, it was not free to do so in a manner that was inconsistent with the CAA (Clean Air Act)," the court said. "Because the goal of section 169A (of the act) is to attain natural visibility conditions in mandatory Class I Federal areas, and EPA has demonstrated that the visibility model used by the state would serve instead to maintain current degraded conditions, we cannot say that EPA acted in a manner that was arbitrary, capricious, or an abuse of discretion by disapproving the state’s reasonable progress determination based upon its cumulative source visibility modeling."

Only one of three Bettendorf City Council seats to be contested in Nov. 5 municipal election

on Mon, 09/23/2013 - 20:24   by Editor

Only one of three Bettendorf City Council seats will be contested in the upcoming November 5 municipal election.

Three candidates have filed to replace Alderman At-large Tim Stecker, who is not seeking another term on the council.

Those filing to replace Stecker are: Kurt Whalen, of 2733 Heather Lane; Gary Mohr, of 4755 School House Road; and Chad Miller of 4340 Tanglewood Road.

Second Ward Alderman Scott Naumann and Fourth Ward Alderman Greg Adamson filed for re-election and are unopposed.

The deadline for filing was Sept. 19.

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