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The
Official Newspaper of Manchester and Delaware County, Iowa
Tuesday,
June 20, 2006 | |
WD groundbreaking for construction
by Latisha Sand |
Construction has started on the new auditorium at the West Delaware High School and the school board celebrated it with a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, June 13.
“Everything is going really well,” said Ron Swartz, the director of buildings, grounds and transportation. He gave the board an update on the building’s process at their recent meeting.
The floodway is marked with a white line and the corners of the building are marked with red flags. Larson Construction has also started cementing some of the footings.
“The only problem may be a blessing,” said Swartz, “because of the sand the footings must be dug wider.”
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LATISHA SAND/Press
The West Delaware School Board celebrated the construction of the new auditorium with a groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday, June 13. Pictured are (back row) Tim Foster from Larson Construction; (middle row, left to right) Don Pasker from Seedorf Masonry, Roger Worm from OPN, board member Mike Ryan, board Vice-President Elwyn Curtis (front row, left to right) board President Gary Johnson and board members Edith Fortmann-Comley and Ilona Durey. |
But when one of the construction employees was at the site after a recent heavy rainfall, the sand was absorbing the water faster.
The windows on the existing building, where the new auditorium and classrooms will go, have been taken out and are replaced with plywood. Construction started June 6, the day after school let out.
Baker Lamar, whose contract was approved for the geothermal unit, has told Swartz that they will start the bore field on July 17. The field is located where the freshman and sophomore football teams practice. They should be done in October and arrangements have been made for football practice.
The school board also discussed and approved a contract with Mid-Iowa School Improvement Consortium (MISIC) for the Measuring of Academic Process (MAP) testing. This testing would replace ICAM and other testing services the district uses for their second assessment tests, the first being ITEDs.
MISIC was formed in 1998 to develop a core curriculum and standardize testing for the 15 central Iowa school districts that were part of the program. Now there are 90 school districts involved and, since there is a match between the West Delaware teacher written curriculum and the MISIC curriculum, Sue Daker, director of school improvement, believes it would be a good match.
“It’s a computerized test that targets exactly where the student is,” Daker told the board members.
“If the first question on the screen is answered right, the next question is a little harder. If the first question is answered wrong, then the question gets a little easier.”
Joining the program would mean costing the district a little more money, $12 per student to join verses $10 per student for ICAM, but will be less intensive for teachers.
“Volunteers will help set up the computers and answer any technical problems while the teachers will be there to answer content questions,” said Daker.
MAP has already been tested during the spring semester and can be used for third through 10th grade.
“It was brought up in faculty meetings in the elementary,” said Carol Tjaden, Lambert Elementary School principal, “and the teachers were up for it. Even the second grade teacher wanted in on it.”
Although the test is not timed, it’s estimated that each test would take an hour. It could be taken within the computer labs at the schools and the tests will cover math, reading, language and science.
The board signed a three year agreement that includes joining fees of $9,757.80. These fees are to be paid in three installments - $4,878.90 to be paid the fiscal year 2006-07; $2,439.45 due fiscal year 2007-08 plus that year’s annual fees and $2,439.45 due the fiscal year 2008-09 plus annual fees.
Annual fees for the program will cost $2 per student.
The board also approved:
• the contract to Price Industrial Electric Inc. to install fire alarms in the high school,
• the 28E agreement with Juvenile Court Services for the school-based suspension program for this coming school year,
• and the 28E agreement with Northeast Iowa Community College for the dual-credit classes for 2006-07.
Registration for Junior Kindergarten through 12th grade for the 2006-07 school year will be held Aug. 10 from noon to 7 p.m. and Aug. 11 from 8 a.m. to noon at the middle school cafeteria.
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First reading regulating sexually-oriented businesses
by Julie Sunne |
The Delaware County Board of Supervisors approved the first reading of County Ordinance #26, the ordinance regulating sexually-oriented businesses, at their June 12 regular meeting.
The purpose of this ordinance as stated is to regulate the time, place, and manner of operation of adult-oriented businesses so as to minimize the negative secondary impacts of such a business and to promote the health, safety, and general welfare of the public. It is not intended to regulate content of said businesses or to restrict or deny adults access to adult-oriented materials.
According to the provisions of the ordinance, a sexually-oriented business requires an annual license. Cost for application (initial and renewal) is $250. This fee helps defray the administrative processing costs. In addition an annual license fee of $1,200 ($100/month) will cover extra county expenses incurred from the operation of such a business. The license could not be transferred to another party. The business is also required to have a one million dollar liability insurance policy.
Location of the business facilities is also restricted by the ordinance. No sexually-oriented business may be located in a residential area of a Delaware County city or town unless specifically permitted by that city or town. They must also maintain a distance of 2,000 feet from any public real estate, such as parks, schools, and churches, government offices, restaurants, grocery and convenience stores, day cares, family trade businesses, and other sexually-oriented businesses.
In addition, signage is tightly regulated, with size measurements, number of signs, and content specified.
The ordinance prohibits persons younger than 21 from entering or being on the premises of the business, and prohibits the possession and consumption of alcohol in the facility or on the property. Chairman Bill Skinner clarified that these businesses may get a liquor license, but then they would be closely regulated and have to abide by the liquor license regulations.
The hours of operation for sexually-oriented businesses are specified as well. Sexually-oriented businesses must be closed from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m., Monday through Saturday and from 11 p.m.
Saturday to 6 a.m. Monday. In other words such businesses are not allowed to operate in the early morning hours or on Sundays. They must also permit inspections by designated personnel at any time during the hours of operation or when there are occupants.
Violations and penalties are also spelled out in the ordinance with fines being not less than $50 and no more than $500, and jail terms not to exceed thirty days.
There were a couple of individuals at the reading, but no questions were raised. The next reading will be Monday June 19 at the 1:15 p.m. regular meeting of the supervisors.
In other news an Allocation Agreement to receive the remaining HAVA funds in the amount of $42,990.19 was approved. This is a partial payment for the new voting machines purchased to meet HAVA regulations.
A public hearing concerning the application by Mouw Family Investments for a large hog confinement operation was held with no dissenters present. The proposed operation meets the 2,160 animal units and must pass the requirements of the manure management matrix. The points required by the matrix were reached and the supervisors voted to forward the application onto the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for their final approval.
The Board approved a fireworks permit application by Larry Savago. He completed the training and had the signature of the Dundee fire chief. The application is for July 29 at 10 p.m. with a rain date of August 5.
Transfer of funds was approved in the amount of $10,868.30 from rural services to secondary roads and $1,202.26 from general basic to secondary roads.
In road construction news, D47 east of Highway 13 is finished and the overlay work on the portion of the road west of Ryan is underway.
Also, the County Line box culverts are constructed and the road should be open to traffic in a couple of weeks.
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Lack of motion kills kennel amendment
by Brian Cook |
Dogs were again at the center of discussion at the Manchester City Council meeting on June 12.
A resolution allowing kennels in a general manufacturing district as a conditional use died for lack of motion on its third reading after a public hearing had been held. The Council called for the public hearing seeking input from neighbors at a proposed kennel in the old Bennett Explosives building.
Becky Salow, who lives on Jasper Street, raises Cocker Spaniels and Toy Poodles that she sells on the Internet as a closed kennel not open to the public. She has 30 dogs currently, and said that number would remain the same.
Salow said she has to keep some of her dogs at a residence in Quasqueton. It was discovered that she was out of compliance for the number of adult dogs in a residential area, when she applied for the conditional use of the building she wants to convert into a kennel. The zoning ordinances state that it is considered a kennel when there are four or more adult dogs.
Salow, who said she relies on the dogs as a portion of her income, said she wanted to have the dogs in a facility with a privacy fence, and that she wanted to improve the look of the building. Salow also pointed out that her facilities are inspected regularly since she is state and federally regulated.
Carl Starr, who lives next to he property with the dogs, told the council he did not want a kennel in the area. He said he did not think the kennel owners would comply with the law. Starr said he knows they have at least 20 dogs and that the dogs are often running loose.
Starr commented that it doesn’t do him any good to call the police, speculating that they must have a scanner that warns them to lock up the dogs.
In a separate matter, the Council set July 10 as the date for a public hearing on amending the ordinances pertaining to vicious dogs. There has been concern that the current ordinance does not allow for action to be taken against a dog before it attacks a person or another dog.
The Council also approved pay estimate No. 3 to Tschiggfrie Excavating in the amount of $168,069.35 for work on the Bailey/Brewer Walkway Project. Councilman Jeff Ogden had asked that he motion be removed from the consent agenda, citing questions of workmanship on the concrete by the subcontractor. Ogden then voted against the motion. |
Council debates loan to XL Trailers
by Brian Cook |
The Manchester City Council approved a resolution for an economic development loan for XL Specialized Trailers at a special meeting Thursday, but not without some reservations.
The loan from the City of Manchester is for $240,800 and will be paid back over 20 years with no interest. The City had previously agreed to give XL Trailers a $240,800 grant as part of an incentive package for the $4.3 million expansion project.
The debate revolved around the question of if the City would assume the second or third position on the overall loan or the project. XL Specialized Trailers representatives had asked the City to take the third position for the time being, assuring the council that Manchester would move to the second position after required paper work for another revenue source was complete.
XL looks to have the building completed in September. When complete the Manchester facility, which now employs 43 people, will increase to 100. That will include moving the office operations from the Oelwein facility.
XL has also agreed to a minimum assessment agreement of $4.8 million for the new facility to assure that the City of Manchester recoups its money through property taxes. |
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