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Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Rec Center pays off $414,000 debt Community Chest exceeds their goal Stopping fee causes $198,000 cut New fire department officers sworn in

Rec Center pays off $414,000 debt by Latisha Sand

After almost four years the Delaware County Rec Center has paid off the $414,000 debt. “On Dec. 29 we paid off the rest of our debt,” said Dr. John Tyrrell, the head of a committee for the recreation center development. “Even before the debt, we had raised almost $1 million so the total cost was $1,350,000.” And, according to Tyrrell, that doesn’t include the labor and equipment donations made by the community. “All the equipment in the weight room was donated,” said Tyrrell. “We only had to purchase one major piece.” If the group would have waited one more year to start construction, they could have gotten a grant from the state for almost $2 million. “But we had already started construction when we found out about it,” said Tyrrell. The project had been 30-years in the making with Tyrrell and Les Carlson thinking of ways to get a weight room, basketball court and walking track together. But, according to Tyrell, there is still a lot to do with the building. For example, their next big purchase will be a curtain to divide the gymnasium, which will allow two activities to go on at one time in the gym, and to add basketball hoops on each end of the court so people can play full court basketball. “We are also looking at expanding the exercise room,” said Tyrell. The Rec Center still has money coming in from donations, like a $500 check that arrived earlier this month and several $8,000 and $10,000 pledges, which will help with the new additions. “We also have an anonymous donor that sends $1,000s each year,” said Tyrell. The committee has also set up a Directors Club where individuals can donate $500 and businesses can donate $1,000 annually, which will also help finance some of the new projects for the center. “Because of the volunteers who work at the desk and (do other things around the center), we only had to hire one person,” said Tyrell. “That helped us stay in the black and helped us pay off the debt.” That one person is Carlson, who “does everything,” said Tyrell. He makes sure that the volleyball nets are up or down if there is a basketball game and other things around the building. The long-term plans for the Rec Center would be adding a swimming pool and a racquetball court. In fact, when they were planning the center, a place was already set aside for the pool, however it would cost about $600,000 to put in and the racquetball court could cost $25,000 to $35,000. For now, though, the pool area has been rented out by the West Delaware softball team for pitching and hitting practice and the center also rents space for dance, judo and baton classes. And when the West Delaware Volleyball team went to state, the center closed the gym for the girls to practice on because it the floor is the same as the one in Cedar Rapids. The social room, which is located by the gym, has even been rented out, during closed hours, for big family gatherings. “I think there is interest there and it’s growing,” said Tyrell. Each year the membership has grown and the walking track has been extremely popular. The track, according to Tyrell, was designed to support the joints so it’s easier to walk on than regular concrete. Tyrell thinks it’s amazing that Manchester and Delaware County has been so interested and helpful in the Rec Center and other contributions around the town. “We put in the baseball and softball complex and the auditorium is going up from contributions,” said Tyrell. “There’s also scholarships for the three schools in Delaware County that are from just donations.” He’s very proud that the Rec Center is part of that. The Rec Center, which will celebrate their fourth year in February, is open Monday through Friday 6-8 a.m. and 1-8 p.m. and on Saturday and Sundays from 2 to 4 p.m. Full membership, monthly, is $20 (single), $30 (couple) or $40 (family) with monthly walking membership at $15 (single) and $30 (couple). For more information contact the center at 563-927-8027.

Community Chest exceeds their goal

The Delaware County Community Chest recently exceeded their $39,996 goal and are still receiving donations. “Last year we budgeted $36,000,” said Dr. John Tyrrell, a member of the Board of Directors for the community chest, “and we just increased our budget for 10 percent.” The Delaware County Community Chest, which is a successor of the Delaware County United Way, supports 13 agencies within the county. “In 2005, we paid more than what was budgeted,” said Tyrrell. “We hope to do that with this money as well.” The 13 organizations that benefit from the county-wide donations include: the Delaware County Campfire Boys and Girls, the Delaware County Boy Scouts of America, the Girl Scouts of Camp Little Cloud Council, the American Red Cross - Grant Wood Area Chapter, the Delaware County Senior Citizen Center, the Edgewood Little League, the Scenic Valley Area VIII Agency on Aging, Big Brothers/Big Sisters, the Operation: New View Head Start program, the Delaware County Association for Retarded Citizens, YWCA Domestic Violence Program, the Manchester Swim Club and the Franklin Street Underground. Contributions, which are fully deductible, can be mailed to P.O. Box 220, Manchester, IA 52057.

Stopping fee causes $198,000 cut by Latisha Sand

Since July of 2005, the city of Manchester has relied on a 4 percent franchise fee, which was collected on resident’s utility bills through Alliant Energy and Aquila, to help fund different aspects of the general fund. But, because of a lawsuit, the city must stop collecting the fee and come up with almost $198,000 for this year’s fiscal budget. In May of 2006, a lawsuit filed by a Des Moines women on the city of Des Moines, changed the way some franchise fee ordinances around the state are worded. And the city of Manchester was no exception. Late last year the city of Manchester became part of a small claims lawsuit because their ordinances didn’t specifically specify where the franchise fees were going. The franchise fee, which is, according to City Manager Tim Vick, “a fee that is allowed by Iowa code that city’s can collect for utility operations within a city’s right of ways,” helped fund the Manchester Volunteer Fire Department, Manchester Police Department, the Manchester Airport, the Manchester Parks and Recreation Department, the Manchester Public Library and Manchester City Hall. When the Manchester City Council approved to collect the fee in January 2005, they got rid of the 2 percent local option sales tax for the city and the West Delaware School District. Half of the 4 percent collected from the fee went to the local option sales tax and 2 percent went toward the general fund. As of Feb. 1, when Aquila will stop collecting the fees, the 2 percent local option sales tax is back on resident’s utility bills. “So their bills aren’t reduced by 4 percent, just 2 percent,” said Vick. But, according to Vick, “there is going to be an impact.” And it has started already. The Manchester Public Library, which had to cut or find additional revenue for about $20,000, has reduced their hours and the amount of books and newspaper and magazine subscriptions they purchase. All but six of the categories within the general fund budget were asked to cut some of their budget. The six that weren’t are categories or departments that bring in the money for the budget. For example, the Solid Waste Water Department brings in money for their part of the budget. The Street Department was asked to reduce their budget by $75,000 and found a way to power their street lamps through the Road Use Tax Fund, which comes from gas taxes and license taxes. “The quality of places in Manchester is outstanding,” said Vick, “and we want to keep it that way.” And the fiscal year budget for next year, which Vick and the rest of the Manchester City Hall office are currently working on, won’t be any better without that additional funding. “We won’t have that funding available,” said Vick, “and we have not found a stream of funding available. We are still looking at ways to find additional revenue.” The different departments are trying themselves to get additional funds to reduce the impact of the suggested budget cuts. For example, the Parks and Recreation Department just started collecting money from voluntary round ups on resident’s utility bills, a program called ‘Pennies for Parks.’ Residents just have to indicate on their bill, if they rounded up the amount they owe, to go towards the program.

New fire department officers sworn in

The Manchester Fire Department and Manchester Mayor Milt Kramer swore in eight new officers on Monday, Jan. 15. Dennis Meisgeier was sworn in as the Manchester Fire Chief, replacing retiring Jack Klaus. Bob Mason was sworn in as Assistant Fire Chief, Kevin Graybill as First Captain and Mike Corkery was sworn in as Second Captain. Other officers include: Bill Bergeson, Treasurer; Ed Tibbott, Secretary; Dennis Conrad, Safety Officer and Mark Helmrichs, Medical Officer.

PHOTO SUBMITTED Manchester Mayor Milt Kramer swore in the new Manchester Volunteer Fire Department officers on Monday, Jan. 15. Pictured above (left to right) Kramer, Fire Chief Dennis Meisgeier, Assistant Fire Chief Bob Manson, First Captain Kevin Graybill, Second Captain Mike Corkery, Treasurer Bill Bergeson, Secretary Ed Tibbott, Safety Officer Dennis Conrad and Medical Officer Mark Helmrichs.

As of Dec. 31, 2006, the Manchester Fire Department answered 132 calls, including 81 first responder calls, 51 fire calls and six rescue calls. Out of the 51 fire calls eight of them were structure, seven were grass or trash calls, six were vehicle calls, nine were smoke and gas smells, false calls and alarms or police assist and five were gas spills or other hazmat calls. There were eight mutual aid calls – one to Delhi, one to Masonville, four to Dundee and two to Ryan. There were two weather watches, 93 city calls and 29 country calls, including two to Coffins Township, 12 to Milo Township, 13 to Delaware Township and two to Prairie Township.

109 E. Delaware - P.O. Box 245 - Manchester, Iowa 52057
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