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July 30, 2008 |
In an historic accomplishment culminating almost two years of discussion, members of the Prairie du Chien business community are putting the finishing touches on completion of a major storm water project for the City of Prairie du Chien.
In what appears to be the first such venture in the State of Wisconsin, area businesses are saving the city thousands of dollars by doing the projects themselves.
The story began in July, 2006, when a storm water technical advisory committee (SWTAC) was formed to consider the feasibility and possible implementation of a storm water utility for the city.
The purpose of the utility was to establish a separate account, or utility, outside of the general budget to fund much-needed storm water projects. The utility would function by assessing and collecting fees from local property owners based on the amount of impermeable land surface such as driveways, parking lots and rooftops on their property.
The annual budget for the utility was estimated to be over $400,000. Businesses, which have the greatest amount of impermeable surface, would bear the greatest financial burden.
Representatives of local businesses appeared at several council meetings to speak against the utility, which was presented to Council as a recommendation in August, 2007. Chris Mara, a businessman who has been active in the storm water projects, says of the businessmen, "Unlike the parties involved in most disputes at City Hall, they came armed with a proposed solution. It was generally agreed that there were some critical problems with our aging storm water sewer system that needed to be addressed. The group felt that the proposed utility was an expensive way to fund the projects and would have long term detrimental effects on the local economy and the ability to recruit new businesses to our community. There had to be a better way."
That better way was a proposal to raise money voluntarily and complete five of the most critical storm water projects in exchange for the city delaying the proposed utility for at least the next three years.
In September, 2007 the creation of an the Ad-Hoc committee was approved. The committee included city staff and the business owners, and their charge was to develop an agreement to do storm water improvements. The first meeting of the ad-hoc committee was on October 18, 2007. The committee consisted of Joe Ruskey, Jaaren Riebe and Terry Meyer representing the city, and Blair Dillman, Randy Weeks and Chris Mara, representing business concerns.
On December 18 the storm water agreement was presented to the council for their approval, with the projects and timelines included. The Prairie du Chien Development and Enhancement Group, LLC (PDCDEG) was formed to enter into the agreement with the city and raise the money needed to complete the projects. This agreement was signed on January 29, 2008.
The projects on the list were: the ditch under the Jackson Street bridge, earth work on the remainder of the that ditch, improvements to the Fillmore Street inlet, and storm water mapping. A fifth project, drainage improvements at McLeod Street, had been completed before the contract was signed.
Once the agreement was signed, local businesses were asked to make a three year pledge. To date, 20 business have donated almost $30,000, most of which has already been spent to complete the first two projects.
The Jackson St. bridge project, the first major project on the list, is close to completion. Only blacktop and landscaping are left to be done. Prairie Sand and Gravel, Inc. and Design Homes, Inc. have donated the use of their heavy equipment in addition to monetary contributions. Faith Evangelical Free Church allowed the removal of a few trees and use of their property as a staging area to complete the Jackson Street project. Mara said that the project had been budgeted to cost over $100,000 in taxpayer money, but was completed for under $30,000 in donations. The businesses are able to do the projects for so much less because they don’t have to make a profit on them and are able to use their own equipment and employees. Mara said they are hoping to have the participation of all businesses that would have ended up having to pay a utility fee. The money collected goes into a segregated account specifically for storm water use.
Earth moving on the rest of the ditch approaching the Fillmore Street intakes is expected to commence in August with possible help from the Wisconsin National Guard. Storm water mapping has begun and should be completed by the end of the three year agreement.
Terry Meyer, co-manager of Public Works, said of the project, "It feels good to be doing a partnership instead of butting heads." He added, "This is a good short-term venture, but it also has the potential to become a long-term agreement." Meyer said that at some point, the DNR may require that the city implement a storm water management plan, but "these people are doing the big projects, and even if we’re forced go to a utility, it may be considerably less expensive because of what they’ve done."
Said Mara, "The projects are on schedule with the agreement and will be done well before a utility could fund them and the wheels of government turn to complete them. Under budget and ahead of schedule—the ground-breaking agreement seems to be working."
Harry Remz, fire chief of Prairie du Chien, would like to see the department buy a new aerial ladder truck.
According to Remz, their current aerial truck is 22 years old and barely passes safety inspections.
Of course, getting a new truck is expensive; about $1 million according to Remz. But he notes that almost no one drives a 22-year old car, let alone using such an aging piece of equipment for lifesaving rescues.
In anticipation of purchasing a new truck, members of the Prairie du Chien Fire Department tested out a new aerial truck on July 23. The demonstration truck was provided by E-ONE, a manufacturer of custom and commercial pumpers, tankers and aerial ladder fire vehicles based in Ocala, Fla.
The 114-foot boom on the demonstration truck was used to put several firefighters on the roof of a building at 3M and also at Cabela’s, companies with some of the tallest and largest buildings in the city.
Not only can the boom raise straight up, it can articulate in different directions to give firefighters greater flexibility and access for firefighting and rescue on tall or complex structures.
The test-drive was attended by about 20 firefighters, Fire Chief Remz, Mayor Karl Steiner and councilpersons Linda Munson and Frank Pintz and Bob Meyer of the Police and Fire Commission.
The city is in the beginning stages of investigating how they might finance the new truck. Possibilities for funding include using TIF dollars, a government backed loan, a grant from Homeland Security, or a combination of these and other sources.
Remz says that he would like to see the new truck purchased within one to two years—a new truck would have to be ordered a year in advance from the manufacturer.
July 28, 2008 |
Carrying signs in English, Spanish and even Hebrew, nearly 2,000 marchers descended on Postville, Iowa, to call for change.
The rally was held in support of immigrant worker rights and to call for immigration reform.
Buses carried groups from Minneapolis and Chicago to attend the rally, and individuals came from throughout the tri-state region and from as far away as New York.
Postville is home to Agriprocessors, Inc., the nation’s largest kosher meat packing plant.
The last time this many people showed up in Postville was on May 12, when scores of U.S. Immigrations and Customs officials and dozens of police officers swooped down on the town and arrested 390 workers at Agriprocessors on immigration and identity theft charges.
Since then the community and many worker’s families have been in disarray. Some of those arrested were immediately deported, more were sentenced to five-month prison terms for aggravated identity theft for use of fraudulent or stolen social security numbers and immigration violations. When their prison terms are completed, most will be deported. According to a July 27 report in the Des Moines Register, some of the new hires to replace these workers have come from homelass shelters in south Texas; police calls in Postville since the raid are up.
The rally began with a prayer service at St. Bridget’s Catholic Church, which was filled to overflowing. St. Bridget’s has been the central hub for immigrant assistance in the community since the raid.
Sr. Mary McCauley opened the service.
"This afternoon we stand in solidarity with all of our Hispanic brothers and sisters who were affected by the May 12 raid on Agriprocessors. We call for reform, not raids," she told the crowd.
Her introduction was followed by prayers and songs led by visiting rabbis including Rabbi Robert Marx of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs of Chicago.
Also speaking at the service were Pastor Mark Anderson of the Northeastern Iowa Lutheran Synod and Jerome Hanus, Catholic Archbishop of the Diocese of Dubuque.
Graciela Moncada, her daughter Victoria and little Angel Montiel attended the prayer service and rally dressed in red shirts, like other imigrants, to show their solidarity. When asked if the raid affected her family, Graciela, who speaks little English, pointed out the electronic monitoring bracelet she wears around her ankle.
Women with small children like Graciela were sentenced as a result of the raids, but did not receive prison time. They were placed on electronic supervision. As illegal immigrants they are not allowed to work, but cannot leave the country until their sentence has been completed. They face the difficulty of trying to support their families with no income.
Rabbi Harold Kravitz of Adath Jeshurun Congregation of Minnetonaka, Minn. attended the march, and his congregation and others have made donations to help support families like Graciela’s.
Following the prayer service, the marchers took up their signs and banners and began their march which included stops at the entrance to Agriprocessors and passed down Lawler Street in downtown Postville before returning to the church.
Numbering around 2,000, the marchers trailed in a long line that went for blocks.
Chants of "Immigrant rights are human rights!" "Change now!" and "Si se puede!"—Yes, we can! filled the streets
Residents of Postville watched the march from their porches and lawn chairs and from the comfort of parked cars.
At the entrance to the plant, Rabbi Harold Kravitz addressed the crowd, saying that his congregation was calling on the Jewish community to establish fair labor certification for kosher meat.
"We are here because we care about these workers," he said.
Members of Postville’s local Hasidic Jewish community were noticeably absent from the rally and march. Most have some connection to Agriprocessors.
When the marchers reached downtown, some exchanged shouts with counter-demonstrators, who held signs across the street and chanted "U.S.A.!" Numbering about 75, they carried signs saying ‘Stop the illegal invasion,’ ‘The more raids the better,’ and ‘What would Jesus do? Obey the law!’
A long line of police officers and state patrol separated the two groups, although the demonstration was peaceful. Anti-immigration ‘skinheads’ that were rumored to be in attendance at the march did not turn up.
Whether the march and rally, so unusual for a small Iowa town, has gained the attention of elected officials remains to be seen.
A group of residents opposed to the roundabouts planned for Marquette Road and upset over the council’s refusal to attempt to back out of the contract for their construction is now circulating petitions for a referendum and for the recall of five council members.
The purpose of this action, said group spokesperson Clem Wachuta, is "to change the council to hopefully have a new council that actually listens to the people of Prairie du Chien and represent the citizens of Prairie du Chien in City Hall."
He said all the necessary papers have been filed to begin the process of recall for council members Becky Hackett, Linda Munson, Kathleen Hein, Sharon Boylen and Joe Ruskey. The only other member who would be eligible for recall is Frank Pintz, Jr. Pintz is opposed to the roundabouts and, said Wachuta, he would provide some continuity for a new council. The other council members have been elected or re-elected too recently for recall.
The recall petitions will be circulated by district for each council member. Wachuta said the number of signatures necessary for a recall election varies by district, but could be as low as 60 in some districts. The reason for the variation is that the requirements are dependent on the number of votes cast in a particular district in the last gubernatorial election.
The proposed referendum does not call for cancellation of the contract, but rather asks for a yes or no vote on enacting a new city ordinance that reads, "There shall be no roundabouts on Marquette Road." He said that following passage of the referendum, the new council could then take action on the contract with the DOT.
Although City Attorney Tom Peterson has stated that, based on similar cases, he does not believe the contract can be broken, Wachuta says he thinks the city’s situation is somewhat different. He also said he still questions the validity of the roundabout contract signed by the former city manager.
Wachuta said because the recall actions were all filed on the same day, voting for the recalls would also occur on the same day, and would likely be a special election. The would probably go on the November ballot. City Clerk Barb Elvert estimates a special election will cost the city about $6,000.
Prairie du Chien City Council members Dave Hemmer and Jaaren Riebe last week spoke about their concerns for the city on over WPRE radio station and in a separate visit to the Courier Press.
Their main purpose, they said, was to dispel rumors and present residents with a clear picture of the options available to the city. They addressed eight of the statements they have heard which they feel are inaccurate:
•Several large businesses are said to be leaving town. Hemmer said he had made his own inquiries and they have no plans to leave.
•Council members were supposed to have met illegally before regular council meetings. That did not happen, they said.
•There have been conflict of interest charges. Hemmer said he works for Prairie Sand and Gravel, and if an issue involved that company, he would do as he has done in the past and abstain from voting.
•In a statement credited to council member Michael Brouse and printed on the opinion page of the Courier Press June 30, Black Earth, Wis. is supposed to be considering removing its roundabouts after only three years of operation. That, said Riebe and Hemmer, would be quite a feat, since Black Earth has no roundabouts.
•A claim that the estimated costs to the city in the DOT contract are lower than the actual costs will be is probably true, they said, since the costs were based on 2006 figures. However, the percentage of the amount the city will pay will not change.
•Hemmer and Riebe said the mayor had asked who would pay for asbestos abatement. According to the head project engineer at the DOT, they said, the city would be reimbursed for those costs.
•Riebe said council members had been criticized for not responding adequately to questions brought up by residents at a recent council meeting. "We did not make statements during the meeting because we wanted to double check the facts." Riebe said he did not want to mislead people with incorrect data.
•Since several people have suggested the DOT be required to replace the roundabouts if they do not work, Ian Winger, director of the DOT project, said they usually allow some time for people to get used to the change. Then, after a year’s time, he said, "if a problem exists, or it ‘does not work,’ WisDOT will make the necessary modifications to optimize the operation of the road."
Hemmer said as he sees it, the city has a number of options. They are as follows:
•Do nothing and leave the road as it is. The city would owe the DOT $330,000 in design fees plus $40,000 credit the city would have for land set aside for roundabouts in the Walgreen’s development. "We would still have a bad road the city is responsible for maintaining," he said.
•Change the design to utilize turn lanes and stop lights. The city would still owe $330,000 in design costs for the roundabouts plus 25 percent of new design costs, the city’s share of which the DOT estimates at $100,000. That adds up to $430,000 for design costs. Approximately five less properties would be bought up. It is unknown how long the project would be delayed because of the changes.
•Place a stop light at the intersection of Marquette Road and Iowa Street, and perhaps widen Marquette Road a foot with no turn lanes. When consulted, Winger said he did not believe the DOT would allow it because it did not adequately address safety issues. If allowed, the entire costs would be the city’s, and the $330,000 in roundabout design fees would still be owed.
•Proceed with the roundabouts. The city would be responsible for its share of the roundabout design costs, estimated at $130,000 in 2006. The city is responsible for all underground utility work, but the DOT will reimburse some of the cost of storm water work. The DOT will also pay some of the design costs for new railroad crossing guards a the three roundabout crossings which, if the city wants to maintain its quiet zone, will be required whether the roundabouts go in or not.
The bottom line, said Hemmer, is "we would have to fork out some money but we will have a new road. If we cancel the project we still have to pay the design money back and still have the same bad road."
He added, "The citizens of Prairie du Chien have every right to recall us, but do they really want to govern by recall and referendum on one issue?"
Both Hemmer and Riebe suggested people talk directly to their council members. Riebe said very few of those opposed to the roundabouts have have actually talked to him.
