McGregor trash collection rates going up

By Lucy Rodenberg

At the February meeting of the McGregor City Council, Lynette Sander took the oath of office as McGregor’s City
clerk-administrator, replacing Tom Meyer, who resigned mid-January. Sanders has had several years of experience as a city
council member in the past years in McGregor, and served as city clerk for Garnavillo.

A contract with Waste Management was approved by the council. City Attorney, Mike Schuster said it was the best the City
could have under the circumstances. The council expressed satisfaction that Waste Management is one of the very few that
does not charge extra for the city-wide spring and fall clean-ups. A solid-waste fee increase from $10 to $12.75 was approved
after discussion. This increase would still offer fees lower than the $15-$16 charged in other towns comparable to McGregor in size.

Authorization for a general obligation loan at Interstate Federal Savings and Loan, McGregor, was approved; this is to
‘rebuild’  the General Fund after the $17,183 borrowed for the capping of the Artesian Park well done last year due to a leak.

Riverfront dock fees that have not been increased for several years will be increased from $5 per
foot to $10 per foot with increases of $2.50 a year until the $10 amount is reached; this will enable
more improvements to be done on the riverfront. It was suggested that the Park Board and the
Dock Commission be requested to decide on improvements together. A resolution
will be drawn up for approval in the near future.

The City Council expressed appreciation for the work Maggie Flanscha has done for the past
several years with the flower baskets on Main Street. Flanscha, who has been doing the planting
and watering of the hanging baskets for the past seven years, notified the City she would no longer
be doing this.

There was discussion on whether or not McGregor would be willing to donate partial funding for the Marquette July 4th
fireworks display. It was mentioned by Marquette councilman before the council meeting that a new site might be found so
the display could be nearer McGregor, but after discussion on possible sites, it was decided that this would not be feasible.
The decision for funding was tabled. The council also took up the fiscal 2011-2012 budget, which was discussed. The council
will take up the budget again for final approval on March 10.

Bulldog girls advance
to state girls basketball tournament

The Lady Bulldogs will face off against Manson-NW Webster on Mon., March 1, at 6:30 p.m. at the Wells Fargo Arena in
Des Moines in Class 2A semifinal action. Freedom Bank of Monona is sponsoring charter buses for fans and families. Cost
includes transportation and a ticket to the game. The buses will leave from the MFL MarMac High School in Monona at 1:30 p.m.
Call 563-539-2015 to sign up.

Funds available to assist
homeowners with renovation projects

  A  representative from the Northeast Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund, Wendy Mihm-Herod, recently brought news of a
home improvement program for residents in the counties of Allamakee, Clayton, Howard and Winneshiek to the McGregor City Council.

    Eligible Individuals, community organizations, non-profit developers in can recieve funds for rehabilitation, repair, and creation of projects that improve the condition of, or that contribute to the development of rental and owner-occupied affordable housing and to first-time homebuyers in Northeast Iowa with this program.

    Mihm-Herod stated that the program became official October 1 and already has more than 70 applications for Clayton County; there has been four applications from McGregor at the present time. The majority of the work is rehabilitation and individuals are required to find their own contractors for the project; a list of approved contractors would be supplied to the individuals by the Northeast Iowa Community Action (NICA) group. She stated that NICA has funding presently for projects, but in some cases where individuals do not have necessary funds for a project, NICA might possibly be able to offer more assistance for the project.

    Those applying for assistance must meet certain guidelines. Applications will be accepted by the Northeast Iowa Regional Housing Trust Fund on a continuous basis and completed applications will be reviewed for eligibility within 30 days. They can be obtained at the Upper Explorerland Office at 134 West Greene Street, PO Box 219, Postville, IA 52162. Phone: 563-864-7551.