2009 City Election Results

McGregor City Elections

Gaylinda Hallberg, a write-in candidate, was elected mayor over Ryan Johnson 125 votes to 45.
Jason Bogdonovich, Joseph Collins and Jason Solberg were elected to the city council. Bogdonovich
received 110 votes unopposed; Collins received 124 votes and was unopposed. Solberg is an incumbent who
did not file for re-election but received 24 votes as a write-in candidate. Voter turnout was 28.46 percent of
registered voters.

Marquette City Elections

All Marquette candidates ran unopposed. Former council-person Norma Mason was elected mayor.
Reelected to the council were incumbents Rinda Ferguson, Tracy Melver and Mary Jo Pirc. A few write-in
canidates for the council received a scattering of votes including Kent Pfeiffer, Don Smalley John
Ries and Darren Matthews. Voter turn-out in this election of unopposed candidates was predictably low
at 19.29 percent.

County-wide Veteran’s Day
observance slated for Garnavillo

The Clay-Gar Legion Post #723 will host the only county-wide Veterans Day celebration in Iowa on Wed.
Nov. 11.

The day will begin with a program at the Garnavillo School gym at 10 a.m. Some of the highlights of the
ceremony will include a POW/MIA ceremony by the Clay-Gar Legion members and a Salute to America’s
Finest presented by the Clayton Ridge band. Featured speaker will be Kathy Nees, program
director of the Iowa Legionnaire.

Following the program, the Clay-Gar Legion Auxillary will serve a lunch of soup, sandwiches, pies
and bars at the Garnavillo Community Center from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

The parade will be held at 1:30 p.m., with concluding remarks following. The public is invited to attend all
of these events and pay tribute to our local veterans.

UMGC Awards banquet honors community volunteers

By Trudy Balcom

A few members of Clayton County community organizations gathered last Monday evening (Oct. 26)
at the newly remodeled Lone Wolf Bar at Lady Luck Casino.

Upper Mississippi Gaming Corporation was hosting their annual awards reception for the recipients of their
grant funds.

Twenty-three organizations plus six Dollars for Scholars programs shared a total sum of $142,235 in grant
funding.

The largest award, $31,843 went to the Elkport Campground shelterhouse and restroom project. Nearly
twenty thousand in funding ($19,607) benefitted The Clayton Independent School for roof and masonry repair.

Clayton County Develeopment Group received $10,651 for their 2010 marketing campign to pay for out-of
state tourism advertising.

The bulk of the grants supported a variety of projects with funding of $5,000 or less, including the
Clayton County Food Shelf and pager replacement for the Luana Fire Department.

The Friends of the Sherman Swift Tower received a discretionary award for a recorded audio interpretive
program to be installed at the Tower in National.

State Rep. Roger Thomas, was featured speaker for the event, and his comments emphasized the
value of gaming to the Iowa economy, highlighting programs such as REAP (Resource Enhancement and
Protection) which provides grant funding for community outdoor recreation projects, statewide general tax
relief and many other programs.

The members of the UMGC Board of Directors                                                                                            had praise for both the gaming industry and local volunteer organizations. They thanked the community volunteers for their hard work and encouraged them to help the county move forward in tough economic times.

McGregor City Clerk resigns

By Trudy Balcom

Less than a year and six months after he was hired as McGregor City Clerk-Administrator, Tom Meyer
has decided to resign his position.

Meyer made the announcement at the October City Council meeting. In keeping with his contract he has
given the council 90 days notice, and his resignation will be effective on January 19, 2010.

Meyer relocated from Clear Lake, Iowa, to take the job. His wife remained in Clear lake to run her business
 and he plans to return there. When asked, he offered no specific comment on his decision.

The search that culminated in the hiring of Meyer took about nine months. Former City Clerk-Administrator
Norm Lincoln announced his intention to retire in August, 2007. A candidate was offered the position in
March, 2008 for $48,000; but declined seeking higher pay.

Meyer’s starting salary was $36,000.

Council members Rogeta Halvorson and Ryan Johnson currently make up the council’s Personnel
Committee; the committee may be reconfigured after the Nov. 3 election.

The council made preliminary plans at the special council meeting on Oct. 29 to advertise the position
throughout the tri-state region in an attempt to draw in more job candidates. Since good jobs are scarce
everywhere in the current economy, the council felt that economic conditions may improve their chances to get a good selection of candidates. Currently there are no plans to bring Norm Lincoln back on board to fill in if needed.

Sheriff’s Deputy discharges
weapon in altercation in Luana

A Clayton County Sheriff’s deputy was involved in a duty-related shooting at approximately 12:13 a.m. on
October 25. The event occurred in  the town of Luana after a high-speed pursuit followed by a physical
altercation.

Neither the Deputy nor the thirty-five year old male suspect were seriously injured, although both were
transported to the Central Community Hospital; where they were treated and released.

The suspect is currently lodged in the Clayton County Jail under pending  charges of Eluding Police, OWI
2nd Offense, Assaulting a Peace Officer,  Failure to Obey Stop Sign, and Driving on the Wrong Side of the
Highway.

The Prairie du Chien Police Department has been contacted to conduct an independent investigation
of the incident.

Town and Country outbids
Waste Management for
McGregor waste contract

At the Oct. 29 special meeting of the McGregor City Council, the council approved a new five-year trash
disposal contract with Town and Country Sanitation of Boscobel, Wis.

Town and Country were the low bidders, with a total of $217,620 for five years compared to
$245,892 for Waste Management; a difference of $28,272.

For residents, the change will begin on Sat., Nov. 7. Residents are asked to set out their trash totes.
No trash will be collected, but Town and Country will deliver a tote of a similar size.

Waste Management will make their final trash collection on Mon., Nov. 9, and will collect their totes.
Town and Country will make their first trash pick-up on Mon., Nov. 16.
Residents are requested to keep and continue to use their current recycling containers.

Anyone may call City Hall with questions at 873-3795.