April 23, 2008

By Trudy Balcom

Todd Kann is not pleased that Marquette has once again placed a hotel-motel tax on a ballot referendum. As the owner of the only motel lodging in Marquette, he feels singled out.

ñDefinitely, itÍs the most unfair tax,î he says.

The ballot referendum asks voters if they support a hotel-motel room tax of seven percent, which is expected to generate about $20,000 annually for the City of Marquette. The vote is scheduled for Tuesday, April 29, from noon to eight p.m. at Marquette City Hall.

The average price for a room in Marquette is about $80, so the average tax a customer would pay per night is about $5.60.

By law, at least 50 percent of proceeds from the tax must be used for tourism and economic development, and 50 percent can be spent at the cityÍs discretion as part of general revenues. The Marquette City Council could designate that more than 50 percent of the funds go to tourism and economic development, if they choose.

In 2002, the same measure placed before voters failed to gain enough support to pass. Kann worked to defeat the measure then, and heÍs making a similar effort this time as well.

By Trudy Balcom

On June 30, employees in bars and taverns will put away their ashtrays . Beginning July 1, smoking will be banned in all bars and restaurants and other enclosed public areas in Iowa.

All enclosed public areas except casinos, that is.

House File 2212 passed by the Iowa legislature and signed by Gov. Chet Culver last Tuesday exempts the gaming floors of casinos from the ban.

The law builds upon action that was taken last year to reduce cigarette use across the state. In March 2007, Governor Culver signed legislation that increased the tobacco tax $1 per pack. Since that time, calls to Quitline Iowa have increased 500%, with more than 12,000 calls just since January 1.

Iowa joins 13 other states, including Minnesota and Illinois that have statewide smoking bans.

Neighboring Wisconsin, however, does not have a smoking ban, although the Wisconsin Assembly has considered one.

That puts bar and tavern owners in the Marquette and McGregor area in a double bind. They worry that not only will they lose customers to taverns in Prairie du Chien, they may also lose them to the Isle of Capri casino in Marquette.

"It makes me upset, it makes me angry," said Carl Hexom, owner of Crazy CarlÍs Silver Dollar Saloon in McGregor.

"If Iowa wasn't making a pile of money off those boats, they wouldn't be excluded," Hexom said of the relationship between the state and gaming revenues.

Hexom said he is also unclear what the new law says about outdoor smoking areas adjacent to bars. The law says outdoor smoking areas are allowed, but he isnÍt sure how far from the building they must be located. Rumors have been flying.

By Trudy Balcom

The most significant action taken at the Marquette City Council meeting last week was the approval of a $50,000 donation to the new Clifford Smith Childcare Center in McGregor.

The council chose to give a large initial contribution over creating an extended agreement with the MFL MarMac School District for distributing smaller donations over a period of years. The donation will be given directly to the school district, which will operate the daycare center under the direction of the Little Bulldog board.

The council had apparently made up their minds, for there was little discussion of the issue. City attorney Jim Garret cautioned the council before the vote that the council would in effect be putting money into a building owned by the city of McGregor, and would have no recourse to get their money back should the childcare center close or be sold.

But the council agreed with Bona Dean Feller, a retired teacher who formerly worked at MFL MarMac.

"People coming to the area would see [it] as an advantage," Feller said when she spoke up from the audience.

There was some discussion of placing a Marquette council member or resident on the Little Bulldog board of directors, but nothing was formally decided.

Councilperson Mary Jo Pirc made the motion to offer the money and the council approved it unanimously; councilmen Darren Matthew and Jason Winter were absent, however.

Rinda Ferguson addressed the council briefly on behalf of Donna Kinley of the Zoning Board, who was not present. She said the city had received a scope of planning for a conservation ordinance from Jim Halvorson of Howard R. Green consulting.

Pirc noted that the cost for putting together a conservation ordinance and zoning classification, according to the scoping document was $30,000„too costly, she felt.

Mr. Halvorson of Howard R. Green was in the audience, but did not address the council, and no one asked him questions.

It was unclear why the cost of drafting the ordinance would be so high. Pirc said she felt something had to be done, but not at that cost.

Don Smalley came before the council to report on the activities of the Tree Board. Don noted that the city had been recognized as a "Tree City"for the fifth consecutive year.