Viewpoints

To the Editor:
I would like to congratulate the mayor of Waukon and last year’s city council, along with the engineering group that planned out the street project for Third Street NE. The street looks great, but they took a neighborhood that had no problems in the June 24th, 2013 flood and got it flooding with only a 1-3/4 inch rain shower on Saturday, June 7th, 2014. They raised the grade from 8 inches to 18 inches over the original grade and put it above the sidewalks and adjoining properties. The 6 inch area that runs along the street, which I thought was the curb and gutter, will have to be renamed the curb and dam. When anybody in the construction crew was confronted and asked why the street and curb were so high, they would say, “This is what the plan calls for.”

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

by Patti Ruff, State Representative

Since the end of session, all of the members of the House are back in their districts and getting back into the swing of home life. The only legislative action that has been taken is the Governor signing and vetoing legislation that had been passed by the both the House and Senate.
I was asked by a few constituents if I would write on some highlights of the Governor’s actions. I thought that was a good idea.

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

Senate File 295 and Your Assessment
June 12, 2013 Senate File 295 was signed into law. For the 2013 assessment year this legislation created the Business Property Tax Credit (BPTC), a 95% rollback on commercial, industrial and railway property and permissible allowable valuation growth reduction from 4% to 3%. Notification was mailed to all commercial, industrial and railroad classed property owners informing them about the availability of the BPTC.
The Legislative Services Agency has estimated the first year BPTC will be approximately $523. The BPTC credit does not apply to residential or agriculturally classified property. One credit is available for each qualified property unit once an application has been filed. This portion of Senate File 295 will affect your taxes payable September 2014 and March 2015.

To the Editor:
The spring and summer months offer a great opportunity for community members and visitors to get out and enjoy the fairs and festivals local residents work so hard to make possible.  In order to continue hosting successful events, it is important to develop and update policies and procedures to protect attendees, as well as event staff and volunteers.

To the Editor:
We have a 13 year old son who is a full blown fishing fanatic. Tonight after work, I took him fishing down near Dorchester. Having grown up near Harpers Ferry, I have never fished much down that way and found myself struggling to find someplace suitable for us to try. Long story short, we ended up fishing under a bridge and had just started to catch a few when a man I had never met stopped and in no uncertain terms explained that we were on his property and were breaking the law. On a million bibles I would swear that it was an honest mistake, but he at least initially seemed uninterested in my explanation, going so far as to question what sort of a parent I am by teaching my kids to trespass. I was apparently indeed on his property and with that I guess he has the right to treat me as he chooses and say what he sees fit, but that’s a topic for another day. With that said, let me say this:

by Dick Schilling, Editor Emeritus

by Fr. Jim Dubert