Councilmen's plates are full with variety of issues
Posted: Wednesday, May 02, 2007
The sheer volume of information city lawmakers must digest in a short period of time is mind boggling.
Take Monday's marathon council meeting. At 2:15 p.m. the council interviewed a candidate for a city board and then voted to go into closed session to discuss three items. They returned to open session to talk about something else and began their regular meeting shortly after 4 p.m. They didn't walk out the door until 8:20 p.m.
I know each councilman reviews the fat council packets that can contain up to 160 or more pages, yet some things don't have time to sink in. Councilman Jim Rixner said he had fielded around a dozen complaints from people who called the police dispatcher or Animal Control office to report a dog running loose.
He said the people were told to round up the dog and when they did to contact Animal Control to come pick up the canine. He didn't agree with those directions. One person in the audience reported a police dispatcher told him to do just that.
Police Chief Joe Frisbie called that response "totally unacceptable," but said that was the first he had heard that a dispatcher had told a caller to capture the animal.
The new contract, which the lawmakers had received earlier, contains a requirement involving those running dogs.
"No citizen will ever be asked to capture, chase or pursue any animal by the contractor," a section of the contract language states.
The council deferred a vote until its May 14 meeting because it wants the police department and other city staff to compare the proposals from the two companies vying for the work -- Hannah Inc., run by current operator Cindy Rarrat, and Kitra Enterprises, owned by Debra Kidd.
The main difference that came out during the meeting is that Rarrat proposes having six full-time officers on duty, while Kidd proposes eight. It's hard to compare apples to oranges. It will be interesting to read the evaluation.
*****
How many IDs? That was the question from Councilman Dave Ferris on a proposal to buy 2,000 Pegasys Security System Identification badges for Sioux Gateway Airport from Electronic Systems, Hinton, Iowa. The cost? $14,000.
Dave McWilliams, interim airport director, said, "We have about 4,000 ID badges now. We go through about 200 to 300 in a summer for temporary construction IDs alone."
The badges, he said, "have specific information incorporated into them that must be protected and will only work on the airport's computer, printer and laminator."
*****
What's up Doc? You probably heard by now that the City Council has settled the Doctor John's Lingerie Boutique case for $220,000. Then figure in the legal fees, which total $368,000 to date, and you're talking real money.
Store owner John Haltom was ecstatic, claiming he won. Some might say the First Amendment did. The city didn't back down from its contention it was correct in seeking to curtain his type of business to specific zoning areas. The city settled, the council said, to bring the matter to a close
Who lost? Some will say the taxpayers of Sioux City even though the lawsuit bills will be paid through the city's tort liability fund. What would have that $588,000 (to date) have purchased? I know -- the funds are in different pots, so don't call me. This is just a hypothetical discussion.
The city could have put a couple more police officers and firefighters on the streets or could have paid down the deficits for the convention center and Tyson Events Center. That amount of cash could have spruced up parks, added more trails or hired more crews to patch those butt-busting potholes.
Or, the council could have paved Rixner Road -- also known as 28th Street. The council scrapped plans to pave that gravel road during budget talks on a 4-1 vote. The cost? $544,000.
*****
Quote of the Week: During the debate on the Dakota Dunes pedestrian bridge agreement Monday night, Councilman Jason Geary wondered "How long will it take to get it designed once we say go?" His comment prompted Councilman Dave Ferris to retort, "It'll take about as long as this vote -- about 12 1/2 years."
Lynn Zerschling, city hall reporter, may be reached at (712) 293-4202 or lynnzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com
Take Monday's marathon council meeting. At 2:15 p.m. the council interviewed a candidate for a city board and then voted to go into closed session to discuss three items. They returned to open session to talk about something else and began their regular meeting shortly after 4 p.m. They didn't walk out the door until 8:20 p.m.
I know each councilman reviews the fat council packets that can contain up to 160 or more pages, yet some things don't have time to sink in. Councilman Jim Rixner said he had fielded around a dozen complaints from people who called the police dispatcher or Animal Control office to report a dog running loose.
He said the people were told to round up the dog and when they did to contact Animal Control to come pick up the canine. He didn't agree with those directions. One person in the audience reported a police dispatcher told him to do just that.
Police Chief Joe Frisbie called that response "totally unacceptable," but said that was the first he had heard that a dispatcher had told a caller to capture the animal.
The new contract, which the lawmakers had received earlier, contains a requirement involving those running dogs.
"No citizen will ever be asked to capture, chase or pursue any animal by the contractor," a section of the contract language states.
The council deferred a vote until its May 14 meeting because it wants the police department and other city staff to compare the proposals from the two companies vying for the work -- Hannah Inc., run by current operator Cindy Rarrat, and Kitra Enterprises, owned by Debra Kidd.
The main difference that came out during the meeting is that Rarrat proposes having six full-time officers on duty, while Kidd proposes eight. It's hard to compare apples to oranges. It will be interesting to read the evaluation.
*****
How many IDs? That was the question from Councilman Dave Ferris on a proposal to buy 2,000 Pegasys Security System Identification badges for Sioux Gateway Airport from Electronic Systems, Hinton, Iowa. The cost? $14,000.
Dave McWilliams, interim airport director, said, "We have about 4,000 ID badges now. We go through about 200 to 300 in a summer for temporary construction IDs alone."
The badges, he said, "have specific information incorporated into them that must be protected and will only work on the airport's computer, printer and laminator."
*****
What's up Doc? You probably heard by now that the City Council has settled the Doctor John's Lingerie Boutique case for $220,000. Then figure in the legal fees, which total $368,000 to date, and you're talking real money.
Store owner John Haltom was ecstatic, claiming he won. Some might say the First Amendment did. The city didn't back down from its contention it was correct in seeking to curtain his type of business to specific zoning areas. The city settled, the council said, to bring the matter to a close
Who lost? Some will say the taxpayers of Sioux City even though the lawsuit bills will be paid through the city's tort liability fund. What would have that $588,000 (to date) have purchased? I know -- the funds are in different pots, so don't call me. This is just a hypothetical discussion.
The city could have put a couple more police officers and firefighters on the streets or could have paid down the deficits for the convention center and Tyson Events Center. That amount of cash could have spruced up parks, added more trails or hired more crews to patch those butt-busting potholes.
Or, the council could have paved Rixner Road -- also known as 28th Street. The council scrapped plans to pave that gravel road during budget talks on a 4-1 vote. The cost? $544,000.
*****
Quote of the Week: During the debate on the Dakota Dunes pedestrian bridge agreement Monday night, Councilman Jason Geary wondered "How long will it take to get it designed once we say go?" His comment prompted Councilman Dave Ferris to retort, "It'll take about as long as this vote -- about 12 1/2 years."
Lynn Zerschling, city hall reporter, may be reached at (712) 293-4202 or lynnzerschling@siouxcityjournal.com
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Good Buddy wrote on May 6, 2007 4:05 PM:
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