INDUSTRIAL PARK DEVELOPMENT
The Le Mars city council began the process of developing the Industrial Park 4th Addition project. The council passed a motion to set a public hearing on the project, Plans call for construction of storm and sanitary sewers and street access. If plans and specifications are approved, bids will be sought after the hearing. Bids will be opened on February 13 and a contract awarded on February 20. Completion of the project is scheduled for September of this year. The project will cost an estimated 2.9 million dollars, to be paid for through Tax Increment Financing proceeds. The project does not include the extension of rail service to the site. That will be considered later. The Le Mars council also approved a contract with ISG for engineering services on the project. ISG’s 72,500 dollars fee will be paid for through TIF proceeds. The public hearing will be at the council’s January 16 meeting.
LAND PURCHASE
The Le Mars city council set a public hearing to consider the sale of Southview Industrial Park. Le Mars Business Initiative Corporation has offered to purchase the 14.5 acres. The city will install infrastructure to accommodate the 19 lots in the development. The city will maintain part of the site as a drainage area, and a future grass/twig site. The project is to be completed in July of this year. The public hearing will be held January 16 in order to consider the offer for the property.
HOUSING NEEDS ASSESSMENT
The Le Mars City Council authorized a Distressed Workforce Housing Needs Assessment for the city. This is done periodically by the city, most recently covering the years 2015 to 2020. The updated assessment helps the city stay competitive for housing grants, tax credits, and other benefits for housing in the city. City Economic Development Director Mark Gaul says the assessment would help any application for housing tax credits to benefit the Erdmanville development. Under a motion passed by the council Tuesday, SIMPCO, the Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council, will prepare the assessment. The city will cover the 25-hundred dollars cost for the assessment.
KING ENDORSES RAMASWAMY
Former Iowa Congressman Steve King has endorsed Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy . King says Ramaswamy is principled and smart — and knows the Constitution. King and Ramaswamy are outspoken critics of giving Summit Carbon Solutions eminent domain authority to force unwilling landowners to let the carbon pipeline run through their property. King, in a written statement, praised Ramaswamy for promising to pardon peaceful January 6th protesters if he’s elected president and to end birthright citizenship. King served nine terms in the U-S House, but was rebuked by some fellow Republicans for controversial comments, stripped of his House committee assignments and defeated by Randy Feenstra in a Republican Primary in 2020. King endorsed Fred Thompson before the 2008 Iowa Caucuses and campaigned with Ted Cruz in 2016. State Treasurer Roby Smith endorsed Ramaswamy this summer. Former Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz and former Iowa Senate President Jake Chapman are on Ramaswamy’s campaign team and often introduce the candidate at events. Ramaswamy has wrapped up his second tour of Iowa’s 99 counties and has five more stops on his schedule today.
NEWLY-ELECTED CITY OFFICIALS SWORN IN
Six newly-elected representatives of Le Mars were sworn in to their respective offices yesterday. Third District Associate Judge Dan Vakulskas administered the oath of office in council chambers before the city council meeting. Mayor Rob Bixenman was elected to a second term in office. City Councilman Steve Wick was recently re-elected, while councilman Brad Pick began his first term in office. Also sworn in were three members of the Floyd Valley Healthcare Board: Pat Rosacker, Doug Carlson, and Danna Schuster.
SHERIFFS OFFICE K9 RECEIVES BODY ARMOR
Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office K9 Zeke has received a bullet and stab protective vest thanks to a charitable donation from non-profit organization Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. The Nancy Allison Perkins Foundation of Homer Glen, Illinois sponsored the vest. Vested Interest in K9s, Inc. was established in 2009. It’s a charity whose mission is to provide bullet and stab protective vests and other assistance to dogs of law enforcement and related agencies throughout the United States. The body armor is made in the U.S.A. It’s certified for use by law enforcement, and is custom fitted to the K9. The vests weigh four to five pounds. They cost around 18-hundred dollars each. Vested Interest in K9s has provided nearly 54-hundred vests to K9s in all 50 states. Total value of the vests is 6.9 million dollars, and is made possible by private and corporate donations. The program is open to U.S. dogs that are at least 20 months old and actively employed and certified with law enforcement or related agencies. K9s with expired vests are also eligible to participate.
DESANTIS CAMPAIGNS IN NORTHWEST IOWA
FLORIDA GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS BRINGS HIS REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL CAMAPIGN BACK TO NORTHWEST IOWA ON WEDNESDAY.
DESANTIS WILL DROP BY THE JOHNNIE MARS FAMILY RESTAURANT AT 2401 5TH STREET OFF HIGHWAY 75 AT 3:30 P.M.
DOORS WILL OPEN AT 3 P.M. FOR THE EVENT.
THEN AT 6 P.M., DESANTIS WILL SPEAK IN SIOUX CENTER AT THE AMERICAN LEGION POST 199 AT 282 1ST AVE NORTHEAST.
DOORS OPEN AT 5:30 P.M. FOR THAT EVENT.
YOU MAY OBTAIN FREE TICKETS TO EITHER EVENT THROUGH THE DESANTIS “NEVER BACK DOWN” WEBSITE.
IOWA HAS A SHRINKING NUMBER OF LAWYERS
Iowa is among the 21 states where the number of lawyers is on the decline. Between 2014 and 2022, there was a three-and-a-half percent decline in the number of attorneys licensed to practice law in Iowa. Iowa State Bar Association president Ian Russell says Iowa’s aging population is likely a factor and there’s a need for attorneys in all areas of the law. He says the lawyer shortage is most acute in rural Iowa.
GOP PONDERS NEXT STEPS ON TAXES IN 2024 SESSION Republican leaders in the Iowa House and Senate say it’s likely lawmakers will move up the date the Iowa personal income tax drops to just one flat rate, but there’s no agreement on the governor’s call to eliminate the income tax. House Speaker Pat Grassley says the state has three BILLION dollars in its Taxpayer Relief Fund and that needs to be back in the hands of Iowans as soon as possible. Grassley says House Republicans believe tax cuts should be sustainable and let the state meet its budget obligations. Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says Senate Republicans want to cut taxes as much as possible as quickly as possible, but the question then is: what’s next? The 2024 Iowa legislative session begins Monday.
CHILD CARE, AFFORDABLE HOUSING KEY DEMOCRATIC ISSUES IN 2024
House Democratic Leader Jennifer Konfrst says the 2024 Iowa legislature should focus on improving access to child care and affordable housing rather than another round of tax cuts. Konfrst says House Democrats favor meaningful changes that immediately impact middle and low income families rather than headline grabbing tax cuts. The state income tax accounts for about 46 percent of current state revenue. As Republicans consider getting rid of the state’s personal income tax altogether, Konfrst says that’s a non-starter with Democrats. She says half a million Iowans haven’t seen a dime in income tax reductions from the tax cuts Republicans approved in 2018 and 2022, while income taxes have been reduced for the richest Iowans and for corporations.
