TheSacNews.com: Sunday, February 14, 2010

smcr011579 - Misty Sprague

All people accused of crimes are innocent until proven guilty. The dispositions of all cases are subject to change without notice. This document is freely available for inspection at the Sac County Clerk of Court office in Sac City, Iowa.

Traffic Court: February 4, 2010 - February 10, 2010

All of the following were either found guilty or admitted guilt

PERMITTING UNAUTHORIZED USER TO DRIVE
Miguel Alejandro Martinezchavez, Storm Lake IA

11-15 OVER IN A 55 MPH ZONE
Skyler Dean Nichols,Council Bluffs IA
Jered Scott Nelson, Sioux City IA

DEFECTIVE OR UNAUTHORIZED MUFFLER SYSTEM
Joshua Peter Ernzen, Ida Grove IA

FAILURE TO HAVE VALID LICENSE/PERMIT WHILE OP
Justin S Gosch, Odebolt IA
Dylan Lee Williams, Ames IA

FAIL TO MAINTAIN CONTROL
Shaylynn Blessington, Auburn IA

VIOLATION - FINANCIAL LIABILITY-ACCIDENT
Shaylynn Blessington, Auburn IA
Randall Lee Leask, Schaller IA

OPERATION W/O REGISTRATION
Shaylynn Blessington, Auburn IA

FAILURE TO COMPLY WITH SAFETY REG.RULES
Vyacheslav Panchenko, Gilbert AZ (2 counts)
John Paul Higgins, Galva IA

OPERATION BY UNQUALIFIED DRIVER
John Paul Higgins, Galva IA

MAX HOURS OF SERVICE VIOLATION
James E Cox, Modestoil, IL
John C. Taute, Butler MO

6-10 OVER IN A 55 MPH ZONE
Kimberly KelleyTriggs, Storm Lake IA
Brock Leonard Yossi, Dallas Center IA
Anthony David Straley, Des Moines IA

1-5 OVER IN A 55 MPH ZONE
Timothy Blake Randall, Storm Lake IA

21+ OVER IN A 55 MPH ZONE
Katelynn M Fischler, Libertyville IL

Small Claims: February 4, 2010 - February 10, 2010

JUDGEMENTS
scsc013961 - Judgement Default

scsc014100 - Order for Judgement

scsc014122 - Confession Judgement

CASES FILED

scsc014120
DEFENDANT: Robyn Lyn Cromwell, Lake View IA
PLAINTIFF: Carroll Dental Clinic, Carroll IA
PLAINTIFF: Lynn D. Curry, Carroll IA
FILED: February 8, 2010

scsc014121
DEFENDANT: Jason Vonnahme, Breda IA
PLAINTIFF: H &R Accounts, Inc, Moline IL
FILED: February 10, 2010

smcr011580 - Colt David Peterson

East Sac County Schools to lose 165 years worth of teaching experience this year

The following teachers have opted to take early retirement.

NOTE: the combined experience of these few teachers adds up to about 140 years of teaching experience.

-----
Superintendent Barb Kruthoff read the following letter of resignation aloud at the February 11, 2010 joint East Sac County School Board meet. I was unfortunately unable to get a copy of the actual letter by press time.

Ms. Huser couldn’t take the early retirement because she doesn’t meet the age requirement. Superintendent Kruthoff noted that with the resignation of Ms. Huser, the combined loss of years of experience in the district is 165 years. Ms. Huser is on sick leave right now, so her resignation is effective at the end of this school year.

To:
Superintendent Barb Kruthoff and whoever else it may concern,
Due to my continuing health problems I feel obligated to offer my resignation from my contract of teaching at the East Sac School system.

I will always cherish my 25 years of teaching elementary school students and will miss the interaction with students and enjoyed watching them grow up and graduate.

Sincerely,
Leigh Ann Huser

Airport to ask for bigger allotment, Frohardt questions need

The following is a transcript of the February 8, 2010 Sac City Council discussion about the airport.

Transcript notation:
- = speaker was cut off or interrupted self
... = speaker stammered, replaces the stammering
[ XXX ] = stuff inside brackets is inserted by the editor for clarity

Brian Muska: We had a meeting with the ...airport and ...the ...FAA gives usually a grant that this year happens to be about of $150,000 for them to use, and they're project on our list was a total of $128,840, so they wanted to add another project, that being the PAPIs on the runway, the lighting, and that was an additional $103,000.

With that being said, the difference of that project was $81,840. Now they have asked the city... they're checking into...this could be a 95% funded FAA project. 95% of it being funded through the FAA. They are looking into this, but what they are considering about doing is asking the city for an additional [ADDRESSING ADAM LEDFORD] $5,700?

Adam Ledford: Forty seven

Brian Muska: $4,700 to the allotted to the [ADDRESSING ADAM LEDFORD] $2,000 or $2,500?

Adam Ledford: Two thousand

Brian Muska: $2,000 that is already given.

Now, Adam was present, I was present. We discussed everything from what was planned in the budget, and that not being planned into the budget, to giving them a better recommendation of waiting until the end of the fiscal year to come and even ask for that request but in the meantime for them to see if that 95% funding was a guarantee before they even come for consideration of asking for the request.

At this point in time, Adam and I both did not feel that it was the time for addressing the council or asking the council of something of that degree at this point in time. Didn't think it was the appropriate time for it... and the financial state that, not just the city's in, but the financial state that everybody's been in from the economy.

Nich Frohardt: OK, I've got a question to deal with that. I've usually seen where somebody's kicking in 95% and the city comes up with 5%.

Brian Muska: It's a split that 5% so it's actually 2.5%, the city's portion.

Nich Frohardt: Oh, OK, you see that's what I'm getting at.

Brian Muska: Yep. The 95% funding is the 5% that's remaining. Two and a half is the airport, two and a half is the city's portion.

Sandy Tellinghuisen: Up to ten thousand.

Brian Muska: Up to $10,000.

Nich Frohardt: So that's what the city actually puts in out there?

Brian Muska: That is correct.

Adam Ledford: Our budget says they can take up to $2,000, up to 2.5%.

Sandy Tellinghuisen: Cause the city gives more money than that, is that what you asked?

Nich Frohardt: Yeah.

Sandy Tellinghuisen: The city gives them more money than that, that's just for projects.

Adam Ledford: That's just for projects, yes.

Sandy Tellinghuisen: They give and allotment of approximately $9,000 and pay for the airport manager.

Nich Frohardt: OK, so we've got $9,000 plus up to $2,000, plus we do the snow removal, am I correct there Bob?

Bob Scheffler: That's true.

Nich Frohardt: And how long does some of those situations take out of... I'm just trying to get a handle on what this airport's costing, and I would like to know how many people use it, and if we keep throwing this, you know, $9,000 and $2,000, 11 to 12 to $15,000 a year out there, I would just... All I'm asking is: How many people are using this airport?

Brian Muska: I agree. I agree. I mean, that's a concern I have as well. And another thing ...the airport... there's an argument on both sides. Keep it going, not keep it going, fund it, there's only a little bit of money it takes to fund it, but what you have to realize, what everybody has to realize is that every time the airport utilizes the grant money from the Federal Aviation, they're agreeing to leaving that airport open an additional year of 20 years that they already agreed to.

So in other words, their acceptance of that money says that your gonna to maintain and fund that airport for 20 years. Then when you do it again this year, that's another year added on. When you do it again next year, that's another year added on to that 20.

Nich Frohardt: All right, who else is paying out there for that ...$9,000 to keep that open?

Adam Ledford: Who else provides revenues to the airport?

Nich Frohardt: Yeah.

Adam Ledford: Well they receive money-

Nich Frohardt: I'm not talking revenue or planes paying hanger rent, I'm talking about, is there any other government entity besides the grants they get. I mean towns, I mean, Lytton-

Adam Ledford: The county puts in.

Nich Frohardt: How much do they put in?

Adam Ledford: Last year it was $5,000 I think.

Nich Frohardt: For the whole county?!

Adam Ledford: That's what the county is putting in, yes.

Nich Frohardt: And we kick in nine?

Adam Ledford: We give nine as a -

Nich Frohardt: And keep it as... and shove the snow.

Adam Ledford: Yes.

Sandy Tellinghuisen: And pay the manager.

Adam Ledford: And pay the manager.

Nich Frohardt: And pay the manager.

Jim Johnston: But you've got to understand, we own the airport.

Nich Frohardt: Well, so?

Jim Johnston: Well I know but I'm saying we have to be, I mean we have to remove the snow, we have to be-

Nich Frohardt: I realize that, I’m just talking about what it's costing us.

Jim Johnston: Well I know, I know.

Nich Frohardt: You know, as the community, how much the community's getting out of it.

Barb Powell: Maybe we should have a report on it, an annual report on the usage of it.

Nich Frohardt: OK, fine, I’m just, this is where-

Barb Powell: No really, I think-

Brian Muska: Usually, usually on their monthly minutes, and I even have here some you could review... [PAGING THROUGH THE MINUTES] maybe it might not be on this one.

Nich Frohardt: But I was just always curious, exactly what are we get... how much bang for a buck are we getting out of there?

Brian Muska: Well in January, the airplane traffic was used by [PRONOUNCED] Kurt VanHolsen on January 14th and that was the usage of the airport for the month of January.

Adam Ledford: Well that’s a little unfair.

Barb Powell: Yeah is unfair.

[GENERAL LAUGHTER]

Nich Frohardt: We paid her all month, I mean we don't pay her just two days.

Brian Muska: I mean that's, that’s, consider the weather conditions, I mean what we hand in January-

Jim Johnston: That's a little slanted there Brian.

Nich Frohardt: I realize that, but it doesn't matter. Those costs are still there whether somebody flying or not.

Brian Muska:But, you know another point is, is going up there to plow out for one guy to use.

Nich Frohardt: Yeah.

Adam Ledford: And that's one discussion we did have.

Brian Muska: I mean, that's another way to look at it too.

Adam Ledford: Actually, just to bring up a little light on that scenario was where we don't help their number too much either, is that the discussion was made at one time, do we go out there and clear the runways away at a particular time in January and we sat down and we talked with Julie about it, and the decision was made to wait, and the reason why the decision was made to wait was our guys are already in an over set-time circumstances, and we weren't going to pay overtime to have guys go out there and clear a runway that might be used by one or two people, and they accepted that. They understood the circumstances, and they accepted that that was the situation

Brian Muska: They did ask, however, if we would go out there and at least plow a horse shoe type entrance from the west around the office and to the east in the event we can't plow the runways and all that just to give them access to the office to get into there. That's what they did ask me to bring up to the council and I think they do have a valid point with that.

Adam Ledford: And Bob and I have talked with them about it, about how to make sure that they get that done.

Nich Frohardt: But, you know, you see a lot of different Items sometimes on the budget, and you wonder, "OK, where's all this money going to?" and I've always felt, you know and I'm not picking on just the airport, I'm not picking on any entity here or anybody else’s sacred cow, I just want to know how much, you know, is getting utilized out there, because every one of us taxpayers here are supporting that and, you know, what are we getting out of this?

Adam Ledford: Now last year when they came and presented to the council, and my numbers are very very vague from a year ago, ...I know the claim made by Milo Lines at that time was that it was generating well over a million dollars, I think it was somewhere in the neighborhood of two million dollars, [TURNS TO BRIAN MUSKA] was it not?

Brian Muska: I didn't hear any of that information, I wouldn't know that.

Nich Frohardt: How?

Adam Ledford: Well I know one of things that, one of the ways its utilized is it's a staging point for dusting of crops, ... in the county area.

Brian Muska: That's an issue though, that is an issue because ...you know, usually where they make their sales, they make their sales in fuel. Fuel sales.

Nich Frohardt: Those boys bring their own fuel.

Brian Muska: But, or is jet fuel and they don't offer jet fuel.

Nich Frohardt: 90% of that’s... what I mean, they bring their own fuel because it's jet fuel.

Brian Muska: Exactly.

Nich Frohardt: That's what we use-

Brian Muska: That's an issue, really, I mean. That's something Julie's been battling up there for [UNINTELLIGIBLE] and we're actually even talking about, can they even rent these guys the space that they're utilizing while they come in beings they're not buying jet fuel. You know? Can we charge them for the space and the room that they're tying up during the crop dusting?

So that's something the commission is working on.

Nich Frohardt: I was just curious, you know if sometime you can throw those figures together, I'd like to hear 'em, and you know, we don't have to listen to them-

Adam Ledford: Actually, if you'd like to look at your orientation packet, I included a portion from the airport along with a CD that had all the information-

Nich Frohardt: I saw that, but I just wanted to hear it because when you mentioned, you know, this two million dollars, I'm a little skeptical of where this is coming from and I wanted to get-

Adam Ledford: I'll be happy to ask Julie to come to the council.

Nich Frohardt: A different perspective on that.

Brian Muska: [TO ADAM LEDFORD] Can you ask them to get you a yearly report on the usage to date for the past two years?

Adam Ledford: For fuel, or just for the-

Brian Muska: No, just for the usage of the airport.

Nich Frohardt: Yeah, how much fuel do you go through out there?

Brian Muska: Because if I wait until next month, it will be two months before I'm able to share that information.

Adam Ledford: OK, I will be happy to communicate that to Julie-

Brian Muska: Thank you.

Woman’s basement becomes skating rink, costs $44.45

Loretta Rice appeared before the Sac City Council on February 11, 2010 to ask that her $77.60 sewer bill be forgiven.

Here's what happened. During the ice storm a home she owns on Park Avenue in Sac City Iowa had a leak that filled up the basement with 9000 gallons of water which then promptly froze over. The leak that caused the damage was not discovered for several days due to its resident's need to evacuate the property for the duration of the storm. The basement of the home, which is a dirt floor basement, has no sanitary sewer outlet.

Last year, the Sac City Council changed that way that it bills for sewer. More accurately it started charging the same amount for sanitary sewer disposal that it charges for water use. This was done to avoid having to ding property taxes to pay for the new waste water treatment plant. At the time of its adoption, the ramifications of the higher fee in regards to emergency situation such as this weren’t discussed.

During the discussion of the history of the billing for the home, it was discovered that in the mid to late nineties, a similar incident had occurred at the same residence, and that the council had, at that time, forgiven the sanitary sewer fee. According to Sandy Tellinghuisen, the city clerk, what the council did at that time was to forgive the portion of the bill over which was the normal average usage for that home.

It was also revealed during this portion of the discussion that during the billing period which encompasses roughly all of January, a person lived in the house for 15 days. According to Councilperson Jim Johnston, a person is estimated to use about 80 gallons per day.

"I don't have a problem paying for the water that's now frozen in the basement, I do have a problem paying for the sewer that wasn't used." said Ms. Rice, opening up the bargaining portion of our story.

Councilperson Nich Frohardt, disputing the reasoning behind her argument said, "My wife has a large garden, and I don't have a separate meter for that, you know, and she goes through a lot of water, and that water does not go through the sewer either." Mr. Frohardt insisted that it was the same principal, but if it were REALLY apples to apples here, Ms. Rice's would have "watered" her basement with the foreknowledge that keeping her basement moist was going to cost her sewer fees down the road she was not actually using.

The original bill that Ms. Rice was asking forgiveness for was $77.60. According to the city clerk, the meter fee made up $11.30 of the total, bringing the disputed portion of the bill down to $66.30.

Councilperson Brian Muska asked Ms. Rice if they could compromise and meet in the middle.

"Give me a middle." replied Ms. Rice.

Mr. Muska said, "You would owe the $11.30 anyway..."

"Right." she said, following.

"...and half of the $66.30 remaining is $33.15 so $44.45 is your portion." he finished.

Ms. Rice asked, "You want me to pay for half of the sewer fee, is that what you’re saying?"

Mr. Muska nodded and said, "Considering that water usage would be used in that time frame that [the resident was] living there."

While considering how to respond, Ms. Rice confirmed with the city clerk that the time period included most of January. The other two council people used the break in the conversation to say that they think that the method Mr. Muska used to determine the amount was fair.

Ms. Rice reminded the council that there was a precedent set with this particular home in favor of forgiveness. City Administrator Adam Ledford joined the conversation at this point and reminded everyone that in 90% of similar cases, these requests have been rejected.

Ms. Rice again reminded the council that this particular property has a specific precedence in favor of full forgiveness of the sewer bill and that she had no problem paying for the water that was used.

Mr. Johnston replied, "But you need to pay for the sewer that [was] used too. That's what we're saying... that's what we’re trying to come up with here."

Garnering nods of approval for her tenacity Ms. Rice asked, "O.K., what about 33%?"

The council remained firm on their decision, and by motion waived $33.15 of the original $77.60.

Ms. Rice said first softly, "I love the city." and then louder, "Thank you guys" and exited the building.

Latest Danz501 dance competition results

About 21 hours ago the Danz501 FaceBook site reported the results of the dance competition in North Sioux City, SD.

Pee wee jazz- placed 1st
Junior jazz -placed 2nd

To see the photos of the competition at Danz501's FaceBook site, Click here

High School Wrestling Season Ends

Miriam Free's road to state closed on Saturday afternoon when he lost 2-1 in sudden death overtime to Colton Geer of Coon Rapids Bayard. Miriam had been beaten earlier in the day by eventual champion Dylan Lame of Mt. Ayr.

At Districts, two of the wrestlers advance to state. Going into the day, we knew that Miriam had to win twice to get to state. I really feel had Miriam been able to defeat Geer, he had an excellent shot at defeating the Runner-Up wrestler Eads of I-35. Had the flip of the coin gone the other way, Miriam probably wins his match against Geer and gets an opportunity in the wrestle-backs.

Miriam finished the season 24-12 with 14 pins.

Submitted by John Smith

East Sac slips past Laurens-Marathon

SAC CITY, Iowa -- Colin Schrader scored 24 points and Jake Kent posted a double-double as East Sac slipped past Laurens-Marathon Saturday night, 43-37.

Kent poured in 14 points and grabbed... Read more

Claims approved by the Sac City Council on January 25, 2010

January 2010 spending of interest

Sac Sun for publications      $416.20         YTD $416.20
Tellinghuisen for cleaning     $225.00         YTD $225.00
Kid's World                        $10,000.00    YTD $10,000.00
Sac Community Center       $15,000.00     YTD $15,000.00
Roger Jensen                      $50.00            YTD $50.00

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