Officials with Harlan Municipal Utilities (HMU) have hired two representatives from Iowa Association of Municipal Utilities (IAMU) to help search for a new Chief Executive Officer. In a board meeting Thursday, Al Bonderman and Bob Haug informed the board of a new concept called a “Poll rogram,” to reach out to several states Municipalities to find a new CEO. Bonderman told the board they would help advertise and review applications for the opening at HMU and would work with Haug as a team.

“The process that we would propose to you is come back to Harlan and spend some one on one time with all the board members and spend the day with employees to try and get everyone’s input on what the ideal candidate would look like. Bob would be in charge of the administrative process. Develop the language for the ad and place the ads on websites at state associations in Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri and Kansas.”

The HMU board discussed at length in a previous meeting on Thursday, February 13^th to hire a separate firm to go out a recruit candidates for the job. Bonderman says the IAMU process is a little different. “The difference in what I call a headhunting firm, they will seek out candidates. You pay them a lot of money and the value is they will actively looking for people to fill those jobs. They are not just advertising. They are making phone calls and cold calls, trying to find any warm body to apply.”

Chairman David Tyrell said this process from IAMU will be effective and cheaper than the other firms. “Basically for the purpose of the executive search, $5,400 plus another $500 for advertising, you are talking about less than $6,000 as a high end on the budget. There are two executive search firms that we contacted and got pricing on those. The first one came in at $39,000 and the second came in at $30,000. Obviously there is a drastic financial difference for what you are offering versus the executive search.”

In addition to the maximum budget of $5,400, Bonderman will help as a temporary CEO if or when needed and will not exceed $2,500. The HMU board approved the agreement with IAMU. In other business, the board approved the certificate of completion for the water treatment plant and tabled a funding request from the city of Harlan in the amount of $25,000 per year beginning July 1^st, 2014. HMU had a three year agreement with the city for the same amount but the board decided to table the item in order to focus on the other projects at the utility company.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

The Cass County Board of Supervisors have approved a Pre-construction Agreement with the Iowa Department of Transportation, for the replacement of a bridge deck over Interstate 80 at the Marne Exit. County Engineer Charles Marker explained the DOT had planned to begin the project last summer, but another project took priority. The Project on M-56 north of Marne was put on hold for a nearby project. The original agreement for that project was nullified. The DOT has now requested basically the same agreement be signed by the Board, with construction slated to begin this summer.

Marker said the County’s role in the agreement, is simply to establish detour routes. He said since M-56 is a numbered route, the detour must be on another numbered route that will enable traffic to reach the interstate. If some of the local residents use an alternate road, and that road is gravel, the DOT will pay for dust control if the traffic flow is heavy enough to warrant it.

Marker said the project involves the replacement of the bridge deck over I-80 and the temporary use of head-to-head traffic lanes underneath the bridge. He said they’ll break out the current concrete deck and place a new deck on the substructure. Traffic underneath will be routed to the north or south lanes depending on which side of the bridge is being worked on at the time.

The Board also passed a Resolution to Encourage the Implementation of the 2011 Citizen’s Advisory Council (CAC), with regard to a one-percent increase in the state fuel tax rate, from 5-to 6-percent. Marker said a proposal to raise the gas tax has been in the works for many years, beginning with a study commissioned by Governor Culver and most recently by Governor Branstad. Each time it was recommended the tax be raised to help pay for road repairs and maintenance.

Marker said the tax has not been increased since 1989. A poll shows a vast majority of the traveling public feel the State’s roads are inadequate. The Resolution calls for a phased-in 10-cent increase in the gas tax over a period of three-years, as well as an increase in vehicle registration fees. Based on the way the funds are allocated, it is distributed to cities, counties and the state, and is intended only for road repairs and maintenance.

Cass County Republican Party Chair David Wiederstein has announced his resignation from the position. Wiederstein who also serves as Attorney for the City of Atlantic and Interim City Attorney in Audubon, announced his decision at Thursday night’s Republican Party committee meeting. Wiederstein said in a press release, that he will be “Filing papers to run for Cass County Attorney,” on Monday. That position is currently held by Dan Feistner.

In making his announcement, Wiederstein said “The structure of the Republican Party in Cass County is strong and the Republicans in our county make Cass County a bright red compared to shades of red, purple, and blue found in other counties.”

Two people were arrested early this (Friday) morning on Public Intoxication charges, in Villisca. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Department reports Jeremy A. Davis, and Jesse C. Fletcher, both of Villisca, were observed in the middle of the street at around 3:25-a.m., near the intersection of 4th Street and U Avenue, in Villisca.

Officials say both subjects admitted to drinking, and agreed to a Preliminary Breath Test (or, breathalyzer test), during which both blew in excess of the legal limit of .08 (point Oh-eight). Davis and Fletcher were brought to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $300 bond, each.

A spokesman for the State Fire Marshal’s office says they are making progress in getting smoke detectors in every home. The Fire Marshal has provided over 20-thousand smoke detectors to local fire departments since 2010 to be installed in homes. Special Agent, Dan Wood, says they’re keeping track of the number of lives saved. “What we’ve asked all fire departments in the state to do is, if you have a fire and people heard a detector going off and they get out, if it’s a family of two that’s two lives saved by a smoke detector,” Wood says. The saves by the devices hit triple digits last year.

Wood says, “In 2013 we had 112 saved by smoke detectors.” The numbers show smoke detectors have helped save over 600 lives across Iowa in the last four years.  “I feel like we’re making a dent, we are helping the people of the state of Iowa,” Wood says. “We’ll keep going as long as we can with this project — and hopefully we’ll do get to that goal of everybody having smoke detectors in the state.” Five people died in an Arlington home without smoke detectors during a fire in January. Burlington, Waterloo and Bondurant all had deadly house fires last year in which there was no working smoke detector.

(Radio Iowa)