The Atlantic City Council, Wednesday evening, approved an amendment to the City’s Personnel Policy. City Administrator Doug Harris explained one part of the amendment pertains to how close the city’s police officers must live with regard to their response time. The current requirement calls for officers to live within five-miles of the City limits, but after consulting with Police Chief Steve Green, and looking at other, legal requirements, it was determined the officers may live within a 25-minute response time.

The second change to the Personnel Policy, pertained to the parity between Union and Non-Union contracts, with regard to Personal Holiday time. The current contract allows non-union employees two-personal holidays per year. The proposal called for that to increase to three days per year, which would make the total number of holidays 11. That matches what Union personnel employed by the City, receive. The amendment was approved unanimously.

In other business, City Administrator Doug Harris said the Airport Commission has submitted their Capital Improvement Program (CIP) to the State of Iowa. He says if approved, the local share for the projects, the total cost of which is $2.62-million, the local share would end up being $875, 953. And, if it’s approved by the State, the Commission would have to request the Council consider a bond issue to finance some of the improvements, which by the way, were not included in the CIP Harris presented to the Council last month.

He said also, renovations on the Atlantic City Hall will begin next week, with the lobby area. Eventually, work will proceed into the Council Chambers, which will result in one of the regular council meetings in February having to take place at another location.

Officials with the Atlantic Community Promotion Commission (CPC) report they would like anyone interested in doing the downtown beautification project…which includes planting, mulching, weeding, watering, and other maintenance of the flower beds on Chestnut Street…to write a proposal, and send it to city officials by noon on Jan 30th. The CPC will discuss the proposals during its meeting in February.

Those who make the proposals are invited to attend the meeting February 7th, at noon, to answer questions from the CPC about the proposal. CPC members said they have requests from other parties about overseeing the project, and decided to ask for proposals from those interested this year. The project consists of flower beds in Chestnut Street median between Sixth and Seventh Streets and on the Chestnut Street corners from Second to Sixth Streets, however, $7,500 has been budgeted, and if funds remain after the Chestnut Street area is complete, other areas (for example, the corner at Seventh and Olive Streets) could be considered.

The CPC also notes that the flower bed in the median on Chestnut Street is irrigated. Proposals should detail plant types, color schemes, plant heights (keep drivers’ visibility in mind), maintenance schedule, volunteer involvement, and a breakdown of costs, and in addition to annual plantings, CPC members would like proposals to expand the use of perennials to save money in the long run. Because types of plantings aren’t specified, the project will be considered based on the overall value (bang for the buck) rather than lowest cost.

Maintenance should be ongoing with special attention given to downtown events – Customer Appreciation Days, Crazy Daze, Atlanticfest, Coca-Cola Days, Harvest Fest, etc., and proposals should include all labor, materials and equipment. Those submitting proposals are responsible for their own insurance. Volunteer involvement is not required, but there has been a volunteer planting day in the past. Those submitting proposals may want to continue with that, utilize volunteers to assist with maintenance instead (such as coordinating businesses or groups to “adopt” corners to weed), or eliminate volunteers all together.

Use of volunteers is at the discretion of those submitting proposals. Volunteers would be coordinated and overseen by those submitting proposals. For more information, contact Caryn Barbero-Just at 254-0989.

The trial for two Nebraska residents charged in connection with an arson fire in Atlantic in Dec. 2010 has been delayed until March. According to online court records, 27-year old William Kautter, of Omaha, faces a felony 1st degree arson charge, and six felony charges of Attempt to Commit murder. His wife, 29-year old Elizabeth Kautter, also of Omaha, faces a felony 1st degree arson charge. All charges stem from a Dec. 2010 residential fire at 601 E. 6th Street, in Atlantic.

The homeowners, Myron and Jolynne Gill, along with one of their adult children and three juveniles, were in the home at the time, but all escaped without injury. Investigators determined gasoline was splashed across the front door and porch of the house and then set aflame.
Complaints and Affidavits filed in coordination with the arrest of William and Elizabeth Kautter said prior to the fire, William Kautter had made several harassing phone calls, threatened physical harm and death to the Gill family. In addition, cell phone records showed the Kautter’s had traveled to Iowa from Omaha the night of the fire, and, Elizabeth Kautter was seen purchasing gasoline at an Atlantic area gas station on December 14th, 2010.

The Kautter’s have plead not guilty to the arson charges. Both trials were set to have begun Tuesday, Jan. 8th, but on Monday, Judge Jeffrey Larson agreed to extend the pre-trial conferences until Feb. 25th, with the both trials slated for March 26th. The couple remains free on bond. William Kautter had also been charged with Making Terrorist Threats, but he instead plead guilty to a reduced charge of 1st Degree Harassment.

The trial for an Atlantic man facing a felony charge of Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, and a Serious Misdemeanor charge of Domestic Abuse Assault Causing Bodily Injury, has been delayed until May. According to online court records, Judge Jeffrey Larson, on Monday, granted a request by attorneys in the case of 45-year old Rex Dean McDermott to delay his trial until 9:30-a.m. May 29th.

His pre-trial conference is set to take place earlier that same month.His trial was originally set to take place January 8th in Cass County District Court. McDermott entered a written plea on Monday, of Not Guilty to the charges, and is currently free on bond.

McDermott had been arrested in Oct. 2012, following an incident which allegedly occurred at R&B Feeds in Atlantic.

A woman from Corning was arrested early this (Wednesday) morning, following an investigation into an accident which occurred previously. The Adams County Sheriff’s Department says 20-year old Kaitlyn DeYoung, of Corning, faces an OWI and Child Endangerment charge. She was taken into custody at around 10:30-a.m. DeYoung was being held in the Adams County Jail on $3,000 bond.

An underground water main broke early this (Tuesday) morning in Council Bluffs and prompted part of a residential street to collapse. Homeowner David Froth woke up around 3 A-M to see the road caving in. Froth says he ran to the aid of a neighbor who was driving up the street and crashed into a large hole. “It’s a little scary seeing something like this and then trying to help your neighbor out of his own car,” Froth said.

Officials with the Council Bluffs Water Works said a major water main break near Ave E and N. 9th Street caused a loss of water pressure on the west end of Council Bluffs. The water main break has been isolated and the system was repressurizing late Wednesday morning.

The utility says “While loss of pressure does not necessarily mean the water has been contaminated, it does mean that pathogens may be able to enter the piped-water system and thus be carried to consumers. The Council Bluffs Water Works is issuing precautionary boil water advisory for the entire City until further notice. The precautionary notice includes the cities of Crescent, Underwood, and McClelland and the Bentree Subdivisions.

Do not use tap water for drinking or food preparation. Under a boil-water advisory (BWA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that water be brought to a rolling boil for one minute before it is consumed in order to kill protozoa, bacteria and viruses. The Council Bluff Water Works will be taking water samples throughout the City to verify the safety of the water and lift the advisory as soon as possible.”

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – The Iowa Court of Appeals has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a woman serving life in prison for the 2001 fatal shooting of a neighbor in her Iowa home.  The court on Wednesday rejected Tracey Richter‘s argument that prosecutors failed to overcome her claim that the shooting of 20-year-old Dustin Wehde was in self-defense.

Richter shot and killed Wehde in her home in the Sac County town of Early. She maintains that she shot Wehde to protect herself and her three children after Wehde and another man invaded her home. Prosecutors say the home invasion claim was a hoax, and that Richter killed Wehde as part of a plot to frame her ex-husband.

The court says there was “substantial evidence” from which jurors could conclude the killing wasn’t justified.

w/ Ric Hanson

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The Shelby County Board of Supervisors, Tuesday, approved a five-percent increase in wages for elected officials, with just a few exceptions. Tim Meyer, Treasurer of the Shelby County Compensation Board, requested the increase for elected officials except for Shelby County Sheriff Mark Hervey, who will see a 6 percent increase. Meyer told the supervisors his first year on the board in 2011, that Shelby county officials were trailing the rest of the counties considerably, ranking 89^th as compared to the population at 65^th. The Compensation board decided in 2011 to ask for the increase in wages and continue a plan to raise the compensation closer to the population. Meyer said the 5 percent increase agreed upon by the Compensation Board prior being recommended for approval by the Supervisors.

Meyer said the county officials do a great job and should be commended for the work they do. Supervisor Steve Kenkel compared elected officials’ wages in Shelby County and four other counties in the area prior to the Boards’ vote.  Kenkel said “Shelby County population ranking is 64 and property tax is 63 so we are right where we need to be. But I wanted to look at the levy rate where we are with taxes. The levy rate of the counties around us varies to 37.3 and we are 30.3. The state average is 34 so we are real low in the property tax levy. Property tax in our 5 year average what our change has been is 2.4%, or about half of the state average.”

He said also, the County will be debt free by next fiscal year, and he reminded the Board other County officials received a $1,500 raise this year. Kenkel said “If we weren’t doing anything at all you have to look at that and factor that in there that’s $12,000 subtract off of there. You are looking at above and beyond a 1.5% increase about what the other employees got. Charlie and I said we would not take a raise the 1^st year if this is approved, that’s $1,279. If you take that savings out, we are looking at additional cost for the county of 1.1%.”

Supervisor Roger Schmitz said he would not vote for a salary increase, because he is not better than the other two supervisors.  Kenkel refuted that argument, saying “What I wanted to do was approve it and Roger get his now and wait 6 months the next year and then enacts Charlie and I in. That way we end up with two and a half and he ends up with 5.” A motion to approve the increase passed however, by a vote of 2-to 1, with Schmitz voting no, because he felt everyone should be the same on the board.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)