IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) – Iowa businesses could soon face higher fees for legal filings under a plan by Secretary of State Paul Pate to raise money for his office’s technology upgrades.

Pate’s office published a “notice of intended action” Wednesday outlining fee increases that would affect businesses of all sizes.

The public has until Oct. 17 to comment on the rules, which are drawing some concerns from business groups.

Those who have accounts with Pate’s office for billing would face the steepest increase, with annual fees quadrupling to $100.

The fee for filing a Uniform Commercial Code paper document would double to $20. The fees for reports that must be filed every two years by corporations would increase $15.

The money would go toward a “Technology Modernization Fund” approved by lawmakers earlier this year.

w/Chris Parks.

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A report issued by the State Auditor’s Office on a review of employee travel expenses for Cass County personnel and elected officials determined some officials used County credit cards improperly and a county employee was doing non-beneficial work on County time.  The review was for the period of July 1, 2014 to June 30, 2016 and was conducted as a result of citizen concerns regarding the frequency of County Treasurer Tracey Marshall’s travel and certain purchases made using a County credit card.

The review determined County-issued credit cards were used to purchase items not related to County business. County Treasurer Tracey Marshall used the County credit card assigned to her to make purchases for the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers, and Finance Officers (NACCTFO) and the National Tax Lein Association (NTLA). Of the $16,972.07 of payments on Ms. Marshall’s County Credit card, $3,982.91 were issued directly to the credit card vendor by NACCTFO for purchases on its behalf.  Marshall also issued a payment directly to the creditor totaling $513.24 for purchases she made on behalf of NTLA.

County Veteran Affairs Commission Executive Director Mitch Holmes also used the County credit card for personal purchases but  issued payment directly to the creditor for those purchases.

The County credit card policy specifies that County cards may not be used for purposes other than County expenses such as fuel, meals during overnight travel, lodging, and equipment purchases.  The review also determined that supporting documentation is not always provided or required for employee travel expenses submitted for reimbursement.

Of the $42, 847.83 of travel expenses reviewed $1,334.39 of improper and unsupported disbursements were identified. Of that amount, $590.53 was improper disbursements and includes $251 of personal hotel expenses, $175 of guest registration fees for County Attorney Dave Weiderstein’s family at County Attorneys Spring Training Conferences, and $132.40 for excess miles claimed by certain County personnel. The remaining $743.86 is considered to be unsupported disbursements and includes primarily lodging expenses and mileage reimbursements for which the destination and/or purpose of the trip were not documented.

Additionally the review found that an employee within the Treasurer’s Office processed numerous financial transactions and maintained accounting records for NACCTFO during regular business hours at the instruction of Treasurer Marshall.  This is determined as an improper use of County resources because that work does not provide a direct benefit to the county. A Treasurer’s Office employee should not be fulfilling duties committed to by Marshall.

Recommendations were made by the State Auditor to strengthen the County’s internal controls and overall operations, such as ensuring County-issued credit cards are used only for County business, ensuring all County purchases are properly supported with original, detailed receipts or invoices, and ensuring the County Board of Supervisors reviews supporting documentation for expenditures on a periodic basis.

Copies of the report have been filed with the Cass County Board of Supervisors and is available for review in the Office of Auditor of State and on the Auditor of State’s website: http://auditor.iowa.gov/reports/1610-0015-BE00

DES MOINES, IA – Iowa Workforce Development has announced that the IowaWORKS Center in Denison will remain open two days per week to offer career training and support services. The Center will operate at the current location until at least the end of October, with plans underway to maintain a presence in the community in another location beyond that date.

Starting Monday, Oct. 2, the Center will be open from 8 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4:30 p.m. every Monday and Thursday. The Center is located at 519 Highway 39 in Denison.

“The residents of Crawford County have embraced the opportunity to receive workforce services locally and we are excited to be able to keep the office in Denison open,” said Beth Townsend, Director, Iowa Workforce Development. “The community has been very appreciative of the services available and many residents have received training, classes and career services help.”

Evan Blakley, Executive Director of the Chamber and Development Council of Crawford County (CDC), is pleased with the announcement. “We’re a growing community, which means maintaining access to workforce services in Crawford County is a high priority,” Blakley said. “The CDC is working with the City, IWD, Region XII COG, and others to secure a long-term location for these important services. Hundreds of clients use the center each month, demonstrating a need for the center in Denison.”

Iowa Workforce Development opened the Center in September of 2015 to provide support to the 400 workers displaced by the Tyson Fresh Meats plant closure in August of 2015.

The Center was originally scheduled to close at the end of March 2016, but dislocated workers in Crawford County were able to receive services for an another 18 months due to additional federal funds. With those funds coming to an end, Iowa Workforce Development announced in May the Center was closing on Sept. 30.

Following discussions with community leaders, the decision was made to keep the Center open two days a week for residents to continue to receive services locally. Discussion continues around various options for a new location, and the public will be updated once that location is known.

In an update to our earlier report, officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday afternoon (at around 2:20-p.m.), that repairs were made Wednesday to the Shenandoah Wastewater Treatment Plant, which had a system failure earlier that same morning.

The DNR still recommends persons should avoid contact with the East Nishnabotna River at County Road J32 (190th Street) west of Shenandoah for the next 24 to 48 hours after the discharge ends. Farmers downstream should find alternative sources of drinking water for livestock.

The DNR will continue to monitor the situation and provide technical assistance, and consider enforcement action if appropriate.

The Red Oak Police Department reports the arrest Wednesday of 58-year-old Mary Helen Adams of Red Oak. Adams was arrested at 11:00amat 105 East Coolbaugh Street in Red Oak on a Pottawattamie County Warrant of OWI 1st Offense. She was taken to the Montgomery County Jail and held on $10,000 bond pending extradition to Pottawattamie County.

A Council Bluffs man was arrested on Tuesday after attempting to elude Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Officials on a motorcycle. A Deputy reported responding to report of a reckless driver on a silver motorcycle Eastbound over the Broadway viaduct at 11:24pm Tuesday. He attempted to stop the Honda motorcycle but the driver attempted to elude the Deputy.  The driver, 39-year-old William Donald Martin of Council Bluffs, was eventually apprehended. He was charged with Eluding, OWI 1st Offense, and Reckless Driving. He was booked into the Pottawattamie County Jail.

The Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Office reports the arrest of a Council Bluffs man for OWI after responding to a property damage accident Tuesday. At 5:35pm Deputies were dispatched to the accident at Old Lincoln Highway and School Hill Avenue. After investigation it was determined that one of the drivers was intoxicated. 34-year-old Justin Edward Head of Council Bluffs of arrested for OWI and his Chevy truck was towed from the scene.

SHENANDOAH—Wednesday morning, officials with the Shenandoah Wastewater Treatment Plant reported a system failure at the treatment plant.

The system failed early this morning and city officials immediately diverted all flow of 25,000 gallons per hour to the storm-water clarifier before being discharged into the East Nishnabotna River.

Officials have contacted a company to repair the system. Until the repair is made, partially treated wastewater is being discharged into the East Nishnabotna River, via a drainage ditch.

DNR recommends anyone avoid contact with the East Nishnabotna River at County Road J32 (190th Street) west of Shenandoah from now until 24 to 48 hours after the discharge ends. Farmers downstream should find alternative sources of drinking water for livestock.

The DNR will continue to monitor the situation and provide technical assistance, and consider enforcement action if appropriate.

The official notice of the Cass County Board of Supervisors’ intent to fill the office of Cass County Attorney cannot be published more than twenty (20) days prior to Tuesday, January 2, 2018, the date on which the Cass County of Board of Supervisors intend to fill the vacancy of the Cass County Attorney by appointment pursuant to Code of Iowa §69.14A(2)(a).

However, the Board of Supervisors intend to fill the vacancy as soon as possible after the vacancy occurs on January 1, 2017.  To facilitate a speedy filling of the vacancy, the Cass County Board of Supervisors are taking applications now for the position.

In accordance with State law, after the official notice is published (on approximately December 12, 2017), the eligible electors of Cass County have the right to file a petition with the County Auditor requiring that the vacancy be filled by special election rather than by appointment by the Cass County Board of Supervisors.  They will also have the right to file a petition with the County Auditor requiring that the vacancy be filled by special election after the appointment.  If an appointment is made, the appointment is only until the position is filled by election in November of 2018.  The person who is elected in the November, 2018 General Election will serve out the remainder of the term ending January 2, 2019 and serve the full four (4) year term which begins January 2, 2019.

The Board plans to convene, in a regular session, at 8:30 a.m. on Friday, December 29, 2017 and during that meeting will consider all applications.  The Board will again convene, in a regular session, at 8:30 a.m. on Tuesday, January 2, 2018 to make the appointment and conduct its 2019 organizational meeting.  Both meetings will be in the Board Meeting Room of the Cass County Courthouse.

On January 2, all qualified applicants will be expected to make a public presentation of approximately five minutes and answer questions from the Board.  After the presentations, the Board will decide whom to appoint, make an appointment and the chosen appointee will be sworn in.

Interested eligible electors (or those who will become eligible electors) of Cass County who are licensed to practice law in Iowa are encouraged to apply.  Beginning on September 27, 2017 applications/with resume will be accepted via email at auditor@casscoia.us or, in person at the County Auditor’s Office, Cass County Courthouse, 5 West 7th Street, Atlantic, Iowa 50022. Completed applications are due no later than 4:30 p.m. on December 27, 2017. All applications are public record.  Application forms are available on the Cass County website: casscountyiowa.us