(Radio Iowa) – A House committee has unanimously voted for legislation that would prevent the property tax bill on an Iowa residence or Ag-land from going up more than three percent a year. Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann is chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee. “This is centered around the increase for your actual bill, which is designed to give taxpayers not only predictability but also stop the bleeding for continually increasing property tax bills,” Kaufmann says.

The legislation does have a property improvement exception, so a property tax bill could go up more than three percent if someone spent one-hundred-thousand dollars building an addition on a house, for example. A SENATE committee has voted for a three percent cap on most property tax bill increases, but using a slightly different mechanism.

Republican Senator Dan Dawson of Council Bluffs — chairman of the Senate Ways and Means Committee — says he’s talking almost daily with Kaufmann about property tax limitations. “We’re not talking apples and oranges on different topics,” Dawson says. “We’re all in agreement. It’s just kind of working on those details and where we land on in the end.”

The bill that cleared the HOUSE Ways and Means Committee also calls for all bond referendums to be decided in November General Elections. It proposes a reduction in the local school district levy — replacing over 200 million dollars in PROPERTY taxes with state tax revenue. Representative Dave Jacoby, of Coralville, says Democrats on the committee voted for the overall package.

“The property tax affects every single person in the state of Iowa and we like what we see,” Jacoby says. But Jacoby says Democrats would like to see some assurances that the state would be REQUIRED to provide local school districts with that 200 million dollars every year, to avoid budget woes for public schools.

(Radio Iowa) – A bill to require more screening for Iowans receiving government food and health care assistance is headed to the governor for her signature.A household with more than 15-thousand dollars worth of assets that could be quickly sold or turned into cash would be ineligible for food stamps. Iowans receiving food stamps AND those enrolled in Medicaid would have to more frequently show their income is low enough to qualify for the programs. Representative Joel Fry, a Republican from Osceola, says the bill strikes a balance for taxpayers and those who are eligible for benefits.

“House Republicans believe that maintaining the safety net is critical for all Iowans, those who receive as well as those who give,” Fry said. Democrats cite a non-partisan report suggesting errors will deny government assistance to Iowa adults and kids who are eligible. Representative Beth Wessel-Kroeschell, a Democrat from Ames, says the fraud rate for food stamps is virtually non-existent.

“The rate is 0.07%. Our laws should be based on reality, on the state of things as they actually exist,” she said. “This bill makes it so more kids will go to school hungry.” Representative Josh Turek. a Democrat from Council Bluffs, says including vehicles in an asset test makes no sense, since Iowans — particularly those who live in rural areas — need reliable vehicles to get to work, school or the doctor. “In my opinion, this bill is a disgrace,” he said. “It’s morally reprehensible. The bill takes away food from veterans, the elderly, poor children and disabled individuals.”

Fry is the Republican who guided the bill through nearly four hours of debate. “It protects the program for those who need it most and I would suggest to you that we are creating a safety net today that is sustainable for the long term,” Fry said. “Without creating that safety net, the benefits won’t be in existence in my children’s lifetimes.”

The Senate approved the bill three weeks ago on a party line vote. It passed the House last (Thursday) night with the support of 58 Republicans. Five other Republicans and all 36 Democrats in the House voted no.

(Cass County, Iowa) – Firefighters from Atlantic were called to the scene of a side-by-side (UTV) fire, this afternoon. The call went out at around 2:45-p.m, for the incident at 620th St., just south of Jasper Road, a little south of the Atlantic City limits.

Lewis Fire was requested for mutual aid, as the wind whipped flames were spreading to a nearby field.  Additional information is not currently available.

(Radio Iowa) – Estherville’s fire chief is praising four men for a daring rescue from a locked apartment in a burning building.

A fire was reported Monday night in Estherville at the Country View Apartments and emergency responders rushed to evacuate several elderly and disabled residents A firefighter from Wallingford and a deputy sheriff could hear someone inside an apartment, behind a locked door. An Estherville policeman and a businessman from across the street who ran to help joined the two other men in getting the person out of their apartment.

Estherville fire. (Estherville FD photo)

Estherville’s fire chief says the four men encountered heavy smoke and flames above their heads as they saved someone they didn’t know. The apartment’s resident was taken to a local hospital for treatment of smoke inhalation.

(Radio Iowa) – A key Iowa Democrat is hinting his party might sue if the Republican-led legislature passes a bill to forbid Democrats from using a mail-in system for participation in the 2024 Iowa Caucuses.

Scott Brennan, a former chairman of the Iowa Democratic Party, is one of Iowa’s representatives on the Democratic National Committee. “I am a practicing lawyer and I have my own thoughts on the subject but maybe, ultimately, somebody will have to make a decision who’s wearing a black robe,” Brennan told statehouse reporters late this morning.

Republicans on a House committee have approved a bill that would require in-person participation in the Iowa Republican and Democratic Party Caucuses. New Hampshire’s Secretary of State has said if Iowa Democrats use mail-in voting for their 2024 Caucuses, New Hampshire’s presidential Primary would be moved ahead of Iowa’s Caucuses.

Scott Brennan. (file photo from Iowa PBS)

Republican Representative Bobby Kaufmann said his bill is about saving the Iowa Caucuses. “If we do nothing, we lose first in the nation status period,” Kaufmann said. “When you do mail in, it’s a primary. New Hampshire is obligated by law to jump us. This bill is protecting the integrity of the Iowa Caucuses for Republicans and Democrats.”

Democrats on the House Ways and Means Committee suggest Kaufmann as the bill’s sponsor has a conflict of interest because he is a paid senior advisor to Donald Trump’s Iowa Caucus campaign. Brennan, the former Iowa Democratic Party chairman, said Democrats were blindsided by Kaufmann’s bill, which was publicly released this week.

“It’s a solution in search of a problem. I don’t understand it. It makes no sense,” Brennan said. “We have decades of history where the two parties came together and talked about issues important to Iowans in our (Caucus) process. Nothing this time.”

National Democrats have voted for five other states to lead the voting in the 2024 presidential campaign and Brennan said Iowa Democrats have not yet announced when or exactly how they will conduct their Caucuses next year.

(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Natural Resources Commission has given final approval for a continuous open season for hunting and trapping raccoons on private lands. The DNR says there has been a steady increase in the raccoon population in the last 20 years, and they get many reports of the animals being a nuisance in attics, barns, and farm equipment. The DNR’s Chris Ensminger says they had two public hearings on the issue.

“There were 117 comments received, 75 of those were in support, two were partially supportive, and 40 were opposed,” Ensminger says. He says there were concerns about having an open season for public lands, so that was removed. “There was just some concern that if it was continuously open trapping and hunting — sometimes that’s dogs and other things — that on public lands and road right aways. that there could be conflicts with non-hunting parties using public land and different groups,” he says.

Raccoons. (DNR Photo)

Ensminger says trappers didn’t seem to have a concern with the change. “My impression is, Iowa’s trappers are pretty concerned about making sure that their reputation stays strong and good,” he says. “And they do not want to see places where there’s conflict, because it doesn’t benefit their sport.”

Ensminger says you can hunt on your own land without a license, but you need a license if you hunt raccoons on someone else’s land. He says you would need a general hunting license or a fur harvester license. The Iowa House passed a bill on a continuous raccoon hunting season, but there has not been any action on it in the Iowa Senate.

(Audubon, Iowa) – The City Council in Audubon, earlier this week, passed a new ordinance (#767) amending the Code of Ordinances, by adding Chapter 161, pertaining to Commercial Property Maintenance.  The Ordinance reads as follows:

Chapter 161

Commercial Property Maintenance Code.

161. 1. Purpose. The city’s commercial property maintenance code requirements are intended to preserve the structural integrity of the building and property values while assuring a clean and attractive community.

161. 2. Administrative provisions.

1. The provisions of this section shall apply to all existing and future commercial property, including upper story residential use in first floor commercially used buildings.

2. If a section, subsection, sentence, clause, or phrase of this Chapter is, for any reason, held to be unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portions of this Chapter.

3. Repairs, maintenance work, alterations or installations which are caused directly or indirectly by the enforcement of this Chapter shall be executed and performed in a workmanlike manner and installed in accordance with the manufacturer’s installation instructions.

4. Violations of this Chapter may result in the issuance of civil municipal infraction citations and nuisance abatement action by the City with the resulting costs to be reported and certified to the County Treasurer and to be assessed against the property in the same manner as real estate taxes.

161. 3. Minimum requirements. Every owner or operator shall improve and maintain all property under their control to comply with the following minimum requirements:

1. 1. Drainage. All courts, yards, or other areas on the premises shall be properly graded to divert water away from any building or structure.

   2. Weeds. All exterior property areas shall be kept free from weeds as required by this Chapter.

   3. Debris. All exterior property areas shall be properly maintained in a clean and sanitary condition free from debris, rubbish or garbage, physical hazards, rodent harborage and infestation, and animal feces.

   4. Fences, walks, and parking areas. Fences, other minor construction, walks, driveways, parking areas, and similar paved areas shall be properly maintained in a safe, sanitary, and substantial condition. Approved walks shall provide all-weather access to buildings or structures.

   5. Exterior surfaces. Exterior surfaces of buildings and structures not inherently resistant to deterioration shall be treated with a protective coating of non-lead based paint or other suitable preservative which will provide adequate resistance to weathering and maintain an attractive appearance. Any exterior surface treated with paint or other preservative shall be maintained so as to prevent chipping, cracking or other deterioration of the exterior surface or the surface treatment and to present an attractive appearance. All paint or other preservative shall be applied in a workmanlike fashion.

   6. Yard areas. Yard areas of real estate shall not be permitted to deteriorate or remain in a condition that is not in accord with the following: Yard areas shall be kept in a clean and sanitary condition, free from any accumulation of combustible or non-combustible materials (which are not used as an integral part of the authorized business carried out on the premises), debris, refuse, or overgrown vegetation.

   7. General requirements. Every foundation, exterior wall, and roof shall be reasonably weather tight, watertight and rodentproof and shall be kept in proper repair and shall be capable of affording privacy. Any hazardous sagging or bulging shall be properly repaired to a level or plumb position. All chimneys and breeching shall be so constructed and maintained so as to ensure that it safely and properly removes the products of combustion from the building.

   8. Windows and doors. Every window, exterior door, and basement hatchway shall be reasonably weather tight, watertight and rodentproof and kept in proper repair. All door and window hardware shall be installed and maintained in proper working condition. No building openings, except basement windows, in a building with any lot frontage on a public street may be boarded or covered in whole or in part. Doors and windows located on a facade of a building with lot frontage on a public street must be properly maintained, painted, and trimmed in the same manner as if the building was occupied. Where permitted by this Chapter, boarded up windows and doors must be a material that is compatible with the structure being protected and painted a color that is compatible with the building.

   9. Outside stairs and porches. Every outside stair, every porch, and every appurtenance thereto shall be so constructed as to be safe to use and capable of supporting the load that normal use may cause to be placed thereon and shall be kept in proper condition and repair and shall present an attractive appearance. All exterior stairs and steps and every appurtenance thereto shall comply with the requirements specified in the International Existing Building Code as adopted by this Chapter.

   10. Signs for businesses. Every sign for businesses no longer in operation shall be removed within 60 days after business use ceases or, if part of the building structure, painted over or otherwise obscured following the guidelines of subsection 5 of this Section.

   11. Transfer of ownership. Any owner of any property as to which an order or notice to repair, improve, demolish, or vacate has been issued shall not sell or enter into any agreement to sell or lease such property unless such order of the City has been disclosed and displayed to the prospective purchaser or lessee as required.

Section 2. Repealer. All ordinances or parts of ordinances in conflict with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed.

Section 3. Severability Clause. If any section, provision or part of this ordinance shall be adjudged invalid or unconstitutional, such adjudication shall not affect the validity of the ordinance as a whole or any section, provision, or part thereof not adjudged invalid or unconstitutional.

Section 4. When effective. This ordinance shall be in effect from and after its final passage, approval, and publication as provided by law.

DES MOINES – The City of Atlantic was recently honored with the 2022 Tree City USA Award at the 32nd Annual Community Forestry Awards Luncheon in Ankeny. The award was presented by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources April 12th at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny.

“The Tree City USA award is a symbol for communities who have made a commitment to the management of public trees,” says state forester Jeff Goerndt. “Your community has provided an outstanding example for other Iowa communities by enhancing our forest resources and demonstrating the great value of trees in providing multiple benefits for future generations.”

Dignitaries in the photo: Kayla Lyon, Director of the Department of Natural Resources and Jeff Goerndt, State Forester; Atlantic representatives are: Wyatt Adderton, Director of Parks and Recreation, Jeff Christensen, Assistant Director Parks and Recreation, and Dolly Bergmann with Atlantic Trees Forever

Atlantic was one of 74 Iowa communities to qualify for Tree City USA status. To receive the award, a city must, at a minimum, have either a city forester or an active city tree board; have a tree ordinance; spend at least $2 per capita annually for its community forestry program; and have a tree planting and maintenance plan.

(Radio Iowa) – Most Iowans have been in an airport, shopping mall or movie theater, realized their phone battery was low, and plugged it into one of those free public chargers. Now, the F-B-I is warning about what’s being called “juice jacking,” where bad actors use those chargers to infect smartphones, tablets and other devices with malware. Consumer protection advocate Micheal Domke says that malware can be malicious.

Domke says “The perfect way to avoid that is to use your own cable, and if possible, use your own charger box and cable with it.” There are warning signs your device may have already been infected, and Domke says you need to stay vigilant to keep your private data private.  “You’re going to see that maybe you can’t get into some of your apps, maybe the password has changed,” Domke says. “Or unfortunately, a big indicator is maybe you log into one of your bank accounts or a credit card account and you see that there’s new charges or missing funds.”

Skimming devices placed inside U-S-B ports will allow a hacker to quickly access your banking apps, contacts, emails and texts within seconds. He recommends never using a public charger, but to instead, plug your own cord into a separate electrical outlet.

(Glenwood, Iowa) – Police in Glenwood say no injuries were reported following a two-vehicle collision Wednesday evening on E. Sharp Street. Authorities say a 2010 Ford Focus driven by 18-year-old Frankie Lynn Doner, of Glenwood, was exiting Lake Drive to head west on Sharp Street at around 6:45-p.m., when her car hit a westbound 2018 Ford Explorer, driven by 38-year-old Bryan David Diekmann, of Glenwood. Donor told police she didn’t see the SUV when she pulled-out of Lake Drive.

Damage from the accident amounted to $4,000 altogether. Both vehicle sustained minor damage. No citations were issued.