The Atlantic City Council will hold a public hearing during its meeting Wednesday evening. The hearing is with regard to the disposal of property at 405 West 4th Street. During the last Council meeting, City Attorney Dave Wiederstein reported the vacant, half-lot was tax acquired by the City, and was not is buildable. A public hearing is required before the Council can act on approving the sale of the property.

The Council will also act on a motion to refer to the Planning and Zoning Commission, a proposal to vacate an alley located between 1106 E. 7th Street and 1200 E. 7th Street. City Administrator Doug Harris says his assistant, John Lund, has been working with the Cass County Assessor’s Office to get ride of some so-called “Phantom” alleys and streets found in the City’s plat map book. The streets are held by the City, and Harris says restoring them back to private property owners would put those locations on the tax rolls. He says there is a person interested in buying the alley mentioned. Neither AMU nor the Atlantic Street Department has an issue with the vacating of the alley, according to Harris.

In other business, the Council hold the first reading of an amendment to the City’s Code of Ordinances, with regard to “Flood Plain Regulations.” John Lund, Assistant to City Administrator Doug Harris, has been designated by the State, as the City’s official Flood Plain Manager. As such, he’s been working with the DNR to make sure the Flood Plain Ordinance meets the necessary requirements set forth by FEMA and the Iowa DNR.

The proposed amendments to the Ordinance include modifying the definitions of “Development,” “Minor Projects,” and “Routine Maintenance of Existing buildings and Facilities.” And additional amendment requires the Iowa DNR to approve alterations or relocations with regard to Flood Plain Management Standards.

The Atlantic City Council will also consider a request by the Jaycees to shoot-off fireworks at the Airport on July 4th, during the annual holiday celebration.

This Friday, the State of Iowa and Governor Terry E. Branstad will honor four officers killed in the line of duty.

Iowa Peace Office Memorial

Each of these men died while serving to protect and keep Iowa communities safe:

Police Officer Jamie D. Buenting, Rockwell City Police Department. Died September 13, 2013
City Marshal Robert C. Coulter, Farmington Police Department. Died December 21, 1902
City Marshal Reuben Fenstenmaker, Farmington Police Department. Died January 1, 1868
Town Marshal Joseph Kashmetter, Alton Police Department. Died March 27, 1911

The public is invited to attend the event at the Peace Office Memorial in Des Moines (at the Oran Pape State Office Building, 215 East 7th Street), beginning at 10-a.m. Friday. In the event of rain, the ceremony will be held in the rotunda of the State Capitol.

Officials say if you are unable to attend this year’s ceremony, there are many ways you can observe National Police Week. Simply  take time and thank current peace officers for protecting and serving your community and the State of Iowa.

Robert Cramer, Republican candidate for U-S Congress in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District stopped by the KJAN studios Tuesday morning. Cramer is one of six Republican candidates who hope to win the June Primary to challenge Democrat Staci Appel for Tom Latham’s House of Representatives seat in Washington. Latham announced late last year he would not be seeking re-election. Iowa’s Third Congressional District includes Council Bluffs, Des Moines and much of southwest Iowa.

Cramer says coming down the final stretch – the final four weeks – to the Primary, he’ll put his experience building bridges as a licensed, professional engineer to use in an attempt to “rebuild” Washington. He says he has the “blueprint” for fixing Washington. It starts he says, with balancing the budget with a 5-year plan, reducing debt and removing regulations that prevent small business people from hiring.

He says part of the way to fix Washington’s seemingly endless gridlock on issues of importance to Americans, is for the Republican party to find common ground in order to create a substantive plan to move forward. Cramer says Iowans are telling him their hope is fading that the country’s current fiscal mess can be turned around, but he’s confident Republicans can make the changes needed to turn that hope into a promise.

Cramer says Iowan’s shouldn’t have to choose between candidates who stand for Conservative values or the fiscally responsible businessman. He says they can get both by electing him in the Primary.

The Cass County Board of Supervisors today (Tuesday), approved the plans for a bridge replacement project located about one-eighth of a mile east of 648th Street, on Jackson Road (the Landfill Road). Cass County Engineer Charles Marker said bids for the project will be let on August 19th. Marker says the bridge, which is being designed in-house, will be an 80-foot long, triple-span structure that’s 30-feet wide.

The current bridge is only about 24-feet wide. Markers says the new structure will allow bigger pieces of equipment to move across the current two-span structure. Marker said also, a request for a public hearing on the vacating of a long section of 740th Street in the Massena Township has been withdrawn, because the person making the request had second thoughts on the matter.

With regard to the level B, or dirt roads in the county that get torn-up by fun seekers in 4-wheel drive vehicles after it rains, Cass County Attorney Dan Feistner said citations have been issued to those who knowingly and intentionally cause damage to those roads. Feistner said the culprits were cited for either Failure to Maintain Control or Criminal Mischief for “What appear to be clear acts beyond the norm of – the use of the road – where they’ve gone out and torn roads up.”

Feistner said he’s working with the Secondary Roads Dept. to come up what amount of restitution the perpetrators might pay to repair the roads which have been too badly damaged intentionally. Feistner said Criminal Mischief is a Simple Misdemeanor, punishable by a fine of $65. He said the intent is to send a message to those who would purposely tear up the county’s roads, that you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

In other business, the Cass County Board of Supervisors approved a wage adjustment increase of $4,000 (to $45,000) for newly appointed full-time Mental Health and General Assistance Director Deb Schuler. Last week, the Board had discussed moving her wage up to that which was last paid to the former MD/DD/GA Director, but they felt the adjustment which was approved was more equitable. The Board also voted to place ads in the paper and elsewhere for the position, the vacancy term for which expires on June 30th.

Authorities in Harlan are investigating two incidents of theft. On Monday, a Manilla resident reported a break-in and theft at her property located in the 2100 block of 7th Street, in Harlan. Officials say there was significant damage to the doors and windows and items had been removed from the house. This case remains under investigation.

And, on Saturday, May 3rd, officers with the Harlan P-D were called to Merrill Field, in the 1000 block of Elm Street, where it was reported that someone had broken into the construction trailer belonging to Nemaha Landscape Construction . Numerous tools and a generator were reported missing. The case remains under investigation.

In other news, the Harlan Police Department reports 41-year old Rebecca Schaben, of Harlan, was arrested following a traffic stop, Friday. Schaben was cited for driving under suspension, fail to prove security against liability, and operation without registration. The woman was cited and then released.