City Officials in Harlan have approved the refinancing of their 2007  General Obligation bonds. The City Council Tuesday approved a  bid from UMB Bank in Kansas City, MO for $2.845-million in G.O. Refunding Bonds, Series 2013. Jenny Blankenship from PFN in Des Moines, reported to the Council on the three bids the city had received for the bonds. The bonds were originally from 2007 and were set at a 4.25% interest. Blankenship demonstrated to  the board that with the new bid from UMB Bank, the interest rate will fall to a true interest of just over 1.88-percent. The annual savings from 2016 to 2027 will amount to a little more than $318,700, with a net savings of just under $280,000.

In addition to approving refinancing of the bonds, the Harlan City Council agreed to spend $13,567 on new Christmas decorations. City Clerk Debra Sawyer said with the money, the city will buy 11 LED Candy Canes and 11 Standing Deer for Chatburn Avenue, along with new garland and 1500-feet of LED lights for the downtown area. The money will come out of the 2011 bond issue.  Sawyer said the city will be purchasing more Christmas decorations in the coming years.

And, Harlan Fire Chief Roger Bissen provided the City Council with his regular report.  Bissen said the Fire Department held a board meeting Monday, and elected one new firefighter. The addition brings the total number of members in the department to 35. The maximum number of personnel the department is allowed to have is capped at 40.

(Joel McCall/KNOD)

A report published in the Omaha World-Herald says the City of Hamburg will be forced to remove an additional eight-feet of dirt piled on top of a levee designed to protect the City from flooding by the Missouri River. The paper says because the City was unable to raise more than $5.5 million needed to bring the levee within federal regulations, it must remove extra dirt added to the levee. The result will be a levee reduced to its pre-2011 flood height of 11 feet, which City leaders say is not enough to protect the community from flooding.

Despite a $1 million contribution from the Iowa Economic Development Authority, and an extension by the Corps of Engineers that allowed the City to continue raising funds until March 1^st, the City of Hamburg was still $4.6 million short of the money necessary to keep the additional dirt on the L-575 levee at the beginning of the year. City officials have said removal of the levee would cost Hamburg about One-million dollars.

The Iowa Senate has passed a bill that would give Iowa companies an advantage in selling goods and services to state government. If an out-of-state company is the lowest bidder, Iowa companies with bids just a bit higher would be given a chance to match the low bid and win the contract. Senator Rick Bertrand, a Republican from Sioux City, says many senators voted for the legislation because they fear the campaign pamphlets that would be circulated if they voted no. “This is a feel good bill…We’re all going to vote for it because if we don’t…they’re going to beat the hell out of us on the campaign trail on this, so let’s just vote it up and be done with it.”

Bertrand says everyone’s for promoting Iowa businesses, but the bill doesn’t ensure Iowa taxpayers won’t get the best deals on state contracts because low bidders from out-of-state will lose. Senator Liz Mathis, a Democrat from Robbins, defends the legislation.”You can feel good about voting for this bill because business people back home will see you standing with them,” Mathis told her fellow senators, “supporting them for building their business in Iowa.”

The bill passed on a 34 to 16 vote. This is the second year the Senate has endorsed the concept. It’s unlikely to win support in the Iowa House.

(Radio Iowa)