(Atlantic, Iowa) – The City Council in Atlantic, Wednesday, passed an Ordinance (#1018), amending the City Code of Ordinances to change how tall the grass must be by certain dates each month. City Clerk Barb Barrick explains the change was with regard to current Ordinance # 1016.

Barrick said Ordinance 1016 stated the height of the grass was to be changed (Cut) on the 1st and the 15th of the month. Ordinance 1018 simply states “the height of the grass.” The Council opted to let a motion for the Third and final Reading of Ordinance 1016 die, for lack of a second. They next voted to pass the third and final reading of Ordinance #1017, which amends the height of the grass to no more than 9-inches before it must be mowed.

Atlantic City Council mtg. 5/18/22 (Ric Hanson/photo)

Previously, the maximum height was 12-inches. They then proceeded to hold the first Reading of Ordinance #1018, entitled “Mowing of Properties,” and went on to waive the second and third readings to ultimately approve the Ordinance as written.

In her report to the Council and Community, Atlantic Mayor Grace Garrett spoke with regard to the grass mowing ordinance, and clarified a comment she made in the local newspaper, with regard to the timing of lawn mowing.

“With that,” she said “I want to reiterate to our City, that we are seeing some common violations, over-and-over again.”

The Mayor warned against mowing your lawn clippings onto the streets and sidewalks, as it a Code Violation. She also reminded people it is a violation to park your vehicle or vehicles in your yard., and she addressed signs in the City Right-of-Way

Another issue the City will be cracking down on, is household trash and garbage removal.

She said “We as a Council..as a City…want to give you, the residents, the opportunity to make your own corrections.”

(Lenox, Iowa) – A traffic stop just outside of Lenox Wednesday afternoon, resulted in the arrest of a Montgomery County man. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office reports the traffic stop took place at around 2:15-p.m.  Upon further investigation, 64-year-old John Richard Mullenix, of Red Oak, was arrested for Eluding, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Public Urination. Mullenix was being held in the Adams County Jail on a $1,600 cash bond.

(Radio Iowa) – Senate Republicans are scaling back the amount of money they’re willing to set aside to hire four new judges and provide pay raises to judges and other employees in the Iowa court system. Republican Senator Julian Garrett of Indianola says it appears some of those expenses can be covered with money no longer needed for the pension system for judges for those expenses.

“Their pension fund is in very good shape, so that will free up an extra $4.9 million, so in essence we’ve got roughly $5 million of new money for the judicial branch,” Garrett says. “…My understanding is the Department of Management’s opinion is that money can be used by the judicial branch.” Caitlin Jarzen, an administrator in the court system, says state law prohibits this kind of transfer.

“This leaves us with a considerable shortfall to cover the required new items in the budget,” Jarzen said. “We’re 97% employees, so if this happens, that’s where we’re going to be forced to make cuts.” Republicans on the Senate Appropriations Committee have approved an overall spending plan for the state’s court system that includes the five million dollars originally destined for pensions. Senator Todd Taylor, a Democrat from Cedar Rapids, says that budget gimmick won’t work and their plan will lead to layoffs in courthouses that have the lowest volume of criminal cases.

“I think, honestly, it’s going to hurt rural Iowa more than in the bigger counties,” Taylor says. The Senate G-O-P’s budget bill also calls for ending the practice of having the Iowa Supreme Court’s chief justice present lawmakers with a spending plan for the courts. That authority would be transferred to the governor. House Republicans have passed a separate budget bill for the state court system. It does not include the money transfer or ending the court’s direct input on budget matters.