IA - Sheriff in Washington Co is asking for funds for S.T.

Sheriff asks Wellman council for funds for speed trap
By: Katherine Wells Anderson
12/07/2006
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Sheriff Dunbar is requesting funds for a speed trap to slow down the drivers in Washington County. Dunbar said recently, that within one hour 40 people were stopped and 21 ticketed for seat belt violations and speeding, "and those were just the ones going more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit."
He further stated that the department already has $4,000 and at the cost of $1.00 per person of participating towns the needed $7,000 could be raised to purchase a speed trailer at the cost of $11,000. The various towns throughout the year would then share the speed trailer. The council will consider Dunbar's request.
In further business the council:
Passed - Ordinance No. 186, the second reading to grant a cable television franchise to Wellman Cooperative Telephone Company.
Approved - a 2007 proposal from LL Pelling Company, Inc. of North Liberty at $2.40 per square yard for base repair and single seal coat or $1.40 per square yard for a single seal coat.
Approved - $500 (from funds set aside for economic improvement) matching contribution from the city of Wellman towards a Community Visioning Program. Wellman Improvement Group has $500 of its own to hire the CVP to advise on improvements for the city and to make architectural drawings to show how it would look were the improvements made.
Approved - Mayor Ryan Miller appointed to represent the city of Wellman before the Iowa Utilities Board to request permission to buy the electric system from Alliant Energy.
A work session followed the council meeting in which use of the funds given to the city of Wellman from the Riverboat Casino Group was discussed. Council member Rich Oldfield stated that the general funds were depleted and virtually unavailable for the past seven years. The council decided to use the first quarter's contributions to build up General Funds.
Following the first quarter, the funds will be used for various projects throughout the city that the council formerly would be unable to assist in. Council member Bob Gingerich stated that by July the lights at the ballpark ought to be replaced.
In other discussion, city clerk Donna Wade mentioned that they were looking into grants and the cost of upgrading the old water meters. They will soon be obsolete and unable to be repaired. Replacement of the current type of meters would be approximately $10,000. An alternative would be replace them with 'radio read' meters, which cut the meter reading time from 2 to 3 days down to ½ a day.
There will be a Communications Commission meeting held in Wellman council chambers December 28 at 7 p.m. and is open to the public.
Next council meeting set for December 18 at 7 p.m.