BUT TOMORROW, INTO THE 40'S FOR THE REST OF WORK WEEK AND IN THE 50'S THIS WEEKEND.
THE JACKSON COUNTY SUPERVISORS PLAN TO PUT PROPERTY OWNED BY THE COUNTY UP FOR SALE. IT IS NEARLY 3 ACRES AT CRESLANE AND GERMAN STREET, UP THE HILL FROM SUNSHINE SCHOOL. THE COUNTY GOT THE LAND SEVERAL YEARS AGO WHEN THE FORMER OWNERS DEFAULTED ON TAXES. BUT FIRST, THEY HAVE TO HAVE A PUBLIC
HEAR ON SELLING IT....ON APRIL 15 ....AND THEN BIDS WILL BE ACCEPTED UNTIL 4:30 P.M. MAY 2ND. THE COUNTY LISTED THE PROPERTY IN 2011 BUT
DID NOT ACCEPT ANY OF THE BIDS. THEY HAVE NOT RENTED THE LAND
AND IF SOLD, IT CAN BE PUT BACK ON THE TAX ROLLS.
THE CITY COUNCIL LAST NIGHT TOOK THE FIRST STEP TO CREATING
A STREETSCAPE DOWNTOWN AND RENOVATING THE UTILITY LINES ON MAIN STREET. THEY HIRED IIW ENGINEERS AT A COST OF $131,700 TO COME UP WITH THE DESIGN FOR MAIN STREET INCLUDING A STREETSCAPE AND
NEW UTILITIES. THE OVERALL COST OF THE SEVERAL-YEARS PROJECT
IS EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 3 AND 4-MILLION-DOLLARS. IT WILL BE
PAID WITH SOME STATE HELP, POSSIBLE GRANTS, WATER AND SEWER REVENUE AND POSSIBLY BONDING WITH TAXES TO PAY OFF THE BONDS. THERE WILL BE MORE IIW ENGINEERING FEES AS THE PROJECT MOVES ALONG. THE UTILITY UPGRADING IS NEEDED NOW (AND THE NEED WOULD INCREASE IN COMING YEARS) AND THE STREETSCAPE IS MENT TO GIVE NEW LIFE TO DOWNTOWN, AS IT HAS IN MANY CITIES IN IOWA. DEWITT IS THE NEAREST EXAMPLE.
THIS LOT IN MAQUOKETA IS WHERE THE VETERAN'S MEMORIAL WILL BE LOCATED. FUND RAISING IS UNDERWAY.
GOOD FISHING LAST SUNDAY ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER NEAR THE DAM
IN BELLEVUE.
HAVE A GOOD NIGHT AND WARMER WEDNESDAY.
DENNIS VOY
