Director: Mariposa
restrooms in need
of repairs
By JOHN JENNINGS NDN Staff Writer
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| Mariposa Park could use some improvements, particularly the restrooms, which have not been upgraded in the past 30 years and are now leaking into the lake. The best way to fund those improvements was the subject of discussion at Tuesday’s Jasper County Board of Supervisors meeting. (John Jennings\Daily News) |
The Jasper County Conservation Board began collecting camping fees at its two county parks last April. Since that time, the county has collected more than $2,000 in fees, and Conservation Board Director Keri Van Zante would like to put that revenue in a special fund for land acquisition and development for the parks.
Van Zante appeared before the Jasper County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday to request those camping fees be placed in the Land Acquisition and Development Trust Fund for park improvements, particularly to upgrade the restrooms.
“All the restrooms are bad. Nothing has been done for about 30 years,” Van Zante told the supervisors.
Van Zante said the restrooms at Mariposa were particularly in need of repair, and the current toilet has been leaking into the lake for some time. Restrooms at Ashton Wildwood Park also need upgrading.
The supervisors, however, were reluctant to grant Van Zante her wish.
“I consider those revenues tax dollars, so I think they should go into the general fund,” supervisor Rick Tiedje said. “I’m not opposed to updating the parks, but that would be consistent with other departments.”
Board Chairman Denny Stevenson disagreed.
“It’s park money. It’s a specific goal, and in future years, the parks may not get that money (from future boards),” Stevenson said.
Van Zante also said the park’s camping fee revenues could be used as leverage to acquire additional funding in the form of grants to make other improvements, including upgrades to the county’s bike trails.
Supervisor John Parsons asked Van Zante why she would try to expand and improve the parks in times of economic downturn. Van Zante said the public has been requesting improvements at the parks.
Stevenson responded to Parsons’ question by saying that if the county waited until it was flush with money, nothing would get done. Stevenson made a motion to grant Van Zante’s request to place the camping revenues into the Land Acquisition and Development Trust Fund, but the motion died for lack of a second.
In other action Tuesday, the supervisors:
• Approved the second reading and waived the third reading of an ordinance to provide for the special valuation of wind energy conversion property in Jasper County. The document provides special valuation for wind energy conversion property, including wind turbines, towers and electrical equipment. California-based EnXco has announced the Hickory Grove project, in northeast Jasper County between Newburg and Gilman. The project intends to erect 134 wind turbines, with half of those situated in Jasper County, on 400 acres, within the next couple of years.
• Approved the transfer of LOST tax revenues for fiscal year 2010-11 from the Local Option Sales and Services Tax Fund to the various departments for property tax relief. The supervisors transferred $316,831.88 to the General Basic Fund; $681,372.05 to the General Supplemental fund; and $225,085.20 to the Rural Services Basic Fund; for a total of $1,223 289.13. The revenue is down slightly from last fiscal year, when the county took in $1.241 million in LOST revenues.
• Approved the low bid of $50,303 from Midwest Culvert of Ankeny for miscellaneous pipes for the Secondary Roads Department.
• Approved a contract between Jasper County and the Iowa Department of Public Health, Division of the State Medical Examiner’s Office.
Jasper is one of four counties chosen the send an individual to the Medicolegal Death Investigation Training Course in St. Louis, with funds allocated from the Paul Coverdell Forensic Science Improvement Act Grant.
Jasper County will send Medical Examiner Dr. Philip Clevenger to the August 2 session, and will be reimbursed up to $2,391 for expenses incurred.
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