Latest news with #OttumwaCityCouncil
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
A modern-day version of ‘Pride and Prejudice' surfaces over city's LGBTQ+ recognition
The rainbow flag of the gay pride movement and the flag of the United States. (Photo by Getty Images) Jane Austen's novel 'Pride and Prejudice' focused on manners and goodness, two virtues sometimes forgotten today. Shortly before the novel was published, our Founding Fathers settled on the free exchange of ideas as one of the fundamental concepts they wanted to guarantee in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. But in 2025, there is an uncomfortable tug-of-war occurring over pride and prejudice, expression and oppression. That tug-of-war was on display during the Ottumwa City Council meeting last week. A similar debate is happening elsewhere around Iowa and across the nation over a variety of civic issues where opinions vary widely. The subject of the Ottumwa discourse was a proposed proclamation designating June as Pride Month there. The city made similar designations in each of the past five years with nary a peep of protest. But a couple of residents objected to the new proclamation when it came to a vote last week. What ensued was a refreshing, and polite, discussion among those residents, Mayor Rick Johnson and members of the council. No one called anyone a moron, lunatic, scum, loser, traitor or crook. Manners AND free expression prevailed. The Ottumwa discussion comes at a time when American colleges and universities are not so lucky. Whether assailed by the federal or state governments, these schools face pressure, if not coercion, to abandon policies and programs that encourage consideration of a wider cross-section of students, job applicants and voices. The discussion in Ottumwa came amid continuing controversy over rallies around the United States, where Israel's treatment of law-abiding Palestinians in Gaza has been loudly criticized — with the Trump administration drawing no distinction between peaceful events and events advocating violence toward Israel and Jews. The Ottumwa discussion also coincided with the decision by the American Civil Liberties Union of Iowa to send warning letters to five cities — Carroll, Harlan, Mount Pleasant, Polk City and Webster City. In those letters, the ACLU said the cities must change their ordinances classifying performances by 'female impersonators' and 'male impersonators' as prohibited forms of adults-only entertainment. The ACLU said the ordinances are unconstitutional because they try to stop non-obscene forms of free expression that are protected by the First Amendment. That free expression is on display in popular movies like 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' when female comedians with short hair perform while wearing a suit and tie, or when men wear gowns and wigs in a Pride parade. 'These outdated ordinances go far beyond prohibiting objectionable or obscene conduct,' ACLU attorney Shefali Aurora wrote in the letters. 'To be clear, drag is not a synonym for obscenity.' Back in Ottumwa, Councilman Bill Hoffman Jr. spoke eloquently about retaining the Pride Month proclamation. His reasoning provides important insight for other situations where some disagree with the message espoused by others. 'If you don't like Pride Month, don't celebrate it. If you don't want to go to a Pride event, don't go,' Hoffman said, the Ottumwa Courier reported. 'When I ran for council, I promised to protect 25,579 people and their legal rights, and to take a proclamation off that celebrates people, to me is absolutely appalling.' Katie Howard, one of the opponents to the proclamation, urged the council to reject Pride Month. She said the council should follow the lead of the federal government's efforts to end diversity, equity and inclusion practices. 'Being gay may not be a choice, but being trans is, and you're celebrating everything,' Howard said. 'I'd also like to point out that mental health is not a choice. Colon cancer is not a choice. Being Black is not a choice. You're equating apples and oranges.' Councilman Dan Reid, the only person voting against the 2025 Pride proclamation, added: 'It's always my desire to try to treat everybody with respect, kindness and dignity. That's just my policy. That's why I felt like this proclamation is giving a specific select group of people a special month. It's just more honor than average.' Councilwoman Cara Galloway responded: 'Trying to remove this one after years of support doesn't really feel like a principled stand. It almost looks like discomfort with the LGBTQ+ community and inclusion. We can't ignore that LGBTQ+ youth are among the most at risk for mental health and suicide.' Mayor Johnson weighed in: 'If we don't continue to recognize and celebrate everybody that's part of the community, we're not living up to the goals and pillars' of the city's mission. Councilman Hoffman added, 'We're a diverse town and we should be proud of that. And anybody who stands at that podium should be celebrated. That's what we want. Differences of opinion are what make the town great.' Talk about sense and sensibility: The right to peacefully express one's opinions, whether those are shared by many or by a few, regardless of how government officials stand on an issue, lies at the heart of what makes the United States a nation of rights and freedoms. Randy Evans is a member of the Iowa Writers' Collaborative and his columns may be found on his blog, Stray Thoughts. Editor's note: Please consider subscribing to the collaborative and the authors' blogs to support their work.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council to discuss letter regarding Amtrak funding
OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa City Council during Tuesday's meeting at Bridge View Center is anticipated to authorize a letter from mayor Rick Johnson to several of Iowa's congressional delegation regarding funding from Amtrak service next year. The letter, addressed to Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, as well as Reps. Marianette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn, discusses concerns about the potential lack of funding as part of the next federal budget. Amtrak, which is subsidized by the government, operates the California Zephyr, one of two long-distance trains that runs through Iowa. Ottumwa is one of the stops on the route, which stretches from Chicago to Emeryville, California, near San Francisco. However, without financial support, the route could be discontinued under U.S. Code if Congress fails to provide funding for train service. So far, the Trump Administration has not indicated if there will be funding available. "Amtrak has not submitted a grant request for FY 2026 yet and has signaled it may not submit one at all," Johnson said in his letter. "It is critical that Amtrak be funded in 2026 so they can continue to operate their passenger trains across southern Iowa. "Amtrak is a key component of economic vitality in southern Iowa and the number of travelers using Amtrak continues to increase every year as airplane travel becomes more restricted and more expensive." Ottumwa was the third-most popular stop in Iowa according to Amtrak's most recent figures from fiscal year 2024. The Ottumwa stop featured 8,719 riders, and the only two stops with higher ridership were Osceola (13,194) and Mount Pleasant (9,128), which bracket the Ottumwa stop to the west and east, respectively, on the California Zephyr. Also, Amtrak has been reconstructing the depot's platform and other making other improvements to the station since 2022, which initially cost about $14 million. "Without Amtrak service to and from Ottumwa, the results would be catastrophic to both our local economy as well as reduced tourism travel across southern Iowa," Johnson said in the letter. Also, the council is expected to establish fees for various permits, which will be effective July 1. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Wapello County Board of Supervisors The supervisors will meet in regular session Tuesday at the courthouse to discuss minor items, but will later enter a work session to discuss the makeup of the EMS advisory council, which was tabled two weeks ago amid frustration over favoritism from City of Ottumwa officials, who were concerned the council wasn't constructed to meet the community's needs. The regular meeting begins at 9:30 a.m. in the third-floor courtroom/board room, but the work session will be at 10 a.m. in the supervisors' office on North Court Street. Two weeks ago, the supervisors adopted a resolution to declare EMS as an essential county service, which was also intended to kickstart the creation of the advisory council and the work to begin assessing the county's needs. However, the creation of the list was tabled for more discussion over concerns regarding the representation, specifically the lack of law enforcement officials among the 14 council members.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ottumwa council approves roads projects on Mary, Washington streets
OTTUMWA — When it comes to streets, the money doesn't go very far, councilmember Cara Galloway noted Tuesday as the Ottumwa City Council approved two street reconstruction projects. Between the two projects, costs are expected to exceed $3.5 million total. That cost will cover new pavement, a new turn lane, and work to underground utilities on Mary and Washington streets. Ultimately, the work will cover less than five city blocks in all. "I think it's important for the public to understand that [the public works department] is working to fix roads, fix our sewers, but our money only goes so far," Galloway said. The council voted to accept the lowest received bid from Jones Contracting out of West Point related to the Mary Street reconstruction project, which came in about $600,000 under the engineer's estimate. "[The] price came in pretty good, I think a lot of the COVID price inflation is easing," city engineer Phillip Burgmeier said. The total contract award was for $2.7 million. Of that, $2.1 million will be paid from a state grant program to cover the street itself. For efficiency, the remainder of the contract will go toward replacing water mains and performing sewer maintenance where needed. Above ground, the project will reconstruct Mary Street from Ferry Street to Shaul Avenue, while also replacing sidewalks to ADA standards, and adding a left turn lane at the Ferry Street intersection to help with school traffic. In all, it will replace 12,600 square yards of pavement and adding 650 feet of sidewalk. "There's full depth concrete replacement," Burgmeier said. "So hopefully it lasts longer than the first time it was paved." The council approved plans for a reconstruction of Washington Street as well, which will go to bidding. It's expected the contract will be awarded at the council's meeting on May 6. The project will be a full pavement reconstruction on Washington Street from the south side of the Fourth Street intersection to 100 feet north of Fifth Street. A new sanitary and separated storm sewer system will be installed underneath the pavement. It's estimated to cost $794,661, with Ottumwa Water Works contributing $72,000 of that. That covers about 3,000 square yards of pavement. The work schedule for both projects is planned for after the current school year ends and before the next year begins.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City commits to trails grant application for west end
OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa City Council approved an application by the Wapello County Trails Council to pursue grant funding for about half a mile of new trail on the city's west end. During a special meeting on Thursday at the Amtrak Depot, Kim Hellige of the trails council discussed the project, which would be a two-phase project, with the first phase installing almost 2,500 feet of concrete trail just off the railroad tracks on West Second Street to Harrow's Branch. Also as part of the project, a 30-foot bridge would be built to cross Harrow's Branch. "We did chip this section back in 2014 from the railroad tracks all the way to Forest Avenue, but the bridge was never installed, so that section did not get a lot of use," Hellige told the council. "If you go up there today, you can't even tell there had ever been a trail there. So the bridge is really critical." Hellige said the decision to use concrete instead of asphalt will not only be cheaper, but provide for a longer life for the trail. "We've got some sections of asphalt (on trails) that are not in very good shape," she said. "When we first started, asphalt was substantially cheaper, but then there was a shift when asphalt and concrete were about the same price. So the longevity for concrete is substantially better than asphalt. "We probably will never do asphalt again." The grant the trails council is seeking is from the Iowa Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP). The grant is an 80-20 match, and the trails council is raising 20% for the match. The cost of this phase of the project is estimated at $377,000, and the trail is expected to break ground in 2027, with city public works director Philip Burgmeier overseeing the construction. The bulk of that cost is the trail itself, which is expected to be 10 feet wide and 6 inches thick. The trails council has been active in trying to connect parts of the city to each other through trails. There will be construction of a major trails project near the oxbow on the south side of Ottumwa next year, followed by the 2027 project along West Second Street.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Council to take up second reading of sewer ordinance
OTTUMWA — Sewer usage fees are anticipated to increase for residents and businesses starting in July, as the Ottumwa City Council once again will take up an ordinance establishing the fee increase. The council approved the first reading of the ordinance that would amend what is already on the books, and is encouraged to waive the final reading. If approved, the base fee would increase will increase 6.5% per year through 2031, then 4.5% until 2034. Depending on the number of units in a household — one unit is approximately 750 gallons — the rate will increase $2.28 per month for a three-unit household and $3.42 for a six-unit household, which is about three or four residents per dwelling unit. The fees will change July 1 of each year. The rate increases will be used to offset costs for parts of the sewer-separation project; the first five years' worth of increases will pay for Phase 8 Division 3, while the rates between 2030 and 2034 will be used for sewer-separation projects in the distant future. Initially, Phase 8 Division 3 was to be funded through local option sales tax, but that revenue will now go toward street repair and maintenance not associated with the project. The first reading of the ordinance change was approved unanimously. In other business: — In the consent agenda, a public hearing will be set for April 1 regarding an increase to solid waste fees for noncommercial establishments, which are reviewed every two years. The city is proposing a $1.50 increase for next year and fiscal year 2027, which will raise the rate to $24.50 per month starting July 1, and then $26 July 1, 2026. — Also in the consent agenda, there will be a public hearing set for April 1 regarding the plans, specifications and form of contract for an apron improvement project at the Ottumwa Regional Airport. The project uses grant funding from the Federal Aviation Administration grants program. The estimated cost is $1 million, with only 5% of the cost being paid by the city and the remainder under the grant. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at Bridge View Center.
