CP and KCS railroad merger could double daily train counts in Lansing
by Julie Berg-Raymond
Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Snitker conducted the regular meeting of the Lansing City Council Monday, February 21. Mayor Melissa Hammell was absent because of a death in the family.
Allamakee County Emergency Management Coordinator Corey Snitker addressed the Lansing City Council Monday night about the railroad merger between the Canadian Pacific (CP) and Kansas City Southern (KCS) railroads - which, he estimated, could double the number of trains passing through Lansing each day.
“We are already prepared for a rail incident in the county,” Coordinator Snitker said. “It probably wouldn’t make a dramatic (safety) impact.” As for concerns regarding the upcoming RAGBRAI event in July of this year, Coordinator Snitker said, “we will be assisting the (RAGBRAI) committee, just modifying our plans.” He noted a particular problem “is, of course, where a lot of visitors don’t realize this is a (working) railroad track. We’ll be working with (Lansing Fire Chief) Steven Darling, the police, and medical and media people.”
While Emergency Management Coordinator Snitker said he wasn’t sure what products would be coming through the county, Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem Curtis Snitker said he thought “it’s pretty much commodities.” He suggested the doubling of north-south rail traffic could have other repercussions - particularly for businesses accessed across the railroad tracks. “It’s up to us as a city to contact other communities and see what they’re doing,” Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem Snitker said.
Emergency Management Coordinator Snitker said the railroad merger process is with the Safety Transportation Board right now. He said it would probably be approved by the end of the Federal Fiscal Year, in September.
SPECIAL MEETING ADDRESSES CODE UPDATE
According to minutes of a special meeting held Monday, February 14, Senior Transportation Planner Aaron Detter of Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) discussed grant structures, use and opportunities with the council. The council agreed to look more closely into these grants.
Additionally, the meeting’s minutes note that UERPC’s Michelle Barness sent to Mayor Hammell a memo of items still needing to be discussed and agreed upon as regards updating the City Code. The minutes indicate the council responded to all items and “look(s) forward to the next phase on the Code update.”
MAXIMUM PROPERTY LEVY, FUND TRANSFER
In accordance with Iowa’s property tax accountability and transparency law (enacted in 2019) - and because the Maximum Property Tax dollars requested in the total maximum levy for affected property tax levies for FY23 does not represent an increase over two percent from the Maximum Property Tax dollars requested for FY22 - the Lansing City Council approved Resolution No. 964 (Maximum Property Levy). The resolution states, “(t)he maximum property tax dollars for the affected tax levies for FY23 shall not exceed the following total: Total maximum levy for affected property tax levies $636,282.”
The council also approved Resolution No. 965, approving the transfer of $31,368.32 from its Operations account to its Streetlight savings account for the City’s Street Light Project.
PARKS REPORT
The council reviewed and denied a request for $850 in start-up funds for the Farmers Market voucher program, based on its reading of the Doctrine of Public Purpose in the Constitution of Iowa. In general, to qualify as serving a public purpose a project must serve a benefit to the public, rather than aiding the interests of an individual or specific group.
In continuing Parks Board business, Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem Snitker indicated he will contact Kenny Becker this week to look at progress on repairs at the pool. He said he will have a report at the next regular council meeting.
PEOPLESERVICE INC. REPORT
Water Operation and Maintenance - Responding to reports of frozen and/or broken service lines and meters in early January, assistance and repairs were provided where needed. (Most were attended to by private contractors since they are private lines.) In mid-January water service line surveys were sent to all property owners in Lansing. This survey is to establish a data base for the lead and copper sampling that the Iowa DNR requires. “Quite a few” have been returned, PeopleService representative Duane Estebo noted; the results are being compiled in accordance with the lead and copper tiers set by the DNR. Lead and copper testing is done every three years, and will be done next summer, he said.
Wastewater Operation and Maintenance - January 12, brush and weeds were cut/whacked along the sanitary sewer easement behind the factory and Severson’s property. January 24, a problem was noted with a variable frequency drive (VFD) at the Wall Street lift station. “It would not power all of the way down when it should have,” Estebo noted. “We were concerned that this could have damaging effects on the pump itself. We called in a tech and he checked all voltages and reprogrammed the VFD. It has been operating as it should since then.”
OTHER BUSINESS
A citizen concern was raised about the organizing of agenda items for city council meetings. The citizen noted in particular the role and function of the Clerk’s Report - which, he said, “should be just like street and police reports, etc.” - and not involve what should, he said, be considered “old and new business.”
Regarding the Main Street Improvement Project being considered, Councilman/Mayor Pro Tem Snitker told the council the people researching and working on this project - Councilman Bruce Revoir, Main Street Lansing Board President Bruce Palmborg and Snitker - received approval for a letter of support from the Allamakee County Board of Supervisors for purchasing a study toward furtherance of this project.
The council considered and postponed setting the Budget Public Hearing Date. The budget must be sent to the State of Iowa by March 31.
