Lansing City Council hears about local speed study and schedules October 30 special meeting to decide on an employee health insurance plan

by Julie Berg-Raymond

During the regular meeting of the Lansing City Council Monday, October 16, Kinon O’Neil - regional sales manager in Waterloo for Altumint, based in Maryland - spoke to the council about a speed study the company conducted in Lansing this summer.

According to the company’s website, Altumint engineers, manufactures, and supports “a visual technology system and citation process using artificial intelligence to capture data on vehicles and people who break the law” (altumint.com). If the system registers a vehicle in violation, a picture is taken of the back of the vehicle (no pictures are taken of faces), and appropriate citations are sent through the mail.

For the speed study, three locations were monitored: South Front Street by the ball diamond; the entrance into town by D&J Expresso; and the entrance into town by the Black Hawk Bridge. The study monitored vehicles going in both directions, and the systems were set to recognize vehicles going 10 mph over the posted speed limit. The council is being asked to consider using this technology to help enforce speed limits in Lansing, in the interest of public safety.

O’Neil noted that 70% of fines on violations go back into the community and emphasized the importance of “being transparent” about the purpose and function of the technology. “It’s not a ‘gotcha,’” he said. Education through the use of flyers and social media, he added, will help “make people aware - ‘hey, these traffic violations are going back into my community.’” He did, however, caution the City not to “budget on this,” noting that the use of this technology is “very effective” in reducing speeding violations.

The council tabled further discussion/action on the matter until its next regular meeting Monday, November 6.

EMPLOYEE HEALTH PLAN/CHAMP PLAN
After hearing a presentation by a representative with AffordaCare Insurance, the council scheduled a special meeting Monday, October 30, at 6 p.m., to decide on an employee health insurance plan.

WATER OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
In his report to the Council, PeopleService Representative Duane Estebo noted that September 7, “we exercised the pool well.” And, September 25, the water to the splash pad was turned off.

WASTEWATER OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
September 1, Estebo’s report noted that “the blowers at the treatment plant had not been operating properly. We had a tech come to check out the blowers and he said everything with those looked good. He, however, does not do any electrical work associated with the blowers. I called the electrician to help. He fixed some burned wires and checked out the VFDs and decided a power surge may be responsible.”

September 12, Estebo changed the block heater in the generator at the plant. September 19, they used their root head to clean Gay Street and parts of Dodge and South 5th Streets. September 21, they put a new riser on the manhole at the end of East Mallard St. “This will extend the manhole up about two feet,” Estebo noted in his report.

POST-PROM CAN COLLECTION
The council approved having Brad Larkin, former Kee High School custodian, put a hay wagon at the can collection site by City Hall after the Friends of the Lansing Library vacates its can collection spot at that site, on or about November 1. Larkin will assume responsibility for the can collection and will take the cans to the Waukon Redemption Center. All the money raised by the cans Larkin collects will be donated to the “Kee High School Post-Prom Program.”

PERMIT DENIED
The council denied the application for building permit #17-23, in accordance with Title VI Physical Environment Chapter 12 Accessory Buildings and Structures in the Lansing City Code.

OTHER BUSINESS
In other business, the council learned that leaf collection will be done Mondays beginning Monday, October 23, and approved liquor license renewals for The Other Place and Coffee on the River.

The next regular meeting of the Lansing City Council is scheduled for Monday, November 6, at 7 p.m., in Lansing City Hall.