The City Council in Atlantic met Wednesday night and approved the Fiscal Year 2016 Budget for Atlantic Municipal Utilities (AMU), following a presentation by AMU General Manager Steve Tjepkes. The $17.9-million dollar budget was approved earlier by the AMU Board of Directors, following a public hearing. The City Council’s adoption of the budget was merely a formality, and is an opportunity for the Council to ask questions about how the utility spends its money.

Tjepkes said along with the budget is a proposed three-percent rate increase for both electric and water users, effective Feb. 1st, 2016, for usage beginning in January. He said electric rates are being increased because of expenses associated with the coal powered generating plant in Council Bluffs. He said EPA regulations on the handling and disposal of coal ash will result in an increased cost to AMU of to $2.3-million.

AMU has a 2.5-percent investment in the plant, from which it receives about two-thirds of its power. The costs to run and maintain the plant are shared by three other utilities, including Mid-American Energy, which is an 80-percent share holder. Cedar Falls Utilities and two rural electric cooperatives are the other owner-investors.

Locally, Tjepkes said the utility is in the process of burying many of its overheard power lines in order to reduce the number of power outages related to power lines being down from ice and wind damage, and, they are continuing to work on the installation of “smart” electric meters, which relay real-time two-way communications to AMU on usage and power outages. Tjpekes said overall, the three-percent rate increase will mean about an extra $1.80 per month on their residential electric bill.

Water rates in Atlantic will increase about 70-cents per month to help cover the costs of new lines being installed in the residential area near the Sunnyside Pool, and near.
Councilman Dick Casady asked “What would happen if [AMU] didn’t get the three-percent raise. Tjepkes said the utility issues revenue bonds, which are paid for by revenue from the utility. AMU he said, needs to keep up its cash reserve level in order to maintain its revenue bond rating.

He said there is also a huge risk associated with maintaining the Council Bluffs plant, and funds need to be set aside to purchase electricity from other sources, should the Bluffs plant go down. If AMU didn’t have a cash reserve, Tjpekes said there could be a substantial rate increase in that type of emergency situation. Tjepkes said utilities such as AMU should have an eight-to 10-million dollar cash reserve. Right now, he says they have about five-to six-million dollars.

The last rate increase from AMU came about two-years ago, and about three-increases over the past 10-years, due to environmental improvements at the Council Bluffs generating plant. Tjepkes says Atlantic is still “On the low end” for electric rates, when compared to utilities of similar size.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A House Republican leader says Iowa lawmakers will need to make deep cuts to the budget next year, but he did not elaborate. House Appropriations Committee Chairman Pat Grassley, of New Hartford, says Wednesday that Republicans will base their budget priorities for the fiscal year beginning in July on roughly $7.35 billion in current revenue projections estimated by state experts. He says that’s about $175 million in new revenue.

Grassley says his data show Iowa is facing hundreds of millions of dollars in expected new costs, so “tough decisions” will be needed. He says he can’t elaborate on potential cuts until a final revenue projection is issued. Lawmakers are expected to debate again over supplemental aid for K-12 schools. Grassley says Republicans are still meeting over what amount to support.

Police in Council Bluffs arrested a 25-year old man following an attempted traffic stop, pursuit and crash, Wednesday morning. Officials say Ryan M. Knight, of Council Bluffs, faces charges that include Theft in the 2nd degree, felony eluding, reckless driving, speeding, no driver’s license and no registration. The vehicle he was driving was later reported to have been stolen from the Ameristar Casino.

Ryan Knight

The incident leading to Knight’s arrest began at around 9:23-a.m., when a Council Bluffs Police Officer observed a green Honda Accord near the area of I-29 and North 25th street. The vehicle entered I-29 SB at an extremely high rate of speed. The officer was able to catch up to the Accord, checking its speed on radar at 95 mph in a 55 mph zone. The officer activated his emergency lights and siren and the vehicle failed to stop, while passing a car on the right shoulder.

The vehicle entered I-480 westbound toward Omaha and the officer shut down his emergency equipment and discontinued the pursuit. The vehicle continued at a high rate of speed and as the officer was exiting at 10th street, he witnessed the vehicle crash into the guardrail west of the 10th street exit. As the officer approached the area of the crash, the suspect (Knight) ran from the vehicle on foot. He crossed the EB lanes of I-480, ran down the on ramp to the area of 8th and Douglas Street where he was taken into custody by the Council Bluffs Officer.

Omaha police responded and arrested Knight.

The Iowa Finance Authority Board of Directors today (Wednesday), approved a total of more than $6.3 million in grants to 27 Local Housing Trust Funds to support local affordable housing initiatives which will assist 2,469 Iowa families. The funding is provided from the State Housing Trust Fund’s Local Housing Trust Fund program.

The grant funds will be used for initiatives such as preserving aging housing stock, subsidizing local down payment assistance programs, providing low-interest loans or grants to assist Iowans in home rehabilitation, financing construction of new single-family housing for low-income Iowans and supporting housing for persons with disabilities and homeless assistance programs.

Among the grant recipients is:

• the Council Bluffs Housing Trust Fund, Inc., which received $152,788.
• CDG Housing, Inc., which serves Audubon, Carroll, Crawford, Greene, Guthrie and Sac Counties, received a grant for $243,339.
• the Southern Iowa COG Housing Trust Fund, Inc., serving Adair, Adams, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor, Union and Clarke Counties, received a $236,394 grant.
• the Southwest Iowa Housing Trust Fund, Inc. – serving Cass, Fremont, Harrison, Mills, Montgomery, Page, Shelby and Pottawattamie Counties (excludng the City of Council Bluffs), received a grant amounting to $301,439.

IFA Executive Director Dave Jamison says “The partnership between the Iowa Finance Authority and Local Housing Trust Funds is one that pays dividends to affordable housing in Iowa. The grants announced today are leveraging an additional $2.7 million in local contributions, which is a testament to the shared commitment to meeting these vital housing needs.”

The State Housing Trust Fund was created by the Iowa Legislature in 2003. Since its inception, the program has provided $50.1 million in affordable housing assistance that has benefited more than 17,600 Iowa families. This funding has leveraged another $151.2 million in other funds or $2.68 for every dollar of State Housing Trust Fund investment.

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – A report says Iowa’s largest public employees’ pension fund has a long-term shortfall of about $5 billion. The Des Moines Register reports that Gov. Terry Branstad was briefed Tuesday on the status of the Iowa Public Employees’ Retirement System (IPERS), which has 346,000 members. The report says the pension fund’s assets total about $28 billion and is nearly 84 percent funded, slightly up from a year ago.

The system serves current, former and retired employees of state government, cities, counties and school districts. The contribution rate by local government and state public employees to the main pension fund has increased in recent years to almost 15 percent of an employee’s earnings.

Donna Mueller, the fund’s chief executive officer, says the report shows progress and stability. Mueller said the system’s $5 billion in unfunded liabilities could be paid off in 23 years.

The Union County Sheriff’s Office says a woman and a child suffered unknown, possible injuries during a single-vehicle, rollover accident this (Wednesday) morning. 27-year old Lindsey Weber, of Kent, was traveling north on Clover Avenue at around 8-a.m., when the 2008 Ford F-350 Super Duty pickup she was driving went out of control on the slick road. The pickup slid sideways before entering the east ditch and rolling once, coming to rest on the driver’s side. Weber, who was wearing her seat belt, was transported by ambulance to the Greater Regional Medical Center, in Creston. A passenger in the truck, 6-year old Karleen Kruse, of Lenox, also suffered possible/unknown injuries and was transported to the hospital, by ambulance.

Damage to the pickup the was estimated at $10,000.

The Harlan Police Department today (Wednesday), released a report on recent arrests and an accident. Officials say 19-year old Gage Johnston, of Harlan, was arrested Nov. 24th on an active warrant for failure to appear on a charge of possession of a controlled substance. Johnston was transported to the Shelby County Jail.

Also arrested Nov. 24th, was 32-year old Malcolm McDonald, of Harlan, who was taken into custody following a traffic stop. McDonald was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while suspended. And, on Nov. 27th, Harlan Police arrested 34-year old Michael Wiser, of Harlan, following a traffic stop. Wiser was transported to the Shelby County Jail where he was charged with driving while suspended. Wiser was also cited for failure to wear a seat belt.

And, no injuries were reported following an accident Nov. 23rd, in Harlan. Authorities say a 2008 Ford driven by Ruth Weaver, of Harlan, was hit by a 2000 VW, driven by Rufino Martinez, also of Harlan. The accident happened when Martinez turned right out of a trailer court driveway at 3002 12th Street. In doing so, police he he failed to yield to Weaver, who was traveling north on 12th Street. Damage from the collision amounted to $3,500. No citations were issued.

SIOUX CITY, Iowa (AP) – A former Sioux City high school soccer coach has gotten three years of probation and a suspended five-year prison term for having sex with a student. Thirty-year-old Erick DeLeon was sentenced on Tuesday after being convicted in October of sexual exploitation by a school employee.

DeLeon was in charge of the iJAG program, a nonprofit program that works with at-risk students at West high School. He also coached soccer at the school. Prosecutors say DeLeon, of Sioux City, exchanged inappropriate text messages with one of his 16-year-old iJAG students and had sex with her at her home in October and November last year.

More area and State news from KJAN News Director Ric Hanson.

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AREA COUNTIES: SAC-CRAWFORD-CARROLL-AUDUBON-GUTHRIE-DALLAS-ADAIR-MADISON-UNION (713 AM CST WED DEC 2 2015)

…LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE…

LIGHT SNOW WILL CONTINUE IN A SWATH FROM ALGONA…TO DES
MOINES…CHARITON AND OTTUMWA AND THEIR SURROUNDING AREAS THROUGH THE MORNING COMMUTE. ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE AN INCH OR LESS WITH VARIED ROAD CONDITIONS.

OUTSIDE OF SECONDARY ROADS AND BRIDGES…ROADS SHOULD MAINLY REMAIN WET FROM DES MOINES SOUTH. HOWEVER ROADS WILL BE MORE SNOW COVERED TO THE NORTH TOWARD THE MINNESOTA BORDER.

MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO SLOW DOWN AND DRIVE DEFENSIVELY WITH
EXTRA TRAVEL TIME POSSIBLY NEEDED.