Q. Where Does the Rubber Meet the Road?

 Answer: At the library. In fact, last night at a Joint Library Board and City Council meeting. The meeting finally got quite specific about the sites—there seem to be only two under serious condition— behind Cheryl’s and across from the Riverview Park. The latter, most preferred by the community, is the  more expensive of the two because it entails acquiring three parcels of property and demolishing 2 houses. The city already owns the first, but it is also being eyed as a parking lot.

Toward the end of the meeting, exasperated Head Librarian Melissa Kane said, “We have been doing studies and talking about building a new library for 30 years.”

Long-time Library Board member CeAnn Brickley expressed similar sentiment, as did the newest board member Marie Thomas.

At the end of the meeting, both Councilmen Andy Kelchen and Riley Rausch expressed reservations. “What scares me,” said Kelchen “is the money.”  In so many words Rausch concurred.

          City Administrator Lisa Kotter gave a very informative thumbnail explanation of the difference between “general obligation” and “revenue” bonds.  For revenue bonds a city pays lower interest and can borrow a larger amount because it is offset by monthly payments—water, sewer, etc. Streets, pools and public libraries are financed by general obligation bonds.

Serious money going to have to be borrowed to build a library and the city, and I have the same reservations as Kelchen and Rausch, but I truly believe if we weren’t giving millionaires free streets, passing out so much TIF money, it wouldn’t be such an issue.

Bwk! Bwk! Bwk! Backyard Chickens

 At Monday night’s council meeting Patrick Leitzen who lives down on 5^th Ave. asked council to authorize chickens in Cascade backyards. Not a new request. Several years ago the same request was denied, and who knows why.

Mr. Leitzen made the pertinent point that especially in the wake of the bird flu, eggs and chicken have become very pricey. A grocery store I visited last week was cleaned out of frozen chicken and eggs—right before Easter!

       Police Chief Fred Heim, spoke vociferously against the chicken idea, saying it caused his department endless grief. Apparently, he was forever running over there because people were phoning that the chickens were out on 136.

            We know police work is endless, (You could sit on my road 24/7 and have plenty of business!), but that’s the job. We also know it takes a certain mindset, so I am terribly glad Heim expressed his opinion. I am even more pleased we live in a town where we can express an idea. I don’t want chickens, (I can barely manage a cat!) but I want a town where a guy has the right to have them if he wants to do the work.

            Of course, no right is without obligation, so the city ordinance will have to specify a sufficiently large back yard, no roosters and regular manure removal especially in summer when it can get smelly.

            If you want democracy, you have to provide it.

           

Basic Questions of Democracy on Council

 Thank God Bill Hosch is back on council. Right off the bat, he caught a $3,000 expense that wasn’t authorized. Even if you have never watched a council meeting, I urge you in the strongest terms NOT to miss Monday night’s. There was much discussion of the problems that routinely confront the city, and you will get a good sense of councilmember’s stances on them.

Terri Wollenberg, who objected to the Storm Water Ordinance and the issuing of building permits, which are responsible for the flooding we experience in rain years, was told she was “grandstanding.” New City Administrator, Lisa Kotter, informed her she may be in violation of Robert’s Rules of Order.

Which brings up questions very basic to democracy—can elected officials take actions that disregard (even sabotage) some citizen’s rights and not expect blowback? Is Council’s function to protect all citizens’ rights or promote development? Level the playing field?

During last year’s Storm Water Ordinance discussion, I encouraged Council to take Cascade’s hilly topography into consideration, but the 80-20 (80% hard surface and 20% green space) was retained. I am certain that is not workable in some hilly spots.

To make matters worse, the builder may have reneged on his drainage responsibilities. We will find out next Monday night if that is the case. There will be a meeting to discuss future project priorities. That’s also why I introduced an ordinance to enable the city to claw back TIF, Façade Reimbursement or any other city money a company might be getting.

Since last year I have been urging council to install the technology to allow the audience to see back up documents—especially maps, because we never know what they are talking about. Mr. Delaney has finally gotten on board with doing it. Question is: should somebody so slow on the democratic uptake be representing us?

 

 

Garden Talk: Vigorous Asparage Crowns & Leeks

 

Anybody interested in big, vigorous asparagus crowns, please drop by 209 Tyler St., Cascade. If you order from a catalog, you get a 5-to-8 root crown packed in peat moss that may have sat on the shelf for a week or 2,  then time in the mail, and cost $15, + tax. Only green (no purple) right now.

If you want me to dig them, will do. If you can get down two feet plus where the ends of the roots go, you can do the digging. Some of these are over 20 years old, and I have had decent 2nd spears in one year. Next spring?

They will only do well in sandy loam, not clay soil. Lots of fiber and fertilizer increase yield. Chicken or cow manure in  fall and horse in spring. 

Also available: horseradish root, Chinese cabbage,  (aka Napa)

horseradish root, black hollyhocks, a couple cauliflower, surpise lilies and a few leek starters. Also tons of old fashioned lilac/blue irises.

I have leek seeds and can part with this many. I find them superior to onions because you can leave them in the ground until the first hard frost. Onions should not see the August sun, they say, and if you leave them out there, they don't grow anyway, so you might as well pull them, dry them and use them.  Usually, I am out there after dark, before the first hard frost digging leeks