June Unemployment Figures Released
There was little change in the number of people without a job in the Raccoon River Valley last month, compared to May unemployment figures.
According to Iowa Workforce Development, Dallas County saw a slight increase from 2.7 percent of residents unemployed in May to 2.9 percent in June. Greene County saw a one-tenth percent decrease to 3.8 percent last month and Guthrie County increased by one-tenth of a percent to 3.3 percent in June.
All three counties are faring better this year than in 2014 as Dallas County’s unemployment rate was 3.6, Greene’s was 4.7 and Guthrie’s 4.2 percent.
The statewide jobless rate dropped from 3.8 to 3.7 percent in June, while the national unemployment rate is at 5.3 percent.
Adel Residents with Flood Damage Asked to Fill Out Questionnaire
The City of Adel is working with an engineering firm to evaluate last months heavy rainfall event and they’re asking for residents’ help.
As part of the review process, McClure Engineering needs to gather information and details from residents who were affected by the storm. Those who had flooding damage as the result of the June 24th storms are asked to fill out a simple questionnaire.
The form is available either online, HERE, or you can pick up a paper copy from the Adel City Hall or Public Library.
Once feedback is received, McClure plans to present the information to the public at the August 11th City Council meeting.
Questionnaires are due by Friday, July 31st. For more information, call City Hall at 993-4525.
How Much is the Jail Overcrowding Costing Dallas County?
Each month the Polk County Auditor’s office sends an invoice to the Dallas County Sheriff’s office for thousands of dollars.
Why? To pay for housing the overflow of inmates that the local jail can’t handle.
Last month alone, Dallas County had to pay $9,150 to Polk County for the housing of inmates, the month before was another $6,950. March was the cheapest month in recent memory, with a charge of just $2,800. Over the past year, almost $46,000 has been paid to Polk County.
The current jail is designed to fit two dozen inmates, though the Sheriff’s office was granted a variance from the state in 2013 that allowed them to add 12 additional bunks for a total of 36 actual beds. This five year variance expires in March of 2018. The Sheriff says the average daily population in the jail was 43 in May, 32 in April, 41 in March, 47 in February and 41 in January.
The new jail at the proposed law enforcement center would be able to house 90 inmates, with room to attach additional jail pods at the same site if the population growth continues at the current pace.
Voters across the County will be able to weigh in on the issuance of $16.8 million in general obligation bonds during the special election on August 4th.
No Positions Cut in Perry After School Funding Vetoed by the Governor
Several school districts across the state are having to make cuts before the upcoming school year after the state legislature approved a 1.25 percent State Supplemental Aid and Governor Terry Branstad vetoed million dollars in one-time spending for schools.
Perry Schools Superintendent Lynn Ubben says fortunately, they have not had to eliminate positions, thanks to conservative planning.
“We made the cuts we needed to when we had the (10 percent) across the board cuts (in 2009). One of the legislators talked about the unspent balances being larger, well they are because districts went through that and they don’t want to go through that (again), myself included. When you have to deliver pink slips, when you have to constantly tell people no because you don’t have the funding, then you want to see what you can do to at least be able to do some things and not have to reduce staff.”
So for now, Ubben says the District continues to do okay financially.
“There may come a time when we don’t have that option anymore but at this point in time we have done, and our Board has always been supportive, of doing a good job of managing what we have and being a little conservative knowing that, here we go again.”
Nonetheless, Ubben says she’s still disappointed in the Governor’s decision to veto the one-time funding as she feels it contradicts Iowa’s goal of having world class schools.
City of Perry Hopes Looking at Sewer Lines Will Help Prevent Future Flooding Issues
The City of Perry is in the process of taking a look at the pipes underground to try and prevent future sewer issues.
Public Works Director Jack Butler says the process began even before the flooding earlier this summer.
“We’re jetting and (filming) the entire sanitary sewer system. It’s an eleven or twelve phase process and we’ve done one phase and are getting ready to tackle about three or four phase this summer and fall. And then with our City Engineer, we sit down and we evaluate them. We’re trying to find infiltration, where we have water coming in and broken pipes and stuff because typically, most of those sewers downtown are eight to ten feet deep. So with this kind of moisture in the ground, and you got a bad spot in that pipe, you’ve got a lot of water coming in.”
The City has contracted local business AccuJet for the project.