Feeling Bored? Why not serve on a Board?

Decorah City Council announces openings on appointed
advisory boards and commissions

Decorah, IA (December 7, 2018) – Mayor Lorraine Borowski announced today that there are several openings on some of the city’s advisory boards and commissions. The Mayor noted she is focused on comply with state law that seeks a diverse balance to the membership of boards and commissions and she is making this call for applications in hopes of sparking interest in serving the city by serving on a board or commission. The Iowa law states that no more than a simple majority of appointed members shall be of one gender. If after 90 days of making
a “good faith effort” to achieve gender balance a city is unable to make an appointment; the opening may be filled regardless of balance.

In general, all board or commission members are appointed by the Mayor with the advice and consent of the City Council. Selection criteria varies depending upon the purpose, mission and requirements of each body. The following characteristics, however, are common to all
board or commission members:
• An interest in the board's / commission's area of concern
• The ability to work with other people in a tactful and cooperative manner
• The time to carry out the board's/commission's duties / responsibilities
• A community point of view

Interested citizens may complete and submit an application for any of the boards/commissions at any time.

A handbook detailing the duties of each board and commission is available on the city’s website.

Currently, there are openings on the city’s planning & zoning commission, zoning board of adjustment, airport commission, low rent housing agency, tree board, and the Self-Supporting Municipal Improvement District (SSMID) boards. All the boards have varied qualifications for appointment.

The application for all appointed city boards and commissions is on the city website.

A friendly reminder about snow accumulations and removals on Sidewalks/Streets

Sidewalks - Chapter 12.28.130 of the Decorah City Code requires abutting property owners to clear sidewalks of snow/ice accumulations within a reasonable time.

Failure to do so may result in the City having the sidewalk cleared with or without notice. The costs including a $50.00 administrative fee will be charged to the property owner. Failure to pay will result in the charges being assessed against the property as taxes.

Streets – Snow Emergency Parking Procedure – During a snow emergency the city requires all vehicles to park on the EVEN numbered side of the street until snow is cleared from the opposite side. Then move to the ODD numbered side. When both sides have been plowed normal parking resumes.

SCAM ALERT!

*** SCAM ALERT ***

We received a report this morning of a e-mailed citation for a traffic infraction that supposedly occurred in the city limits of Decorah. The Decorah Police Department does NOT issue e-mailed citations nor takes payment for citations online.

If you receive any citations via e-mail involving our city, please feel free to contact our office to verify the validity of it prior to contacting the sender or paying the fine online.

A copy of the "e-citation" (shown below) is a current format being sent. The Decorah School District IT Department has also been notified.

As we near that beloved time of year, when snow falls, and shovels are polished up. The City of Decorah reminds everyone of US Postal Service guidelines for proper mailbox installation.

Mailboxes in winter? Why is this important? Due to the configuration of snow plows used by Decorah’s street department and the addition of some really cool new snow removal equipment, the protection and safety of your mail and mailbox is important to keep in mind.

The suggested guideline for lateral placement of a mailbox is forty-four to forty-seven inches (44” – 47”) above the roadway surface. Furthermore, a mailbox or any object protruding into the necessary six-inch (6”) clearance zone behind the curb or street edge is subject to unavoidable damage by the snow plows, at the unnecessary expense of the homeowner. (please see the really cool diagram provided by the USPS).

The City’s mailbox repair or replacement policy is capped at $35 to be fair and consistent. Reimbursement or repair is only made to private mailboxes when an incident occurs where a mailbox is damaged by a city vehicle, the snow plow jumps the curb (they can be ornery that way), or there was obvious operator error. Claims must be submitted to the street department within 48 hours of damage to be considered for reimbursement.

The city does not accept or acknowledge any responsibility of liability for the placement, location, or maintenance of mailboxes on city right-of-way. This is legalese for “that’s the Post Office’s job”.

Please call the Street Dept at 563.382.2157 or City Hall 563.382.3651 with any questions.

We sincerely hope you have a great winter season, free from flying mail and damaged property. (Whew! That was a long post).

On this blustery day, thanks to our very own Rock Star Street Department for being ready to handle anything that comes their way.