Local officials make trip to Washington, D.C.

By Danica Baker
Herald Staff Writer

May 05, 2008 10:52 am

— CLINTON — Local city, business and economic development officials are in Washington, D.C., to meet with area legislators and lobby for federal funding of local projects during the annual Mayor’s DC Summit being held today and Tuesday.
Attending this year’s summit from Clinton are Mayor Rodger Holm, City Administrator Gary Boden, Public Works Director Gary Schellhorn and council members Paul Gassman, Mike Kearney and Mark Vulich. From Camanche, Mayor Jim Robertson, City Administrator Tom Roth, City Engineer Dan Solchenberger and Council member Trevor Willis are attending the summit. Representing the city of Savanna, Ill., will be John LeCompte, Dori Steffen and Mayor Bill Lease.
Clinton Area Chamber of Commerce President Julie Allesee and Brenda Thornton, representatives from the Clinton Regional Development Corp., CRDC President Steve Ames and CRDC Marketing/Research Specialist Karen Mooney will make presentations during the visit. Gil Janes of Howard R. Green Co. is attending the summit, as well as East Central Intergovernmental Association Government Relations Manager Larry Nagle and Executive Director Kelley Duetmeyer.
Local education representatives include Thea Engelson of the Clinton School Board, Ashford University Vice President John Ballheim, Clinton Community College Dean Ron Serpliss and CCC President Karen Vickers. Representing local business are Pete Clausen of Clausen Companies, Tom Determann of Determann Industries, Mike Johnson of Clinton Engineering and Mercy Medical Center CEO Donna Oliver and Vice President of Mission and Professional Services Joan Noe. Speaking on behalf of the U.S. Highway 30 Four-lane Coalition will be Barb Suehl-Janis, Dave Rose, Edith Pfeffer and Carolyn Tallett.
Boden will present information on the Mississippi River Trail. Officials will be requesting support from legislators and the Iowa Department of Transportation for project funding for the non-funded portions of the MRT and the city of Clinton’s Interconnecting Trails.
Holm, Boden and Determann will review information about the 19th Avenue North Extension Project in an attempt to secure additional project funding for the non-funded portions of the project, presently $2.7 million. The 1.4 mile project will connect the Mill Creek Parkway to the North Bridge. Holm called this project priority number one.
Pfeffer will request continued support of funding for the final design and construction of the U.S. Highway 30 Corridor 4-lane improvements on behalf of the Iowa/Illinois U.S. Highway 30 Coalition. According to project literature, the coalition states the corridor must be considered for a special Congressional appropriation as part of the Highway Reauthorization Bill scheduled for approval in 2010, and other annual appropriations as may be available.
Janes will present information about the U.S. Highway 30/67 highway improvement project and the Liberty Square Redevelopment, seeking continued federal assistance in completing the final segment, estimated at $17.7 million, through the 2010 Transportation Reauthorization Act.
Holm and Schellhorn will ask legislators to support legislation that would increase levels of EPA funding to states and communities and allow for extended time frames to eliminate Combined Sewer Overflows and Ames will discuss requested funding in the amount of $4,441,000 for the Lincolnway Railport. Schellhorn also will discuss a request for a federal funding earmark of $6,810,000 in the Fiscal Year 2009 Interior and Environmental Appropriations Bill for wastewater treatment system plant upgrades mandated by Clean Water Act regulations.
Burmeister will speak to legislators about renewable fuels legislation and Allesee will discuss $300,000 in requested funding for the Midwest Sawmill Experience Museum. A request for financial assistance for the Felix Adler Children’s Discovery Center and the Clinton Public Library.
Vickers will make an appropriation request for $1.2 million from the Institute for Museum and Library Services and the Economic Development Initiatives for a library enhancement project at Clinton Community College. The Clinton Community School District will seek support for efforts to ensure integrity of the E-Rate Program, which provides discounts to schools and libraries; efforts to place School Resource Officers in schools; efforts to block the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services from prohibiting school districts from claiming federal reimbursement for services and lobby for a reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act.
Camanche officials will request funding for the Washington Boulevard project to improve the main two-lane roadway through the city. Camanche has been appropriated funding in the amount of $200,000 and $600,000 in the last two fiscal year appropriations bills, but that funding was taken out prior to finalization. If awarded funding, project design would begin next year and construction would begin in 2010 and coincide with a forcemain project, MRT construction and water system improvements, with the four projects representing $16 million in city improvements.
Representatives from Savanna are seeking infrastructure and redevelopment assistance for Base Realignment And Closure affected communities, asking legislators to include a $1.5 million Waste Water Treatment System project in Environmental Protection Agency Appropriations for fiscal year 2009 and $7,650,000 in Economic Adjustment Assistance be included in appropriations for fiscal year 2009. Savanna officials also are requesting funding for a $350,000 project to improve accessibility for the Savanna Historical Museum through the Fiscal Uear 2009 Appropriations for HUD/Community Development Funds and for a $195,000 project to develop a permanent “Legacy of the Savanna Army Depot” exhibit at the Savanna Historical Museum through the 2009 appropriations for the Institute/Office of Museum and Library Services.
Holm said that local officials may not know what the future benefits of the Mayor’s Summit will be until appropriations are determined this fall when legislators consider the fiscal year 2009 budget.