Mt. Union streets will be cleared

BY BROOKS TAYLOR

Mt. Pleasant News

MT. UNION ? Now, that the Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that city general fund monies garnished by the Regional Utility Service Systems (RUSS) must be returned to the City of Mt. Union, snow removal should not be a problem in the community.

Until the garnished funds are returned, snow will be cleared in the community, according to Mayor John Marek Jr. said. ?I promised people roads will be plowed and if there is three inches or more of snow, we will plow. It won?t be an issue.?

Marek said Jason Moats, city maintenance worker, would clear the streets and then be paid when garnished funds are returned to the city.

When RUSS garnished $11,000 in the city?s general fund the week of Jan. 11, it effectively shut down city government, Marek said. He said that the garnishment left no money in the general fund and the city clerk had to be furloughed. The city council also did not meet in January, due to the lack of a city clerk.

Although the city has ample funds ($11,000) in the road use tax (RUF) fund, according to the Dec. 15, 2015 city financial report ? the fund used to pay for snow removal ? there is no city clerk to sign the check. Marek said either the clerk or city treasurer?s signature is the primary signature on city clerks with the mayor providing the second signature. Mt. Union does not have a city treasurer.

Prior to the Supreme Court?s ruling on Jan. 29, the city had asked the county to plow Mt. Union streets. The request was made to Henry County Engineer Jake Hotchkiss, who referred it to the board of supervisors.

Hotchkiss said he did not have the manpower to do the work and if the county were to plow Mt. Union streets, it would set a dangerous precedent. ?I don?t want to set a precedent because where were do we stop??

In addition to the county?s paved and gravel roads, the county?s secondary roads department plows streets in the unincorporated towns ? Lowell, Swedesburg and Trenton ? in the county.