What does RUSS do?

Jan. 9, 2012

Richmond, Iowa

To the Editor:

In response to Mr. Brock?s press release (K. News 12-16), he stated Washington County asked for help from RUSS in 2007. They hired Garden and Associates, who determined a two-cell lagoon was the cheapest and most cost-effective choice.

What does RUSS do? The answer, as stated by RUSS, is that they are ?familiar? with these types of systems. They take over the ownership, operation and maintenance (?). If you follow the money, as stated in the preliminary engineer?s report and addendum, Garden and Assoc. will collect $260,000. If residents were allowed to update their own systems, they would collect much less money.

At the compensation hearing, determining land value, Mr. Fencil stated there were seven sites chosen for the lagoon. Holy Trinity?s land ranked first, and Marlin Farms ranked second. We have the list of landowners who were sent letters and asked if they were willing to sell land for the lagoon. We obtained this list from the auditor?s office and Jeff Thomann. Holy Trinity was not on that list.

The landowners must have said ?no.? The supervisor in charge of this project then contacted a former Holy Trinity Council member to ask about the church property. That was in late 2008. He told the supervisor to contact the finance person at Holy Trinity.

Has Mr. Brock read the 2007 preliminary report? That report was designed to have everything flow to the north or northeast of Richmond. How, then, can Holy Trinity?s land, which lies south and west of Richmond, be the best site for the lagoon? Thus the addendum was written.

Was the lagoon a ?done deal? before it even started? We know of one person who tried to upgrade his system in 1997, and was told by the county sanitarian that something bigger was coming to Richmond, and not to do anything at this time. We know of at least two others who tried to upgrade their systems and were stopped. One of these people lives on 140th Street. They had contractors ready to check the system, and were stopped by Jeff Thomann.

The week after the ?so-called public meeting,? for condemnation, Mr. Mangold and Mr. Fencil called us ?loud, vocal and intimidating.? (WEJ)

In February we were invited to Des Moines to speak to the legislators. Mr. Miksch accused us of sabotage. (WEJ) In June, Mr. Mangold said he received an administrative order, when they did not receive it until September.

Another sleight of hand?

One more thought. I would hazard a guess that the four supervisors pushing this are not Native Americans. Somewhere in the past their ancestors came to this country. Why? They came to the supposedly greatest country in the world with its freedoms and opportunities for a better life. I hope they would be proud of what the supervisors are doing and representing.

If any of them are veterans, or families of veterans, I sure hope this is what they served their country for.

Thanks for listening.

Bill Knutson

RBR Board