Precinct caucuses for Ringgold county precincts will all be held in Mount Ayr Tuesday, Jan. 3.

Ringgold county Republicans will meet at 7 p.m. at the Mount Ayr American Legion building.

Ringgold county Democrats will meet at 7 p.m. in the Ringgold county courthouse assembly room.

As part of the sessions precinct committee persons will be named to the county central committees, delegates and alternates will be elected to the county conventions and proposals can be discussed and adopted as platform planks for the county convention.

In addition, Republicans will declare their preference for a presidential candidate by a secret ballot.

Each presidential campaign will be allowed to have one surrogate or volunteer speak on their behalf before the vote.

  Farmland values in Ringgold county jumped by 32.9 percent, the biggest single year increase on record, according to the annual survey of farmland value conducted by Iowa State University.

While the average acre of farmland across the state showed a 32.5 percent  increase in value, Ringgold county farmland increased a bit more than that, the survey said.

The average acre of farmland in Ringgold county is now worth $3,466, up  from the $2,609 previous all-time record set last year.

In dollar value, the average acre of land increased $857, which is almost as much as an acre of farm land was valued just 10 years ago. The land value is 27.3 times the $127 an acre recorded in 1950 and almost nine times the $386 recorded in 1986 when farmland values bottomed out after the previous run-up.

With the change, Ringgold county -- which had the second lowest farmland value in the state behind Decatur county for many years -- remained ahead of several other counties passed in the past few years. Decatur county’s value was estimated at $2,721, the lowest in the state. Ringgold county remained ahead of Appanoose county with a $2,865 an acre value, Wayne with a $2,884 an acre value, Lucas with a $3,007 an acre value and Clarke with a $3,182 an acre value.

Ringgold county’s increase came after last year’s 15.9 percent decline. In terms of dollars, the county’s $857 an acre increase this year was one of the smaller in the state. Only the five counties with smaller per acre value had smaller dollar increases over last year.

The highest county average in the state was O’Brien county at $9,513 per acre, up 33.1 percent from 2010. Scott county had the largest percentage increase at 37.7 percent and the largest dollar increase of $2,524 from last year to this year.

Decatur county had the lowest average at $2,721 per acre and the lowest dollar increase at $636 per acre. Washington and Keokuk counties had the lowest percentage increases at 28.2 percent.

Land values in Ringgold county have now more than doubled in six years -- in 2006 when the figure was $1,726.

  After state road projects with new pavement on U.S. Highway 169 and Iowa Highway 2 in recent years, not much is planned in the way of state road construction for the next five years in Ringgold county.

Ringgold county work

A plan to do $660,000 worth of culvert extension work on U.S. Highway 169 during 2012 is the only work scheduled for the next five years in the five year plan approved by the Iowa Department of Transportation’s 2012-2016 Transportation Improvement Plan.

The only other expenditure in the plan that affects Ringgold county is federal funds which will be used to purchase two new light duty busses for the Southern Iowa Trolley service.

Most of the money planned to be spent in surrounding counties will go to projects on Highway 34 and Interstate 35.

 Here's an important clue for those trying to figure out the crossword puzzle in last week's Mount Ayr Record-News.

21 Across - Lustrous Ringers

  Questions about equal application of city zoning ordinances, adoption of a employee policy handbook and personnel policies, internal loan procedures, a water system design contract and a one-time salary adjustment (another name for a Christmas bonus) were all topics for the Mount Ayr city council at its meeting Monday night.

In addition mayor Don Solliday and council members were sworn in for new terms, items from street lights to tree trimming were talked about and a tax abatement request was approved in a relatively short but busy council meeting.

Zoning ordinance

Scott Stutzman attended the meeting to ask questions about equal treatment under the city zoning ordinances for two building projects in the city.

Stutzman received a building permit for a commercial self-storage unit in an area zoned residential and started work on the project when the council and city attorney Richard Wilson asked him to stop the work and revoked the building permit.

He already had the poles for the pole building up and was pouring the concrete floor of the facility when he stopped work in response to questions about the zoning for the project raised by Kelly Main and some neighbors to the project.

In the meantime, Main applied for a building permit to build another self-storage unit near the ones he already has south of Highway 2.

Main’s building permit was turned down by the city because the property is in an area zoned agricultural, which does not have provision for a commercial self-storage unit either.

Stutzman noted that Main poured the floor for a possible building at the site of the permit and despite Stutzman’s complaint about the work, the city did not step in and stop Main’s project.

Stutzman appealed his zoning decision and lost the appeal, though he can now take the case to magistrate’s court. Main has filed an appeal of his building permit denial as well.

Stutzman was questioning the fairness of the city not stepping in in Main’s case after Main was the one who complained about Stutzman’s project and got it stopped by the city.

“I just think we need to decide if the rules are the same for everyone or if some people are treated differently than others,” he said.

Mayor Don Solliday noted that the council was trying to follow the rules that have been set up in the city zoning ordinance, but that there were some potential problems with language that made it difficult.

Solliday noted that in the past Main had been given building permits for buildings at the site even though all of it is currently zoned as agricultural instead of commercial.

Finding a definition of when construction begins was one of the questions raised from viewing the ordinances, it was noted.

Council members decided that the zoning ordinance and building permit system needed to be reviewed and suggested that the council have a closed session to discuss the issues with the city attorney since there is potential litigation on the matter pending.

  Salaries of Ringgold county elected officials would increase by 3.5 percent next year if the Ringgold county board of supervisors agree to the recommendation offered by the Ringgold county compensation board following its meeting Monday, Dec. 19.

The compensation board is responsible, by Iowa Code, for making a recommendation to the county board of supervisors prior to the determination of salaries for county office holders.  

This recommendation then becomes a limit for the supervisors.  The supervisors can reduce the compensation board recommendation, but they must do it by the same percentage for all recommendations, and cannot give a higher increase.

The compensation board recommendation for the 2012-2013 fiscal year is to increase the salaries of the county auditor, treasurer, recorder, attorney, sheriff and board of supervisors by 3.5 percent.

If the full increase were approved, the salaries for county auditor, treasurer and recorder would increase to $38,723.76 from $37,414.26. The salary for attorney would increase to $37,937.72 from $36,654.80. The new sheriff’s salary would be $51,566.83, up from $49,823.02. The board of supervisors would be paid $25,494.26, an increase from $24,632.14.

All deputy salaries are determined as a percentage of the county officer they work for.  Currently, the chief deputy sheriff and chief deputy treasurer are limited to no more than 85 percent of their officer’s salary and all other deputies for the sheriff, treasurer, auditor and recorder are paid 80 percent of the officer for whom they work.

This recommendation follows the recommendation last year that all salaries be given a three percent increase.  The supervisors ultimately reduced the recommendation by 66.7% and approved a one percent increase for the 2011-2012 fiscal year for all officers.  

  Two somewhat surprising decisions were made by the Ringgold county board of supervisors as they dealt with road issues this past week.

The supervisors voted to investigate what it would cost to bid out many road maintenance tasks at their meeting Thursday, Dec. 15, then voted 2-1 to turn back control of two roads from county to state responsibility at their meeting Monday, Dec. 19.

At the meeting Thursday, the supervisors met with county engineer Zach Gunsolley to talk about secondary roads updates and progress on union negotiations.

After some discussion, the board voted unanimously to instruct Gunsolley to research the possibility of contracting out secondary road job duties such as road maintenance, rock hauling, mowing, grading and the like.

If it is found that these jobs could be handled less expensively by contracting them out, the supervisors would seriously consider making a change in some aspects of the county secondary roads maintenance system.

Concern about funding for the county road system also led to a 2-1 vote by the board at its meeting Monday to return responsibility of two former state roads to the state of Iowa.

The following resolution was passed:

“Whereas Senate File 451 returned a portion of state highway 66 (approximately seven miles now referred to as county highway P33) and state highway 259 (approximately two miles now referred to as J20) to Ringgold county on July 1, 2003 with a funding level over a 10-year period of approximately $630,000,

“Whereas this funding level is totally inadequate to maintain the roads and bridges,

“Be it resolved that the Ringgold County Board of Supervisors is returning jurisdiction of said roads to the state of Iowa on June 30, 2012.”

Supervisor chairman Dale Walters voted against the resolution because he wanted to confer with county attorney Clint Spurrier before any action was taken.

  Christmas comes on a Sunday this year, so most area churches that meet on Sunday will have services on Christmas Day, though some churches will be operating with abbreviated schedules.

There are also some special Christmas Eve services planned across the county.

Information on several special services have been reported to the Mount Ayr Record-News this year.

Christmas Eve services

First Lutheran Church in Mount Ayr will have candlelight Christmas Eve services at 5 p.m  Saturday, Dec. 24. For Christmas Day they will be joining Trinity Lutheran Church in Creston for services at 9:30 a.m.

A series of other Christmas Eve services are also planned.

There will be one at the First Christian Church in Mount Ayr at 5 p.m., Dec. 24.

The Assembly of God in Mount Ayr will host a Christmas Eve service at 6 p.m.

The Mount Ayr Baptist-Presbyterian Church will host a Christmas Eve service at 7 p.m.

The Mount Ayr United Methodist Church will have a candlelight Christmas Eve service at 11 p.m.

  Retirement of three teachers from the elementary school, a number of building and grounds issues, approval of an at-risk allowable growth application and rescheduling of a professional development day headed the discussion for the Mount Ayr Community school board at its meeting Monday night.

In addition the board spent two hours in an Iowa Association of School Boards training session leading up to the regular meeting. 

Teacher retirement

Early retirement for three longtime Mount Ayr Community elementary teachers was approved at the meeting Monday.

Retiring at the end of the school year are Cindy Allen, Angi Dodge and Pam Hudson.

The teachers turned in their retirement letters in time to receive the early notification payment of $500 in addition to early retirement benefits.

Allen and Dodge have both taught in the school district for 34 years and Hudson has taught here for 22 years.

Elementary principal Lynne Wallace noted that it will be very hard to replace the experience that will be leaving the school district with the retirement of these teachers.

The school board accepted the resignations with regret and thanked the teachers for the wonderful years of service they have provided the district.

Building and grounds issues

Several buildings and grounds issues were also discussed at the meeting, including a meeting with Doug Hymbaugh, contractor for the wrestling and weight room and FEMA storm shelter addition to the school.

Hymbaugh told the board that most of the structural work has been completed but that items like electrical, heating and air conditioning and doors for the facility are still being worked on.

The door contractor was to come to put the doors on the building next week. There has been a hold-up in the construction of the duct work for the heating and air conditioning contractor, he told the board.

He said that most of the lights had been hung and that the work to tie in the electrical from the new addition to the rest of the building would be done over Christmas break.

He blamed some of the delay on shortages of supplies due to consolidation of suppliers because of the economy and a pickup in construction work in the midwest.

No final date for completion was given.

The wrestling team has been working out on the high school auditorium stage until the work is completed on the addition.

Hymbaugh was also asked about the new concession stand project he is to build for the district at the football field and track complex.

He said the materials had been received and work on the project would begin in the spring after the track season is completed.

Superintendent Joe Drake reported on some problems the district is having with the sewer line to the middle school gymnasium addition.

There was a blockage in the line that was taken care of, but in working on that problem it was discovered that there is a problem with the elevations of the sewer line.

The architect is doing a study on the matter to see where the problem lies. It may be in the work of CAC, one of the sub-contractors for the project that has since gone bankrupt.

Drake will report back to the board when more information on where the problem lies and who should be responsible for it.

Drake also reported that Andrew Tuckpointing of Clarinda had been hired to investigate the leaking windows on the east side of the high school building.

They were able to find the problem in the construction of the lentels over the windows and have repaired one window at a cost of some $4,500. 

After finding the problem in this exploratory work, the other windows would cost about $3,000 each to repair.

The work on the other windows will be held up until spring to make sure the first repair works before the other windows are repaired.

The board also approved a payment request for $36,242.05 for the work on the high school commons.

Betts and Beer has agreed to reduce the final bill by $5,000 for not getting the job done on time.

Tom Wolbers of Design Alliance is working on finding a way to clean the walls as specified, a portion of the contract that has not been completed.

The payment request was changed before being approved to reflect the retainage for the project as well as the cost for the wall cleaning.

  Jail construction matters, a family team meeting facilitation agreement and a discussion on payroll procedures topped the discussion by the Ringgold county board of supervisors this past week.

At their meeting Thursday, Dec. 8, they talked with sheriff Mike Sobotka about the jail construction project.

As payments are being made to contractors, the supervisors were checking to make sure that enough money was being withheld to make sure all the final building issues are taken care of.

Sobotka said that the job of dispatchers is more complicated in the new building as they check on prisoners and run the dispatch system.

Joycelyn Blazek met with the supervisors Thursday to talk about the family team meeting facilitation contract -- part of the DECAT budget.

The supervisors approved a small increase in the contract at their meeting Monday, Dec. 12.

A discussion was held about payroll procedures. The county has several different types of time cards and the supervisors are working to make one card to fit all the needs of the county.

  Christmas activities are winding down as the holiday moves closer and closer.

The steak drawing results are reported in this week’s paper, and the lighting contest entry deadline is Friday, Dec. 16.

Saturday, Dec. 17, there will be a brunch with Santa at the Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club.

The last of the area concerts comes Monday, Dec. 19 and more Santa visits are planned.

Brunch with Santa

The Mount Ayr Golf and Country Club is sponsoring a Brunch with Santa event Saturday, Dec. 17, from 9 to 11 a.m.

A buffet style brunch will be held, there will be games and activities for children and they can tell Santa their wish list.

The event is open to everyone. A freewill donation will be taken for the event.

Concerts

The vocal music program at Mount Ayr Community middle school and high school gets its opportunity to shine Monday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m.

The middle school choir will sing songs from “The Polar Express” including “Believe” and “When Christmas Comes To Town.” Featured students singing solos and in groups will include Cheyene Percifield, Cheyenne Haveman, Ambe Cox, Molly Anderson, Michaela Mueller, Laura Campbell, Breann Haley, Brylea Stark and Shaniece Conklin.

The high school choir will sing “Sleigh Ride,” “Merry Christmas Darling,” “Tiny Little Baby Boy,” “Everywhere Christmas Tonight” and other selections. Featured students singing solos include Jessie Ricker, Sarah Campbell, Cassidy McAtee, Brooke Chenowith, Nichole Phelps, Erin Dolecheck, Kelsey Hunt, Courtney Withee and Christiana Overholtzer.

Greg Storhoff directs the choirs and Nancy Sackett is accompanist.

There will be a freewill donation to attend the concert.

Lighting contest

The annual lighting contest sponsored by the Mount Ayr Chamber of Commerce will come to a close this week.

Judging will be done Sunday, Dec. 18, and winners announced in the December 22 issue of the Mount Ayr Record-News.

Prizes will be awarded for the top three entries for properties with Mount Ayr addresses.

Deadline for contacting the Mount Ayr Record-News with entries for the contest is Friday, Dec. 16.

Steak drawing

Drawings for packages of ribeye steaks at a number of area businesses was held Monday.

An advertisement in this week’s Mount Ayr Record-News lists all the participating businesses for the drawings and the winners. Winners pick up coupons for the steaks at the business at which they won.

A total of 52 steak packages were given away.

Santa visits

Santa Claus will continue his visits at Pamida in Mount Ayr from 2 to 4 p.m. each Saturday afternoon until Christmas.

  Last city council meeting the Mount Ayr council appeared ready to make a change in minimum utility usage charges and increase rates for all city residents.

After hearing some feedback from city residents, however, the council decided to put off any changes in water, sewer and garbage billing until more information is available.

Moving forward with a loan for engineering costs for upgrading the city drinking water system, a decision to release a mortgage on a housing rehab home that has gone into foreclosure, employee handbook items, a tax abatement request and more were also handled by the council at its meeting Monday night.

Water, sewer rates

A water and sewer rate study is part of the work that the city has contracted with Kevin Stolker to do, it was noted, so instead of jumping into dropping a minimum utility usage charge for vacant homes, that will stay in place for the time being.

Stolker is to have the report ready for the council in January when work on the city budget begins.

Stolker told the council there were a number of options that should be studied in setting the fees for the utilities.

Gerald Cannon, who had voted down a 25 cent raise in water bills to meet a previous increase in water rates from the Southern Iowa Rural Water Association, now said he felt the council was wrong in that decision.

Cannon said one suggestion to making the city water and sewer funds in the black again was to charge the money paid Kevin Stolker to oversee the water and sewer systems to the one-cent sales tax funding source.

Other suggestions were made as well. Cutting the minimum utility bill back to just the cost of minimum amount of water and raising prices to everyone by a smaller amount was discussed.

Jim Feeback said he felt the city needed to continue to stay on track toward living within the means of the budget the city now has instead of making big increases in costs to residents for services.

The positive result of having  a number of properties cleaned up instead of people paying the minimum utility bill on the properties was also noted.

Loan for water engineering

The council held a public hearing on a measure to borrow up to $55,000 for use in engineering for upgrading the city’s water treatment system.

The plan is to do away with the current water treatment plant at the old city reservoir completely. Instead a new pump house would be built to pump SIRWA water up to the water towers the city owns and treat the water further as minimally as feasible.

The Iowa Finance Authority would provide the loan without origination fees and at zero percent interest for up to three years. The money could be paid back in that time or rolled over into the construction loan on the project.

The $55,000 is just an estimate of the amount of money that will be needed to get the engineering on the project going. Only the amount needed of the $55,000 will actually be borrowed.

There was no one speaking against the proposal at the hearing and no written communication received.

After the hearing was closed, the council voted 4-1 for a resolution authorizing the interim loan agreement.

Jim Feeback voted against the matter, noting that he felt the council could find a way to get the water treatment plant upgrade without needing to use engineering services.

House in foreclosure

A house that was rehabiliated using the housing rehabilitation program will be going to a sheriff’s sale in a foreclosure, the council was told.

In the housing rehabilitation program, the $25,000 or so in rehabilitation costs are placed on a five year mortgage. If the resident stays in the house for the full amount of time, the loan is forgiven.

If the person leaves before the five years is up, however, a portion of the loan is to be paid back.

It was noted that the city does not have the first mortgage for the home and it does not look like the city would be able to recover funds if it sought to do so.

  Ringgold county has a number of ways people can help the needy this Christmas.

The Neighborhood Center, Mount Ayr Lions Club and HCI Care Services all have efforts to help this season.

Peg Johnson notes that she has over 60 families who need to be adopted for the Christmas holiday this year and that of late last week there were 35 families who still were available for help.

“We don’t have some of the funds that we have had in recent years to help with the project this year and the need is still great,” Johnson noted.

To adopt a family, check with Johnson at the Neighborhood Cener. Those adopting a family will receive a list of needs. The presents should be brought to the Neighborhood Center unwrapped. If the adopters want to provide wrapping paper for the presents, that would be nice, she noted.

The presents need to be delivered to the Ringgold County Neighborhood Center by Thursday, Dec. 15, at the very latest.

In addition to the presents for families, the Neighborhood Center will be distributing Christmas dinner materials for 115 families in the county this year, Johnson said.

Donations for this project are also welcome.

Toys for Tots

Annual toys for tots drive by the Mount Ayr Lions Club will get underway Monday, Nov. 28.

New toys or used toys in good condition can be dropped off at nine locations in Mount Ayr. 

They include CGI Foods, Dollar General, First Federal Savings Bank, Great Western Bank, Hy-Vee, Pamida, Ringgold County Senior Citizens Activity Center, Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative and US Bank.

Deadline for dropping off toys for the drive will be Tuesday, Dec. 13.

Used toys are fixed up to go along with the new toys which are distributed through the Ringgold County Neighborhood Center.

HCI mitten tree

HCI Care Services  of Mount Ayr is working on a mitten tree for the fifth straight year.

Employees are collecting new, gently used or handcrafted mittens, gloves, scarves and hats through December 31. 

Donations will be distributed to local schools and will be accepted Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the office located on the square at 107 South Fillmore Street.

  Ringgold county Republicans had the opportunity to hear from several of their party’s elected officials in a soup supper held at the Mount Ayr American Legion building Thursday night.

Secretary of state Matt Schultz, state representative Cecil Dolecheck and state senator Joni Ernst were among the speakers for the group of Republicans gathered at the Legion building, which will be the site of the Republican caucus in January.

Schultz, who was elected to the position in 2010, talked about his job and this efforts to ensure fair elections.

He made voter ID a major part of his campaign for the office and has worked with legislators to try to get the bill passed. He also has raised questions about same day voter registration and the potential problems this raises for voter fraud.

The bills have been blocked by the Democratic majority in the state senate, he noted.

Senator majority leader Mike Groenstal came in for complaints from many of the speakers, who noted how he has kept votes on many issues from coming to the floor of the senate in the last year.

Schultz talked about the responsibilities of his office, which includes a wide range of duties beyond helping run elections.

Senator Ernst noted that because of the efforts of senator Groenstal the session ran the longest it has ever gone and many bills died without ever having the chance to be voted on in the senate.

“There were several matters that I believe some more conservative Democrats would have voted for, but the opportunities for votes were blocked,” she said.

She noted that efforts are underway to try to win a majority in the Senate so many ideas can move forward.

Ernst notted that while her senate district is changing, Ringgold county will still be part of it. Ringgold county will now be in with Montgomery, Taylor, Page, Fremont and Mills counties in the senate district.

State representative Cecil Dolecheck also spoke to the group, thanking them for their support over the past 16 years.

Because of redistricting, Ringgold county will be in a district with Page and Taylor counties next year and Dolecheck and Rich Anderson of Clarinda, both Repubilcan incumbents, will be in the same district.

“We’ll have a contested Republican primary if Anderson runs,” Dolecheck noted.

Dolecheck noted that he has been working to try to get a majority in the state senate as well so that bills can move forward.

He will continue as co-chairman of the education appropriations committee. He noted that the education budget was the only one last year that did not have to go to conference committee.

With the legislature working on a two-year budget last year, this legislative session should see only adjustments made in the budget.

He talked about tax issues as well, noting that he would like to do something about property tax in the coming legislature, but was not sure that much progress would be made.

He noted that governor Terry Branstad had a blue ribbon task force on a gasoline tax increase that had suggested a hike, but that the governor had taken the matter off the table for this session.

Dolecheck also talked about education reform and the need to make improvements in Iowa education, as shown by the state’s position in the nation tumbling.

He said the suggestion not to promote students beyond third grade until they show they can read is a good idea.

“Florida did this and after six years their test scores went from being near the bottom to surpassing Iowa’s,” Dolcehck noted.

He said there are some problems with the career ladder format and that this part of the reform package will need some more work.

“We’ll implement the things that don’t cost a lot of dollars this year,” he said. “We have to quit making excuses that the kids are not good enough. We have got to put kids and making sure they are getting a good education first.”