Around Des Moines

This post is about money, political and economic power, and public transit service. It includes information from the April 22, 2008, meeting of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) Commission; comparison information from other sources, and personal observations. The writing of the post has been delayed by a few weeks but it is important for it to be finished now. On May 14, 2008, the DART Commission will hold a daytime meeting to hear from city managers and other officials in its region regarding the formula used to calculate each municipality’s financial responsibility to the DART budget.

DART evolved from the Metropolitan Transit Authority at the end of 2006 as recognition of the reality that transportation services were being provided beyond the core Des Moines metropolitan area. Although, the routes were (and are) still heavily targeted towards downtown Des Moines. The old formula calculated how many miles a bus traveled in a city and how many passengers were on the bus. This calculation included buses that merely passed through an area without stopping. With the express bus service from Waukee to Des Moines that was to have started this year, Urbandale officials were concerned that they would be charged for that service even though it made no stops in Urbandale. Similarly, people commuting from Ankeny to Des Moines were charged to the Des Moines contribution even though the consequences were that the property taxes and jobs from those commuters benefitted Ankeny, not Des Moines residents.

At the April DART meeting, General Manager Brad Miller cited numbers he said came from the Ankeny school district. The city’s average age is 32 and the population is 37,000. In two-parent homes, there are 5,000 stay-at-parents but 13,000 parents commute to jobs in Des Moines each day. Miller also gave a presentation that showed possible financial consequences for DART and for commuters if certain communities were to withdraw from DART. Commissioner Steve Van Oort clarified that ridership from Ankeny is up 27% and that “we’re in folks,” meaning that Ankeny was not going to pull out. However, Van Oort represents a district that includes other communities that are re-considering the direction of DART.

Commissioners seemed to be in consensus that the original reworking of the formula from the miles-and-passenger calculation to a more general population-based formula. Commissioner Bob Parks talked about the need to “continue stirring until we get the lumps out” of the formula. Commissioner Angela Connelly, a Polk County supervisor, said, “I have changed my mind on what we did a couple months ago,” indicating the need to revise the funding calculations used. Miller noted that while the base charge was more equal, the actual amount paid by a community would be impacted by the value of housing. Des Moines’ contribution has been subsidized by revenue from city-owned parking garages.

Miller is interested in keeping ridership up because the federal government gives $0.13 per rider to transit agencies. That also explains so much emphasis on the Unlimited Access program. If communities start pulling out of DART and regular routes need to be shortened or eliminated, that would also have an impact upon the Des Moines Public Schools, Miller said. The school district uses DART routes to help transport students to and from school and if those fixed routes disappeared, then the school district would need to spend more for transportation.

At the April DART meeting, it was estimated that the 90th van pool would start operating in May 2008. The monthly System Performance Report Summary for March 2008 showed an increase in ridership from March 2007, except that weekend passengers were fewer in 2008. In addition, approximately 10,000 fewer miles were shown as being operated. Given the fact that Sunday service existed in 2008 but not in 2007, this is interesting. When I asked Miller after the April meeting why there was such a drop, he didn’t have an explanation. I have noticed during May weekend bus trips that ridership seems to continue to be down. This raises questions about people not having money to spend and possibly staying home, but it also raises concerns that DART staff may start questioning the need for weekend service, if the trend continues. These statistics go to the heart of the purpose of DART. Is it to bring out-of-town residents to downtown Des Moines for jobs or is it to serve as a full-life alternative to reduce all of the pollution and financial strain of automobiles?

Even as DART faces the challenge of immediate financial contributions, other political entities are looking at long-term funding. Senate File 2420 requires the state’s Department of Transportation to study public transit funding. The Des Moines Area Metropolitan Planning Organization is seeking funding to study rapid transit options.

M.R. Field writes about public transportation for AroundDesMoines.com. Unfortunately, she is unable to attend the May 14th DART Commission meeting. 

The Democratic challenger for the Iowa House seat now held by Ralph Watts (R-Adel) was in Des Moines on May 3, 2008, to talk about the women’s suffrage movement and to raise money for her campaign. Susan Temere (D-West Des Moines) said she chose to view the documentary, Not for Ourselves Alone, because of the affinity she has with Susan B. Anthony and Carrie Chapman Catt.

Temere’s issues include a world-class education, the environment, affordable and accessible healthcare, and the economy. She currently teaches in the Adel and Waukee school districts and at the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). She spent 15 years at General Motors, working in management-related and union positions.

While working on a rape reform task force to strengthen the sexual assault laws in Michigan, Temere, then 22, decided she would run for office some day. “I saw the caliber of the all-male legislature [and] knew [I} could do better,” she said. Jennifer Temkin in her book Rape and the Legal Process, as excerpted on Google Book Search, notes that 2 years before the Women’s Task Force on Rape worked to help enact “radical and influential legislation in 1974,” 90 people in the entire state of Michigan were convicted of “unlawful carnal knowledge,” as rape was then defined. In contrast, “in Detroit alone, at least 3,370 alleged victims of rape were treated in hospitals and 900 rapes were reported to the police.”

It was at a public hearing on pay equity held by the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women that I first met Temere. I was giving testimony as editor of Leading Voices: Iowa and Temere was attending as part of a pay equity committee she headed for an area chapter of the National Organization for Women (NOW). I told of a woman at an old-line manufacturing business in Boston who expected the company to promote her because she earned a master’s degree, while the company continued to see her only as a secretary. Temere shared that she had similar stories from her time working in Detroit.

District 47 is essentially Dallas County with a sliver of Guthrie County to the east and a square of Boone County to the north. Portions of Dallas County, one in the southwest and one in the north central, are in Districts 73 and 48, respectively. District 47 includes the rapidly growing communities of Dallas County’s eastern half and the rural communities of the western half. The 2000 U.S. Census has a countywide population of 40,750. Perry is the largest town completely in the county with a population approaching 8,000. Approximately three-quarters of the population is in towns or cities. Linden, with a population of 226, is considered part of that statistic. According to the Iowa State University extension office in 2006, 82% of the land in Dallas County is agricultural.

Temere, who supports VOICE legislation for publicly-financed elections, said she was just getting started on her fundraising for the general election. She will not have a primary contest. She has been endorsed by the South Central Iowa Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO.

Since Temere’s list of issues includes both developing an energy independent Iowa and promoting clean air and water, I asked her how she intended to balance those two items, giving the proposed Marshalltown power plant as an example. The candidate said she did not support coal-fueled power plants. When I then asked her about bio-ethanol, she said she needs to learn more about it but leans toward it. Although, she acknowledged there is concern about food supplies when crops are grown for fuel.

M.R. Field covers local issues for AroundDesMoines.com. 

Neither rain nor seasonly-limited produce kept people from the first downtown farmers’ market of the year in Des Moines on May 10, 2008. Rhubarb, a few leaves of spinach, some young garlic, greenhouse tomatoes, and a bit of asparagus from Polk City were the local fruits and vegetables for sale. One vendor clearly labeled out-of-state produce. There were plenty of bakeries, a few wineries, meat producers, and value-added agricultural businesses with booths. Most of the people I saw making purchases were waiting for warm food prepared for immediate consumption.

There are several residents of Des Moines who believe the best economic plan for the city would include no zoning laws. Seeing several signs with rules scattered around the market this year, I kept thinking about the idea that too much legal restriction leads to economic contraction. On the public side of the market, there are instructions on how dogs should behave and times when vendors must start and stop selling. On the business side of the market, there is a new application process that requires vendors to apply online and submit photographs of every type of item to be included with instructions that they cannot depart from that list at all. There may be good reasons for all of these attempts at control; nevertheless, they threaten to squeeze the vitality of experimentation out of the market.

One of the new cottage industries that made it onto this year’s vendor list is Beaverdale Confections Co. You can buy blocks of gourmet marshmallow, lollipops (marshmallows on a stick), and hot cocoa gift boxes. The Kahlua marshmallow was a well-balanced taste but there was competition between the smooth creaminess of the Kahlua and the granular chewiness of the marshmallow. The coconut and marshmallow combination offered uniformity in textures and sweetness. These are not the air-puffed marshmallows sold in most grocery stores.

Often what I find most useful about the downtown market is learning about the many non-profit and political events happening around the city. At the May 10th market, I picked up literature for Walk Now for Autism, talked with Rep. Leonard Boswell’s (D-3rd District) primary challenger, and learned more about Bike to Work Week.

Autism Speaks was founded in 2005 by the grandparents of a child with autism. The organization informs about, funds research into, and advocates on issues related to autism. The Iowa Walk Now for Autism fundraiser will take place June 7, 2008 in Gray’s Lake Park.

Ed Fallon was shaking hands and talking with voters so I took the opportunity for an impromptu interview. I asked him how the campaign was going. He replied, “good,” then talked about Boswell’s refusal to debate and linked that to democratic injustice. I asked Fallon if he thought Boswell’s campaign mailings and his own personal appearances did not satisfy democracy. The challenger said people want to see the two candidates side-by-side, answering the same issues.

Bike to Work Week Project Coordinator Tina Hadden said over 1600 people have registered, which is nearly 300 more than last year. Approximately 70% of the registrants are in the greater Des Moines area. Most of the remaining 30% are in the Iowa City-Cedar Rapids corridor. There are several events being held in Des Moines during the week, which officially runs from May 10th through the 16th. Hadden said the new Johnston trail allowed a bicyclist to miss beating a motorist by only a couple minutes on an annual race from Johnston to downtown Des Moines. Registering helps bicyclist activists to demonstrate support to elected officials for bicycle-friendly polices.

M.R. Field covers local events for AroundDesMoines.com.

A recommendation by the Des Moines Public Schools’ calendar committee led to a discussion on professional development and student achievement at the May 6, 2008, DMPS School Board meeting.

State law requires 180 days of education each school year. In addition, there must be 5.5 hours of instruction per day or 27.5 hours within a consecutive 5-day period. When the DMPS calendar is prepared, consideration must be given to major holidays. In addition, DMPS breaks need to be coordinated with breaks at local colleges and universities to accommodate student teachers’ schedules. Hot weather is also a concern since some school buildings do not have air conditioning.

One recommendation of the calendar committee was accepted with little discussion. The early dismissals (20 minutes early) on the days before the Thanksgiving and the Winter Holiday breaks will be eliminated starting with the 2008-2009 school year. This is an amendment to the calendar adopted last summer.

The recommendation that faced opposition was a proposal to let all schools out early every Wednesday starting with the 2009-2010 school year. The purpose of the proposal is to allow teachers time for required professional development and class planning. The weekly early release would replace ad hoc schedules created at elementary, middle, and high school levels.

Superintendent Dr. Nancy Sebring described the three levels of professional development. The first occurs at the individual level, when teachers set their own development goals and discuss them with their principals. The building level is next with decisions being made on how graduation ends, No Child Left Behind, and that school’s culture are promoted by all teachers. The district is the final level and it will also set some policies on government mandates and academic programs.

The 90-minute early dismissal would not all come from instruction time. It would be calculated from the time teachers are scheduled to leave. The Wednesday dismissals would replace other early dismissal days already in the schedule for professional development but would not replace full-day sessions, such as the one held on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

District staff sent an electronic survey to teachers and queried parents via parent-teacher conferences on their support for a consistent professional development day. Those who responded were predominantly in favor of a weekly early-release day. However, there was much more support for such a schedule in the elementary grades. Sebring said if only elementary students were released early, the extra demand on buses and drivers would cost $1,000 each Wednesday. The superintendent added that another part of the reasoning for an across-the-board release time was so older siblings could babysit those students too young to be at home by themselves.

Several board members said that nearly everybody who sent them e-mails were opposed to the weekly development schedule. One teacher who spoke during public comments said that the Federal Aviation Authority insists upon a certain number of hours in the aviation program and that the proposal could jeopardize the program’s certification due to lack of instructional hours. Board President Dick Murphy said he had heard from music and art teachers concerned that their lessons would be cut out of instruction time under the plan. Sebring asked the board to request people contacting them to also copy district administration as the opposition was coming somewhat as a surprise, given the results of the teacher and parent surveys. Board members volunteered to forward messages they had already received.

Board Member Jon Narcisse said that $1,000 every Wednesday, for approximately 25 Wednesdays, would be worth the cost if it resulted in improved achievements for students. Murphy agreed with him on that point. Board Member Patty Link was concerned about comparing DMPS early dismissals to those of nearby districts, preferring to see how other urban districts handled professional development and early dismissal. There were frequent comments that teachers had told board members there already is enough professional development and class planning; what is considered more important is face time with the students.

Several board members stressed that the final decision had to be based on student achievement. The board also was insistent on having some way to measure the success of any professional development, both for individual teachers and for students. There was also concerned expressed in public comments and by some board members that not all professional development training is worthwhile. Would there be enough quality development to justify an early release every week?

The board wants to hear from the district’s professional development committee. If a weekly early out is needed, is Wednesday the best day? Board Member Connie Boesen, throwing out ideas, asked if maybe Friday would be better, which would give parents options for early weekends.

Sebring and her staff will gather more information and update the proposal before the board at the May 20th meeting.

M.R. Field reports on school board meetings for AroundDesMoines.com. 

Already behind on articles to write for AroundDesMoines.com, I chose to save time by watching the May 6, 2008, Des Moines Public Schools (DMPS) School Board meeting on public access television. Unlike the first time I watched the board meeting on Channel 12, the picture quality and sound synchronization were not problematic. Alas, the 5:45 p.m. open speaking time for members of the public was, again, omitted. Instead of showing what concerns and ideas the public had, the district’s video staff chose to run another ubiquitous self-promotional piece. This attempt to control the message was repeated at the board meeting during a discussion on the 2009-2010 school calendar.

The board meeting was civil and proceeded relatively smoothly. The superintendent’s report was a series of recognition for various competitions DMPS students won, ranging from the debate team at Roosevelt High School to culinary challenges at Central Campus. One numbers-based comment reported was that the Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC) issues 60,000 college credits annually to high school students, with 11,000 of those going to DMPS students.

The chairman’s/president’s report consisted of informing board members that Jim Hiatt, a consultant on Policy Governance, would hold a training for the board on June 17. A scheduled monitoring report under Policy Governance on Financial Condition and Activities was postponed until the May 20th meeting due to the unanticipated absence of a key staff member.

The consent agenda consisted of items requiring more money due to rising costs. These items included construction of the front entry way at the Wallace-Homestead building, before and after school care fees, as well as increases in student meal fees, and other routine cost adjustments. For instance, the Food & Nutrition programs’ estimated milk, dairy, and juice products cost was $1,493,487 in the 2007-2008 school year. The actual cost has been $100,000 higher. On the regular agenda was a public hearing for the 2008-2009 budget due to an error in the original public notice that stated the hearing was to be held on April 1st instead of April 8th. There were no comments and no discussion at the hearing and the board quickly moved on to the 2007-2008 budget. The board needed to approve a public hearing (to be held on May 20th) regarding authorization for increased spending limits. Board President Dick Murphy said this is a routine matter that happens every year after detailed information is received. The description of this item provided in the agenda was that the costs relate to maintaining compliance with statutory requirements.

During requests for information, Board Member Teree Caldwell-Johnson asked for a summary on 2008 bills passed by the Iowa legislature that will have an effect on the DMPS and the board’s future decisions. The district communications official, Phil Roeder, said there are three areas relative to legislative action that the school board needs to consider in the near future. One are the new laws, including a statewide sales tax for school buildings, collective bargaining, and the model core curriculum. The second need is to review priorities for the 2009 legislative session to pass along to the Iowa Association of School Boards. The third matter the board must consider is election reform legislation that changes school board elections from every year to every other year and that changes terms of board members from three years to four years. The board must decide how it will implement this change and have a report to the Iowa Secretary of State by early August.

See Part 2 of this report for discussion on future school calendars and professional development.

M.R. Field reports on school board meetings for AroundDesMoines.com. 

(Des Moines, IA, May 5, 2008) The Polk County Board of Supervisors and George Davey deserve praise. The supervisors saw the public was not going to accept their original $186 million proposal for a new court facility. Consequently, they sent their staff and hired consultants back to the drawing board and Polk County residents were given a $132 million proposal on which to vote. For his part, Davey took his objection to more taxes and made attempts to provide alternative solutions for the supervisors to consider.

As many residents made clear in opinions expressed to the local print and broadcast media, the vote was about far more than a courthouse, though. The low voter turnout showed the vote also was about the needs of a court system few people understand or use. Pre- and post-election commentary reveal there is no answer, yet, for how to move past the growing deadlock. That barrier is a lack of public trust in the decisions of the county supervisors combined with the lack of people willing to serve on the board, or at least to run for a seat on the board.

Despite comparisons people have made, the courthouse vote was not the same as the vote against Project Destiny. Project Destiny was about a sales tax, something almost everybody understands. Moreover, Project Destiny was a reaction against the massive corporate tax breaks the measure would have created combined with large corporate donations to the Yes to Destiny campaign. However, there was also a significant feeling among voters in both last summer’s Project Destiny vote and last month’s courthouse vote that elected officials have regularly acted in favor of a few non-elected power brokers over the greater interests of the general public.

M.R. Field was editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.

(Des Moines, IA, May 5, 2008) Ask your elected officials if it is okay to use a cash advance check from one of your credit cards to pay the minimum amount due on another card. Then ask that same official if it is okay to use funds from one source of government to pay for a project by another level of government. Most likely the elected official would express concern about the former and praise for the latter. Yet, in the end, the source of all those government funds is the same: the taxpayer. In theory and in practice, I favor using taxes from one source to pay for essential needs in another part of a jurisdiction. For example, I have no problem with some of my federal tax dollars earned in Iowa going to pay for food stamps in Louisiana. However, I have major objections to one level of government telling me something is free because another level of government is paying for it.

Take the new D-Line shuttle that starts today in Des Moines as an example. This shuttle will run from the Des Moines Public School’s Central Campus at about 18th and Grand to the state Capitol at approximately East 13th and East Grand. The shuttle will run the loop in approximately 10-minute intervals, from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. It will be free to riders. In contrast, riders of the regular DART buses that cover that same run and a few additional blocks on their regularly-scheduled hourly runs, from approximately 6:00 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 7:00 to 6:00 on weekends, will see the fare for that zone go from $0.25 to $0.50 on June 1, 2008. DART and city officials sing the praise of this new simple-and-free shuttle. Alas, whether a regular DART route bus or a shiny new downtown shuttle, you and I are the ones paying the price and it is not free.

Similarly, I was not happy when the state legislature passed the $0.01 property tax/school construction bill this past session. If that sales tax were a permanent source of funding for operations of schools, I would have been a supporter. As it is, the construction tax bill has consequences not mentioned by its proponents. Yes, money from retail-rich parts of the state will help construct school-related buildings in less well-financed districts. However, if those districts do not vote in favor of the new school construction, they can use that money to lower property taxes that are already lower than those in many retail-oriented metropolitan areas. In other words, residents of Des Moines who shop within the city may soon be paying for property-tax reduction of corporate hog confinements across Iowa. Furthermore, another expense of the housing bubble was that governmental projects also cost more as construction workers and building materials went to residential construction, thereby raising prices for all projects. That means the General Assembly increased the cost of the Polk County courthouse reconstruction, should voters approve it at a later time. (Supporters of a new courthouse have been arguing since their defeat that the voters’ rejection of their plan increased the cost by millions of dollars due to the inevitable delay. One more thing on that school bill. Many of Des Moines’ big companies that supported Project Destiny have offices in those smaller communities whose property taxes may be reduced thanks to the state legislature.)

The April 2008 Polk County courthouse vote also suffered from the fact that it was about the prison system, something most people do not think about on a regular basis, unlike the sales taxes associated with Project Destiny. Why should county voters be taxed for something they don’t think they will use? I noticed that in the media discussions about the courthouse vote, the voices that were missing included jurors’ experiences, plus witnesses and victims who had to appear in court, a grieving survivor who had to struggle with probate, and even ex-offenders who were transported between the county jail and the courthouse. How would they improve the facilities? It is also possible that money being spent on new prisons in Iowa helped defeat the courthouse vote, at least subconsciously, but I don’t think that would have been a major factor in anybody’s decision.

The final part of this commentary is the tax levies themselves. I took a look at the levy maps and tables available on the county auditor’s website and was surprised at how much variation there is even within the city of Des Moines. A quick look at the table shows a range of rates from just over 25.13, including a sanitary sewer charge, in parts of Windsor Heights in the West Des Moines school district to over 49.92 in Des Moines in the SE Polk schools district.

M.R. Field was editor of Leading Voices: Iowa.  

As Week 14 of the Iowa State legislature’s 2008 session ended I was gleeful that certain legislation had been called dead. Then some of those bills were passed the next week. Week 15 saw the 100th day of the session on Tuesday, April 22nd, and the end of the session on Friday, April 25th. (The Senate adjourned at 2:32 a.m. and the House at 2:38 a.m.) The 100th day is important because that is the last day when legislators are paid a per diem for travel and other expenses. Now that the legislative session is over, Gov. Chet Culver has 30 days to either sign or to veto bills sent to him. If Culver does not sign or veto a piece of legislation, that bill becomes law without his signature at the end of the 30 days.

Following the legislative session for these AroundDesMoines.com weekly recaps reinforced what I had learned from other projects. Much of what we call news is merely the reporting of news releases or other formal statements (e.g., House Journals and floor debates). Moreover, there are many more actions and events generating news than can possibly be included in any newspaper or in any broadcast times slot or on any broadband page. Much of what I, as a private citizen, needed to know could be learned by looking at the General Assembly’s website three or four times a week. However, ordinary citizens do not have the time to look at all the legislation introduced, assigned to committees, put on floor calendars, and sent to the governor. In addition, the priorities placed on the various bills was something not possible to ascertain just from the official record. This is where reporters on the scene were useful.

In the list of enrolled bills (those that passed both chambers of the legislature) for 2008, there are 82 bills originated in the House and 86 bills originated in the Senate. In addition, there are three joint resolutions that originated in the Senate. Two of the resolutions give permission for wine and/or beer to be served on the Capitol grounds during specific ceremonial events. The third resolution is for a constitutional amendment related to funding for natural resources. Look for the latter resolution to appear again next year when a new General Assembly begins. Iowa’s constitution requires proposed amendments to be passed in two consecutive General Assemblies before going before voters.

Just because the legislators have headed home does not mean their work is done. There are studies the legislature authorized and elections to be held. Stay in the habit of checking the General Assembly’s website while the legislature is not in session. Interesting information can still be posted there.

I know my coverage of the legislative session was not as extensive as I would have liked but I hope that I helped Iowans better understand what happens during the session, when it happens, and why. I’d like to hear what people thought about news coverage of the session in general.

M.R. Field covers local events for AroundDesMoines.com. 

On Tuesday, April 29, 2008, voters in Polk County, Iowa, should head to the polls to cast their ballots on a referendum. This particular referendum is about issuing general obligation bonds up to $132 million to build a new county courthouse and to renovate the historic current courthouse.

Neither proponents nor opponents of the plan have yet convinced me how to vote. They both have good reasons why I should support them but neither side has presented strong reasons. The vocal proponents tend to be elected officials and court officials. The vocal opponents tend to be people favoring strict tax oversight. There is a need to update the courthouse facilities for the dignity of victims, witnesses, and the accused, as proponents argue. The county government should be held responsible for the number and timing of requests it makes to taxpayers for special projects, as opponents argue.

The size of the courtrooms limits public observation of trials, other than what are in official records. This concerns me as I generally believe that a public presence is the best way to assure fairness under the law. I also support a new facility to make working conditions better for staff. They are performing a public service and the public should respect them enough to provide reasonable accommodations. I appreciate that the Board of Supervisors, eventually, included retaining the current courthouse as a courthouse. These are all reasons why I would vote yes.

The Polk County Comprehensive Plan that the Board of Supervisors passed a few years ago comes to mind as I ponder the courthouse referendum. I thought the supervisors ignored strong public concerns about retaining agricultural land and controlling sprawl. Similarly, I cannot ignore that the current courthouse plan, known as 5A, was created because the supervisors feared what voters would say about a more expensive proposal after they crushed Project Destiny at the ballot box. In addition, public bodies across the United States have a poor record on historic preservation when it comes to renovation of historic buildings. While I know of no specific examples relative to the Polk County Board of Supervisors, I am uncomfortable with the lack of details I’ve seen about the renovation plans for the courthouse. In addition, I am hesitant about new construction that is projected to be too small just when the bonds for the building’s construction are paid off. These are some of the reasons why I would vote no.

The Board of Supervisors holds meetings several times a month. Those meetings are not televised on local public access television and rarely receive any news coverage. In November’s election, District 1 Supervisor Robert Brownell (R-Clive) and District 2 Supervisor E.J. Giovannetti (R-Urbandale) will be up for re-election. At this time only Giovannetti has an opponent, John L. Scarpino (D-Ankeny).

For the April 29th vote, some voting places have been changed. This is also the first election where you can register and vote on the same day. See the County Auditor’s website for more information.

M.R. Field covers local news for AroundDesMoines.com. 

There were several points of interest at the April 22nd meeting of the Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) Commission. First, the date of the meeting as listed on DART’s website is April 29th, not the 22nd. In addition, in keeping with tradition, the agenda of the meeting was not posted to the organization’s website prior to the meeting. Also as usual, of all the media, commissioners, staff, and members of the public in attendance, I was the only person riding the bus from the meeting. The number of media in attendance was much higher than I have seen in the past, though.

Some very important topics that included decisions with financial consequences were discussed. Recent accidents led to a discussion of an updated safety action plan. The approval at last month’s meeting of fare increases led to a discussion on the OTT monthly pass for low-income riders. Waukee’s city council’s action to reverse its decision to join DART led to a discussion on revising the authority’s funding formula. There was also an update on the downtown shuttle and regular departmental reports.

The high visibility accidents of recent months that injured pedestrians and damaged cars attracted the attention of much local media. Far more telling, in my opinion, was the discussion on OTT passes. As discussed in the report of the March 25th DART Commission meeting, OTT stands for Opportunities Through Transit and the program subsidizes monthly passes for ultra low-income riders. Applications are available at community centers in Des Moines and the passes are available to qualifying Polk County residents. Funding for OTT comes from the City of Des Moines, Polk County, and DART. In the March 25th report, I reported incorrectly the source of Polk County funds for OTT. In the county budget there is a line item for paratransit. However, the county recently used about $7,000 of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money to help pay for DART drivers. Under current terms, the Polk County funds contribute $2.50 per OTT pass. The county’s contribution to the program has not increased for several years.

DART handles administration of the OTT program and covers the approximately $33,000 annual administrative cost. In addition, DART contributes over $90,000 to the program by direct subsidy of the monthly pass. The issue before the commission in April was to decide if the pass should rise to $21, as initially approved at the March 25th meeting, or if it should keep the charge at $17. Currently approximately 433 people use OTT passes and 25 people are on a waiting list. The commission was presented the options of raising the subsidized fare to $21 and not dropping any current pass holders or of retaining the $17 rate and reducing pass availability by over 100. Ultimately the Commission chose to keep the rate at $17, not to drop anybody, and somehow to find the extra $3,000 per month that will be required in subsidies when new DART fares take effect on June 1, 2008.

After the meeting I asked DART General Manager Brad Miller how he would have decided which 127 OTT pass holders would be dropped had that been the Commission’s choice. He did not have an answer. Although, during the meeting Miller said, “people come and go regularly on this.” That turnover occurs because an OTT pass recipient is dropped if he or she fails to buy a pass in three consecutive months. Des Moines City Manager Rick Clark, participating as an alternate for Des Moines City Councilor and DART Commissioner Christine Hensley, expressed concern about a long waiting list if such a list was not ranked by need.

Miller said that the City of West Des Moines uses $35,000 from its CDBG to buy annual passes for low-income residents. Thus, residents of that city who qualify and apply can ride DART for free. Applications are processed on a first come-first served basis.

DART Development Officer Brian Litchfield said that for every $1 increase in the OTT monthly pass, 30 people could be removed from the waiting list. However, given the low incomes of OTT recipients, commissioners and staff were extremely concerned about requiring recipients to pay any additional money.

Litchfield reported to the commission that the Davis Brown Law Firm and Mercy Medical Center have joined the Unlimited Access program. In addition, DART and the City of Des Moines are in talks to include the city in this program that allows free rides for people associated with participating companies or institutions. Commission Chairman Skip Conkling said that Mercy had been a proponent of Sunday service because many of its employees ride the bus to work.

Information on other components of the April 22nd DART Commission meeting will be reported on in Part 2.

M.R. Field writes about local issues for AroundDesMoines.com.