Denmark Public Meeting April 12, 2001 STRENGTHS Ø
No Zoning or comprehensive plan Ø
Tourism-promoting Ø
People Ø
Historic Bridge in Fort Madison Ø
Don’t have red tape Ø
Work force WEAKNESSES Ø
People pushing things down our throats Ø
Can’t make living in county Ø
Supervisors-no variety, all Democrats Ø
Landfill – cost/debt Ø
Losing businesses and industries Ø
Declining number of new housing being built Ø
Declining population Ø
Price – everything is becoming expensive Ø
History of mismanagement Ø
No public appearance by supervisors Ø
More laws and regulations the more abuse there
will be Ø
Higher taxes on agriculture Ø
Fort Madison and Keokuk are missing the boat –
the largest swing bridge – tourism Ø
Increase in overall taxes OPPORTUNITIES Ø
Help existing businesses – no new industries –
support local industries Ø
Protect what we have Ø
Emphasis on tourism – history here Ø
Don’t control people by use – buy the land if you
want to control it Ø
Combine county seats – combine Lee County with
other counties Ø
What will be done after the adoption of Plan? Ø
Economic development – be aggressive and
assertive TOP PRIORITIES Ø No zoning (26) Ø Better Secondary Roads,
maintain roads- no yellow gravel - south lee county (16) Ø Lower taxes (real estate,
etc.) (14) Ø No comprehensive plan (13) Ø Right to vote on issues, how
tax monies were spent (11) Ø Economic Development -Industry
– need jobs (11) Ø New supervisors (9) Ø Better paying jobs to live on,
keep young people here (7) Ø Larger representative of people
running the county- more than 3 supervisors (7) Ø Less government (7) Ø Unrestrictive land use (6) Ø Bridge across the River needs
to be replaced (6) Ø Better management of county
funds (6) Ø The county wasn’t trying to
increase red tape and bureaucracy (5) Ø Eliminate Keokuk county offices
(4) Ø Education – need more books,
help, improvement, etc. (4) Ø Free enterprise is left alone
(4) Ø Combine counties in Iowa – four
counties together (4) Ø Leave it the way it is (3) Ø County supervisor meetings were
held in the evening (3) Ø Agricultural land is preserved
not paved over (3) Ø Natural forests areas are
preserved not used for housing (3) Ø Less zoning regulations (3) Ø City of Fort Madison and Keokuk
administrators would cater to new business interest and existing interests
(3) Ø Fiscal responsibility was
practiced (3) Ø Residential areas are
restricted for family dwellings (2) Ø County Zoning (2) Ø School systems worked on
discipline (2) Ø No new bridge in Fort Madison
(2) Ø Given more freedom to do our
own good with our own money within our own communities (2) Ø County supervisors attending
public meetings (2) Ø Encourage business development
(2) Ø Don’t change county to conform
to city living (1) Ø Government leaders knew how to
accomplish their goals (1) Ø Clear areas for commercial
development designated so companies know offerings. Should be bought without use of eminent domain. (1) Ø Rail and river transportation
was upgraded (1) Ø Complement existing industry
using local natural resources (1) Ø More balanced leadership (1) Ø Cut taxes that is killing our
businesses (1) Ø Stop running off our industry
(1) Ø Aggressive leadership in
economic development (1) Ø Tourism – promote what we have
(1) Ø A lot of what you will attempt
to do with our taxes will and can be accomplished privately if the private
sector will be allowed. (1) Ø No discrimination in the County
(1) Ø Highway construction didn’t
take so long to finish (1) Ø Government should stay out of
private development (1) Ø Help existing industries (1) PUBLIC COMMENTS Ø
Taxpayers had a vote in this county on changes. Ø
If we could trust the supervisors Ø
Lee county taxpayers could vote on rural county
problems with out Fort Madison and Keokuk.
They have their vote for their city and we can’t take part. We deserve the same consideration and
privilege. Ø
I am an agriculture landowner and I have rented
out the farming operation the tax assessor claims I do not qualify for ag.
land tax credit because I am not doing the work. Ø
A lot of talk about developing tourism, no
advertising of the engineering fete of the previous century-longest and
heaviest swing span in the world (17,000 tons on one pier when span is swung
open for tow boats). Where are signs
advertising this???? Tourists are in
no hurry to cross the river especially when bridge is open. I know I used to be a toll collector 45
years ago. Ø We need a new Fort Madison
school board – they don’t know how to operate the system with the
budget. Too many private expensive
agendas.
Friday - November 21, 2008 - 12:53 pm CST
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