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WATCH YOUR WALLETS !
From November 21 2011 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

[L to R : Ken Herington,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,David Bentley,Steve Lafaurie,
Mark Robe,Ryan Schlabaugh,Karen Christner,and Mayor Jerry Kauffman,]
Karen Wants More Cash !!

During the Council review of the 2010-11 Annual Report, Lafaurie noted with approval that the
ending cash reserves totaled nearly $2 Million. That is approximately an average year's total
governmental operating expenditures for Kalona. Earlier, Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh said:
"Karen [Christner, City Clerk] would like to see us/me push for more in [cash] reserves."

In the February 2008 study, Why Do Cities Hoard Cash ? , Prof. Angela Gore of the School of
Business at George Washington University notes that ". . . bond rating agencies recommend that
governments maintain a [cash] balance of 5-10% of operating expenditures, or approximately
one month, with 2.4 months cited as evidence of a strong financial position"
and
"The analysis also provides evidence that municipalities with high cash levels, or excess cash, spend
significantly more on administrative expenses, manager salaries, and bonuses. I find no evidence that
municipalities with excess cash respond by returning it to citizens in the form of reduced taxes.
Additional analysis examining governance characteristics associated with cash holdings finds that
cities with staggered councils and councils that are not independent are associated with higher cash
levels, consistent with entrenchment. Overall, the evidence is consistent with the view that holding
high cash levels is associated with agency problems between municipal managers and citizens."

Kalona Awards Contract To ONLY Bidder.
In the October 10 2011 SPECIAL meeting, the City Council, following the recommendation of
City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh, awarded the C Avenue paving contract to L L Pelling,
the ONLY bidder for asphalt construction -- All American Concrete bid for concrete.

Do you believe that the Kalona taxpayer likely is getting his money's
worth with such ineffective solicitation of bids by the City ?

KALONA CITY CREW *RESCUED* MAYOR
From February 7 2011 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

[L to R : Ken Herington,Steve Lafaurie,Mark Robe,Ryan Schlabaugh,
Karen Christner,and Mayor Jerry Kauffman,]
City Crew Pulled Mayor Out Of His Snow-blocked Driveway

In his report, City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh noted "a substantial amount of hours and a
fairly substantial cost" associated with snow removal by the City after the recent blizzard.

Mayor Kauffman then complimented the City crew for pulling him out of his driveway.
Councilman Lafaurie jokingly said to Kauffman, "Don't worry. You'll get your bill for that".
AND HE SHOULD !

Is that a service the City would provide to all Kalona citizens whose driveways are blocked
when the City clears the streets, dumping piles of compacted snow at the ends of driveways?
I DON'T THINK SO !

How many other special folks got free bailouts using City crews and equipment this time?

OUT OF CONTROL !
From November 1 2010 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

[L to R : Ken Herington,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,Steve Lafaurie,Mark Robe,
Ryan Schlabaugh,Karen Christner,and Mayor Jerry Kauffman,]
Out of Order ? The Mayor is OUT OF CONTROL !

The Kalona City Council appears amused by a taxpayer's criticism. But read below about the City's use
of TIF and its self-inflicted storm drainage problems. AND THERE IS MORE TO COME.

UPDATE: An ARMED GUARD was posted at the next Council meeting, November 15 2010. At that time,
Mayor Kauffman and the Council embraced a previously-unobserved set of rules/restrictions on 'PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION at KALONA CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS' This is KALONA, IOWA -- 'Quilt Capital of
the Galaxy' Perhaps the Mayor and Council are accustomed to a more passive citizenry. Hmmm. Here is the
video excerpt from that November 15 2010 Council meeting. The essence of the RULES is expressed in an
exchange between Councilman Ken Herington and Mayor Kauffman in the last 15 seconds of the video.
HERINGTON: "So my question is, does that mean that if something comes up in a Council meeting,
the Public really doesn't have an opportunity to speak?" KAUFFMAN: "Correct. That's correct."

CLUELESS ON TIF
From November 15 2010 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

[L to R : Ken Herington,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,Steve Lafaurie,Mark Robe,
Ryan Schlabaugh,Karen Christner,Mayor Jerry Kauffman]
Council is Clueless on Tax Increment Financing

In the past, members of the Kalona Iowa City Council, including Ken Herington and Steve Lafaurie, have
approved Tax Increment Financing (TIF) subsidies that could total HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF TAX
DOLLARS to developers of greenfield RESIDENTIAL properties. The 3 TIF 10-year agreements mentioned
in this video are for $500,000 with WRY Development (William R Young) and $220,000 and $450,000 with
Larron LLC (Larry Pickard and Myron Graber). Each year, the City Council must authorize the TIF Fund
transfer, if any. Before becoming mayor, Jerry Kauffman served on the City Council and dealt with TIF.
Nevertheless, this video demonstrates the Council's lack of understanding of TIF.

NOTE
Kreekside (Developer: William R Young), Harvest Hill (Developers: Larry Pickard and Myron Graber)
and KEY Estates (Developer: Keith E Yoder) are three residential developments involved in significant
and increasingly costly storm water drainage problems. ALL of them were greenfield developments and
ALL were subsidized with tax dollars flowing from TIF agreements approved by the Kalona City Council.

Before ANY of those three developments existed, a 1991 Study of Kalona's Storm Drainage System
determined that the West Drainage Ditch north of Highway 22 did not have sufficient capacity to carry a
10-year storm event. ALL three of those TIF-subsidized developments are north of Highway 22. ALL dump
their storm water into the West Drainage Ditch. The Kalona public has only begun to pay the price of the
City's drainage problems while tax money from those developments goes into the pockets of the developers.

In Kalona Iowa, TIF is the GIFT that keeps on TAKING.

** FLOODING IN KALONA IOWA **

Reported in the Kalona News on July 24 2008, one month after the catastrophic
2008 Iowa Floods : "councilman Herington said he has had a lot of people express
OPPOSITION TO THE FLOOD INSURANCE IDEA."

Reported in the November 6 2008 Kalona News: The 2008 FEMA floodplain map
"was explained at a meeting Oct 23 at which all cities and the county were invited.
A KALONA REPRESENTATIVE WAS NOT PRESENT."

Benefits of Participating in National Flood Insurance Program

Why Iowa's Flood Risk is Rising
From the January 2 2011 Des Moines Register

Two-Dimensional Modeling of Kalona's West Ditch Drainage Area
By Iowa Flood Center's Dr. Larry Weber in the September 19 2011 Council meeting
NOTE: To view the Preliminary Result map only Click Here

Watershed Plan for Kalona by U of Iowa Engineering Students
Distributed by Ryan Schlabaugh in the May 16 2011 Council meeting

Map of West Ditch Floodplain Proposed by Iowa Flood Center
Presented by Dr. Larry Weber in the April 18 2011 Council meeting

Explaining the FEMA Flood Map and Kalona's Actions
By Ryan Schlabaugh on April 6 2011

AREAS TO BE EXCLUDED FROM *ZONE A* OF FLOOD HAZARD MAP
Presented by Ryan Schlabaugh in the April 4 2011 Council meeting

[ The two orange-striped areas are to be excluded from Zone A. ]

FEMA's METHODOLOGY by Dr. Larry Weber, IOWA FLOOD CENTER
Presented in the March 21 2011 Council meeting

MARCH 3 2011 FEMA/NFIP SPECIAL PRESENTATION IN KALONA
Click Here for Part 1. Click Here for Part 2.

PRELIMINARY FEMA FLOOD HAZARD MAP OF KALONA
Presented in the February 21 2011 Council meeting

[ View the Development Map from the Kalona Comprehensive Plan in light of this map. ]

Homeowners' Frequently Asked Questions on Flood Hazard Maps

FEMA Mandatory Purchase of Flood Insurance Guidelines

National Association of Realtors Advocates For NFIP

From October 18 2010 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING
(Two Videos)

[L to R : Ken Herington,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,David Bentley,Steve Lafaurie,
Mark Robe,Ryan Schlabaugh,Karen Christner,Jerry Kauffman,]
1. Property Eroding? "Just Be Patient."

Residents of the KEY Estates subdivision have been experiencing significant erosion of their properties as a
result of increased flow in the West Drainage Ditch. This discussion followed the distribution of a letter to
Kalona City Administrator, Ryan Schlabaugh, from Kalona City Attorney, William J. Sueppel, stating "I cannot see
where the City has any further responsibility with regard to this matter" -- that "matter" being "a drainage issue
with neighbors [in KEY Estates] complaining that development [Kreekside] to the north of their property was causing
excess drainage and erosion problems." Sueppel concluded with the following: "Keep in mind, while, in my opinion,
the City does not have an obligation to act in this matter, once the City does act, if it so chooses, any subsequent
problems that may be caused by actions of the City could subject the City to potential liability in the future."

After that reassuring missive from Sueppel was presented to residents whose properties, and property values,
are being eroded by the subject drainage problems, Mayor Kauffman counseled them to "just be patient".

Earlier Mayor Kauffman had mentioned that he too had a creek in his backyard. Consequently, resident Karen Burton
asked Mayor Kauffman if advising patience to those affected was his reaction when his creek started to overflow in the
June 2010 flooding. She reminded him that the City quickly had hired workers (from Slabach Construction and Bob's
Tree Service) to clear the brush in that area. The bills, totaling more than $1400, for those services were approved in
the July 6 and August 2 2010 City Council meetings [See Below]. Kauffman who, as Mayor, BY LAW is the CEO of the
City and has the duty to "supervise all departments of the City, give direction to department heads concerning the
functions of the departments", angrily responded that he "had absolutely, positively nothing to do with that" and
missed the point that advising patience to people who fear the loss of their homes, have been seeking redress from
the City for over a year and were just read a dismissive letter from the City Attorney is just a wee bit much to ask.

[L to R : Ken Herington,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,David Bentley,Steve Lafaurie,
Mark Robe,Ryan Schlabaugh,Karen Christner,Jerry Kauffman,]
2. Mayor Jerry Kauffman Questions City's Duty in Development

Residents of the KEY Estates subdivision have been experiencing significant erosion of their properties as a
result of increased flow in the West Drainage Ditch. Councilman (and recently-hired Washington County Zoning
Administrator) Steve Lafaurie was asked why, if there was already a KNOWN problem with erosion in the area of
the West Ditch, an UPSTREAM development (Kreekside) was approved. He deferred to Mayor Kauffman. In this
excerpt the Kalona City Mayor, Jerry Kauffman, actually questions whether the City has a duty to protect
*the people* (presumably, the people of Kalona) when a developer wants to develop in a KNOWN flood-prone
area; likewise, when a later developer wants to develop UPSTREAM from that KNOWN flood-prone area.
What IS the purpose of Planning and Zoning in the City of Kalona ??

2008 FEMA Floodplain Map of F Place/KEY Estates area

From August 16 2010 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

[L to R : Ken Herington,David Bentley,Mark Robe,
Steve Lafaurie,Karen Christner,Jerry Kauffman]
Erosion of F Place/KEY Estates Continues Without Action

1991 Study of Kalona Storm Drainage System

Leroy Nida and other residents addressed the Council on the increasing problem of erosion in the
F Place/KEY Estates area due to increased flow in the WEST DRAINAGE DITCH in recent years, since
the upstream development of the Kreekside subdivision began. Mr. Nida initially had brought this problem
to the Council's attention nearly a year before, on September 21 2009 (See Video Below). It was noted
that a copy of the 1991 Study of Kalona Storm Drainage System by the City engineer had been located.
Was that study considered when TIF-subsidized Kreekside was approved ?

2008 FEMA Floodplain Map of F Place/KEY Estates area

From July 6 2010 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

[L to R : David Bentley,Steve Lafaurie,Mark Robe,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,
Ken Herington,Ryan Schlabaugh,Jerry Kauffman,Karen Christner]
Ditch in *Mayor's Backyard* Gets City Attention

During the review of city bills, Councilor Herington notes a bill for $702 from Slabach Construction for
removal of trees and asks about it. The removal of trees was from the drainage ditch/creek between 10th
and 11th Streets, north of H Avenue -- behind Kalona News publisher Ron Slechta's house on 10th and
behind Mayor Jerry Kauffman's house on 11th. That drainage ditch is in the CENTER one of the THREE(3)
floodplains, mapped by FEMA, in Kalona. I hope the WEST DITCH (in Kalona's WESTERN floodplain),
which caused extensive flooding and the disruption of MANY Kalona citizens on June 15 2010, receives
appropriate and proportionate attention from City officials, Mayor Kauffman and the Kalona News.
[ UPDATE: On August 2nd, the Council approved another bill,
$700 from Bob's Tree Service, for work in the same area.]

2008 FEMA Floodplain Map of City of Kalona

From June 21 2010 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

[L to R : Steve Lafaurie,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,Mark Robe,Ken Herington,
Ryan Schlabaugh,Karen Christner,Jerry Kauffman]
Public Forum: Flood Insurance and Flooding in Kalona
2008 FEMA Floodplain Map of City of Kalona
Development Map from the Kalona Comprehensive Plan

June 15 2010 TV Coverage of Flash Flooding, Evacuation in KALONA

Feb 8 2010 TV Segment on Iowa Flooding and Flood Insurance

From September 21 2009 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,Steve Lafaurie,Ken Herington,David Kempf,
David Bentley,Doug Morgan,Karen Christner,Jerry Kauffman
Public Forum: Erosion of F Place/KEY Estates
2008 FEMA Floodplain Map of F Place/KEY Estates area

AUTUMN 2009 FLOODING IN DOWNTOWN KALONA


(From the November 5 2009 Kalona News)

From April 6 2009 KALONA IOWA CITY COUNCIL MEETING

Ken Herington,Claudine Miller-Zahradnek,Steve Lafaurie,
David Bentley,Karen Christner,Jerry Kauffman
Council Inaction on National Flood Insurance Program

So who has the ears of the Kalona City Council?

LOCAL DEVELOPERS who fear intelligent floodplain management ? Maybe it's LOCAL BANKS.
Hills Bank was fined nearly $44,000 in 2004 for violations of the Flood Disaster Protection Act.
At a maximum fine of $385 per violation, that's a lot of homes.

** OTHER ISSUES **

Kalona Iowa Recreation Building Project Bidding