Clarke County No Local Option Events Planned for Thursday September 6th

Sep 06, 2007

OSCEOLA, IOWA -- At 2PM Thursday September 6th, 2007 on Hwy 152, 2.25 Miles West of I35, NoLocalOption.com will attend a meeting with State Representatives Jeff Kaufman and Jodi Tymeson to see the proposed reservoir site land. This site overlooks land held by farmers and families that Clark County politicians are trying to take using eminent domain laws for a water source Osceola does not need. This could be the first test of Iowa's new eminent domain law.

Osceola sells off a third of its water to SIRWA, and is not in need of water if only it did not sell the water it has. The $40 Million proposed reservoir could be replaced with a $500,000 pipe to Rathbun or another water source in the area or Osceola could simply buy SIRWA water instead of selling to them. Grassley aide Aaron McKay and Harkin aide Ellen Huntoon may also attend.

At issue is the proposed 4B recreational use of the land outlined in the May 30th minutes of the Clarke County Reservoir Commission as well as other issues regarding the need for building yet another reservoir in Clarke County to feed Osceola, a town of just 4700 people.

NoLocalOption.com believes the reservoir is an excuse to continue charging Clarke County residents a 7% sales tax beyond the time when the tax was promised to expire. Many folks in Clarke County are wondering why they would need to pay for their water twice so that people outside Clarke County can have more water. Why the need to sacrifice family farms to fund the SIRWA water supply?

Residents are also considering taking legal action to prevent any further selling of their water to SIRWA to reverse the current "shortage." At 7:00 PM Farm Bureau will host a public forum on the topic at the REC building on Hwy 69 in Osceola.

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Keywords: Local Option eminent domain Iowa Jeff Kaufmann Jodi Tymeson Politics » General

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