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Survey Says: Keep Brick Streets

By Greg Bebermeyer

03/23/2017

(KNZA)--The Hiawatha City Commission has agreed to proceed with keeping the downtown brick streets in some fashion after a majority of residents responding to a survey indicated their support for keeping them

Ian Schuetz , a member of the downtown brick streets committee, told the Commission Monday evening that 289 residents responding to the survey favored restoring the brick streets, while 187 felt they should be replaced with concrete.

The survey, which was to be returned by March 10th, was included in this month’s water bill. About 13-hundred surveys were mailed out.

Schuetz said a number of the surveys included comments. He said those in support of restoring the brick streets felt they should be kept for their historical value while those on the side were concerned about the cost associated with restoring them.

Schuetz said some felt the restoration option outlined on the survey was not the best way to go. That option involved taking up the bricks, laying down six inches of concrete and putting the bricks back on top.

He said the committee doesn’t feel confident in recommending the city move forward with that option. "We would like to suggest that the Commission continue to sanction the Brick Street Committee, as a group, to explore what options are out there," Schuetz told the Commission. "A lot of the no's said "I'd be for this if the cost wasn't double," and the more we talk to folks, we think there may be ways to do that."

Mayor Steffen Shamburg directed the committee to research options and bring back a recommendation to the Commission.

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Comments

KS_Referee (03/23/2017 9:08 PM)

At what cost? It sickens me that the city KNEW how much both options would cost estimate yet they refused to provide this information because they wanted residents to vote from a position of complete ignorance. When I hand carried my bill and survey in to ask how much both options cost, the woman behind the counter REFUSED to answer, claiming that only the City Administrator knew the answer. I believe that to be a flat out lie that was told so I too would be ignorant of the facts. THAT is what city officials in Hiawatha have done for years. They sway the vote, playing on emotions while trying to hide the costs.

KS_Referee (03/23/2017 9:46 PM)

Furthermore... MSC News is supposed to be a NEWS reporting group... so WHY are the estimates costs associated with each proposal not reported? Surely a NEWS gathering and reporting group would ask this simple question then report what they were told. Did someone at the City ask MSC to NOT report the estimated costs associated with each proposal? Is MSC becoming as bad as CNN was for the Obama Administration when it comes to reporting news from Hiawatha? Is MSC only reporting what they are told so they too can become the 4th Estate or branch of the Hiawatha government? HOW does a supposed NEWS group forget to report estimated costs associated with a government spending project? HOW does a supposed NEWS group forget to ask estimated costs associated with a government spending project? HOW does a supposed NEWS group omit estimated costs associated with a government spending project when they initially reported about the survey on Feb 08, or did a follow-up on Feb 23 and still havent reported the numbers in this article published on March 23? This isnt reporting. It is regurgitating the official government narrative, willfully keeping residents ignorant.