Life in Fairfield Iowa

http://fairfieldvoice.com/2009/07/14/civic-leaders-shy-away-from-the-term-bike-lanes/

By Mark Newman, Courier staff writer

FAIRFIELD — Heavy rains led to raw sewage entering the environment Thursday.

The city of Fairfield bypassed more than 877,000 gallons of wastewater after receiving 2.75 inches of rain Wednesday night and Thursday morning.

The bypasses occurred Wednesday night, then wastewater overflowed again from midnight to 3:30 a.m. Thursday.

Discharges flowed into Crow and Cedar creeks.

City crews cleaned several sites Thursday, and areas where wastewater had overflowed were limed.

Looks like a YES, watch for the proof.
You will see in an upcoming council agenda the RE-ANNEXATION of the pet subdivision Deer View Estates.
Mr. John F. Brown has not followed the process as outlined by the state code. He has not followed the law in at least the last 4 annexations. Further, you would see, if you bothered to look it up, that the last 4 annexations have not been recorded at the court house OR filed with the Secretary of State - both required steps!
The known bungled annexations also include; Saint Mary's Church (near Suburban Heights), the DOT maintenance building site south on Hwy 1 and the new hospital (now under construction). Perhaps there are more, look it up and let me know!!

Fairfield city administrator, John F Brown, was recently accused of not discharging the duties of his office. A letter to the editor of the Fairfield Ledger outlined several of Mr. Brown's shortcomings. Subsequent to the printing of this opinion piece, Mr. Brown was accused of harassment against the writer of the letter. (I guess the truth hurts)

Mr. Mayor (Edward Malloy) spent a good bit of the next morning in the HyVee Deli, trying to convince the letter writer to drop the harassment complaint against the mayors beloved city admin.
How touching it is to have the Mayor stand up for an unsatisfactory city employee? Malloy obviously doesn't want to deal with the problem employee and he doesn't want the world to know that Fairfield has a bunch of "dirty little secrets". Atta boy!

Continuing to "do the right thing" for the citizens, the progressive Fairfield City Council puts their foot down against sidewalks in a high-end subdivision.
punch line: they are still ignorant of the actual law and the lots don't meet the minimum size requirement.

City council waives sidewalk requirements for subdivision
By: Lacey Jacobs, Ledger staff writer
04/10/2007

Failure to incorporate sidewalks in the Deer View Estates Subdivision cost the developers council approval once, but Monday night, the preliminary plat passed with sidewalk requirements waived. During the Fairfield City Council meeting, the council voted unanimously to annex the subdivision's land into the city. The council later voted 5-1 to waive a sidewalk requirement and again unanimously to approve the preliminary plat. Deer View Estates developer Kent Whitney and Jerry Long of French-Reneker Associates Inc. returned to the council with a restrictive covenant addressing the sidewalk issue. An addition to the subdivision's covenant states that if the council does not waive sidewalks, the homeowner's association will install sidewalks "within 12 months of the completion of sidewalks on streets that are contiguous to Deer View Estates Subdivision." Long said the property owners would pay for their own sidewalks. However, Whitney asked that the requirement for sidewalks be waived pursuant to Municipal Code Section 19.28.040, which allows the council to do so, if the lots meet size requirements. "The smallest lot out there is lot number seven," councilman Daryn Hamilton said. "I calculated it up today and it's 0.57 acres, which equates to 24,829 square feet, and in the ordinance it says 'of at least 20,000 square feet and a width of at least 100 feet.'" Because the smallest lot meets the minimum requirements, Hamilton moved that the council waive sidewalks.......

For the complete article, see the Tuesday, April 10, 2007 Fairfield Ledger.

Look for the part about repaying the stolen money and/or paying a fine..............oh, he didn't have to? I think an employee of the people, hired to enforce the law should at least be held to the same standard any punk kid. No check that, they should be held to a higher standard, as they are put in a position of power and authority sworn to uphold the law, when they break it themselves, the book should be thrown at them.
Another of example of cronyism in the jewel of Iowa.

May 24, 2004
Ex-policeman pleads guilty to theft charge

Former Fairfield police officer Cameron Cooksey pleaded guilty this morning to charges of stealing $1,484.59 on two occasions from the police department's evidence room while he was an officer assigned to investigations.
After hearing arguments from Thomas Henry Miller, special assistant attorney general for the state of Iowa, and from Cooksey's attorney, Matthew Cunningham, Judge E. Richard Meadows entered a deferred judgment, placing Cooksey on probation for a period of three years.
The deferred judgment means that if Cooksey complies with the terms of his probation, the record will be expunged and he will not have a felony on his record. Cooksey, 32, was charged with second-degree theft, a Class D felony which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $7,500 fine.
Before the sentencing, Cooksey told the judge he regretted his actions and apologized "to my family, the police department and everyone that I've disappointed."
Cooksey had pleaded not guilty at his Feb. 23 arraignment and changed his plea today.
At the beginning of this morning's hearing, the judge asked Cooksey to describe the events that led to the charge of theft being entered against him.
"I took some money from the evidence room," Cooksey said. "... I was an investigator at that time. I was responsible for filing evidence and logging evidence."
Cooksey said he took approximately $1,164 from the evidence room on one occasion and approximately $320 on another occasion. He told the judge he could not remember the exact dates.
Because an audit was going to be done as a result of policy changes in the police department, Cooksey said, he reported himself on Dec. 9 to avoid an investigation. He told the judge he went to police chief Randy Cooksey, who is also his father, to explain what had happened.
Because of the two men's family relationship, Randy Cooksey did not participate in the ensuing investigation.
Meadows questioned Cooksey's motives for coming forward if he did so only when an audit was about to take place. Cooksey said he wanted to avoid an investigation which would have affected the entire police department.
"It wasn't that I didn't want to get caught," he said. "It was that I didn't want to see an unnecessary investigation go on throughout the whole department because of what I had done."
Copyright © 2004, Copyright Fairfield Ledger

Fairfield cop pleads guilty to stealing

Tuesday, May 25, 2004, 3:45 PM
by Seth Johnson, KMCD ,Fairfield

A former Fairfield police officer has pleaded guilty to stealing evidence money. Cameron Cooksey will be placed on probation for three years after admitting to stealing nearly 15-hundred dollars in evidence money. Cooksey was arrested in February after resigning amid the investigation into misconduct. Cooksey will undergo a substance abuse evaluation due to his history with alcohol. He must also be required to perform community service and pay court costs. Cooksey's father Randy is the Fairfield police chief.

You won't find this in the tourism brochure!

Fairfield facing $10,000 fine for wastewater violations
06/14/2006

The Fairfield City Council was informed Monday night that the Department of Natural Resources has proposed a $10,000 fine and an administrative consent order against the city for failure to adequately enforce industrial compliance with wastewater discharge from 1986 through July 2005. According to wastewater superintendent Ken Goering, "the proposed fine was from a lack of documented concern to work with the respective industries to assure they were in compliance or proof that financial actions had been taken against them to encourage compliance." City administrator John Brown clarified the violation is in regard to industries discharging more than their limit into the wastewater system. "[The city's] discharge is not impacted by this at all," he said. Violations noted on the consent order include the city's failure to submit a monthly operating report for The Dexter Company and Fairfield Aluminum Castings Company for June of 2005. It also records effluent problems with Dexter exceeding nickel, zinc and chromium limitations prior to 2006. However, Goering said Dexter has come a long way, and he expects the upcoming installation of a new plastic cone shaped tank to precipitate out metals will help resolve the problem. He also noted that Dexter has been very up front, cooperative and pro-active in attempting to get the matter resolved. Because the DNR is satisfied with the city's 2006 operations and because of Goering's attempts to work more closely with local industries, Goering hopes the DNR will consider reducing the fine, so that the money can be used for further sewer maintenance.

For a complete story, read the June 14 Fairfield Ledger.

>> For a copy of the consent order including the laundry list of violations email me!<<

Labels: corruption, DNR, Fairfield, fish kill, heavy metals, Pollution, sewage, violation, wastewater

For the second time in recent memory a citizen is killed walking in an area without sidewalks.

From the Fairfield Ledger

Man dies after being hit by van
01/29/2007

A 46-year-old Fairfield man died Friday evening from injuries sustained in a single car-pedestrian accident.
James Edward Lamb, 200 N. 28th St., Lot 85, was walking in the westbound outside lane in the 2300 block of Burlington Avenue when he was struck by a 2002 Chrysler van driven by Robert Arthur Snow, 78, of Packwood.
The Fairfield Police Department responded to the accident at approximately 8:46 p.m. Lamb was transported by Jefferson County ambulance to Jefferson County Hospital and later died of his injuries.
Estimated damages to Snow's vehicle are $3,000.
No charges have been filed in relation to this accident. With the assistance of the Iowa State Patrol, it remains under investigation.

http://www.zwire.com/site/index.cfm?newsid=17779555&BRD=1142&PAG=461&dept_id=142778&rfi=8

National radio talk show host, Bruce Williams, discusses the Fairfield City Council and Mayor's (and the City Administrator's) actions concerning the subdivision & sidewalk ordinances.... you be the judge


If file doesn't load click here:

Fairfield, Iowa - The city of 2 standards - and a GREAT PLACE

The honorable(?) Mayor supported the passage of 2 subdivisions presented after this declaration... One was owned by councilman at large Myron Gookin...... surprisingly, it did not pass even with the presentation and pleading of the city's favorite engineer, who also happens to have designed another high end subdivision in the city that exists without sidewalks, illegally.

If video doesn't play try here:




Fairfield, A GREAT PLACE!!

 

 

but I'm almost 10 years old, so no car can hurt me!!!!!! 

Another of our many "invisibly gated" neighborhoods. I hope this young mother lives long enough to give the little troll some real community values.

That dog knows it wants to get out of the street, but master doesn't want to walk in the neighbors grass.

It wouldn't be polite.
 

Hit the streets kids............. 

For sure no coward here. This guy is jogging in the street (no sidewalks, you know).

Gutsiest move I ever saw! 

It's a car horn Jr.

Why do they keep honking daddy?

'Cause we are walking in the street.

Are you stupid, daddy?

I guess so, maybe when you grow up you can live in a town that cares about it's citizens. Keep your diaper on, I think there will be a sidewalk in a few more blocks! 

Or should I just count on getting pasted
by the approaching traffic?

Grasswalks rule on West Jefferson. 

I give, you win City Council.

We don't need any more sidewalks, what could I have been thinking?? 

What's that truck doing on our
sidewalk?!? 

Another "target rich" environment.

"Too close for missles, switching to guns!" 

Line up on this pair, no sidewalks for blocks
however, this is only 1 block from our trail system.

Can't blame them for using the street,
it's kinda sloppy on the GRASSWALKS today.

West Jefferson is the best place to mow down a small family. If you time it right, you can score their freshly purchased groceries!

Nice neighborhood.
Nice houses.
Nice streets.
Nice street lights.
Nice yards.

Next slide please. 

So much for all the niceties!

Keep the kid on the outside as an early warning device!!!!

Can you get group rates at the Hospital?
What about the cemetery??

Another example of a sidewalk dieing on the vine.

I don't think we can save this one..... doesn't matter, it doesn't "go anywhere" 

This is the ONLY sidewalk on the east side of D street between Fillmore and Madison.

Why should you care?
Washington Elementary school is at the corner of Madison and D.
I guess you shouldn't care.

I'm more concerned with finding out what this poor sucker did to be forced to put in the ONLY SIDEWALK on a "block" that is ONE-HALF MILE LONG. Measure it for yourself, stunning!
Is this a version of the "scarlet letter" - or a more permanent tar and feathering? 

Watch out for the downed basketball hoop. Forget that, watch out for the garage that is built where the sidewalk should be!!

Does that make it public property? I'll be bringing my lawnmower over tomorrow.

Another close one. We almost allowed sidewalk to be installed across the street from another school. If this gets around our leaders will be wearing dunce caps. 

A wise citizen takes advantage of the relatively small reasoning power of the canine and uses the pooch as a buffer between them and the oncoming traffic.

Ahead on the left you can see someone mowing their grasswalk. Neatness counts!

Click the picture to enlarge.

If you have to walk in the street, I guess you should be able to park on the walk. 

A place of worship, nice wide welcoming sidewalk.... right off the street. Time to give thanks for making it to services with all your parts.

Here a thoughtful citizen has repaired his walk. This will make a much safer passage to the basketball court/parking lot that lies just ahead.

Since the city owns the property to the back side of your "sidewalk", wouldn't that hoop be on public property? Let's go shoot some hoops!! 

A reasonable person would expect a sidewalk at the elementary school.... wouldn't they????