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Council delays action on proposed stormwater bond issue

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By DEENA WINTER / Lincoln Journal Star

Tuesday, Feb 27, 2007 - 12:05:18 am CST

The City Council delayed action Monday on a proposed $11.8 million stormwater bond issue that the public works departments wants on the May ballot.

The council held a public hearing on the proposal but granted a request to delay action for a week. The Lincoln Independent Business Association requested the delay so it could study the proposal.

The public still will be allowed to address the topic at the next council meeting.

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Lincoln voters approved a $10 million stormwater bond issue two years ago. Some council members questioned the portion of the money that went toward preliminary engineering and design of future projects. Nicole Fleck-Tooze, special projects administrator for public works, estimated about $1 million of the 2005 bond issue went toward those kinds of costs.

All of the projects are designed to prevent or reduce flooding, improve water quality in streams and lakes and prevent streambed erosion.

Aside from general funds – which aren’t in abundance these days – bond issues are the only financing mechanism that Lincoln has to improve its stormwater sewer system, so the city generally asks voters to approve a bond every other year.

A general obligation bond issue is akin to the city taking out a home equity loan to pay for home improvements; voters would be agreeing to increase property taxes to make the payments on the bond.

To see a full list of the projects that would be done, go to Lincoln.ne.gov and type in the keyword “watershed.”

Reach Deena Winter at 473-2642 or dwinter@journalstar.com.


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Roger wrote on February 27, 2007 5:13 am:
" Wow. What happened. We were told that the 10 million was enough to cover things, did someone over spend or is there not really enough. We need storm water drainage, but is this just another one of those get the public to vote for it and then use the money elsewhere and then get the public to vote for another and then another and another and another and another. I am for improvement in the drainage and storm water issues, but I am not in favor of the city using this money for something else, such as the 9 million short fall in the budget. "
brian in lincoln wrote on February 27, 2007 8:18 am:
" NO on any new bonds. This city needs to learn to deal with infrastructure w/out raising taxes to do it !!! NO NO NO "
jc wrote on February 27, 2007 8:42 am:
" another example that the lincoln independant business union aka LIBA is running the city not the council !!!!!! "
I like LIBA wrote on February 27, 2007 9:10 am:
" Interesting how every time LIBA is mentioned, it's interpreted as an "us vs. them." issue. This shortsightedness fails to understand that LIBA members ALSO have children in schools, enjoy city services, and genuinely don't want to see the city bankrupt. They simply want their taxes spent effectively, efficiently and most importantly with public accountability. Sad, but anyone who does a search for "LIBA" on the JS site's history last Fall will discover that very few citizens showed up to discuss 2007 budgets at the County Board, School Board, and City Board. Outside of LIBA's input, the silence was deafening. The only exception was the vocal city union's membership with their "altruistic" concern about their own benefit packages. Anti-LIBA people need to get out of their pajamas and go to these budget hearings if they want *really* be heard. "
JP wrote on February 27, 2007 9:27 am:
" LIBA does a good job for Lincoln. Thier opinion however, doesn't change my mind at all. I'm voting NO on any and all bond issues for the next few years and will encourage everyone I can to do the same. City, state, county and school officials need to learn to manage what they have, not what they want. "
I agree wrote on February 27, 2007 10:17 am:
" LIBA is no different than any of the local Unions, All in it for themselves. "
To "I Like LIBA" wrote on February 27, 2007 9:57 pm:
" I am curious if you attended the 2007 City Council budget hearing. I did, and as I recall, LIBA and the 'altruistic' City union membership were not the only ones I heard. And by the way, County, City, and school employees ALSO have children in schools, enjoy City/County services, and genuinely don't want to see the city/county bankrupt. For the record, I am not in favor of this bond issue! "

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