MASON CITY – Watch video of the Mason City City Council open forum, which is held at the end of every city council meeting. The public may address the council and mayor on any subject they wish, for 5 minutes each.
Founded in 2010
News & Entertainment for Mason City, Clear Lake & the Entire North Iowa Region
Observer,
Step it up, you’re not quit there. Show me how smart you are.
Did you listen to the video again? What Ms. Hardy said, is not what you wrote. It is my belief the ability to accept sound advice and act on it is a good indicator of how smart someone is.
Most sales salesmen/women know that facts alone do not move a prospect to action. Emotions move people to action. I believe a smattering of emotionalism, backed by facts, or possible concerns backed by facts IS NOT
fear mongering. It is an honest hook to attract attention to the FACTS and move people to action.
Now if I were just trying to stall the project there would already be legal papers filed asking a judge to look at the zoning issues.
Or, an interview with the owner of the land whom sold the option to CES. Or an OCCUPY movement outside his businesses. Or, customer pressure to extend certain conditions and easements on the sale of the sale of the land to CES.
Or, pictures of daycare children, faces a tint of blue, as they hold their breath, affraid to breath in the polluted air…….KIND of gives BLUE ZONE a whole different appeal, dosen’t it.
Truely, I’ve seen no fear mongering from MS. Hardy or the group asking for TRUTH and protections.
“Negotiated”. Negotiated? I’m certain a contract could be negotiated AND signed in one day if it were absolutely neccessary. IT’S NOT. Nor is it neccessary to do it in three weeks. There is also a large difference in a phone call for information purposes and a written opinion for fee. Thoroughness and professionalism count.
I am most concerned with the end result and protections afforded LNI and area stackholders.
“ I can find no information in the published CES materials citing any allowance for payment of a valuable commodity. So, YOUR assumption of free garbage may be correct.”
It is correct, in a way. The trash is taken directly to CES, but the tipping fees go to LNI. Thus, the municipalities pay to have the trash disposed of, and LNI does not loose the income (nor do they have to process it).
I admit to my error.
“Or, pictures of daycare children, faces a tint of blue, as they hold their breath, affraid to breath in the polluted air……”
Please explain to me, since you have the CES materials, exactly how this plant will pollute, given the process they will use.
It has been explained by the LNI consultant, and his findings seem pretty clear. When material is sent into the chamber, it is heated with a limited amount of oxygen. Without oxygen, combustion cannot take place. Thus you end up with char and gas. The gas is cleaned, and used just as you would Natural Gas (methane).
(giggle) My Blue Zone comment was an extreme example. Could someone actually doing it be considered fear mongering? How about after startup and air quality levels aren’t met? The usage of the concept depends on the situation. Does it put real fear mongering into perspective for you?
No, there is no information in the CES PROVIDED information telling us they will be pumping Dioxins or any other carcinogen into our air. WOULD YOU EXPECT THEM TO? (RME) That information is from other sources. Have you read the information provided by the concerned citizens. The industry as a whole has some black marks. There are facilities not in operation for numerous reasons….liscensing, profits, permits. In short they didn’t work like the promoters promised. What makes theirs’ (CES) a better mousetrap? (Top Secrete, hush hush, proprietary information.) Shhhhh. Chamber temperature, humidity, air preassure, composition of the garbage flow, on and on have an impact of the stack components. It is not simple. Or these shutdown plants across the country would be in operation.
The information on chemical processes provided by CES was in “Moles”. How many even caught that or understand what it means. Pull out the first year Chemistry books.
Not a meaningful measurement like parts per million, or parts per billion, pounds per year, or volume measurements. But, information that was meaningless? Hoodwinked? Bamboozled? Flimflamed?
I’m beginning to think we have our own modern day rendition of “The Music man” happening before our very eyes. Right here in Garbage City.
(A catchy title for a film documentary)
hint, nudge, wink
I understand what you are saying. I just wanted Janet to know that she is missing a lot of information not going to these different meetings with CES. I never gave my private information any thought until it was brought up at the landfill meeting. I’m not saying Janet has to go to all these meetings, but not going to any of them except the public one shows me she really doesn’t care, or she is to busy with her own issues and needs to step down. Before anyone says anything smart I DO NOT want to take her place at this point. I voted for her because she said she’d be our voice at the council.
And Ms. Hardy. For someone who has for months been quick on the draw to point out inaccuracies, you sure have made enough of your own.
◘ There is no such entity as “Knoxville DNR”. Did you mean Knoxville, TN or maybe Knoxville, IA?
◘ You mention that CES will get trash for free for 20 years. I have no idea where you got that information, but at the LNI hearing, no such thing was uttered (supposition perhaps, but not factually).
◘ You say that three weeks to write up a contract for 20 years is not enough time. I have seen more complex, and larger agreements and contracts negotiated in less time. It is only impossible if you want it to be.
Ms. Hardy, you have been against this project since it’s inception. You find facts and reasons as you go along to combat it. Most have been of the fear mongering nature.
And lets not forget about the environmental disaster Mrs. hardy and her husband have created on 2nd St. SW. How about cleaning that up?
Observer,
Ms. Hardy is asking the right questions. Mason City’s Council, staff, or Administration are not. Staff asking the right questions are removed.
If you have been paying attention, You would be aware of the CES material making reference to like facilities in differing areas of the country. If you have a lack of understanding of which facility she was referring… pay more attention. An oversight of minute details as she was giving a brief summery of findings within a 5 minute timeline is understandable. I am willing to wager a 5 spot, the correct “details”, you are so critical of, will be in her written materials submited to the City.
On your second bulletpoint criticism,….pay more attention to the video. You twist her words. Although, I can find no information in the published CES materials citing any allowance for payment of a valuable commodity. So, YOUR assumption of free garbage may be correct.
And, on the contract issue…..The liability issues alone dictate a final looksee from a qualified Enviromental Attorney….Try to get that done in the DICTATED time frame. I am certain a cobled together contract can be achieved….. However, time IS the factor allowing for thoughtful processing of the information within the contract. The stated comfort zone is in the area of several months. Time needed to consider any low probability, high impact events…other wise known as black swan events, isn’t there in this whirlwind courtship (Shotgun wedding).
I find your lack of insight, and ability to twist truths sad in the least and reprehensable in the extreme. In the end, Show me how smart you are, not the alternative.
All I can really respond to is what she said in this video, and other comments/articles she has written in the past. And as I have said on this on-going process, questions are good. And it is not unfair to ask that CES, in order to protect the public, certain physical aspects of the site be included.
But I have seen in other projects, similar tactics/comments made such as ones Ms. Hardy has made, done in order to confound an already complicated situation. Not out of desire for CES or other entity to conform, but to stall or defeat it. A lot of which was not germane to the instant case. It was more of the of Doom – Gloom – “The sky is falling” variety.
Notice the term used is negotiated. There is boilerplate out there for such considerations as Liability, protection from debt, and other indemnification; which a firm can use as reference. In addition, there are a number of good Firms out there which specialize in Environmental Law Practice. A phone call or two would assist the Board in negotiations.
Sandy, I think you are a very good, well meaning person. However, most folks for at least two decades have learned that trash is security risk, and to protect their identities and businesses, anything that goes into it becomes fair game.
Rip it, tear it, soak it in a bucket of bleach, burn it if you must, but personal security begins with you. If you let it leave the house, not much anyone else can do for you.
One picture, of the individual faces of those seated at the council table during the listening post, would have been PRICELESS. Most seated at the table listened with earnest interest. However, there where two, with facial expressions I can only describe as smirks, hands raised to their faces as they tried to hide their thoughts. One picture…….would have said so much. Two coucil members have made up their minds, nothing will change it. Not fact checking, not city board cautions, not state level department warnings, not the concerns of LNI board member concerns. No, nothing will change their minds. If it doesn’t concern you, as it does me, you’re not paying attention. I’ve really just started paying attention to these two gents’ pathalogical behavior. Ones’ embarassing, single minded behavior at the NIL meeting, sent a clear message to our neighbors…….WE will tell you what to discuss, we will tell you when to act, we are in control.
Why is this being rammed down our throats? I hate this arrogant mayor. This city government is a one sided, rubber stamp joke!