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Bartz: Being a legislator still takes out-of-session time commitments

From Sen. Merlin Bartz –

A couple of weeks back, I wrote specifically about the Administrative Rules Review Committee (ARRC) which meets once a month in Des Moines, even when the Iowa Legislature is not in session. One of the points I made at that time was that even though Iowa’s official legislative session has ended, in many respects, being a legislator still takes out-of-session time commitments, either in Des Moines, or in one’s district. In fact, since the legislative session has ended, sandwiched in between planting and caring for a crop (my REAL occupation), getting ready for my youngest daughter’s graduation, and celebrating my son’s marriage, I recently counted over thirty public events that I have attended related to serving the citizens of the newly created Senate District 26.

One such meeting this week of major importance to the district was the kick-off meeting for the Upper Cedar River Watershed Project, held in Charles City on Wednesday, June 27. If the description of the meeting just sounds like another boring snoozer with little impact or ramifications; let me mention three words: the 2008 floods.

Just about everyone in North Iowa remembers the 2008 floods. In fact, when door knocking in various towns across North Iowa, I continually get the stories about how high the water was in someone’s home, or how caring the community was during flood recovery efforts. The stories are heartwarming and continue to remind me why I love living in Iowa.

This meeting, attended by a wide cadre of county supervisors, city officials, scientists, and other public policy makers, was important because it involved gathering the needed data and information that hopefully will provide direction regarding the prevention of such a calamity again. Yes, there is indeed a group of dedicated people analyzing the reasons the 2008 floods occurred. They are also trying hard to come up with solutions so it doesn’t happen again. Specifically, the Iowa Watershed Project is aimed at reducing the adverse impacts of flooding and formulating community watershed solutions. Information from the Iowa Flood Center and the University of Iowa was presented in overview fashion to the attendees. More study is still being done. Eventually, through what’s commonly referred to as a “28E agreement,” the hope is that solutions will be able to be implemented across geographical and political boundaries that will indeed reduce flood risk and improve water quality.

Considering that the Upper Cedar Watershed covers five of the seven counties in Senate District 26, and the Turkey River Watershed Project involves the other two, this meeting is important not only to the district, but it is important to me as a representative of the district to attend, listen, learn, and give input into the ideas and conversations that will have an impact on the entire area. As they say in the old line from the musical “The Music Man,” “you’ve got to know the territory!”

(PHOTO: Dr. Larry Weber with the University of Iowa at the Upper Cedar River Watershed Project kick-off meeting.)

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