City of Iowa City Council May Vote to Yoink Red-Light Traffic Camera Ordinance: Iowa City Daily Links, May 9

This week is very nearly over. Just one more day.

On to the Links!

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Gregg Hennigan of the Gazette writes that Iowa City restaurant owners are asking that Iowa City police focus their underage alcohol stings on problem bars instead of everyone who serves alcohol.

Mark Carlson of KCRG also spoke with Superintendent Steve Murley about the potential of district entering into a partnership with community resource officers that will be armed with guns.

Hennigan again, writing about the city of Iowa City being in a dispute with an insurance company over payment for fire damage to the city landfill.

Gregg Hennigan has done it ladies and gentlemen, having three stories featured in the Iowa City Patch Daily Links: Hennigan writes that the Iowa City City Council may consider repealing the traffic cameras on stoplights due to a citizen petition that finally got enough signatures to pass. Well technically the petition was still partially invalid but the staff is recommending they repeal the law anyway. It makes sense, sort of, if you read the article.

MidAmerican Energy is investing $1.9 billion worth into wind energy in the area. (Des Moines Register)

Lauren Mills of Iowa Watch talks about her recent student debt story in a radio interview.

A breakdown of the turnout for the Johnson County Justice Center vote. (Press-Citizen)

Iowa Department of Education head Jason Glass is a finalist for an education position in Colorado. (Des Moines Register)

Daily News Links Featured Excerpt of the Day:

A petition challenging traffic-enforcement cameras in Iowa City is valid, but the portion of it covering cameras is not timely, yet the city may repeal its camera ordinance anyway.

Oh, and cameras are not even installed yet and were not going to be any time soon.

Got that?

Those related and complicated pieces of information came out of City Hall Thursday. The short of it is this: City staffers are recommending the City Council repeal the ordinance that allows red-light and speed cameras to be installed in Iowa City.

At least one council member who strongly supports the use of red-light cameras – the city had no plans to use speed cameras – said he’d follow that recommendation, albeit reluctantly.

“The biggest reason I hate to repeal it is I get tired of about being run over every time I go to the post office,” said Terry Dickens, adding he’d still like red-light cameras to eventually go up at Iowa City intersections.