Gazette Daily News Briefing, June 22
This is Jami Martin-Trainor, a summer intern for The Gazette, and I’m here with your news update for Thursday, June 22nd 2023.
Today’s weather is looking similar to yesterday, with a sunny high of 91. The evening is mostly clear with a low of 67.
Iowa Gov. Reynolds settles 3 lawsuits regarding delayed open records requests
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds has agreed to settlements in three lawsuits that alleged her office violated state law by failing to respond to open records requests in a timely manner.
Under the terms of one settlement, the governor’s office agreed to allow a state district court to resolve any future open records disputes with three plaintiffs that may arise over the next year.
The settlements were approved Wednesday afternoon by the Iowa State Appeals Board. Now, they must be given final approval by a district court judge.
The state will pay roughly $135,000 — the entirety of which will cover legal fees — to settle Belin v. Reynolds, according to state records. In that case, two Iowa news organizations and an advocacy group for government transparency argued the governor’s office violated state open records laws by taking between five and 18 months to fulfill open records requests in 2020 and 2021.
The governor’s office fulfilled the requests in January of 2022, a month after the lawsuit was filed. The governor’s office then tried to have the lawsuit dismissed because, its attorneys argued, the suit was no longer necessary after the records requests were fulfilled.
A condition of the settlement is that the governor’s office does not admit to a violation of state law.
Consulting firm will help Iowa City determine if City Park Pool should be renovated or replaced
Iowa City will likely have an answer this fall on if the seven-decade old City Park Pool should be repaired or replaced.
The Iowa City Council unanimously approved an agreement on Tuesday not to exceed $99,950 between the city and an Illinois engineering firm.
Repairs or construction of a new facility will be targeted after the 2024 season, and the facility will be closed in 2025.
The city said the pool loses 30,000 gallons of water per day. That is over three times the standard amount of water loss per day, according to the city.
City representatives have also said the main pool gutter is worn and abrasive, and residents have complained of minor scrapes as a result. Additionally, the pool house structure and mechanical equipment do not meet modern safety expectations.
The discussion surrounding the city’s aquatic facilities has received attention from the public over the last year. City Park Pool is the oldest of Iowa City’s three pools, and is the city’s only outdoor pool.
Residents have raised concerns about how the 73-year-old City Park Pool will be renovated and the lack of details so far. At Tuesday’s meeting, residents and council members expressed how discussions are heading in the right direction.
Iowa officials disappointed in EPA rule on biofuels mandates
Iowa Republican lawmakers and biofuels interest groups expressed disappointment on Wednesday after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency finalized a rule regarding the amount of corn-based ethanol that oil refiners must blend into the nation's fuel mix over the next three years.
While increasing blending volumes overall by raising the level for advanced biofuels, the new rule includes lower mandates for ethanol in 2024 and 2025 than the EPA had initially proposed.
Industry officials, farm advocates and members of Iowa’s congressional delegation said the levels ignore production capacity and projected growth in biofuels. The industry is an important market for Iowa farmers, with more than half of the state’s corn being used to produce ethanol.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan said the final rule will reduce reliance on foreign sources of oil by up to 140,000 barrels a day and support continued growth of biofuels that produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions than traditional gasoline or diesel.
Most gasoline sold in the United States contains 10 percent ethanol, and the fuel is a key part of Iowa’s economy and that of other Midwestern states.
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