Thursday, March 14, 2024
Vol. 159, Issue 11
Decorah, Iowa 52101 www.decorahnewspapers.com
One Section email: news@decorahnewspapers.com
2024 Nordic Fest theme announced
“Uff Da!” is the theme of the 57th annual Nordic Fest, which will be held July 25-27. “We are excited to announce 2024’s theme,” said 2024 Nordic Fest Board President Ariana Cervantes. “While it’s surprising that this theme hasn’t been already used in Nordic Fest’s 57 year history, residents of Decorah, myself included, use this phrase daily and it is a staple in our everyday vernacular.” “Uff Da” is a Scandinavian exclamation or interjection used to express dismay. While it is of Norwegian origin, the phrase was brought by Scandinavian Americans to the United States, and its meaning has broadened
to express surprise, astonishment, exhaustion or relief — all sediments attendees may feel when experiencing the variety of activities, food and entertainment at Nordic Fest. The Nordic Fest Board is encouraging businesses and organizations to incorporate the theme into offerings and parade float entries this July. Nordic Fest is Decorah’s annual threeday summer festival that celebrates community and the area’s Scandinavian heritage. Organized by a board of volunteers, Nordic Fest offers food, activities and entertainment for the whole family. For more information, visit nordicfest.com.
By Denise Lana During its monthly meeting held Monday, March 11, at 5:30 p.m., the Decorah Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously passed proposed changes to city ordinance 17 regarding zoning – R-5 Planned Unit Development District. This ordinance is created to allow flexibility of land use and building locations, with the proposed changes focused on making more properties eligible for building to help combat the city’s housing shortage. As part of the approved changes, section 17.84.020 amends the tract size of land from “not less than five acres” to “not less than two acres.” In section 17.84.030, Item “B” is deleted in its entirety and replaced with an entirely new portion. The Item B replacement states that buildings, or portions of buildings, may be used for limited commercial purposes as long as the building is no closer than 150 feet from an adjacent residential zoning district. Also, the combined commercial units may not exceed 10 percent of the total units in the development and must be identified on the development plan. Lastly, all potential uses of commercial units must be submitted with the development plan and be approved in thepermit. Section 17.84.050 is amended to delete the last portion stating that any change in the development plan should be submitted in the same process as the original development plan. A new section, 17.84.070, was added to explain that changes made after construction regarding commercial usage would require going through an abbreviated approval process including P&Z and City Council, and the changes would fall under the modification section that allowed for any change in less than 10 percent in density. Digital & Electronic Sign Ordinance During its regular meeting Feb. 19,
the Decorah City Council voted down recommended changes made by P&Z to Chapter 17.16 of the ordinance regarding regulation of electronic signs in Decorah. Proposed changes would have allowed digital signs to be permissible across all commercial zoning districts except C3, and electronic signs would have been allowed across all districts but limited to hours of operation in the C3 district. With a vote of 3-4, the proposal was nearly split among the council members, with one member questioning why the city was not enforcing the code as written and instead accommodating changes to the code to include many signs in violation. Another member voiced concerns about the city’s historical status and how digital and electronic signs might detract from the city’s downhome atmosphere. A third council member questioned the validity of the city’s Board of Adjustment (BoA) Committee when approving digital and electronic signs and billboards, asking how the council could ensure the BoA operates properly in those circumstances. Most of the council members wanted more detailed rules. The ordinance was resubmitted for review at P&Z’s March 11 meeting along with possible changes that will be resubmitted to council in the next few months. A P&Z member asked City Manager Travis Goedken how the signs already in town would be regulated. Goedken explained that those signs would be considered “non-conforming” and legal, as long as the signs conformed to the new restrictions or had been previously approved by a variance issued by P&Z. Other signs would be illegal and non-conforming if no variance was previously issued, and the sign didn’t meet the new restrictions. Goedken stressed that he and
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Beef Royalty crowned
New royalty crowned at Saturday’s Winneshiek County Cattlemen Banquet were (front, l-r) Little Miss Cowgirl Emma Drahn, Little Miss Cowgirl Eloise Lechtenberg, Little Mr. Cowhand McCoy McConnell; (back) Beef Princess Keira Myers and Beef Queen Lauren Holthaus. (Driftless Multimedia photo by Becky Walz)
School Board adopts proposed budget figures District awaits delayed state funding data for schools By Roz Weis
P&Z board hears heated digital signage discussion
Price One Dollar
In an effort to meet the March 15 deadline for submitting budget proposals to the State of Iowa, the Decorah Community School District (DCSD) Board of Directors approved a measure Monday night estimating Supplemental State Aid (SSA) and projecting a tax levy of $12.55 per thousand, with the understanding that the tax rate can be lowered before a budget is finalized. In recent years, tax rates have been $13.82682 for fiscal year (FY) 2019; $12.15797 for FY2020; $12.33702 for FY2021; $12.40427 for FY2022; and $12.35907 for FY2023. The Decorah district joins other Iowa schools in attempts to prepare a first draft of their budget, with no final figures supplied by the state for setting funding for schools. This lack of state funding calculations has the local board in unchartered territory. In estimating the budget for 2024-
25, DCSD Superintendent Tim Cronin, District Business Manager Cathy Dietzenbach and board members applied a Supplemental State Aid roadmap, or “new money calculator”, provided by the Iowa Association of School Boards. A measure of the state’s commitment to public schools is “Supplemental State Aid,” or SSA, formerly known as “allowable growth.” Iowa school district budgets are set by a state formula based on an enrollment (the “cost per pupil”) funded by a mix of state aid and local property tax. Each year that cost per pupil is revised by SSA. Cronin said, “SSA is hopefully three percent this year, and in the last 10 years the range has been between one and four percent.” In a written comment following Monday night’s monthly board meeting, Cronin explained the process: “We are reaching out to inform you about a crucial aspect of the Decorah
Community School District’s financial planning, particularly in light of the new Iowa Law called House File 718 and the upcoming budget publication deadline on March 15. As mandated by Iowa law, school districts are required to submit their budgets by March 15 to the county auditor. However, the challenge we currently face is the absence of a set Supplemental State Aid (SSA) for the upcoming year. SSA, the per-pupil state aid for K-12 public schools, significantly influences the overall tax rate, a key component of our budgetary considerations. Although Iowa law requires the legislature to establish the level of SSA within 30 days of the governor releasing her proposed budget, that deadline has passed, without the level of SSA for
School board continued on page 8
‘Afternoon at the VisitOscars’ us online - www.decorahnewspapers
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P&Z board continued on page 3
Making a splash at Saturday’s “Silly Saturday for Families Afternoon at the Oscars” March 9 at The Landing in Decorah were, from left: Georgia Goulson, Lily Underbakke and Olivia Underbakke, all of Decorah. Those attending enjoyed the red carpet walk, free popcorn, movies and the balloon art. (Driftless Multimedia Photos by Roz Weis)
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