Dysart Police Officer Jeremy Stenda (left) pictured on Tuesday, Dec. 7, 2021, in Waterloo shopping with one of 2021's ‘Shop with a Cop’ participants. Stenda became a full time officer with the Dysart PD on Jan. 18, 2022. Contributed photo

1. During the rescheduled-due-to-illness regular meeting of the Dysart City Council on Jan. 17, the hiring of Dysart Police Officer Jeremy Stenda – who has been working as a part time member of the Dysart Police Dept. since the summer of 2019 – as the third full time department member was approved by the council. Stenda joined Chief Joe Hols and Officer Ray Brady as a full time officer on Jan. 18 at an hourly rate of $26.52. As a part time officer, Stenda was guaranteed 30 hours of work per week. Stenda’s full time hiring was made possible by a $125,000 U.S. Dept. of Justice Office of Community Orienting Policing Services (COPS Office) COPS Hiring Program (CHP) grant the city secured in 2021. CHP grant funds must be used over a three year period by law enforcement agencies for the hiring of additional full time law enforcement professionals. The grant funds cannot be used to pay for a position that has already been budgeted for, Stenda said during a recent phone interview with the Telegraph. “I had to apply for the [full time] position,” Stenda said. The grant also requires the grant recipient keep the additional full time officer for at least four years – one year beyond the grant funding. “[The grant] pays for 75 percent of the fringe benefits and salary for three years,” Stenda said. “Three years is a long time, but that’s not a career for somebody. [CHP] is giving [grant recipients] a window … three or four years to figure out how to budget for this position.” Stenda is a 2011 graduate of Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and originally hails from Clinton, Iowa.

2. During the public comment portion of the meeting, Clutier resident William Wilson who owns a rental property in Dysart, approached the council regarding a planned change to his apartment building that would move the number of units from four to three. Wilson told the council current plans include converting two apartments into one which would result in one less sewer debt fee for the apartment building. The council communicated to Wilson his request would be revisited once the modifications have been completed. Back in March 2021, the council agreed to apply a $32 sewer debt relief fee to resident utility bills to aid in the upcoming city lagoon reconstruction project.

3. Dysart’s Sesquicentennial – marking 150 years since the city’s founding – will take place in 2023. Both Mayor Tim Glenn and council member Stacey Dabney brought up the anniversary event during the meeting. The council and the mayor indicated they would like to start planning as early as possible for the milestone by incorporating all local groups and clubs.

4. Plans for the reconstruction of Crisman Street from Sherman Street to Park Street – a one-block long section of street running along the west side of Dysart City Park – were reviewed by the council with City Engineer Jeff Morrow of Anderson-Bogert. Plans include a complete tear out and replacement of the street section to replace the sanitary sewer system in that area and the water main piping. Hook up to the storm sewer system – which is not currently in place – will also be constructed in order to alleviate excess water pooling.