The Council can take money from the general storm water fund to fix High Street, freeing up funds bonded for the Police Station for the purpose of fixing the storm water problems on High Street. They can then reallocate that money to furniture and a drone, both of which are non-vertical infrastructure. The rules are gray, not black and white. Where there is a will there is a way.

The Council can take taxpayer money and give it to certain private businesses in the name of “the public good.” The city can then force a building to be demolished, in the winter, leaving two other business owners to fend for themselves, all while negotiating to purchase a third building to save it and three others from demolition.

A non-profit, the Rebuild Marshalltown Fund, can receive tax deductible donations in the wake of a tragedy and then restrict the use of these funds to the city and other non-profits. It then gives $75K to 13th Street District to rebuild a park shelter. Keep in mind that they will hire a contractor to do this work.

All of the “influencers” in Vision Marshalltown talk every day. Why, hasn’t the problem wall between 2W and 6W Main Street (Fantle’s building) been solved with Rebuild Marshalltown Fund? Why are Rebuild Marshalltown funds not available to shop owners on Main Street for their exposed walls? Rebuild Marshalltown could give money to Marshalltown Development Foundation and they could hire contractors to do the work on these projects.

Somebody please tell me why the Rebuild Marshalltown Fund is not just turned over to the city for tornado related rehab? Because they would lose control of who gets the money, right? No money equals no power/influence.

This is a truly sad process to watch. This same process of favoritism and exceptions has been at work in this town for more than 40 years. It has been handed down through time through a collection of non-profits (not all, just some). I hope the newest “volunteers” can figure this out and start the change/recovery. They will need to walk their own straighter path and not follow the current crooked one.

I know that the people of

Marshalltown all care. We all know that Marshalltown can be great again; there are just certain roadblocks that need to be removed.