Seven years ago, in July 2007, we published the first of our "Suggestion Box" series. These posts provided an open online forum for readers to offer suggestions, complaints and compliments for village leaders.
Today, we decided to dust off that very first "Suggestion Box," which was entitled "Comments for the Village Board."
A lot has changed from seven years ago. A lot has not.
The key topics of concern back then, according to reader comments, were:
1.) Paving (or not paving) Dorchester streets.
2.) Illegal immigration. (And that was during the Bush years.)
3.) Water quality.
4.) Condition of the business district and water tower. (Hey, one of those has improved.)
5.) Did we mention paving?
In the comments section of this post, you'll be able to see all the reader comments -- good and bad -- left back in July 2007.
Which ones are relevant today? Feel free to add your 2014 comments for village leaders.
A town in Texas last year passed an ordinance to make it illegal to rent houses to illegal aliens or those who cannot prove legal citizenship. Many towns across the country are now doing the same thing. Dorchester board members should consider passing a similar ordinance. We don't want to become the next Crete. Rent a house to an illegal and the town shuts off the water and electricity.
ReplyDeletei have a suggestion.
ReplyDeleteskip the middle man and go to the board meetings. We want more citizen input.........no better way to do it than show up and be heard.
People now days have a tough time communicating face to face.
Let's get-r-done. C'mon board members. Let's get an estimate on how much it would cost to pave 75% of Dorchester's streets. Just the streets that are most often traveled. Paving would do wonders for this town. Gosh, someone might even build a new home here! I visited some family members yesterday in Table Rock. That tiny town in the middle of nowhere has great paved streets. We should too.
ReplyDeletewhat about fixing the water supply and getting all the metals out of the water? I get extremely tired of brown coming out of faucets.
ReplyDeleteYou know, the volunteer fire dept. does a lot for our city. How about offering to pay for new lettering on the front of the DVFD building? It's the least we could do with our tax receipts.
ReplyDeleteHey Class of 87. If the town board prohibited the rental of housing to illegal immigrants, they would also have to check the citizenship papers of those renting the community center on Saturday nights. That might not be a bad idea, regardless.
ReplyDeletePlease SERIOUSLY look into paving the streets. It would clean our town up more than anything else. It would also enable people to get more for their property when they sell. All I am ever told is the town is split 50/50. Why is the 50% who do not want paving get their way and the other side is forgotten about. I bet if they polled every citizen, more than 50% would be in favor paving.
ReplyDeleteI agree with West Side........... I live in the country so I'll be accused of supporting a project I won't have to pay for ..... but Dorchester needs to pave its streets. I am used to eating dust out here but folks in town shouldnt have to ....... the Dorchester co-op could help with some of the streets that grain trucks use in the fall......... if you drive by the city park you can see the damage that those heavy semi's have caused.
ReplyDeleteI agree with paving the streets, but also we need to have a plan to install a drainage system. We need to start to clean up the community and have stricter laws or ordinances for individuals having junk in their yard. We have the right to live in a urbane and refined community. Clean up your garbage and your yard.
ReplyDeleteYOU ARE EXACTLY RIGHT ANONYMOUS. IF 20% OF MY PROPERTY TAXES ARE GOING TO MY VILLAGE GOV'T., I THINK I DESERVE TO HAVE OUR STANDARDS/ORDINENCES ENFORCED. GIVE A MESSY RESIDENT ONE WARNING -- AFTER THAT, NEBRASKA HHSS NEEDS TO BE CALLED FOR SANITARY INSPECTION. THE FIRE MARSHAL SHOULD BE CALLED.
ReplyDeleteI WILL VOTE FOR ANY CANDIDATE FOR VILLAGE BOARD WHO PROMISES TO GET SERIOUS WITH THE WORST OF THE WORST SLOPS AND PROMISES TO GET ESTIMATES ON STREET PAVING.
Look up! Does that water tower need painting??
ReplyDeleteLulu
For those concerned about illegal immigrants - put your thinking caps on for another solution. At least one state has decided this type of ordinance is unconstitutional.
ReplyDeleteWest Side Alum is correct that people might get more for their houses when they sell, but most cities also require the property owners to pay part of the cost of paving because of that increase in property value. I think it is usually 40% or so to the property owners. If you don't pave all the streets usually the property owners within a half block of the new paving also pay part of the cost because they don't have to drive so far to get to paving. I want to see the paving, but everyone needs to know there is probably a direct cost to you, not just out of the tax "kitty".
Hmmmmmmm ... I had no idea illegal aliens (citizens of Mexico and Latin America) had rights under the Constitution of the U.S. Actually that ruling by an activist judge will never be upheld. Communities across the U.S. are cracking down on illegals since the federal government has no backbone. Do we really want to import Crete's current problems? I've heard that the Crete business leaders have estimated that 25% to 35% of Crete's 6,000 residents are illegal. Amazing, especially when you consider that most of their money earned is wired back to Mexico each pay day.
ReplyDeleteI think that working with some renewable fuels oganization to work on getting a soy biodiesel plant in or near Dorchester would be in the town's best interest. The state wrote into law LB 343 which gives new soy biodiesel plants a 30 percent tax credit, but not to exceed $250,000 if it is a locally owned facility producing B100. There is currently only one biodiesel plant in Nebraska and two proposed.
ReplyDeleteSome benefits of a biodiesel plant would be; increased tax income for the school district, create more jobs for locals, possibly attract new comers to town who may be interested in building in Dorchester, create a new demand for soybeans possibly increasing local soybean commodity prices, and many more.
We already have access to the BNSF railway. The town could possibly annex an area to the East or West of Dorchester and purchase the property and allow the business to move in. This would give more tax dollars to the community. Big cooperatives such as a biodiesel plant usually donate money after becoming established in the community. Platte Valley Fuel recently made a large donation to the City of Central City, Ne.
If this is a possibility we need to get to work now!
Cory....thank you for your positive input. What needs to be done to look into this -- who iniates the process???
ReplyDeleteCORY CAN YOU GET THE BALL ROLLING, WHO DO U CONTACT ABOUT THIS, YOUR A VERY SMART AND UP TO DATE ON THINGS.
ReplyDeletethe only bad thing about biodiesel is they use alot of water, how bad would a plant like that hurt our water supply.
ReplyDeleteOk
ReplyDeletethis suggetion box has been up here for a week
lets put up a new one
how about suggestions to the the school board