Resident upset with jake brake sign locations

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BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

MONTROSE - A resident of Clearview Heights is upset with the locations the county used to post notice about its new jake break ordinance.

Mike Azinger told supervisors at Tuesday's regular Board of Supervisors' meeting that the current locations don't do anything to address the issues in their neighborhood.

"I see the signs are going up but they are not where we requested them being put," Azinger said.

"Where we really need one is at the exit of Hwy. 61 south where they are coming off the bypass, and on Hwy. 2."

Azinger said one of the signs is on Bluff Road which he said has no truck traffic.

County Engineer Ben Hull said Iowa Department of Transportation policy states signs for an ordinance like this are placed where traffic enters the jurisdiction.

"We basically followed suit choosing our locations the same way so we have placed them on paved roads on county entries and where traffic enters the county jurisdiction from Fort Madison or Keokuk," Hull said.

Hull said that way notice is served when you enter the county. He said they have not considered every location where there is an intersection or truck traffic.

Azinger said truck drivers in the county may not ever see the signs because they go from the fertilizer plant to other places in the county.

"It hasn't been terrible yet, but the liquid fertilizer has not started yet. That's when we get a lot of trucks. But these drivers will go from the fertilizer plant to Merschman's or Agrineed and won't ever see the signs," he said.

Azinger said the current posting locations won't help solve the problems the Clearview Heights neighborhood is experiencing. Those residents brought the issue to the board last fall.

Hull said it would be the state DOT that would make the determination of putting additional signs up. Hull said the DOT did not indicate they would be willing to put additional signage up.

He said he would request the signage to the state, but he wasn't sure if they would add signs.

Hull said it was reasonable to note that Fort Madison and Keokuk are entrance points to other states and maybe signage there would help. He said maybe something from the cities on roads where people are leaving their jurisdiction would be a better way to go.

"I would take that route rather than asking for a sign wherever we feel there is a problem," Hull said.

Azinger said they were looking for two signs.

"One coming off of Hwy. 61 and one coming down Hwy 2. That's what we're looking for," Azinger said.

engineer, fort madison, iowa, Iowa Department of Transportation, jake brakes, lee county, Pen City Current, residents

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