Cleaning up the "Ask Mr. Answer Person" mailbox

Mr. Answer Person has suddenly realized there are topics to discuss other than the presidential election!  So here's gone to his mailbox and here's what he found:

Darryl e-mails: "If data is arranged in order from least to greatest and the median is the middle item (or halfway between the two middle scores), Is it  correct that (the Decorah City Council) would want to pay 60 percent of that figure as a guide (to department head salaries)?  If the median value for department chair is $70,000, then do we wish to target $42,000 (.60 X 70,000) for the Decorah salary?"

Mr. Answer Person says: "When the City of Decorah's Personnel Committee met late last month, they knew what they meant--but maybe they didn't do as good of a job explaining what they wanted.  Rather than messing with the "median" salary figure--which many people confused with "average" anyway--let's just say they want to pay department heads salaries that would have 40 percent of similar positions with higher pay and 60 percent with lower pay."

David e-mails: "The lights on the Trout Run Trail Bridge have been dark now for a long time.  What gives?"

Mr. Answer Person says: "Not much.  City Administrator Chad Bird has been trying to contact someone from the company that sold the city the lighting program, but hasn't had much luck.  He says he'll give it another try soon."

Bill e-mails: "Perhaps your readers would be interested in the "diversification of revenue" numbers, also known as "higher charges," that "could be passed along to the consumer" as part of utility franchise fees."

Mr. Answer Person says: "I'm sure they would.  The answer is that these fees would bring in $100,000 to $150,000 a year to the city.  But City Administrator Chad Bird says utility customers shouldn't see much of a change in their bills.  That's because the one percent local option sales tax that has been levied on utility bills will disappear soon.  The net effect of imposing utility franchise fees, but losing the one percent LOST, is negligible."