The top 10 local news stories of 2017: #6 and #5

(decorahnews.com's review of the top ten local news stories of 2017 continues):

#6: The Decorah Fire Department was at the center of a number of news stories in 2017--most of them involving their full-time staff.  In January, the Personnel Committee held a stormy meeting at which the possibility was raised of not hiring a replacement when one of the three full-time fire engineers retired in July (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2017/02/15675.html).  Eventually the city council voted to hire a new engineer, but the issue took until early fall to resolve.

#5:  That wasn't the only controversy in a tumultuous year at City Hall.  In January and February, city council members discussed a new ordinance to regulate idling times of large trucks.  The measure passed on a 4-3 vote, but was vetoed by Mayor Don Arendt (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2017/02/15824.html).  In March there was discussion of restricting truck traffic on three main streets in Decorah, which provoked push back from area farmers and got dropped in April. (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2017/04/16211.html).

Also in April, relations between the City and County worsened as county supervisors asked the city to pay for its share of the cost of computer equipment purchases during the four years the two governments shared equipment.  http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2017/04/16342.html).  The two sides squabbled about the issue the rest of the year, with the city claiming it didn't owe any money.  The issue seems likely to continue into 2018.

The most contentious issue of 2017 at City Hall was the city's new sidewalk policy (http://www.decorahnews.com/archived-stories/2017/08/17177.html)  The city sent out 150 letters to property owners downtown and in the Bruening Addition telling them they have until August 1st of 2018 to build or repair a sidewalk in front of their property, or the city will do the work and bill them.  The letters brought out big crowds to City Hall.  This is another issue that seems likely to continue into 2018.

If it does, it will be discussed by a different city council.  Voters elected two newcomers to the city council and a new mayor, Lorraine Borowski, who told decorahnews.com on Election Night, "People were ready for a change."