Q. In the Oct. 27 paper under the legal section former county supervisor Don Page questioned several Veterans Affairs payments. How does Mr. Page know about these? As a former supervisor does he have access to the records of the all departments in Black Hawk County as to what they pay and their expenditures?
A. Bills paid by the county are published in the newspaper and are public records available to anybody who wants to see them, including Don Page.
Q. How do I go about getting a stop sign at the corner of Donald and Longfellow with solar powered flashing red lights on it?
A. Requests for traffic signs and changes should be directed to city council members or the Traffic Operations Department.
Q. What is being built next to Panera Bread on La Porte Road in Waterloo?
A. We assume the caller is referring to the new Fire Station No. 8 being constructed north of the restaurant.
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Q. At the last Waterloo City Council meeting the council approved a $99,900 award of a contract to Clark Butler Walsh and Hamann. If this was a bid process why weren't the other bids reported? What were they other bids? Looks like a conflict of interest since Walsh is a city attorney for Waterloo. How much were the other bids and where did they come from?
A. The city sought proposals for legal services related to the flood buyouts. Four law firms submitted proposals, which were opened and read on Oct. 19. The other proposals, as reported in the Courier, came from Beecher, Field, Walker, Morris, Hoffman and Johnson; Gallagher, Langlas and Gallagher; and Anfinson & Luce. The four proposals were reviewed and scored based on qualifications and prices for the various aspects related to the buyout legal work. A summary of that scoring and the price list is available for review at the Waterloo City Clerk's Office. It is not a conflict of interest for Clark Butler Walsh and Hamann to bid on city legal fees if Jim Walsh has no direct involvement in the selection of his firm to perform the duties.
Q. Can a prospective employer do a background check on a person that is applying for a job without a consent form from that person?
A. Due to intensified security and increased risks of litigation, more employers than ever are likely to inform job applicants that background checks are required. Whether you are hired or promoted for a job may depend on the information revealed in a background check. Job applicants and existing employees as well as volunteers may be asked to submit to background checks. For some jobs, screening is required by federal or state law. The current emphasis on security and safety has dramatically increased the number of employment background checks conducted. A good rule of thumb is to assume that a would-be employer will run a background check.
