Story County's Water Land and Legacy Bond
by Rick Dietz, Board Member
Story County voters have a unique opportunity to improve and protect water quality and wildlife habitat on their ballot for the general election!
The Water and Land Legacy Bond would provide up to $25 million, matched with grant dollars, donations and partnerships, to fund projects in three general categories: Water & Habitat, Park Improvements, and Trails & Outdoor Recreation. The cost to a median household would be $2.60 per month ($32 annually) in property taxes over 20 years.
Specific projects including oxbow restorations, stream bank stabilization and floodplain protection could be accomplished within five to eight years with this funding, reducing nutrient levels and soil loss, and helping to reduce the impact of flood events.
Other projects include renovations to Hickory Grove Park, construction of a new Visitor Center at McFarland Park (while repurposing the existing building as an education center), connecting Ames to McFarland Park with a new trail and Ames to Slater with an alternative to the bike lanes along R38 bike lanes. There's something for everyone and I invite you to look at the complete list of projects at https://www.waterandland.org.
Here's what you'll see on the back of your ballot:
Public Measure A
Shall the following public measure be adopted?
“Shall the County of Story, State of Iowa, enter into one or more loan agreements and issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not exceeding $25,000,000 for the purpose of paying the cost, to that extent, of (i) improving and protecting the water quality of rivers, lakes, and streams and reduction in flooding; (ii) for acquisition and development of land for public parks and wildlife areas; and (iii) for construction and improvement of trails and conservation facilities or other recreation or conservation purposes, to be managed by the Story County Conservation Board, with full public disclosure of all expenditures?”
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