By Casey Jarmes | The News-Review
KEOTA – During the March 3 meeting, the Keota City Council discussed a pair of pitbulls owned by Keota resident Joel Ackerman, which ran loose and killed a dog owned by Ackerman’s neighbor Larry Wulf on March 2. At that meeting, Mayor Tony Cansler ordered the dogs be surrendered so they may be euthanized. Two weeks later, during the March 17 meeting, Cansler explained that the dogs did not need to be found and euthanized anymore, because they were already dead. He explained that, on March 15, the dogs were spotted, once again off leash, at a farm in Washington County. The vicious dogs killed a goat and a donkey before being shot. Photos of the dead dogs were sent to Cansler by the Washington County Sheriff’s Department as proof. Cansler stated that Wulf had been told about the shooting and was relieved. The council still intends to fine Ackerman for the numerous ordinances he allegedly broke.
City Administrator Alycia Horras gave the council a copy of the letter that will be sent to Ackerman, which states he will be fined a total of $7,500 for various offenses including first offense having a dog displaying dangerous aggressive behaviour and repeated offenses of owning a banned dog breed and having a dog running off leash, all doubled because there were two dogs. This, in addition to the unpaid $1,000 fine Ackerman was sent in Sept. 2024, must be paid within 30 days or the city will put a lien on his property, in addition to the existing lien for his $2,493 in unpaid utility bills. Horras explained that these fines are solely for the March 2 incident and that the city could have fined him for thousands more due to having the dogs in town for at least seven days prior to the mauling, according to eyewitnesses. The council members all gave their support for the fines. Horras stated she plans to have the Keokuk County Sheriff’s Department serve the letter, because Ackerman refuses to pick up his mail.
“You would’ve wished he’d gotten the point after he got the $1,000 fine, because his dogs took down and killed a donkey. That very easily could have been a human, because a donkey’s way bigger than a human, and it mauled it to death,” said Councilman Keith Conrad. “This is not a joke. There is a reason we ordered them to be put down. They’re dead now, because he didn’t get the point, and they could’ve easily killed kids. One dog’s bad enough, two creates a pack. He’s lucky he isn’t getting more than this.”
At the same meeting, the council approved changing city ordinances to allow individuals designated by the mayor to discharge a firearm within city limits to put down a vicious animal that is attacking a person or property. The second and third readings for the ordinance were waved. The council also discussed capping Ackerman’s sewer. Councilman Heath McDonald explained that Ackerman doesn’t have any running water, but still uses the city’s sewer line, at no charge. Horras stated that she had talked to the county sanitarian, who told her that there is nothing the city can do except cap Ackerman’s property, because there is no law saying you cannot live in filth, unless there are children or the elderly staying in the house.
Conrad suggested changing city ordinances to add a minimum charge for sewer access, which will be charged even if a property’s water is shut off. He stated that Ackerman is “playing games” and “acting like he is above” the city. He noted that other utility services have a base cost. Conrad stated that this was not picking on one individual, noting that there are other homes in town that have their water turned off who would be charged. He stated that, if people want out of the minimum charge, they can cap their own sewer.
Councilman Mike Bender stated he supported capping the sewer and asked if the other councilman wanted to back charge Ackerman for the months since his water was shut off, stating that Ackerman is obviously still using the sewer. McDonald stated he agreed with changing ordinances, capping the property, and charging Ackerman. He stated that, even if they charge, Ackerman will not pay and will continue using the sewer, and that this will only result in more money being owed against his house, because Ackerman could never pay the fines and outstanding bills.
Councilman Matt Greiner brought up the potential cost of capping the sewer line. Public Works Director Micah Harmsen explained that the line is fifteen feet deep and would need to be capped at the Y intersection. He stated he had spoken to Bill Tremmel of Tremmel Backhoe, who told him that he was booked for several months. Harmsen stated it would cost around $5,000 to cap the sewer line and likely cost just as much if the capping later needed to be reversed.
Councilman Curt Burroughs stated he agreed they should fine Ackerman, but that they wouldn’t receive any money. Greiner stated that he hated to say it, but this was a “delay game,” where Ackerman’s unpaid bills would eventually become worth more than his property. Greiner stated they had stopped people from digging wells because of worries over contaminated water in the past and asked if they could prove Ackerman was using their sewer. Horras stated that she had seen Facebook posts from Ackerman where he claimed to have a way to get water without paying the city, but that she was unsure if that would hold up in court. Burroughs stated he didn’t think there was enough evidence to cap Ackerman’s sewer line. He brought up the idea of looking into new nuisance house ordinances. The council members all voted against capping the property.
After the discussion of Ackerman ended, Cansler stated that they had seen firsthand the liability issues vicious dogs could cause and that they needed to enforce vicious animal ordinances to ensure this doesn’t happen again. He stated Ackerman was lucky he himself wasn’t killed by the dogs and that the city was lucky a child wasn’t killed.
Also at the Monday meeting, Chad McCleary from the water department gave an overview of the city’s water quality. This came in response to a local woman sending city water to a testing service, which sent back the levels for various chemicals in the city’s water supply. McCleary explained that most of the chemicals listed do not have state or federal primary maximum contaminant level limits, meaning they are not health concerns, but that some of them have secondary maximum contaminant level limits, which can lead to aesthetic problems. More specifically, he stated that the city’s chloride and sodium levels are high due to how the city softens water, which is usually not a problem, although the sodium levels can cause issues with people who have hypertension. He stated the city water has normal rates of acidity and fluoride. He stated that the city has low levels of calcium and magnesium, which cause water hardness and can scale up showers, of iron, which can affect taste and stain plumbing, and of conductivity and total dissolved solids, which affect taste and can be hard on water heaters. Levels for nitrate, the only chemical listed that is a health concern, were too low to be detected. Manganese was also not detected. McCleary stated that the city water does have high levels of sulfates, which can be a laxative, but does not have health limiting its allowed level.
The council discussed a request from the Morgans, who plan to open a new medical clinic in town, to help with the costs of replacing the sidewalk in front of the clinic. Conrad explained that there is money set aside in the Capital Improvements Fund for this type of thing and recommended the council help with the costs. Horras stated she wanted to help, but advised the council to be cautious, because there is only $14,000 in that fund. She stated that the sidewalks by city hall and the post office are horrendous and that, if the city helps with the sidewalk by the clinic, other businesses will request help. The council discussed several options, ultimately approving paying to tear out the old sidewalk in front of the clinic and pay for the handicap pads. The council members voiced support for offering this for other businesses in the future as well.
The council approved an agreement with Keota Fire Department discussed during the previous meeting, in which the city will provide an additional $3,000 for maintenance, which the department plans to use to replace a valve used to fill water trucks. The council gave support for sending letters to two other residents with dogs running loose, to be consistent.
