MUSCATINE, Iowa — The City of Muscatine has found a way to get people to pay parking fines by billing delinquent charges when the scofflaws renew their vehicle registration.

A system is available allowing the city to require payment of unpaid parking fines as part of registration renewal and would allow the Muscatine County Treasurer’s Office to refuse the renewal of registration until fees are paid. The Council will vote on the system at its next meeting on March 19.

Last fiscal year, there were 2,150 uncollected parking tickets and most were $10 fines, city finance director Nancy Lueck told the Council. The city could collect the fines as well as a $5 administrative fee.

Some of those tickets were from motorists with vehicles registered outside the state or county, and would not be eligible for collection by this method. Only persons attempting to re-register vehicles in Muscatine County would be held accountable.

The city will continue to issue tow notices for vehicles with excessive tickets, Lueck said, adding: “This should catch the other offenders.”

In other news, the Council:

 * Heard that the Environmental Protection Agency Thursday officially announced that Muscatine County is in compliance with standards for airborne particulate matter.

The Council also reviewed a recent study that indicates pollution in Muscatine is both local and regional and related to meteorological events. The study, “Understanding Episodes of High Airborne Particulate Matter in Iowa,” indicates that both ammonia and nitrous oxide emissions contribute to Iowa’s air pollution, but that more in-depth studies will need to be done in order to tell which is most influential and how the levels can be lowered.

To review the complete study go to the Feature Section at www.bistateonline.org.

* Approved the appointment a graffiti task force to examine Muscatine’s graffiti issues, including how prevalent graffiti is and what the best policy for cleaning it up should be. The task force will be appointed this week and be comprised of citizens, a Council member, a business owner and other community officials. The Council has previously expressed concern that some property owners do nothing to remove graffiti and that something needs to be done to enforce the clean up.

Kas Kelly of Muscatine Safe Streets told the Council she and the Keep Muscatine Beautiful volunteer group would be willing to work together and help clean up graffiti for residents under financial constraints.

Other considerations include changing the City Code to require property owners clean up the graffiti themselves and at their own expense or be issued a fine.

 Heard a report that the Pearl Button, the paddle boat owned by Muscatine business owners Tom and Ann Meeker, is ready to be docked. The Council is expected to vote at its next meeting on a contract giving the boat a permanent docking place at the riverfront. The Meekers  would pay expenses for the dock and it would be leased to them by the city for $1 a year in a 12-year contract.

The boat is a business venture that will provide dinner cruises and celebration accommodations on the Mississippi River.

Tom Meeker said there are already several parties and fundraisers booked, and that his crews will take the boat out for practice runs in April before officially opening in May.