MUSCATINE, Iowa —As plans move forward to improve the Muscatine County’s current jail, the county is looking to also make updates to its old one.

Work on the jail was one of several topics discussed Wednesday night during a joint meeting of the Muscatine City Council and Muscatine County Board of Supervisors.

The two hold periodic joint meetings in order to better facilitate cooperation and improve communication.

Mad Creek update

Ashley Newbrough of the Muscatine County Soil and Conservation District updated the group about the Mad Creek Watershed. The  project, which is in the beginning stages, is being helped along by a  $17,475 state Watershed Development grant.

The Mad Creek Watershed includes surrounding land that drains into the creek, which in turn drains into the Mississippi River.  It incorporates 10,921 acres (about 17 square miles) of county and city land.

The project will include an assessment of the water conditions and help in determining how improvements along the creek could be made. Some improvements include erosion control and rain gardens or plants to soak up and filter water runoff.

Newbrough said the city and county will have to work together to find volunteers to share ideas to improve the stream.

“How safe is Mad Creek?” asked Council member Osama Shihadeh.

“Pretty safe,” Newbrough replied. “It’s cleaner that the Mississippi and cleaner than most lakes.”

Still, frequent testing for pollutants is necessary, she added, and farmers and residents interested in saving their land from erosion into the creek should contact her at 563-263-7944.

MAGIC update

The Muscatine Area Geographic Consortium is undergoing preliminary updates to add flood plains to a Web site it maintains to map the community from an aerial view.

MAGIC operates through a 28E agreement between the city, county and Muscatine Power & Water. Zoning, fire districts, addresses, parcels, tree lines, landmarks and homes are some of the images shown on the maps at http://www.magic-gis.org/. 

MAGIC will also be utilized to collect data for the 2010 Census.

Old jail

The Supervisors are considering making updates to the old jail, but may need the city’s help to apply for federal and/or state grants. The old jail stands across Fourth Street from the Muscatine County Courthouse. It was built in 1857 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The building houses the boiler for the courthouse and needs structural repairs that could cost about $40,000. 

The Supervisors asked Council members present to consider allowing the Muscatine Historic Preservation Commission apply for the grant because the County does not have such a committee.

Interim City Administrator Randy Hill said the Supervisors should look into the grants further.

H would suggest the Council consider signing off on a grant application, Hill said, if the city has budgeted the 50 percent it would have to contribute for any matching grants.