Paid for by the taxpayers in...

Polk County

All items paid Jan. 3

Amount: $410.90
To: MTM Recognition
For: Employee years-of-service recognition awards, including one Howard Miller Marcus Clock priced at $26.77 for Nancy Squire; one Woman's Bulova TFX Watch priced at $49.70 for Marcia Glovingo; one Olympus 35mm camera priced at $42.69 for Beverly Magnanl; one SS Bracelet with Crest priced at $80.88 for Sheryl Stouffer; one Montreux Crystal Bowl priced at $87.90 for Marsha Ganoe and one Woman's SS Fashion Ring (size 12) priced at $113.24 for Tim Hodina.

Amount: $10,313.64
To: Elliott Acquisition Service
For: Charges for 245 hours of work and 899 miles traveled to "negotiate with individual property owners to acquire necessary right-of-way for various Polk County Public Works projects" including negotiations regarding the designation of a rural sector of the county an Urban Renewal Area to facilitate the purchase of Southeast Polk Rural Water District by Des Moines Water Works with trips to visit with (among others) Dennis Albaugh, Richard Albaugh and Ed Skinner.

Amount: $30,000
To: Brick, Gentry Law Offices
For: Settlement regarding former Community, Family and Youth Services employee Marvin Emery, who alleged in 2004 that he was wrongly fired from his position in 2002. The county did not admit fault and, according to the Board of Supervisors, the settlement was in the "public interest" in order to avoid litigation costs.

Amount: $10,000
To: Anna Gaskell
For: Advance payment on the $20,000 total owed to artist Anna Gaskell for the "Shining Maze" art installation at the Iowa Events Center.

Amount: $10,600
To: Greater Des Moines Leadership Institute
For: Tuition for Scott Locker, Leesa Shoemaker, Lance Kooiker and
Sue Johnson of the Polk County Sheriff's Office to attend the
2006 "Transformational Leadership Program."

Amount: $728.05
To: Herrschners Inc.
For: Eighty "Happy spring felt and sequin banners" craft sets.

Amount: $40
To: South Des Moines Chamber of Commerce Annual Dinner
For: Fee for Polk County Supervisor Robert Brownell to attend the annual dinner at the Four Points Sheraton, comprised of cocktails and appetizers followed by a meal of salad, grilled beef filet or Atlantic salmon and "chocolate velvet dome with berries and vanilla sauce."

Amount: $221.64
To: Hy-Vee
For: Refreshments for Jester Park Equestrian Center's "Pony Express to Santa" event, including seven dozen Christmas cookies.

Amount: $1,827.44
To: Grand Hyatt Washington
For: Lodging for Polk County Sheriff's office Chief Deputy Bill Vaughn and Lt. Scott Locker for four nights stay each (at $187 per night) during a Symposium on Justice and Public Safety Information Sharing from March 11-15. Given his wife accompanied him, Vaughn will reimburse the county $11.48 for the difference in hotel costs.
Amount: $255.20
To: Kellie Phelps
For: 19 beefy, black T-shirts for participants in the Polk County Citizens Academy.

Amount: $1,097.36
To: Hy-Vee
For: Food for a holiday party at the Family Enrichment Center on Dec. 3, including chicken, potato gravy and 14 dozen cookies.

Amount: $182,026.27
To: County libraries
For: Contributions to county libraries with the five largest sums going to Ankeny ($56,770.18), Altoona ($31,728.36) and Des Moines ($29,160.10), and the smallest sums going to Carlisle ($457.96), Clive ($457.96) and West Des Moines ($43.62)

Amount: $1,000
To: Glenn Cyphers
For: Equine bedding for the Jester Park Equestrian Center.

Amount: $202.93
To: South Des Moines Dental DDS
For: New dental instruments for the Polk County Jail's dentist.

Amount: $87.50
To: Tumea and Sons Restaurant
For: 10 meals for a Family Enrichment Center luncheon in December.

Amount: $10,207.53
To: Bob Barker Company Inc.
For: Clothing for inmates at Polk County Jail, including bras, panties, tube socks and sandals.

Amount: $973
To: Becker Equipment
For: One Edlund Electric Can Opener shipped to the Polk County Jail.

Who's giving to:

Robert Parks
West Des Moines City Councilmember
F.A. Wittern Jr. $300
F.A. Wittern III $200
Steve Corell $200
William Lillis $200
Wayne McKinney $200
Charles Celsi $200

Expense report:

Thomas Gronstal, state Superintendent of Banking

Monthly wireless Internet fees
August-November 2005: $369.56

Oct. 4-5: Travel to Chicago, Ill., for a fall, interagency meeting of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency
Mileage: $227.80
Lodging: $156.94
Meals: $65
Parking: $33

Dec. 5-8: Travel to Coronado, Calif., for a Conference of State Bank Supervisors symposium
Airfare: $481.79
Lodging: $483.12 (at $161.04 per night)
Meals: $129 (including $28 dinners each night)
Parking: $63
Taxi: $60

Travel

Des Moines Police officers Chris Hardy and Ross Klein were approved last month to start the new year in Huntsville, Ala., traveling to the deep South from Jan. 1 to Feb. 15 to attend an FBI Hazardous Devices School, which involves "training in every aspect of bomb squad operations and investigations." The cost for the officers to attend the six-week course will be $8,872.

Salaries and such

According to the Department of Administrative Services, Iowa does not award holiday or Christmas bonuses to any state employees.

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