Iowa passenger rail link, Lake Delhi dam on chopping block

DES MOINES – Two Eastern Iowa infrastructure projects are on the chopping block as House and Senate conferees try to strike a deal on a $102.9 million infrastructure bill.

House Republicans insist that $6.5 million for a passenger rail link from Iowa City through the Quad Cities to Chicago be de-appropriated and are resisting a $5 million line item for rebuilding the Lake Delhi dam that was breached during a 2010 flood.

House Republicans “are not interested at all” in funding the rail link,” Rep. Royd Chambers, R-Sheldon, told the conference committee working to resolve differences between the House and Senate on the infrastructure bill. It is one of the “Big 3” of bills holding up adjournment of the 2011 session. The others are the catch-all standings bill and health and human services.

Democrats, according to Sen. Matt McCoy, D-Des Moines, are “prepared to bleed a little” on the issue.

“It's non-negotiable,” he said.

At issue is the state match for $230 million in federal money to upgrade the rail lines from Iowa City to Chicago so it could accommodate 79-mph rail service.

The first $6.5 million installment on a state $20 million match is in the fiscal 2012 budget, but Republicans want to de-appropriate it. In short, they disagree with the decision to spend federal funds on the project and oppose spending state funds to exacerbate the problem of too much spending.

The Republicans also want to delay state funding for rebuilding the Lake Delhi dam until they see the results of a $350,000 study that is funded in the same legislation.

Approving $5 million for the dam that creates the lake on the Maquoketa River in Delaware County would send a signal that the state is willing to help communities rebuild after disasters, McCoy said. The commitment of state funds would encourage bankers, investors, owners of approximately 900 homes on the lake and local elected officials to step up to the plate, he said.

“I would like to think that even if there is a disaster in a Republican subdivision, s subdivision of Cedar Rapids Republicans, we would step up and help, find a way to get it down,” McCoy said.

“We've sent a message we're willing to help,” said Rep. Erik Helland, R-Grimes, but said the Legislature should wait until the engineer's study is done “so we have the entire picture before we put more taxpayer dollars on the line.”

The committee plans to continue to meet tonight to resolve their differences.