Bettendorf continues to delay action on Stafford Creek reshaping

In 1989, Andy Johnson stood atop his property at 3895 Tanglefoot Court in Bettendorf and inspected his three newly installed retaining walls built to halt erosion above Stafford Creek.

The night before, a heavy rainstorm washed away dirt he added to his walls. Slipping on the wet grass, Johnson said he flipped over his top retaining wall "head over heels" and fell onto the second wall before hitting his head and eventually landing on his feet beside the creek. Johnson, now 62, suffered a mild concussion.

Before investing hours of work and more than $5,000 into a rot-treated retaining wall, Johnson said he approached the city of Bettendorf for help.

I talked to the city and said, Hey, weve got this major problem, and asked if there was anything they could do for us, and they basically said there is no easement or property that belongs to them, Johnson said.

City Administrator Decker Ploehn said the city still does not own land along Stafford Creek, but Bettendorf staff has plans to remove vegetation to reshape the creek bed and install a retaining wall.

At this weeks city council committee-of-the-whole meeting, Bettendorf aldermen decided they would revisit the issue during the councils first meeting in May. Bettendorf homeowners along both sides of Stafford Creek near 18th Street remain divided about the future landscape of the banks.

Residents whose property abuts the southwest side of Stafford Creek on Tanglefoot Court hope the city follows through with the plans to curb erosion. On the other side, residents northeast of Stafford Creek on Kingsway Drive fear losing their privacy and want vegetation to grow without interference.

Currently, four property owners along Kingsway Drive are not willing to sign an easement, and three of the four have hired a Bettendorf lawyer. Meanwhile, three property owners along Tanglefoot Court, including Johnson, have signed the easement.

Bill McDonald, one of Bettendorfs 24 full-time, paid firefighters on the combination force, lives at 3915 Tanglefoot Court with his wife and three daughters. McDonald moved into his home 10 years ago and contacted the city when his retaining wall slowly began to sink and the slope leading down to the creek grew steeper.

Public vs. private

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Bettendorf continues to delay action on Stafford Creek reshaping