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OTTUMWA, IOWA -- Ottumwa's city administrator is helping organize a commission of city administrators after a suggestion from the USDA.

Joe Helfenberger said they will focus on developing a consensus on environmental issues.

The main issue right now is the sewer separation project and water quality in the Des Moines River.

Helfenberger said water samples taken two-thousand feet above and below the sewer discharge in Ottumwa show no measurable difference in water quality.

“The water is so contaminated right now from above stream that the impact of Ottumwa is insignificant. It’s less than 1 percent as far as the total amount of pollution into the stream,” Helfenberger said.

He says he is a strong advocate for the environment, but he stresses it’s important to be fiscally responsible about it. “We shouldn’t be spending a lot of money on minimizing the pollution in the Des Moines River then find out it had no effect on the overall pollution. Whatever we do it should be effective and fiscally responsible and there should be appropriate timing in how it’s done,” Helfenberger said.

Helfenberger said all Iowa communities are invited to the first meeting June 2, "We're looking at any community that would be facing mandates now or in the future would have a vested interest in joining together to get the best possible representation to deal with these concerns."

The commission of city administrators was formed at the suggestion of the Obama Administration. When President Obama visited Ottumwa recently, he promised to have his people contact the city, and his administration recommended forming such a commission.