Ryan Waller - City Manager

 

Water Resource Recovery Facility Project

There have been some questions regarding the estimated cost of the wastewater treatment plant project that was shared during the recent City Council meeting.  As a reminder, the number that was shared is the Engineer’s estimate only and not the bid amount.  Bids are due on January 16th and will be presented to the City Council on January 21st.  As has been reported to the City Council over the last few years, some of the main drivers of the estimated increases are due to international trade policies, as well as delays caused by the special use permit process, the subsequent court case and final DNR approval.  Conversely, it should be noted that there are items that helped ensure cost containment for this project.  Two main examples include the plant’s innovative design (saved $12 million) and moving the bid date to January.  While this change does result in an estimated increase of $1.3 million, retaining the original bid date in December (the day after Osceola bid their project) would have likely resulted in a 20% higher estimated increase instead of the current estimated increase (approximately 5%).  All of these items will be covered during the City Council’s special study session that is scheduled for January 9th.  The agenda for this meeting was published earlier this week and is attached.
January 9, 2020 Agenda

Ash Tree Removal

As you may recall, the Emerald Ash Borer has been located in Warren County and Indianola.  This insect does significant damage to ash trees that it invades.  Accordingly, the City has an annual program to remove between 50 and 70 ash trees from parks, trails and other city properties. To date 75% of the 59 trees that were identified for removal this year have been removed by Knutson Tree Service.  Trees have been removed from Moats Park, South Park, Pickard Park, the McVay Trail, and the Activity Center.  An additional 13 street trees have been removed in various locations around town.  This process will continue into the next year with the focus on removing trees located in a few other parks and in the City’s right-of-way.  

Budget Presentation

Attached, please find the budget presentation that was reviewed during the City Council’s December 16th Study Session. 

Christmas Hours

Non-emergency City offices will be closed on December 24th (Tuesday) and 25th (Wednesday) in observance of the Christmas holiday.  

Community Development Updates

Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - January 6, 2020
Special Council Meeting: January 9, 2020
Draft - January 21, 2020

Ryan Waller - City Manager

Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) Project

Earlier today, the City received notification that the Iowa Department of Natural Resources has issued the construction permit for the new WRRF.

Workers Compensation Insurance

The City received positive news regarding our workers compensation (work comp) insurance renewal.  Our current “MOD” factor is currently .86 and our renewal is trending at .79. Work comp premiums are calculated using a modification “MOD” rate and is determined by industry classification and claims history.  The industry average is 1.0.  For example, a company with a MOD rate of 1.25 will pay 25% higher premiums than the average company does and a company with a MOD rate of 0.80 will pay 20% less per dollar than average.  This is a direct reflection on our team’s commitment to safety.  Congratulations and thank you to the entire team! 

Building Code Updates

As previously noted, one of the items outlined in the City’s strategic plan was to review and evaluate current building codes and look at updating to the most recent version of those codes.  City staff has been working to review the recommendations of the Central Iowa Code Consortium, and is now seeking public feedback on the proposed changes.  As part of this process, all City and IMU utilities were also notified of the proposed changes by e-mail and asked to comment.  That e-mail is attached.  The website where the public is able to review the proposed changes can be found at: https://www.indianolaiowa.gov/841/Code-Updates.  Staff will provide a brief overview during Monday’s City Council meeting. 

Contractors/Developers Breakfast

As part of the building code update, staff will once again be hosting a contractors/developers breakfast this year to discuss the proposed changes, and update on other coming changes in 2020.  That breakfast is scheduled for Thursday, January 16, 2020 starting at 7:00 AM at the Indianola Activity Center.  An invite that was mailed out today is attached.   

Comprehensive Plan Adoption

As you are aware, the City is in the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan.  Remaining in our contract with the consultant who assisted in updating the Comprehensive Plan is a joint meeting with the City Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission where the consultant will present the draft plan, answer questions and seek feedback from the Commission and Council.  While a meeting date has not been set for the joint meeting yet, staff and the consultant are hoping to have the meeting sometime after the new year.  Please be looking for future communication as we try to find a day that works best for all.  The draft documents remain on the project website at www.elevateindianola.com.

911 North C Street

As you may recall, back in October the City filed a municipal infraction for the property at 911 North C Street.  As the property owner did not file an answer with the Court on the matter, the City filed an application for default judgement.  On December 6, the Court issued a judgement that the property owner is to abate the nuisance within 30 days, and if not completed within that time, the City is authorized to abate and correct the violations and assess the cost of such onto the property.   The order of default judgement is attached.  

Community Development Updates

Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - January 6, 2020
Draft - January 9, 2020
Draft - January 21, 2020

Ryan Waller - City Manager

 

Budget Prioritization

Please remember that the budget prioritization survey is due by Monday, December 9th.  As you are aware, the survey consists of several items that are up for consideration as part of the budget process. These items are the result of work performed in connection with the strategic plan, Council directives, and other goals established by the City Council. The prioritization of the items will assist staff when compiling the FY21 budget for Council approval. 

Indianola Schools Needs Assessment

The Indianola School is participating in a Needs Assessment Survey conducted by the Iowa Association of School Boards (IASB).  The survey is designed to help assess strengths and areas of needed improvement, with a focus on improved student achievement.  Art Sathoff has shared this survey with us and asked that this be shared with stakeholders. The survey takes an average of 9 minutes to complete.  All responses are anonymous. The link to the survey is as follows: http://lsurvey.ia-sb.org/index.php?r=survey/index&sid=91917&lang=en

Fire Department Calls

As of December 6, 2019, the Fire Department has received 2,270 calls for service.  This total call volume is only 14 less than what the City had for the entirety of 2018.  Of these calls, 290 are classified as fire response and 1,980 are classified as rescue and EMS.  

206 and 208 North Jefferson Way

This week, staff verified that all utilities have been disconnected from the existing homes at 206 and 208 North Jefferson Way.  The property owner intends to secure a demolition permit in the coming weeks and have the buildings demolished before the end of this year.

Community Development Updates

Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - December 16, 2019
Draft - January 6, 2020

Ryan Waller - City Manager

 

City Hall Hours

A friendly reminder that City Hall will be closed on Thursday (11/28) and Friday (11/29) for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Front Office/EMS Bunk Space Remodel

A project update from Formation Group is attached.

Kading Site Plans

As you are aware, Kading Properties LLC submitted new site plans to the City in October after the Council had denied the previous site plans in September.  Those new site plans have been reviewed by staff, and all revisions requested by staff have been made.  Attached, please see the notices that were mailed to all property owners within 200 feet.  These new site plans will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning Commission at its December 10 meeting for a possible recommendation to the City Council.
Cavitt Creek Condominiums I Letter
Cavitt Creek Condominiums II Letter

Community Development Updates

Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agenda for the upcoming meeting.  The meeting agenda for Monday, December 2nd will be published shortly.
Draft - December 16, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

Updated Building Codes

Attached, please find a memorandum from Charlie Dissell, Community & Economic Development Director, on the process and timeline regarding the Building & Fire Codes update.

IMU Conversion

Earlier today, City and IMU staff met to discuss the next steps in IMU’s conversion to the “Elation” (a financial accounting and billing system).  IMU staff will be seeking further direction from the Board of Trustees at its meeting on November 25th.  IMU staff indicated that additional details and timelines will be provided to the City thereafter.  It is anticipated this will be provided within the next few weeks.

Thanksgiving Holiday

Please remember that non-public safety offices will be closed next week Thursday and Friday in observance of the Thanksgiving holiday.  

Municipal Leadership Academy (MLA)

Attached, please find information regarding the Iowa League of Cities’ MLA series.  This is an academy that is put on by the League to help city officials better understand their role in municipal government in order to effectively serve the community.  If any elected official wishes to enroll in any of the class dates, please let me know.    

Community Development Updates

Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - December 2, 2019
Draft - December 16, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

 

November LOSST Reconciliation Payment

Each month, the Iowa Department of Revenue sends the City its share of the county Local Option Sales and Services Tax (LOSST) revenue. There are two payments in November. The second payment is a reconciliation for the previous fiscal year. We do not budget for this payment as it would be impossible to know if the state overpaid or underpaid the City on its previous year share. The reconciliation payment this year was $367,897. In checking with Norwalk and Carlisle, their payments were unexpectantly high as well. It is unlikely that the reconciliation payment will be this high in future years as the state should get better at predicting the LOSST payments over time since adoption of the LOSST.

Front Office/Bunk Space Update

Staff received an update on the remodeling of the front office and firefighter bunk space areas from the Formation Group. The carpet and painting in the front office is substantially complete. Furniture should be arriving next week. Once the Fire/EMS staff have a working office space to do reports, remodeling will begin on their bunk space, which includes their current office. The project is currently within schedule and budget.

City Hall Wiring

The electrical breakers for a few rooms in City Hall would not remain “on”.  Miller Electric came to City Hall and found out there is a short in some of the wiring which goes underground.  We have been scheduled for these repairs.  

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - December 2, 2019
Draft - December 16, 2019

Andy Lent - Director of Finance

Comprehensive Plan Comments

Thank you for the tremendous input received thus far!  As you are aware, we are keeping the public comment phase open until Friday, November 22, 2019. Please visit www.elevateindianola.com to review the draft comprehensive plan, the draft implementation plan, the posters that were used at the open house, the results of the community survey, as well as other documents related to the update of the Comprehensive Plan. Please note that these are not final documents, and the goal of the open house and public comments is to present what has been prepared to date and seek feedback on how we are progressing with crafting the vision. A copy of the draft plan and all of the display posters used at the open house may also be viewed at City Hall.  Staff is currently and will continue to work with our consultants to go through comments and begin implementation of our next steps in the project. Information will be forthcoming via the weekly emails and other city communication tools. 

Emergency Storm Sewer Repairs

With Council’s approval of emergency repairs to the City’s damaged storm sewer on the Norwalk Ready Mix lot this past Monday, Snyder and Associates have worked with staff to finalize the schedule.  Construction documents and specifications will be finished and ready for prospective bidders by the end of Monday, November 11th.  Quotes will be due on Friday, November 15th, with the selection and contract on Council’s next agenda on Monday, November 18th.  Snyder and Associates and Staff will also be working to obtain an easement for the new storm sewer line from Norwalk Ready Mix, approval of which will be on a future Council agenda.

WRRF Timeline

Attached is a construction and financing timeline for the start of the Water Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF), the new sanitary sewer facility. 

2019 Ash Tree Removal Project

Forty-six Ash Trees are scheduled to be removed in 8 park areas and along trails, another 13 street trees will be removed as well.  The abutting property owners have all been notified of the removal of the street trees which is the responsibility of the city.  The Ash Tree Project will be complete by December 31.

HWY65/69 Median Maintenance

Fall Maintenance of the Medians on North Hwy 65/69 will be performed Tuesday, November 12.  The inside lanes of the highway will be closed at 6 a.m. and re-opened in the afternoon prior to the evening commute.  The plants and flowers will be trimmed and removed according to IDOT height requirements.

Holiday Decorations

Park Staff has tested and replaced non-working lights on the holiday decorations.  These will be installed with IMU assistance the week of November 25.

Hillcrest and Jerry Kelley Trail Projects

Both trail project areas have been opened to the public.  The final Hillcrest Trail pay application was approved by Council on November 4 and the Final Pay App for the Jerry Kelley Trail will be presented in the coming weeks.

IMU Event

Attached, please find a flier announcing an event at IMU’s new electric line shop/building.

Front Office/EMS Bunk Space Remodel

A project update from Formation Group is attached. The update mentions a cable drawing attachment. I did not include with this email, but have it, if anyone wants to see it.

Capital Crossroads, Stormwater Project

An update on the metro collaboration effort to address stormwater needs is attached.

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Project Updates

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - November 18, 2019
Draft - December 2, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

City Hall/Public Safety Building Assessment

Attached, please find a project update regarding the building assessment project.   

9th Street No Parking Zone

At its last meeting, the City Council approved an ordinance establishing a No Parking Zone on North 9th Street.  The ordinance went into effect upon publication on October 30th, as required by law, and the no parking signs were erected on the morning of October 31st.  

Hillcrest Trail

Attached, please find copies of correspondence received thanking the City for completing the Hillcrest Trail.

Shout Outs

What a great job by our teammates at the Library for organizing another tremendous community event on Beggars’ Night!  Thank you to all involved in the event.  Also, attached, please find two separate “shout outs” submitted for the Parks and Recreation Department, as well as the Streets Department.
Shout Out - Parks & Recreation
Shout Out - Street

Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs

Attached is a letter from the Museum Director of the State Historical Museum of Iowa thanking the City for its participation with BRAVO.

Justice Center Resolutions

Attached, please find copies of the resolutions passed by the Cities of Carlisle and Norwalk supporting the additional bond referendum for the Warren County Justice Center.  Each of the cities has been asked to share copies of the adopted resolutions via their various communication outlets.  Both Carlisle and Norwalk have already shared their resolutions via social media.  A copy of Indianola’s resolution is also attached.
City of Carlisle
City of Norwalk
City of Indianola

Comprehensive Plan Open House

In an effort to make sure we get as much feedback as possible, we are keeping the public comment period open until Friday, November 22nd. Anyone can visit www.elevateindianola.com to review the draft comprehensive plan, the draft implementation plan, the posters that were used at the open house, the results of the community survey, as well as other documents related to the update of the Comprehensive Plan. Please remember that these are not final documents.  The goal of the open house was to present what has been prepared to date and seek feedback on how we are progressing with crafting the vision. A copy of the draft plan and all of the display posters used at the open house may also be viewed at City Hall.  Staff continues to work with our consultants on reviewing and incorporating comments, as well as planning for our next steps in the project. Information on this important project will be forthcoming via the weekly emails and other city communication tools.  

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - November 18, 2019
Draft - December 2, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

Comprehensive Plan Open House

The open house for the Elevate Indianola Comprehensive Plan Update took place this past Tuesday.  Thank you to everyone who attended!  We had a tremendous turnout and received many great comments to assist us in presenting the final plan to the community and the City Council. In an effort to make sure we get as much feedback as possible, we are keeping the public comment period open until Friday, November 22. Anyone can visit www.elevateindianola.com to review the draft comprehensive plan, the draft implementation plan, the posters that were used at the open house, the results of the community survey, as well as other documents related to the update of the Comprehensive Plan. Please remember that these are not final documents.  The goal of the open house was to present what has been prepared to date and seek feedback on how we are progressing with crafting the vision. A copy of the draft plan and all of the display posters used at the open house may also be viewed at City Hall.  Staff continues to work with our consultants on reviewing and incorporating comments, as well as planning for our next steps in the project. Information on this important project will be forthcoming via the weekly emails and other city communication tools.  

Kading Properties

As the City Council was made aware, Kading Properties has filed two separate actions.  The first filing was a petition for writ of certiorari in district court and the second is a revised application to the City for the proposed Lincoln Ridge developments.  City staff has recently commenced the code compliance review process of the revised application.  Please know that as dictated by City Code, this application will follow the same process as the first, which involves: 1) code compliance review, 2) review by the Planning and Zoning Commission, and 3) review and action by the City Council.  As was done with the previous application, City Staff has shared information with the neighborhood via a designated point of contact and, like last time, is committed to providing regular updates as information becomes available.  

Justice Center Informational Meeting

Attached, please find a notice of an informational meeting being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the John C. Culver Public Policy Center.  Also attached is an informational piece on the upcoming referendum vote.  The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on October 28 at Simpson College’s Black Box Theater, located in the Kent Center.

Capital Improvement Program

Attached, please find the materials reviewed during the City Council Study Session on Monday, October 21st.  This material was presented consistent with the Council’s approved budget schedule, which is intended to provide City Council with ample time to review information prior to a time when decisions are required.  As noted during the meeting, the information contained in the presentation was compiled based on City Council direction, as well as operational needs.  The City Council will be presented this list again next month for the purpose of prioritizing in December via the ranking method utilized last year.  

City Hall/Public Safety Building Assessment

Attached, please find a copy of the presentation that was reviewed during the City Council Study Session on Monday, October 21.  The direction received from the City Council was to pursue option one of the attached presentation.

Pleasant Hill Public Safety Building

Attached, please find an article that appeared in a recent insert of the Business Record.  This is being provided for informational purposes only as it relates to the City’s current City Hall/Public Safety building assessment project.

Library Annual Report

Attached, please find a copy of the Library’s Annual Report presentation that was reviewed during the City Council Study Session on Monday, October 21.

Thank you Email

Attached, please find a copy of an email received thanking the City for completing the Hillcrest Trail.

Legislative Luncheon

Attached is a flier for this year’s Warren County Legislative Luncheon.  The Norwalk Chamber is scheduled to host this year’s event.  Registration may be done via https://mms.norwalkchamber.net/members/evr/reg_event.php?orgcode=NORW&evid=50471945.

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  
Draft - November 4, 2019
Draft - November 18, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

Justice Center Informational Meeting

Attached, please find a notice of an informational meeting being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the John C. Culver Public Policy Center.  Also attached is an informational piece on the upcoming referendum vote.  The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on October 28 at Simpson College’s Black Box Theater, located in the Kent Center.
Justice Center Referendum 

Indianola Municipal Utilities (IMU) Electric Rates

Attached is an article dated October 17, 2019 providing information concerning an increase in IMU’s electric rates.  

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)

Attached, please find an updated schedule for the City’s proposed WWTP.  The City’s project team, which includes staff and representatives from HR Green, will be working on scheduling a comprehensive update sometime in November.

Comprehensive Plan Open House

The open house for the Comprehensive Plan update is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Indianola YMCA.  A copy of the invite is attached and has been shared extensively throughout the community (especially via social media).

RAGBRAI Committee Update

Earlier this week, the Treasurer for the community’s RAGBRAI committee shared that it is estimated the committee raised approximately $22,000.  This amount does not include the positive financial impact to businesses or the local economy during our community’s hosting of RAGBRAI riders.  Our community’s RAGRBAI Executive Committee will be meeting in the near future to develop a process to disperse the funds to community not-for-profits.  Congratulations to all involved!

Fair Play Agreement

Recently, staff was briefed on the efforts of Capital Crossroads to update the existing Fair Play Agreement that is used by many cities in the Des Moines Metro Region.  This type of agreement sets out ground rules while economic development projects are being negotiated, particularly as it relates to businesses relocating from one metro community to another.  The current draft of the Fair Play Agreement is attached.  Once a final draft is available, staff will present this agreement to Council for direction.  

Parks Winterization

Staff has been working this week to prepare the park system for the winter season.  The restrooms have been closed in order to drain the plumbing to prevent freezing.  Irrigation systems at Buxton Park, Pickard Park, the Aquatic Center, and the Hwy 65/69 Medians have also been drained.  As you are aware, removal of the flowers at Buxton Park, Sesquicentennial Park, the Square (with the assistance of IMU) and other city flower beds is also part of this process.  Information regarding these activities have been communicated via our various tools.  We are pleased to share that we have received praise and appreciation from members of the community about our beautification efforts.  Full winterization of the medians in Hwy 65/69 is scheduled for Tuesday, November 12.  This will include cutting back all the plants as required by IDOT in order to minimize the impact of the snow on traffic.  The inside lanes of the highway will be closed in the morning and work is expected to be completed prior to the evening commute.  

City Hall/Public Safety Building Assessment

Attached, please find a project update regarding the building assessment project.   

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - November 4, 2019
Draft - November 18, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

Streetscape Award

The American Planning Association (APA) – Iowa Chapter just announced the recipients of its 2019 Planning Awards Program.  The City of Indianola received the award in the Urban Design category for the Streetscape Master Plan that was approved earlier this summer by the City Council.  As you will recall, the recommendation to pursue a streetscape design was identified following a multi-day study of the Square that included a community survey, resident meetings, and an open forum.  In pursuing the recommendation, a steering committee comprised of residents, business owners, the Chamber of Commerce, representatives of Simpson College and other civic groups worked with City staff and a consultant to develop the now award-winning design.  Attached, please find a copy of the press release that was issued by the APA.  This is a tremendous honor for our community!

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP)

Following a three-hour public hearing last evening (October 10), the Warren County Board of Adjustments approved the City’s application for a Special Use Permit for the proposed WWTP.  There were several approvals required for this project that have been secured to date.  At this point, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is reviewing plans as part of the construction permit process.  Additional updates will be provided as the project continues to move forward.

Indianola Municipal Utilities (IMU) Water Meter Fees

IMU recently informed the City that, as of October 1, the water meter fees were adjusted.  These fees are typically charged by Community Development as part of the Building Permit for new construction.  The new fees are attached.

Economic Development Assistance Grant

As you may recall, the City submitted a grant application for funding to assist in the paving of Iowa Avenue (approximate cost of $1.5 million) in front of the proposed 50,000 square foot Missouri Valley Line Constructors Apprenticeship and Training Program building.  Attached, please find a letter of support that was recently submitted by Jay Byers, CEO of the Greater Des Moines Partnership.

Justice Center Informational Meeting

Attached, please find a notice of an informational meeting being hosted by the Chamber of Commerce and the John C. Culver Public Policy Center.  The meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on October 28 at Simpson College’s Black Box Theater, located in the Kent Center.  

Chamber of Commerce Open House

Attached, please find an invitation to the Chamber of Commerce’s open house on October 16 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.  The open house will take place at the Chamber’s office, located at 111 N. Buxton.

Comprehensive Plan Open House

The open house for the Comprehensive Plan update is scheduled for Tuesday, October 22 from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Indianola YMCA.  A copy of the invite is attached and has been shared extensively throughout the community (especially via social media). 

Iowa Great Places Meeting

On October 10, members of the Indianola Hometown Pride Committee hosted the first meeting with community organizations to work towards earning the “Iowa Great Places” designation for Indianola.  There were 15 people in attendance representing the City, Simpson College, National Balloon Classic, Indianola Schools, WCEDC and the Chamber to set goals for the Iowa Great Places application that will be submitted in May 2020.  The group plans to draw from existing plans and resources, including: surveys and assessments done by the Chamber, WCEDC, the City and the Indianola Comprehensive Master Plan.  The designation enhances the reputation of our community, opens exclusive State funding opportunities and designated places receive additional consideration by other state agency programs and grants for endorsed projects.  The designation is awarded by the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.  More information on the Iowa Great Places can be found at - https://iowaculture.gov/about-us/about/grants/iowa-great-places

Trail Projects Update

The retaining wall and final section of paving along West Euclid Avenue was completed for the Jerry Kelley Trail this week.  The contractor is planning to finish the final grading early next week.  The Hillcrest Trail Connector final grading is complete, and the final stages of both projects is to mulch and seed the disturbed areas.  Final walk-throughs and inspections with City staff and Snyder & Associates will take place once the work is complete.  

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).
Draft - October 21, 2019
Draft - November 4, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

City Hall/Public Safety Building Assessment

Attached, please find a project update regarding the building assessment project.  As you will see, this includes some of the updates previously shared at a prior City Council meeting.  Pursuant to the memorandum, it is anticipated that a presentation will be provided at the October 21st study session regarding the evaluation of other City owned sites as possibilities to accommodate the office space deficiencies.  

MFPRSI Increase for FY21

Staff was informed of an increase in the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa (MFPRSI) of almost one percent (24.41% to 25.31%) for the City contribution rate for FY2021 beginning on July 1, 2020. Attached is the letter informing us of this change. Although the retirement system is for police and fire; in Indianola, only the police officers are in this system. With the current budgeted number of officers, an estimate of the increase will be about $17,000. The MFPRSI cost is included with the employee benefit levy portion of the city’s overall property tax levy. The public safety staffing study called for an additional increase of two officers in FY2021. Staff will incorporate this into the budget discussions and have more information during the budget process.

Code Amendment Request

Attached, please find a letter from Into Brewing, LLC requesting a code amendment to the C-3 General Retail and Office Zoning District.  This request is on Council’s October 7 agenda for discussion and direction.

Dangerous & Dilapidated (D&D) Fund

As the City Council is aware, for more than six years the D&D fund has contained a negative balance.  This was a result of the City previously purchasing and removing several dilapidated structures.  Working with the City’s realtor of record, Kim Keller of Iowa Realty, through the sale and development of many of these vacant parcels we have been able to correct this negative fund balance.  I am pleased to report that as of this afternoon, the City received a check for over $68,000 that will bring the D&D fund to approximately $50,000.  In addition to this great news, as you will see on the City Council agenda for October 7th, the City Council will be asked to set a public hearing for the sale and development of one of the last remaining D&D lots. 

Stormwater Drainage Project

Attached, please find a letter that has been delivered to residents living in the Prairie View subdivision.  This project was approved at the last City Council meeting with some remaining items scheduled for the October 7th City Council meeting.  As the plans, specs, form of contract and awarding of contract have already been approved, and the contractor has expressed a willingness to proceed in advance of the October 7th meeting, a notice to proceed has been granted.  

Stop Sign Installation

A citizen request came in from the website inquiring about the conversion of yield signs to stop signs at the corner of N H Street and West Boston. In accordance with City Code, the City’s Police and Streets departments reviewed the request and determined that the installation of a stop sign was warranted.  Installation of the sign occurred on Wednesday, October 2nd.  Residents in the immediate vicinity and the Indianola School District were notified of the new stop sign.  

County Public Hearing

Attached, please find a copy of the public hearing notice regarding the City’s request for a special use permit for the proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant.  

City Council Inquiry

Staff received an inquiry from a City Councilmember about the payoffs of liens on properties.  According to the County Treasurer’s Office, when a property gets foreclosed (court order) any liens or assessments are transferred to the new property owners.  However, when a property is sold any liens or assessments need to be paid before transfer of title can take place.

Comprehensive Plan Open House

The open house for the Comprehensive Plan update has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Indianola YMCA.  An invite (attached) will is being distributed throughout the community.

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.
Draft - October 21, 2019
Draft - November 4, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

 

Courthouse/Jail Referendum

As you may have heard, the Warren County Supervisors have taken steps to ask voters for additional funding for the Courthouse/Jail project.  Accordingly, as staff works on preparing the City Council agenda for the October 7th City Council meeting, we are seeking informal input on if, similar to last year, there is a desire from City Council members to include a discussion item on this topic.  Please let me know prior to October 3rd.  When responding, in accordance with the open meetings act, please respond to me directly and do not “reply to all”.

EDA Economic Development Assistance Grant

Next week, staff will be submitting the final application for grant funding to help assist in the paving of Iowa Avenue in front of the 50,000 square foot Missouri Valley Line Constructors Apprenticeship & Training Program building, that is currently under construction.  The estimated total project cost of this paving project is approximately $1.5 Million, and this grant is able to provide up to 50% funding.  As part of the final application, staff worked with Missouri Valley to get letters of support.  One of those letters of support, from the Southern Iowa Council of Governments, is attached.

Building Code Updates

Starting next week, Community Development and Fire Department staff will begin weekly meetings regarding proposed updates to fire, building, building trades and energy codes.  Staff will work to get feedback from contractors located, and doing work, in Indianola prior to bringing recommendations forward to the City Council for final approval.  In doing this, Staff will be reviewing all recommendations from the Central Iowa Code Consortium.  The Central Iowa Code Consortiums recommendations can be found at www.capitalcrossroadsvision.com/lgc/cicc/, and an informational brochure on the Central Iowa Code Consortium is attached to this email.

Comprehensive Plan Open House

The open house for the Comprehensive Plan update has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Indianola YMCA.  An invite (attached) will begin to be distributed to the community starting next week.

Fire Department Ambulance Billing

During a previous City Council meeting, the City’s ambulance billing company provided an update of the department’s billing activities.  During the meeting a request was made for additional information.  This information is attached.  As you will see in the document, $125,861.71 will be submitted to the State’s off-set program in an attempt to collect these outstanding balances.  You will also see that a total of $2,179.14 will need to be “written off” due to bankruptcy or death of the customer.

Website Update

Work is underway on the website design update.  Staff received the first mock-ups of the new design (attached).  The feedback from our internal website design committee and department heads has been very positive.  It is anticipated a redesign of the website will be completed after the first of the year.

Square Snow Removal

City staff received permission from Warren County to place snow accumulations from around the Square onto the County’s property located in the center during the 2019/2020 winter season. The usage of this property for snow storage will greatly reduce the time and equipment needed for snow removal in the downtown area. Thanks to Warren County for allowing this to occur.

YMCA Annual Meeting

As you are aware, the City’s 28E agreement with the YMCA requires City representation on the local advisory board.  In that capacity, last week I attended the Annual YMCA Meeting in Des Moines.  This was the official business meeting for the YMCA Association as the organization begins a new fiscal year (September 1 to August 31). During the meeting, Leisha Barcus, CEO of the YMCA, provided some general partner updates, as well as a few other informational updates.  Of note was the Greater Des Moines YMCA’s fiscal year end.  Ms. Barcus reported the Y finished the fiscal year at “break-even” and that the Association reduced debt by $1,083,648.06.  Attached, please find a copy of her speech which includes this information.

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Project Updates

Agendas

Tentative agendas for upcoming Council meetings are attached.
Draft - October 7, 2019
Draft - October 21, 2019

Ryan Waller - City Manager

Property Taxes

Over the last few weeks I have received questions regarding the City’s property tax rate and how the City ranks among other communities.  Attached, please find a document that provides the comparison of the City’s tax rate to other communities.  As you will see, the City ranks as the 21st lowest in the State among communities with a population of 6,500 and greater.  Please remember that the City’s rate is one portion of a resident’s overall property tax bill.  The rate in the attached document does not include the property tax rate for the school district, county or any other taxing district.

Bond Rating Call

Last Friday, Andy Lent, Finance Director, and I participated in a bond rating call with the City’s financial advisor, Mike Maloney from D.A. Davidson, and a Moody’s rating adjuster, Dan Simpson.  The call was necessary to review the City’s bond rating prior to the bidding on the refinance bond issue that will lower the combined interest rate cost of the 2011E and 2012A bond series. The phone conference was positive highlighting the strong financial position of the City and the recent economic development happenings. A copy of the presentation that we reviewed is attached.  As you will recall, last year the bond rating increased from Aa3 to Aa2.  No change in the current bond rating is anticipated as the current rating is as high as the City can go due to its size. Staff still estimates approximately $200,000 in interest savings with the refinancing.

September 30th Special Meeting

At the Council meeting on August 19, the Council received information regarding the refinancing of the 2011E and 2012A bond series. In this information, it was noted that a possible special meeting may be needed on Monday September 30th. Mike Maloney believes we may still need this special meeting. The meeting should be short and can occur during the day. We should have more information today, or at least by Monday, on whether this special meeting will be necessary.

Jerry Kelley Trail

The completion of this project continues to be delayed by the contractor installing the retaining wall along West Euclid Avenue.  City staff have been informed that the contractors expect to be back on site Monday, September 23rd.  The contractors expect to have the retaining wall installed by the end of next week.  The wall must be installed before the final stretch of trail along West Euclid Avenue can be paved.  If all goes well, the final section will be paved September 27th.  The bike “sharrows” along Iowa and Kenwood were painted this week, but the “sharrows” on Kenwood were not painted according to the approved plans and will be removed and repainted at the contractor’s expense.  It is anticipated that the project will be completed the week of September 23rd.  A courtesy update letter was recently sent to residents in the area.  Additionally, staff will be reviewing the contract to determine if liquidated damages can be assessed as a result of the delays.

East Hillcrest Trail Connector

The western half of the trail was paved Thursday, September 19th prior to the late morning rain.  Unfortunately, the rain stopped the eastern half from being completed.  Attached is a picture of the progress made so far.  The remaining section is being paved Friday, September 20th.  Once the trail has been paved, the remaining ground will be graded and seeded.  The contractor has been working on this project for nine days and has 11 more working days remaining according to the contract.   

Regarding this project, earlier this week staff received an inquiry from a City Councilmember about the subgrade for this trail.  In response to the question, staff shared that there is a 12” compacted dirt subgrade under the trail.  That subgrade was tested in multiple locations by our engineers prior to the pouring of the trail. 

Sanitary Sewer Project

The West 3rd Avenue Sewer Replacement project is progressing and remains on schedule.  Weather permitting, the contractor will be paving the street on Wednesday September 25th. 

Highway 92 Update

City staff continues to perform follow-up with the Iowa Department of Transportation (IDOT) on the status of the Highway 92 paving project.  This week staff was informed that paving crews will be working on the east side of town beginning at 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, September 24th.  Crews are anticipated to then transition to the west side of town beginning 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday, September 25th.  The intersection of 65/69 and Highway 92 will be set to flashing red and a pilot car will be present directing traffic during these days.

Cavitt Creek Condominiums Presentation

Attached, please find a copy of the presentation provided at Monday’s City Council meeting.  As was noted, this presentation was a summary of the information included in the City Council’s packet for the September 16th meeting.

Informational Letters

Similar to the last City Council election, a letter containing some initial resources was sent to all residents who filed petitions for the open City Council positions.  A copy of this letter is attached and provided for your information.
Informational Letter
Candidates Guide

Community Development Updates

Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda

Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.
Draft - October 7, 2019
Draft - October 21, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

City Council Supplementals
As you are aware, the City Council meeting packet is published in the afternoon on the Thursday the week before the City Council meeting.  There are three agenda items where materials were either received after the publication or additional time was required to compile necessary information.  Attached, please find additional information for the following agenda items:

• Old Business A.3. (2019 Drainage Improvement Project)
  Attached, please find the recommendation memorandum referenced on page 263 of the published City Council meeting packet.    
• New Business B.1. (Kading Property Management requests for Cavitt Creek Condominiums)
  Attached, please find an pdf document containing additional correspondence received from residents on this proposed development.  Any additional correspondence received after this email will be printed and provided at the City Council meeting.
• Other Business 10.A. (City Manager’s Report)
  Attached, please find a letter from a local business owner requesting an amendment to the Zoning Code.  Staff will seek direction from the City Council on possible referral to the Planning and Zoning Commission for review and a possible recommendation.

East Hillcrest Trail Connector
The contractor is finishing the installation of the last culvert Friday and is looking to complete the grading for the trail early next week.  They are looking to pave the trail during the middle of next week and then finish the grading and seeding the week of September 23rd.

June 2018 Storm Recap
One of the projects that the City undertook after the June 2018 windstorm was to pick up tree debris. This debris along with debris brought to the City Brush Facility by residents was chipped and hauled away under a FEMA project at the beginning of this year. In July, the City received the FEMA reimbursement, which was $87,780 or 75 percent of the cost. This week, the City received the State portion, which was $11,704 or 10 percent of the cost. The City is responsible for the remaining 15 percent.

Training
As you may recall, transitioning employees from a paper timesheet to an online system was a project included in this year’s budget.  Not only does this project improve the efficiency for our team, it also helps to reduce risk associated with this aspect of our organization’s operations.  This transition was completed earlier this week when the final department received training on the system.  Thank you to Jackie Raffety and Melissa McCoy for their work on this project.

Street Light Conversion
Mike Metcalf, Electric Superintendent, recently shared some positive news on the LED street lights conversion project.  Mike indicated in July 2018, the street likes along North Jefferson used 11,948 kw.  In July of 2019, following the light fixture conversion in the same area, the usage was much lower at 5,568 kw. This equates to a savings of $478.50 just for the North Jefferson lights in one month. Mike estimates an annual savings of $9,000 just for the North Jefferson street lights. 

Recycling Presentation
Margaret Vernon, representative of the community’s sustainability committee, shared that Ammon Taylor, Waste Management, will be providing a presentation on recycling on Sunday, September 15th at 12:15 p.m. at Trinity United Presbyterian Church, 200 South Howard Street.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Current Projects Update

Agendas
Tentative agendas for upcoming Council meetings are attached.
Draft - October 7, 2019
Draft - October 21, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Warren County Courthouse Project Update
This week, Staff was notified by DCI that Warren County has directed them to relocate the perimeter fencing currently on Ashland Avenue and Howard Street off the parking areas and onto the open ground owned by the County. DCI’s trailer along Howard Street will be removed on September 16th and DCI has indicated the fence will be moved back shortly thereafter. 

Jerry Kelley Trail
The areas of the trail that are completed will be seeded the week of September 9th.  Once the seeding has been performed, the trail and sidewalk between Iowa Avenue and Memorial Park will be open and the sidewalk closed signs and road work signs will be removed in that area.  The bike “sharrows” will be painted and bike “sharrow” signs installed along Iowa and Kenwood Avenues next week as well.  The last remaining section will be paved once the retaining wall is installed, which is expected the week of September 16th.  If all goes well, that section of trail should be paved by September 20th.

East Hillcrest Trail Connector
Century Link has begun to relocate their line and IMU will relocate their facilities next week.  Also next week, the contractors will begin removal of trees and begin grading of the area.  Staff discussed and confirmed with the contractor that there will not be any lane closures for any part of the construction of this area.  The concrete trucks will be staged off of all the road surfaces.  The contract for this project calls for completion within four weeks.  

Comprehensive Plan Survey Results
As you are aware, the Comprehensive Plan survey, which was made available to the public from June 24th through August 16th, was taken by over 1,600 people.  Thanks to this input, the City received over 2,000 comments along with 53,000 points of data that the consultants will now use as they begin to draft the plan and accompanying maps.  A summary of the results are attached to this e-mail.  Full results of the survey can be found at www.elevateindianola.com. 

Comprehensive Plan Open House
The open house for the Comprehensive Plan update has been scheduled for Tuesday, October 22nd from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Indianola YMCA.  An invite (attached) will be distributed to the community starting in about two weeks.

WWTP Decision
Attached, please find the Judge’s ruling in the City’s appeal to the District Court regarding the proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant.  

City Council Meeting Presentation
Attached, please find the presentation provided by Matt Brown of the Formation Group.  This presentation contains an update of the building assessment project, as well as the Fire Department work space and sleeping quarters renovations.

Foxwood Apartments
The Fire Department was notified that the Red Cross is going to open a resource center on Saturday September 7th.  This resource center will be for the residents of the Foxwood Apartment Complex to assist those being displaced as a result of the fire (approximately 30 units) with any information needed concerning their individual situations. 

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Project Updates

Agendas
Tentative agendas for upcoming Council meetings are attached.

Draft - September 16, 2019
Draft - October 7, 2019

Director of Finance

____________________________________________________________

YMCA Q&A Session
Leisha Barcus, CEO of the Greater Des Moines YMCA, hosted an informational meeting on Wednesday, August 28th. The meeting was well attended. During the meeting, Ms. Barcus provided information concerning the history of the community’s and YMCA’s relationship, current financial situation and actions either taken or being explored to address the operating deficit. Ms. Barcus did share that the membership is strong in Indianola, but high utility costs and building maintenance costs are contributing to the deficit. During the forum, Ms. Barcus did announce that the Boone Community Y would be closing next month. 
 
Prairie Meadows Grants
Both the Police and Fire Departments received their funds today from Prairie Meadows for equipment. The Police Department amount was $19,339.93 for computer equipment and the Fire Department amount was $35,000 for extrication equipment. Both these grants will pay between 85 and 90 percent of the cost of the equipment. 
 
Safest Cities in Iowa Report
A report done by an organization, Background Checks.org, has recently done a study and listed Indianola as the 26th safest city in Iowa. A listing of the top 36 safest cities in Iowa can be found at: https://backgroundchecks.org/safest-cities-in-iowa.html
 
FY2019 Audit
Robert Endriss of Denman & Company will be in city hall the week of September 9th to do fieldwork on the FY2019 annual audit. He will also do a presentation near the end of the Council meeting on Tuesday similar to the one he did last year as preparatory communication for the audit.
 
W 3rd Ave Sewer Replacement Project
The replacement of the 6” sanitary sewer with 8” is progressing right along. Removal of concrete started August 21st and the contractor started replacing the sanitary sewer Friday August 23rd and finished installing the new sewer Wednesday August 28th. They are currently 9 days ahead of their anticipated schedule. 
 
K Street Dust Application
Earlier this week the 3rd and final 2019 dust control application was applied to South K Street. Application protocol set by staff and our engineers calls for 3 applications annually with application timing being at or around Memorial Day, County Fair time, and Labor Day. Staff decided to do this application a little earlier this year due to some of the ruts and potholes present from recent heavy rain events. This timing gave staff an opportunity to heavily grade this road surface prior to this recent application.
 
Jerry Kelley Trail
The majority of the trail has been paved, except for a small portion along the 1800 Block of West Euclid Avenue.  That section has been delayed due to utility locating prior to installation of a retaining wall that should be constructed the week of September 16.  All 4 of the driveways that were removed have been installed and each owner has driveway access.  Final grading has been completed north of Iowa Avenue and the grading will be completed along West Euclid Avenue by August 30 on all areas that have been paved.  A Pre-Seed meeting will be held with Snyder, City staff and the contractor on September 4 and seeding is scheduled to be completed around the paved areas by September 6.  The bike sharrows will be painted and bike sharrow signs installed along Iowa and Kenwood Avenues on September 13.  Since this project is being partially funded by a grant from the State, staff have submitted the first and second reimbursement requests for $146,910 to IDOT and the total re-imbursement agreement is for $282,920.
  
Aquatic Center
The final day for the Veteran’s Memorial Aquatic Center was Sunday, August 25.  Daily admissions were up by 240 people from last year and revenue from admissions and pool passes was up by nearly $2,000.  Staff has begun the winterization process and also will be working on budgeted Capital Improvement Items in the coming months.  The first project was completed this week with the installation of a new sound system.  This will improve the communication throughout the season as well as in case of emergencies.  The RFP for pool painting and caulking has been posted and is due September 5 and will be brought to Council on September 16.
 
Hillcrest Trail Connector
Construction on this trail is scheduled to begin the week of September 9.  The property owners have all been notified and we have also posted the anticipated start date on social media.  
 
Comprehensive Plan Update Project Team
The Comprehensive Plan Update Project Team had its third meeting on Tuesday, August 27th at City Hall (picture below).  The Project Team was updated on progress that has been made to date by the Consultants, discussed survey results, discussed vison and goal statements and reviewed possible future land use designations.  The next steps in the process are to begin drafting the updated comprehensive plan, host a public open house in October, and joint work session with the Project Management Team, Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council in November.  This planning process is anticipated to last until the end of 2019.


Residential Building Inspector Certification
This week, Tim Little, the City’s Building and Zoning Official, attended the residential building inspector test academy which is put on by the International Code Council (ICC).  The academy covered topics in building code administration such as building planning, footings and foundation, floor construction, wall construction and coverings, roof/ceiling construction, public safety and special construction.  On the final day of the academy, the residential building inspector test was administered.  I’m pleased to announce that Tim passed the test and will become a certified residential building inspector!
 
Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Project Updates
 
Agenda
Tentative agendas for upcoming Council meetings are attached.

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Debt Financing Article
Attached, please find an article from the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The GFOA was founded in 1906 and represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada. The association's mission is to advance excellence in public finance and does so by providing best practice guidance, consulting, and training opportunities for those in the profession.  The staff and I are pleased to share that much of what is referenced in the article mirrors many of our practices and approaches.

Budgetary Environmental Scan
Attached, please find the presentation given by Andy Lent, Finance Director, at the August 19th City Council meeting.

Local Option Sales and Services Tax (LOSST) Letter
Attached is the FY20 LOSST payment estimate from the Iowa Department of Revenue (IDR) for the months of August 2019 through July 2020. This document does not include the extra transaction in November which is the FY2019 reconciliation. The IDR will either pay the city an extra amount if they were short in FY2019 from the actual LOSST total or will give an amount that future payments will be reduced if the actual amount was smaller.  As staff noted during the August 19th City Council meeting, this estimate is up from initial projections to approximately $1.2 million dollars.  This is an indication of a strong local economy here in our community, as well as our county.  

ISO Review
On Monday, August 19th the fire department completed a meeting with a representative from the Insurance Service Office (ISO). During the meeting the department’s capabilities are rated based upon criteria set by the ISO. The resulting rating serves as a way to assess the readiness of a fire department and ultimately impacts insurance rates for not only the City, but also our residents.  As Chief Chia noted during Monday’s City Council meeting, initial feedback from our review was very positive due to the recent staffing adjustments and the updating of our Fire Department’s fleet.  We will share the rating once it is received.

County Workshop
Earlier today the County held a workshop on the jail/courthouse project.  Staff was in attendance for a majority of the meeting.  It seemed that the general consensus was that the meeting currently scheduled for this coming Tuesday may be premature until a determination is made regarding the Square as the location for the project.  Information concerning the Tuesday meeting was emailed to the City Council on August 15th and 21st.  We are not sure if the meeting will be rescheduled.  If we learn of anything to the contrary we will let you know.  The meeting on Tuesday, August 27th is at Norwalk City Hall at 6 PM.

Labor Day
City offices will be closed on Monday, September 2nd for the Labor Day holiday.  As this holiday falls on a City Council meeting day, please be remember that the City Council meeting will be moved to Tuesday, September 3rd.

Comprehensive Plan Update
Thanks for everyone’s help on spreading the word on the Comprehensive Plan Survey.  A total of 1,634 surveys were completed.  The Project Management team is scheduled to meet next week to discuss the results and next steps.  Information on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found at www.elevateindianola.com.

Out of the Office
I will be out of the office on August 29th and 30th.  Please contact Andy Lent if you have any questions or need assistance.   

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement
Project Updates

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.
Draft - September 3, 2019
Draft - September 16, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

WWTP District Case
Attached, please find the brief filed by the City Attorney responding to the intervenor’s filing in our case regarding the WWTP. 

Indianola YMCA FAQ
Attached, please find a FAQ document that was put together for the community regarding the Indianola YMCA. 

Fireside Chat
Attached, please find a flier announcing an informational meeting with Greater Des Moines YMCA CEO, Leisha Barcus.  

Refinancing 2011E and 2012A
This week we heard from the City’s finance adviser, Mike Maloney of D.A. Davidson, that due to recent drops in interest rates, it was a good time to refinance two of our larger bond notes: 2011E and 2012A. This refinancing will save the City over $200,000 in interest costs in the next several years until the bond notes mature in 2031 and 2029, respectively. Included in the City Council meeting packet for Monday, is a memorandum from Mike explaining the refinancing process and an engagement letter for his firm’s services in this process.

Jerry Kelley Trail
Paving of the approaches and curbs was completed early this week on the section from Iowa Avenue to Memorial Park.  Backfill and grading began today (Friday, August 16th).  Once the final grade is approved by Snyder, the contractor will then seed the surrounding areas.  Paving along West Euclid Avenue near Wilder school began on Thursday, August 15th.  There was a delay in construction of the retaining wall at the bottom of the hill on West Euclid as IMU was asked to confirm the location of a main electric feeder line this week.  Once that retaining wall is installed next week, the final section of trail will be installed.  Following the seven-day required cure time, the contractor will then backfill, grade and seed along all areas of the West Euclid Trail.  The contractor anticipates all paving to be completed by the end of next week.  Since this project is being partially funded by a grant from the State, staff have submitted the first reimbursement request for $78,941 to IDOT.

Electric and Stormsewer Issue
During work being performed as part of the Jerry Kelley Trail project, sizeable voids were discovered adjacent to driveways scheduled to be replaced for this project.  Upon inspection and utility locates, it is believed that in at least three areas of a stormsewer in the 1800 block of West Euclid electrical conduit was bore through the line.  Attached is a picture illustrating this issue.  Staff will be working with IMU to have this issue corrected. 


Hillcrest Trail Connector
Construction of this trail section is scheduled to begin the week of September 9th.  The contract calls for 20 working days with the trail finished by October 4th. 

Departmental “Shout Outs”
Attached, please find this week’s “shout outs” to members of the Team.  

Comprehensive Plan Update
Today is the last day to take the Comprehensive Plan Survey.  Since last week, we have had over 600 additional responses, and 1,579 surveys have been completed!  The survey and other information on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found at www.elevateindianola.com.

Downtown Square Streetscape Plan
I am pleased to share that the Square Streetscape Plan was submitted for the 2019 American Planning Association Iowa Chapter Award for the Downtown Square Streetscape Plan in the Urban Design category.  As part of the application process, five letters of recommendation were received.  Attached, please find copies of these letters.  

Kading Neighborhood Meeting
This past Wednesday evening, Kading Properties hosted a second neighborhood meeting regarding their two proposed new developments within the City of Indianola.  During this meeting Kading provided more information to neighbors and updated the neighborhood on some changes that were made to the developments based off the first neighborhood meeting that was held on July 16.  The proposed developments are still in the staff review phase.  

Catch DSM Annual Celebration
Please see attached invitation for the Catch Des Moines Annual Celebration in Ankeny on August 28. Please RSVP by Friday, August 23 to www.catchdesmoines.com/celebration

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement Update
Current Projects

Director of Finance

____________________________________________________________

W. 3rd Ave Sewer
The pre-construction meeting was held on 6 August 2019. the contractor, Vanderpool, plans on starting August 20th soon after the council approves the Notice to Proceed at the August 19th council meeting. Rick hand-delivered the attached letter to the six residents directly impacted by the project this week.

WWTP Update
Last Friday, Rick, Ryan and I (by phone) attended a meeting with HR Green to review the current status of the design phase of the of the new wastewater treatment plant. Several items have been addressed, but a few remain. One is the court proceedings, but another important item is the provision of water for fire protection to the facility. This matter is currently being researched and will be presented to the city council in the near future. 

Tourism Update
As you may recall, the Iowa Gallivant is a tourism focused blog. This blog has done a series of reviews on Indianola based businesses on the Square. The most recent review was done heading into RAGBRAI’s visit to Indianola. A new post has recently appeared about the Corn Crib bed and breakfast. Here is the link to this post - https://theiowagallivant.com/2019/08/05/back-to-the-corn-crib-bb-in-indianola-youll-see-why/ 

Comprehensive Plan Update
As a reminder, the Comprehensive Plan Update survey closes in one week.  The survey and other information on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found at www.elevateindianola.com.  With just a week left to take the survey, please help spread the word!  To date, 935 surveys have been completed.

Streetscape Plan
The approved version of the Square Streetscape Plan has been loaded onto the project page on the City’s website. This may be found at: https://www.indianolaiowa.gov/804/Indianola-Downtown-Square-Streetscape.

Quail Meadows 3
Staff received an inquiry from a Councilperson regarding the proposed Quail Meadows 3 development. Specifically, the question asked was how this site will be accessed, and who will pay for the roads.  The current action going to the Planning and Zoning Commission is for a rezoning of the land.  If approved, the next step will be the platting in which road and lot layout will be reviewed.  North 8th Street is currently stubbed in to this site, and a requirement would be to continue that road into this site.  The cost to construct the infrastructure within this subdivision would be the responsibility of the developer. As a reminder, now that this development is moving forward, a key infrastructure project is to eliminate the current small lift station and replace it with a larger one further north.  The new lift station will be sized to receive flow from the area west of here and will allow development east of Theisens. Cost for the lift station will be the city’s responsibility. Staff anticipates bringing forward items related to this lift station at a future city council meeting.

Jerry Kelley Trail
Paving of the trail section between Iowa Avenue and the Aquatic Center began Thursday and should be finished Friday, August 9.  Work will continue on the West Euclid portion with removal and reinstalling driveways the week of August 12.  The section between Iowa Avenue and Memorial Park was paved yesterday. A picture showing the newly constructed trail about halfway along on this section is attached.


Hillcrest Trail Connector
The pre-construction meeting was held earlier this week.  Construction of this trail section is scheduled to begin the week of September 9.  The contract calls for 20 working days with the trail finished by October 4. 

Indianola YMCA
Attached, please find a FAQ document that was put together for the community regarding the Indianola YMCA. 

Catch DSM Annual Celebration
Please see attached invitation for the Catch Des Moines Annual Celebration in Ankeny on August 28. Please RSVP by Friday, August 23 to www.catchdesmoines.com/celebration

Agendas
Tentative agendas for August 19th and September 3rd are attached. Remember that due to Labor Day, the first meeting in September will be on Tuesday, September 3rd.
Draft - August 19, 2019
Draft - September 3, 2019

Community Development Updates
Please see attached updates.
Building Permits
Code Enforcement Update
Projects Update

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Marketing
Attached is a short video clip from WHO-TV.  As you will see in this clip Greg Edwards, President & CEO for Catch Des Moines, shares some positive news about the recent events in our community.

Comprehensive Plan Update
As a reminder, the Comprehensive Plan Update survey has been released.  The survey and other information on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found at www.elevateindianola.com.  To date, 915 surveys have been completed.  As you may recall, staff and the consultants participated in the National Balloon Classic Parade on Saturday, July 27, 2019.  Following that event, 15 surveys were completed.  The survey closes on August 16th. 

Development News
Here is a link to a recent news report by WHO-TV regarding proposed zoning changes from the City of Des Moines - https://whotv.com/2019/08/01/home-developers-and-builders-concerned-about-proposed-building-code/amp/.  On the same topic, attached, please find an article on this matter that appeared in Des Moines Register.  This topic has been raised by two reputable developers City Staff have met with this week while discussing possible future residential development opportunities in Indianola. 

Clerk Institute
Congratulations to Jackie Raffety on her recent completion of a city clerk training class.  For three and a half days in July, Jackie attended classes at the annual Iowa Municipal Professionals Institute held at Iowa State University. She attended these classes in order to learn more about the duties and responsibilities of the city clerk as part of her responsibilities are to be a backup assistant for Diana. The classes were also beneficial to learn more about her specific accounts receivable duties.  She learned how events and politics on a state and national level can have an impact on city finances.  She also took a class on interacting with citizens and public officials. The topics of the last day were record keeping, open meeting laws and the clerk’s role in elections. 

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Code Enforcement Tracker
Current Projects Update
Permit Report

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.
Draft - August 19, 2019
Draft - September 3, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

RAGBRAI
What an incredible day for our community on July 23rd!  The entire community, especially our volunteers and staff, did such an incredible job in hosting this event.  While I was working an intersection on the exit route Wednesday morning, the bicyclists shared a lot of praise and thanks for our community.  In addition to the marketing of our community to the tens of thousands of visitors, there has also been quite a bit of positive news coverage.  Here are just two links that have been making the rounds:

https://www.facebook.com/LaurenDonovanKCCI/videos/2434568503487176?sfns=mo

https://www.kcci.com/article/indianola-to-host-4-major-annual-events-in-one-week/28512976

WWTP District Case
Attached, please find the materials filed in advance of the arguments scheduled for July 30th.  Please be advised that often times this type of hearing will take place in a small room with limited amount of seating. Legal Counsel and I will be attending this hearing and will provide an update at a future City Council meeting.
Brief and Argument in Support of Writ of Certiorari
Defendant's Brief

Brush Facility
Following the storm that rolled through our community on Saturday, our Brush Facility offered free brush disposal for storm damaged trees. During Sunday’s hours of operation, 146 individuals took the opportunity to utilize this service with several making multiple trips to dispose of their material.

Departmental “Shout Outs”
Attached, please find this week’s “shout outs” to members of the Team.
Parks & Recreation
City Employees

Comprehensive Plan Update
As a reminder, the Comprehensive Plan Update survey has been released.  The survey and other information on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found at www.elevateindianola.com.  To date, 876 surveys have been completed.  Additionally, staff and the consultants will be participating in the National Balloon Classic Parade on Saturday, July 27, 2019.  During the parade, flyers advertising the survey will be handed out, as well as candy for the kids.  A poster advertising the survey has been created and is attached.  This advertisement is being shared with our community partners (i.e. School District, YMCA, Chamber, and local businesses to name a few).  To gather as much feedback as possible, we ask you to help spread the word to your constituents to participate in the survey!

Informational Note
Here is a link to a recent news report by KCRG out of Cedar Rapids regarding traffic changes being made that is being provided for informational purposes only: https://www.kcrg.com/content/news/Transition-from-one-way-to-two-way-in-a-dozen-areas-nearly-complete-512968911.html.  

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Current Projects Update
Expired Permits

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.
Draft - August 5, 2019
Draft - August 19, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

RAGBRAI
It is only a few days before thousands of bicyclists and tourists Roll Into Nola.  Here is a link to a news story that aired on WHO TV (Channel 13) earlier this week - https://whotv.com/2019/07/17/indianola-prepares-for-thousands-of-riders-one-week-away-from-ragbrai/

Jefferson Highway Signage
Earlier this year the City Council approved an agreement with the Iowa Division of Transportation for the placement of Jefferson Highway signs in the community as part of their Heritage Byways program. The 11 signs that are the City’s responsibility were installed this week by the Street Department. Extra efforts were made by staff to place these signs on existing sign and light poles to minimize sign congestion. A picture is attached.


Comprehensive Plan Update
As a reminder, the Comprehensive Plan Update survey has been released.  The survey and other information on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found at www.elevateindianola.com.  To date, 846 surveys have been completed.  Additionally, staff and the consultants will be participating in the National Balloon Classic Parade on Saturday, July 27, 2019, beginning at 11:00 am.  During the parade, flyers advertising the survey will be handed out, as well as candy for the kids.  A poster advertising the survey has been created and is attached.  This advertisement is being shared with our community partners (i.e. School District, YMCA, Chamber, and local businesses to name a few).  To gather as much feedback as possible, we ask you to help spread the word to your constituents to participate in the survey!

Fire Department Updates
Congratulations to the Fire Department on receiving $1100 from Hy-Vee and $5000 from the Warren County Philanthropic Partnership.  These funds will be used to purchase of another Lucas Device. As you may remember, the Lucas Device is an automated CPR device.  Thank you to our friends at Hy-Vee and the WCPP.  In other departmental news, the three new full-time firefighters completed their second week of on-the-job training and are preparing to attend a three semester paramedic curriculum. 

Safety Training
Thank you for the responses.  The safety training will start next week.  Melissa will send appointment emails.  Please be on the lookout.

BRAVO Letter
Attached, please find a letter from BRAVO Greater Des Moines providing a copy of the FY20 operating budget.  Also referenced in the letter is another attachment that can be found along with the letter. 

Informational Note
Here is a link to a recent news report by KCCI regarding some zoning code updates that the City of Des Moines is researching - https://www.kcci.com/article/new-dsm-planning-zoning-code-proposed-is-one-of-strictest-in-us/28440564.  Staff is providing this for informational purposes only.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Current Project Update
Property Maintenance Report
Expired Permit Report

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.

Draft - August 5, 2019
Draft - August 19, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Kading Neighborhood Meeting
As you are aware, Kading Properties have proposed two new developments within the City of Indianola.  In the first set of comments from Staff to the developer on the site plan, Staff suggested that the developer host a neighborhood meeting on their project.  This meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 16 at 6 pm, and Kading representatives have reached out to invite Council Members.  As Kading Properties is hosting/conducting this meeting to discuss a matter that will likely appear before public bodies (i.e. Planning and Zoning and City Council), please be reminded of open meeting requirements. Please let me know no later than Monday, July 15 at noon if you plan to attend this meeting so we can make sure the City is complying with Iowa Open Meetings Law if a majority of Council is attending.   

Mediacom Utility Installations
This week, staff has received multiple inquiries regarding utility work being conducted by Mediacom in various neighborhoods in Indianola.  While the City only is able to permit work within the rights-of-way, and has done so as part of this project, most of the complaints have centered on work being done in residence’s front yards.  As Council may be aware, most residential subdivision include a 15’ Public Utility Easement on the front of each lot in which utilities are able to access for the purposes of installing and replacing utilities.  Staff is working to forward complaints to Mediacom as they are received.  

EDA Economic Development Assistance Grant
This week, staff was notified that EDA’s initial review the City’s proposal for grant funding to assist in the paving of Iowa Avenue in front of the proposed 50,000 square foot Missouri Valley Line Constructors Apprenticeship & Training Program building was accepted.  The notification letter is attached.  The estimated total project cost of this paving project is approximately $1.5 Million, and this grant is able to provide up to 50% funding.  Staff will work in the coming month to submit its final application for this grant funding.  Thanks to Andy Lent and Charlie Dissell, as well as Dave Moeller and Matt Allender with Snyder and Associates, for their hard work on seeking this grant funding.

Indianola Downtown Square Streetscape Project
As the planning process of the Downtown Square Streetscape project is nearly concluded, Council will receive a presentation on the draft final report at its Monday, July 15 Study Meeting.  This week, the Downtown Square Streetscape project, which was triggered by the changes to the Warren County Courthouse/Justice Center and based off recommendations from the Iowa Economic Development Authority’s Downtown Assessment on Indianola’s Downtown Square, was featured in APA – Iowa Chapter’s quarterly newsletter “A Planning Perspective”. The newsletter is attached.
 A Planning Perspective

Comprehensive Plan Update
As a reminder, the Comprehensive Plan Update survey has been released.  The survey and other information on the Comprehensive Plan Update can be found at www.elevateindianola.com.  To date, 670 surveys have been completed.  Additionally, staff and the consultants will be participating in the National Balloon Classic Parade on Saturday, July 27, 2019, beginning at 11:00 am.  During the parade, flyers advertising the survey will be handed out, as well as candy for the kids.  A poster advertising the survey has been created and is attached.  This advertisement is being shared with our community partners (i.e. School District, YMCA, Chamber, and local businesses to name a few).  To gather as much feedback as possible, we ask you to help spread the word to your constituents to participate in the survey!
Elevate Indianola Poster

RAGBRAI
Our RAGBRAI committee is in need of additional volunteers and is seeking assistance from the community.  Interested folks may register via the community’s website at indianolaragbrai.com/volunteer.  If you or other you may know are interested in volunteering, please direct them to this website.  Thank you! 

Jerry Kelley Trail
Construction on the trail project began last week on the area south of Iowa Avenue towards Memorial Park.  The initial grading is finished, and they will be working on drainage piping and culverts.  The contractor reports they are ahead of schedule and the removal of sidewalk along West Euclid near Wilder school has already begun.  The tentative schedule has the contractor beginning to construct the trail from Memorial Park to Iowa Avenue late in the week of July 22 (after RAGBRAI).  For safety reasons and to eliminate any construction traffic congestion, crews have been instructed that construction will not be possible July 22-24.

Kiwanis/Rotary Inclusive Playground Ribbon Cutting
A Ribbon Cutting ceremony has been scheduled for the new playground on Tuesday, August 6 at 4:00 pm at Pickard Park.  Thanks to the fundraising efforts of Kiwanis and Rotary, the new inclusive playground has been constructed.  Members of the Rotary Club also worked to set concrete forms, spread wood chips for the safety surfacing and installed benches and a trash can.  Recognition is also owed to the Street and Parks and Recreation Departments for their assistance in installing the playground for our residents and the many visitors to Pickard Park.

Pickleball Courts
Staff has been working with the YMCA staff the possibility of relocating the community’s temporary Pickleball Courts from the Middle School to the southeast parking lot at the YMCA.  Under this plan, three courts would be available for the public to use at the YMCA.  Staff plans to present this option to the City Council for consideration at the August 5 Council Meeting.

Departmental “Shout Outs”
Attached, please find a “shout out” to the Street Department for recent work done on R63.
Shout Out - Streets

Safety Training
Human Resources is working to set up a joint safety training class for the City Council and IMU Board of Trustees.  If you have  not yet responded, please be sure to let either Melissa or Diana know.  

Out of the Office
I am out of the office July 12th.  During this time, I will be accessible via cell phone and will be checking emails.  Chief Chia may also be contacted if there are questions.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
June Permit Report
Current Projects Update
Property Maintenance
Expired Permits

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - August 5, 2019
Draft - August 19, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Summercrest Hills Development
This week staff was notified that about 30 acres of land in the Summercrest Hills development is under contract with a residential developer.  This is the ground to the northeast of the YMCA.  The developer intends to develop the area as single-family lots.  Accordingly, the developer must go through various land use and zoning approvals.  Specifically, regarding the zoning, a rezoning to change a portion on this land from C-2 to R-3 is required.  Additionally, as we have discussed over the last few years, this development will require the City to relocate the current lift station north of the Quail Meadows subdivision to the north of the Summercrest Hills development.

Positive Publicity
The Iowa Gallivant, a popular online tourist blog, recently visited our community in advance of the upcoming RAGBRAI stop.  Here is a link to the recent blog: https://theiowagallivant.com/2019/07/02/scouting-ragbrai-2019-gravy-crazy-meaty-sandwiches-and-fine-iowa-wine-indianola/.

Kading Neighborhood Meeting
As you are aware, Kading Properties has proposed two new developments within the City of Indianola.  In the first set of site plan review comments from city staff to the developer, city staff suggested the developer host a neighborhood meeting on their proposed project.  It appears that this meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday, July 16 at 6 PM.  We believe Kading Properties will be reaching out to elected officials to invite them to this meeting.  As Kading Properties is hosting/conducting this meeting to discuss a matter that will likely appear before public bodies (i.e. Planning and Zoning and City Council), please be reminded of open meeting requirements.  Staff plan on attending to observe and will provide an update on the meeting. 

Departmental “Shout Outs”
Attached, please find a few congratulatory “shout outs” to members of the City Team for positive contributions to the organization and our community.  As you see, there are examples of exceptional customer service, teamwork, responsiveness and successful grant applications totaling more than $50,000! 
Shout Out - Fire, Eric Wallace
Shout Out - Library, Jody Ross
Shout Out - Police Department
Shout Out - Police, Officers x3

Safety Training
Human Resources is working to set up a joint safety training class for the City Council and IMU Board of Trustees.  For this training, we will require between one and two hours.  Please know that staff will be reaching out to identify possible dates.

Comprehensive Plan Update Community Survey
As a reminder, the Comprehensive Plan Update survey has been released and can be found at https://ElevateIndianola.metroquest.com.  To date, 530 responses have been submitted.

Out of the Office
I will be out of the office through July 9th.  During this time, I will be accessible via cell phone.  Chief Chia may also be contacted if there are questions.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance
Expired Permits
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - July 15, 2019
Draft - August 5, 2019

Ryan Waller

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Square Parking
In the early morning on Monday July 1st, the Street Department will be installing angled parking on the west side of North Buxton Street, between West Boston Avenue and West Ashland Avenue. Parking on the east side will remain as parallel parking.  As reviewed during the June 17th city council meeting, this will result in a gain of 11 additional parking stalls and will not alter traffic patterns.

Comprehensive Plan Update Community Survey
As you are aware, we have begun an update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan, which has been titled “Elevate Indianola”.    To help understand the needs and wants of the community, there will be various opportunities for public engagement in the coming three to four months.  In that respect, a survey has been released and can be found at https://ElevateIndianola.metroquest.com.  On June 27th, the City began advertising the survey on social media, our website and through news notifications.  In the first 24 hours, we have had 281 responses to the survey!

June 2018 Storm Update
FEMA and Iowa Homeland security finished their review of the City’s storm debris project from the June 28, 2018 storm. Staff reviewed and signed off on the project which means that it will soon be submitted for obligation and award. The total project cost for the City was $117,040 with the federal reimbursement to be $87,780. These funds will be deposited into the Streets Capital Project fund (Fund 321) for use on street projects as it is assistance for street crew and equipment use during the storm, as well as the debris pile chipping which was paid from Fund 321.

Jerry Kelley Trail Project
It is anticipated that Howrey Construction will begin the Jerry Kelley Trail project on Monday, July 1st.  The first area for construction will be the city and Simpson-owned properties between the Aquatic Center and the W Iowa Avenue.  

Customer Requests
Customer service and responsiveness are extremely important to members of our team.  One of the customer tools in our toolbox is a portal on our website that can be accessed 24 hours a day through which residents can submit a request for service.  While phone calls and emails are also proper ways of relaying requests for City services, please remember that this convenient tool is available for our customers to use. 
http://www.indianolaiowa.gov/544/Requests-Complaints

Zoning Amendment
On Wednesday, Council member Kling hosted a neighborhood meeting regarding the proposed changes to the boardinghouse/bed and breakfast definition and regulations.  These proposed changes are currently being reviewed by the Council (second reading is on the City Council agenda for July 1st).  Over 20 residents attended this meeting.  The concerns voiced at this meeting mainly pertained to how the changes would impact an existing property located on N. B Street.  As all are aware, these changes do not grant the aforementioned property, or any other property, the right to operate that defined use.  Any property desiring to operate as a use consistent with the definition will be required to go through a special exception application process and public hearing during which they need to justify the application and obtain the permission from the Board of Adjustment. 

Proposed Residential Development
On Thursday, Council member Parker hosted a neighborhood meeting regarding the proposed Cavitt Creek Condominiums 1 and Cavitt Creek Condominiums 2 project being proposed by Kading Properties along N 9th Street.  Over 40 residents attended this meeting.  The PowerPoint presentation from this meeting is attached.  This project is currently in the staff-review phase.  The first round of review comments were returned to the applicant on June 20.  Once all review comments have been satisfied by the applicant, this petition will then be scheduled for a Planning and Zoning Commission meeting.  The Planning and Zoning Commission would then make a recommendation to the City Council for final action.  

County Courthouse Project Update
Attached is the recent update on the County Courthouse Project.  According to the update, there will likely be less activity on the site for the remainder of July, which will result in a reduced amount of updates until bids are obtained.

Library Gift
The Library is the recipient of an approximate amount of $20,000 from the estate of longtime library patron Mary Hickman.  In her will, she specifically directed this money to be spent on children’s books. This matter will be included on the council agenda for 7/1

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance
Expired Permits
Project Updates

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.
Draft - July 15, 2019
Draft - August 5, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Moody’s Rating Recertified
Staff received the attached document this week informing us that the rating of Aa2 from Moody’s, which is the highest the city has received as a bond rating, has been recertified. This high rating is due to the financial diligence of everyone involved in city operations.

Budget Calendar
Attached, please find a copy of the FY 20/21 budget calendar which was received and filed by Council at last Monday’s meeting.  

Special City Council Meeting
As a reminder, there will be a special City Council meeting at 10:00 a.m. on June 26th for the purpose of approving bills for this fiscal year prior to June 30th (the last day of the current fiscal year).

Public Comment
At the City Council meeting on June 17th residents spoke during public comment regarding a proposed residential development.  Attached, please find additional comments provided to the City. 

Shout Outs
Attached, please find two emails from Melissa McCoy providing “shout outs” to the Streets and Parks Departments for recent compliments.  These are examples of something new we are implementing as a result of hard work being done by our employee engagement committee to recognize accomplishments by our staff.  
Shout Out - Streets
Shout Out - Parks

Warren Water District
Attached, please find a letter dated June 10, 2019 from the Warren Water District regarding water service to the proposed wastewater treatment plant site.  

County Presentation
Attached, please find a copy of the presentation Warren County representatives provided at the June 3rd City Council meeting.

Calendar Models
Recently members of our Water Pollution Control Department were asked to take part in a photo shoot.  The photo would be used in a calendar that is being assembled for next year.  Attached is one of the possible calendar pictures.


Recycling Correspondence
Attached, please find a pdf containing correspondence between H & W Recycling and the City regarding the spring clean-up events.  As you will see in the first letter, the vendor provides notice that they will be suspending future clean-ups.  The subsequent correspondence corrects the misunderstanding on the part of H & W Recycling.  This is being provided for informational purposes only.  In the future, these arrangements will be consummated via a formal contract to eliminate possible confusion.

Building Safety Article
Attached, please find an article that was shared with members of our building assessment team.  This article speaks to a few items that has been identified as part of the building assessment that our team continues to work on addressing.  

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Expired Permits
Property Maintenance
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - July 1, 2019
Draft - July 15, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

City Council Agenda
Please note that a revised City Council agenda will be forthcoming later today.  The reason for this revised agenda is to include a resolution correcting a scrivener’s error discovered on the legal description for the Hillcrest TIF.  Staff are currently working with legal counsel on any additional procedural items and will be prepared to review with the Council during Monday’s meeting.

Congratulations
A big congratulations to the entire City and IMU team.  We received a report from workers compensation broker (Weinman Insurance) that as of June our organization had zero open claims.  Not only does this ensure our team members remain safe, but this has a significant budgetary impact.  This is an outstanding accomplishment.  I want to thank the entire team for the unwavering commitment to safety.

Comprehensive Plan Update Project Team
The Comprehensive Plan Update Project Team had its second meeting on Wednesday, June 12th at City Hall.  The Project Team was updated on progress that has been made to date by the Consultants, including focus group meetings, as well as a Downtown Square walking tour.  The Consultants further discussed some population projections that have been done, as well as the housing analysis that has been done.  The Project Team gave some feedback on ways to determine future growth areas and reviewed a public survey that will be released in the coming weeks.  The next step in the process is to finalize the survey and distribute that to the public, attend a community event to gather public feedback, draft a vision, goals and objectives.  This planning process is anticipated to last until the end of 2019.

Recycling Request
Late last week, staff members and the Indianola Chamber were contacted by a constituent regarding the City providing recycling options in the Downtown Square, City parks, etc.  The constituent’s message and staff’s response are attached.

Streetscape Comments
Attached, please find a summary of the feedback received during the open house that took place in May.  These comments were shared with the Steering Committee at its meeting on Friday, June 14th.  The feedback received during the presentation with the Indianola Young Professionals group on the same topic was also shared with the Steering Committee.  The Steering Committee anticipates making a final recommendation to the City Council within a month or two.  
 
Square Parking Map
Attached, please find a parking map that has been put together through a partnership with the City and the Chamber.  This map has been shared by the Chamber via various means and the City will be posting this information to our various media outlets.  This map is meant to help provide awareness of the various parking locations in and around the Square.

Square Parking Modifications
A general concern expressed by some during the May open house regarding the Streetscape Project was a loss of parking.  With the immediate loss of parking in the Square due to the Warren County Justice Center project, staff has explored ways to maximize parking in the area.  Most of the “fingers” of the Square are around 42’ wide; however, the 200 Block of North Buxton Street is 48’ wide.  Staff is looking at the possibility of adding angled parking on one side of this block, which could increase parking from 22 spots to 35-40 spots.  This matter will be reviewed at the City Council meeting on Monday (June 17th).  

May 2019 Treasurer Report
Normally, staff would present the Treasurer’s report for the previous month at the second Council meeting; however, the May 2019 Treasurer’s Report will likely be delayed. This delay is due to a technical issue resulting from a system upgrade and staff working with IMU staff on some receipting issues. We should be able to clear these issues and have this report ready either at a special meeting at the end of this month (see next item) or the first meeting in July.

Special Fiscal Year Ending Council Meeting
At the end of each fiscal year, staff reviews whether a special meeting will be required. Usually we have a special meeting at this time to conclude any fiscal business that needs to be done prior to June 30. Last year, the special meeting was held on a Wednesday morning near the end of June. This will be a discussion and direction item for Monday’s meeting, so please be considering when you might be available for this meeting.

Partnerships
On Monday June 10th the Street Department hosted a Flagger Safety training class that was conducted by InTrans at ISU. Paul Albrittson, instructor for the course, travels across the state conducting DOT and FHA (Federal Highway Administration) approved courses for local, county, and state agencies and their employees.  Staff from IMU Electric, Warren County Roads, and Shelby County Roads joined our department for this training. Due to the increase of incidents and accidents involved with distracted drivers, staff views this as an opportunity to have better control of the traffic situation on certain jobsites while maintaining thru-traffic with only minor delays for our road users.  All Street Department employees, including our summer seasonal staff, are now certified to conduct flagger operations within the work zone.  Our departments continue to look for opportunities such as this to partner with our peers in other jurisdictions to strengthen relationships and keep the costs lower. 


County Attorney Opinion
Attached, please find a copy of a letter dated June 8, 2019 from the County Attorney to the County Supervisors providing an opinion on the 9-1-1 Communications Project.  This is being provided as an informational update only.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Current Projects Update
Expired Permits
Property Maintenance

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 

Director of Finance

____________________________________________________________

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Expired Permits
Projects Update
Property Maintenance

McCord/Plainview Lift Station Meters
During the work being done on the controls of the McCord and Plainview lift stations, new electric meters were installed. After testing, it was discovered that the original meters were not installed correctly and appear to have only been registering about 33 percent of the actual electric being used. Mike Metcalf informed city staff that they will need to collect some actual usage data over the next few months and then back bill for the past 12 months per IMU policy.

Warren County Justice Center Weekly Work Plan
At the request of City staff, the County’s contractor will be providing a weekly work plan update to the City regarding the Justice Center project.  This week’s update is attached. 

Strong Downtown Article
Ryan asked me to include the attached article listing three very important reasons why a strong downtown is important.  As we look to the building of the new justice center and the streetscape revitalization that will take place, we need to emphasize these very vital reasons for the overall health of the community.

Warren County Justice Center Storm Water
As you are aware, storm water utility work for the Warren County Justice Center began this week.  Council approved the Salem Street closure at its May 20th Council meeting.  To accommodate the new storm sewer, the parking on the north side of West Salem Avenue needed to be closed off.  It is anticipated that this closure will remain until Friday, June 14, weather dependent.

Hotel-Motel Tax Revenue
Hotel lodgings appear to be slowly on the rise as indicated by the increase in Hotel-Motel Tax Revenue. In FY2017, the revenue was $96,467, and, in FY2018 was $145,372.86. In FY2019, the City collected about $155,559.

City Hall Assessment
This past Monday, staff had a productive meeting with Matt Brown of the Formation Group to discuss the next stages of the city hall/public safety building assessment. The main focus of the meeting was the security of the building along with options for improving the security.

IMU Separate Bank Account
Today, staff met with Chris Longer, Dianna Lane and a member of the Civic accounting firm to discuss the separate bank account that IMU wishes to set up. One of the first steps after setting up the account is IMU use of the account to begin receipting utility revenue into the account. We will work with Civic to set up a new accounts receivable table within our accounting system that they can use for this purpose. Until IMU goes entirely to this new account, there will be some extra work on the City’s side to track two separate bank accounts for vendor claims.

Storm Water Repairs 1 (from Jason Etnyre)
(Attached pictures labeled “S Buxton 1” and “S Buxton 2”) On Tuesday staff addressed a couple of concerns from a citizen on South Buxton. Multiple storm sewer pipes and structures intersect her front yard, back yard, ROW, and driveway. In the recent heavy rains her driveway broke and sunk about 8 inches and a 5'x5' sinkhole occurred in her rear yard. Staff investigated both scenarios and found a separated joint in a 42" storm sewer pipe in her rear yard and made the necessary repair (S Buxton 1). Under her driveway Street and WPC staff found no definitive cause for this failure other than settling. Upon removal of the owner's driveway section that had been replaced in 2011 by the City, staff found 3.5" of concrete poured on a dirt base. Per the property owner, this will have been the 3rd time the City has replaced this driveway since she owned the home. This newly poured driveway is now 5" thick with a Gatorbar mat installed for additional strength and support. In one of the attached photos you can see the aggregate that was used for a base under this driveway. Notice the red clay and tan brick look to the pieces? (S Buxton 2) Yep, the old Warren County Courthouse is being recycled and is now helping us address stormwater issues in Indianola!!!




Storm Water Repairs 2 (from Jason Etnyre)
(Attached pictures labeled Hillcrest1-4)In the past couple of weeks there have been several calls concerning sinkholes, washouts, and voids under pavement that have appeared with recent saturating amounts of rain. Today, thanks to some awesome assistance from the Water Pollution Control Department, staff was able to rapidly address two sick areas. The first was at the bottom of the hill by the McVay Trail on 15th and the other was just west of N 7th on Hillcrest. In both instances joints settled or washed out on aging infrastructure. WPC assisted staff in vacuuming down to the repair so that a collar could be poured around the failed joints. On the Hillcrest repair staff utilized a material suggested by staff at Snyder. This material named Flexmat is an erosion control material that allows vegetation to grow in between concrete sections thus slowing the water flow and reducing erosion all while allowing the property owner to mow over this addition. Material costs were higher than pouring a concrete chute or similar but labor was minimal in comparison. One more tool in our arsenal!








Downtown Square Painting
The street department will be painting the Downtown Square early next week. Crosswalks will be delayed since they do not lead anywhere with the county construction project in the center of the square. Chamber will be notified prior to the painting.

South K Street Dust
The city has received a few complaints regarding the dust on South K Street. The contractor for the dust control, Jericho, is scheduled to be on site today (Friday) and have the street treated by 5 PM. The street department graded the roadway yesterday in preparation for this treatment. Unfortunately the application of the treatment was not feasible due to the rainy weather the past few weeks.  As you will recall, this application process is part of a short term strategy until such time the engineering for S K Street is completed and discussion scheduled with the City Council on the priority of paving this roadway. 

Warren County Wellness Center Contribution
In a previous update, you may have been informed that the County discovered a few months ago that it was supposed to be making annual contributions to the City for the wellness center of $10,000 annually for 20 years. This contribution is dependent on a request from the city. We made the request recently and received the FY2019 $10,000 contribution this week, which will be deposited into the YMCA maintenance fund.

Junior Firefighter Class (from Bob Soukup)
The Fire/EMS department hosted a class of potential future recruits this week. The first day of the 2019 Junior Fire Academy took place on Thursday, June 6th.  This two day event is a day camp for local kids ages 7 to 10 years old to learn what firefighters do and get hands-on experience being a firefighter. On Thursday the 25 kids were divided into 4 Fire Divisions just like real firefighters working a shift.  They got to extinguish a fire with a fire hose, search for a simulated victim in a blacked out room using the thermal imaging camera, load a fictional patient into the ambulance and use the extrication tools. They learned about home fire safety and smoke detectors. On Friday, the kids divided into their four Fire Divisions again and competed in physical fitness drills then finished the day with water fights.


Capital Crossroads Workforce Housing Study Data Presentation
On Monday, Ryan and Charlie attended a presentation by Mel Jones with the Virginia Center for Housing Research to hear the data results from the Workforce Housing Study, and the current state of the metro’s regional housing, including forecasts for the next 20 years.  Similar to what was presented by Aaron Moulton to the Council on Monday evening, this study shows that over 58% of renters and over 25% of homeowners in the Des Moines/West Des Moines MSA (which includes Indianola) are spending more than 30 percent of their income on housing costs, utilities, rent or mortgage payments, taxes, and insurance.  This study is a result of the Capital Crossroads Plan, which is a vision plan for Greater Des Moines and Central Iowa.  To learn more about Capital Crossroads, visit https://www.capitalcrossroadsvision.com/.

Additional Attachments
Draft - June 17, 2019
Draft - July 1, 2019

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Fire Department Call Volume
The Fire Department continues to experience an increase in calls for service.  As of May 28, 2019 the department is 96 calls for service above last year’s total. If this trend remains, it is estimated the department will experience a 7% increase over 2018.
 
Aquatic Center Opening Weekend
With the last day of school today, we are excited that the Aquatic Center will be opening for the season tomorrow, Saturday, June 1.  Daily open swim hours are 1:00-7:00 pm, except for Tuesdays and Thursdays which are 1:00-6:00 pm.  This year’s seasonal staff totals 55 which includes managers, lifeguards, front desk, concessions and support staff.  Season pass sales through May 30 are summarized below and are up slightly from 2018.  We generally see 25% of our pass sales once the pool opens, so we are hoping for nice hot weather over the next few weeks to help generate more attendance.  We have had a total of 44 lifetime Veteran’s Passes, a new program that was instituted this year.

Pool Pass Sales (through May 30 of each year)
2019:                     1,428 passes                      $50,438
2018:                     1,416 passes                      $48,901
2017:                     1,422 passes                      $39,606

Property Tax Reform Bill
Last week, the governor signed the property tax reform bill into law. This bill will require a few extra steps during the FY2021 budget preparation. This will include a public hearing if the city will need more than 102 percent of the current FY2020 property tax revenue for certain items. This will likely be the situation. Staff is currently preparing for this extra work. The good news is that the budget due date is moved to March 31, 2020.

Warren County Justice Center Weekly Work Plan
At the request of City staff, the County’s contractor will be providing a weekly work plan update to the City regarding the Justice Center project.  This week’s update is attached. 
 
Public Safety Weight Room
The public safety weight room located in the lower level of City Hall has taken on a considerable amount of water in the southeast corner.  Much of the equipment used by our public safety officers for physical fitness has been moved.  Staff will be keeping an eye on this issue and will be relaying onto our building assessment team.  

City Hall/Public Safety Building Assessment
The second phase of the City Hall/Public Safety building assessment project will be commencing next week.  The three main action items that will be the initial focus include: 

1. Address issues related to wayfinding, accessibility, and security;
2. Conduct an environmental assessment of the lower level area; and
3. Evaluate other City owned site opportunities to accommodate space deficiencies.

As this project progresses we will be scheduling periodic updates with the City Council. 
 
RAGBRAI City T-shirts
The Indianola RAGBRAI committee is currently selling t-shirts as a fundraiser to offset costs associated with hosting the event, as well as a way to drum up some community spirit.  As part of these efforts, the committee is selling t-shirts that incorporate a company or organization logo.  We will be placing an order for City staff.  Please know that the cost per shirt is $15 (certain larger sizes will be charged an additional $1 per size).  If any elected officials would like to be included in the order, please let me know by Monday, June 3rd the number of t-shirts and sizes.  
 
Adopt-a-Cop
Another fundraiser that has just been announced by the Indianola RAGBRAI committee is the adopt-a-cop fundraiser.  This is being done to help offset costs associated with public safety for the July 23rd event.  Here is the link to this fundraiser - https://www.indianolaragbrai.com/sponsors/adopt-a-cop/.  Please feel free to share as well as participate in this fundraiser.  

Out of the Office
I will be out of the office most of next week.  During this time Andy Lent will be in charge during this time.  
 
Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Current Projects
Property Maintenance
Expired Permits
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

Hillcrest Trail Update
The design plans have been completed by Snyder & Associates.  Draft Easements have been completed by Legal Counsel.  One owner has verbally agreed, and staff is working with all three property owners to get easements signed.  Pending the final signed easements, staff is prepared to bring the trail plan to City Council on June 17th in order approve the posting of the bids the week of June 18th and set the dates for public hearing and awarding the contract on July 15th.  This would allow for an early start date of July 25th with 18-20 working days.  This timeline could change based on the timing of the easements required from the property owners.  We will keep you posted.

McVay Trail Bank Erosion
Following the recent heavy rains, staff discovered a section of bank erosion along the north side of the McVay Trail east of North 9th Street.  The erosion is approximately 3 feet from the trail and staff has installed a temporary fence to keep trail users off that area.  After meeting with Dave Moeller from Snyder & Associates, it was determined the cause of the erosion was a break in the culvert running underneath the trail.  At this time, the plan is to reuse the separated steel pipe, weld back together, surround it with a concrete collar and place flowable fill under the repaired piece.  Then bring in soil back in to cover the pipe and reuse the salvageable rip rap.  The city does not have large enough equipment to perform this repair, so staff is currently collecting estimates and quotes for the above repairs.  Access to the site is intended to be made from the school bus parking lot to minimize damage to the trail that more than likely will occur with the large equipment.  The city will provide traffic control and trail closure signage, removal and replacement of a bench, seed & sod if needed and replacement of any damaged concrete trail.

Heritage Hills
Staff received a note from the developer of Heritage Hills that the roads and utilities are in for this subdivision.  Attached is a picture that was provided.  This subdivision consists of 17 lots ranging in price from $79,000 to $125,000.

 
Streetscape Open House
City staff was invited to an open forum hosted by the Chamber of Commerce's Indianola Young Professional group.  There was a good turnout and lots of input. Input will be incorporated into the draft concept(s).  As a reminder, the following is a high-level listing of next steps of development of the concept plan only:

• Square Streetscape Steering Committee meets to review input and any modifications
• Community survey of recommended concepts
• Presentation of recommended concepts to City Council during a study session
• Council adoption of a streetscape concept plan

 Warren County Justice Center Weekly Work Plan
At the request of City staff, the County’s contractor will be providing a weekly work plan update to the City regarding the Justice Center project.  This week’s update is attached. 
 
Budget Document
The FY2020 Budget Presentation Document has been finalized and is available for viewing by clicking on the link for the document on this page: http://www.indianolaiowa.gov/512/Director-of-Finance. Thanks to the entire finance department for preparing the document and MyLisa in IT for compiling the final document. The document has also been submitted to GFOA as part of the annual Distinguished Budget Presentation Award program.

Senator Grassley Letters
Attached, please letters from Senator Grassley regarding actions he took in support of two federal grant applications that were submitted by our fire department.  This was a request made of the Senator (and our other delegation members) while in D.C. 
Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant Program
Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program
 
USDA Revolving Loan Funds
The City has $50,000 of USDA funds available to use in a Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) for businesses to use for expansion or renovation work. Rachel Gocken from Warren County Economic Development met with the Admin Policy Committee Wednesday afternoon to discuss how WCEDC can administer these funds on behalf of the city. The committee has recommended that the City Council consider this as an option to ensure the funds remain available to Indianola businesses.  This recommendation will be presented to the City Council at its meeting on June 17th.
 
Request for County Funding for Wellness Center
In 2011, the Warren County Board of Supervisors committed to annually consider a request from the city for $10,000 to assist in the construction of the Wellness Center, which currently houses the Indianola YMCA. Staff submitted this request yesterday for FY2019 and will continue to do so each May. In previous discussions between Andy lent, Doug Shull and Megan Andrew, the commitment was part of the Vision Iowa grant package and will continue for a period of twenty years.
 
Plumbing and Mechanical Codes
Attached is a letter received from the Iowa Bureau of Environmental Health Services providing an update on the process for updating the statewide plumbing and mechanical codes.  We are providing this for informational purposes only.  
 
City Hall/Public Safety Building Assessment
Staff met with Matt Brown of the Formation Group regarding the second phase of the City Hall/Public Safety building assessment project.  We will be commencing this phase in the next few weeks.  The three main action items we will focus on initially will be: 

1. Address issues related to wayfinding, accessibility, and security;
2. Conduct an environmental assessment of the lower level area; and
3. Evaluate other City owned site opportunities to accommodate space deficiencies.

School Resource Officer Program
Over the last few weeks, City and School District staff have been working on finalizing a draft 28 E agreement.  Superintendent Sathoff recently shared that the School Board approved the agreement.  This will be presented to the City Council at its meeting on June 3, 2019.  

2020 Census New Construction Program
Earlier this week, staff received an attached letter regarding the 2020 Census New Construction Program.  This program is part of the 2020 US Census.  If you are not aware, the New Construction Program assists the US Census Bureau in getting new addresses that have been assigned in the City since the LUCA (Local Update of Census Addresses), which was due on March 1, 2018.  Charlie Dissell has been designated as the City liaison for this program. 

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Project Updates
Property Maintenance
Expired Permits

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - June 3, 2019
Draft - June 17, 2019

Director of Finance

____________________________________________________________

Fire Department Pancake Breakfast
The Indianola Fire Department will be holding its annual pancake breakfast tomorrow, Saturday, May 11th from 7 to 11 AM at the fire station. 

Square Streetscape Open House
Last fall the City, Indianola Chamber of Commerce, and Warren County Economic Development Corporation partnered with Iowa Economic Development Authority on conducting an assessment of our community’s Square. This process was wonderfully successful because of the input and feedback received from the community. A key recommendation that resulted was for the community to engage in a streetscape design process. As you will recall, Council approved a professional service agreement with Bolton and Menk in February to begin a streetscape master plan for our Downtown.  Since that time, Bolton and Menk has managed the project through data collection and stakeholder outreach.  The next step in the process is to host a public open house, which will take place on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 PM at the Sagewood Events Venue, located at 117 E Salem.  The invitation is attached for more information.  

Courthouse Demolition
You may have noticed a couple of TV news stories on the courthouse demolition. The main focus of those stories was the removal of the trees. Also, as you are aware the fencing is beyond the curb on the north side of the square. Please be aware that this is a county project. The removal of the trees was a decision of the county and the fencing is on the county property. Any questions or concerns by citizens should be directed to their county board of supervisor representative.

Warren County Justice Center Weekly Work Plan
At the request of City staff, the County’s contractor will be providing a weekly work plan to the City regarding the Justice Center project.  This week’s update is attached.

Wastewater Treatment Facility Article
An article that appeared in the Des Moines Register on Wednesday about the new wastewater treatment facility is attached.

Outstanding Employee Contributions
Each week, our employees contribute time and effort beyond expectations to contribute to the city with big results making the city look good, saving money, or other similar contributions. This week Matt Anders, Ben Burzette, and Gary Cunningham made repairs on the loader, backhoe, and street sweeper that resulted in a $750 savings for the city. Thank you gentlemen!

Jerry Kelley Trail
The first Pre-Construction meeting was held on Thursday, May 9 with representatives from Howrey Construction, I-DOT, Snyder, City and IMU.  The tentative start date for the project is June 17.  We will be working with the contractor to begin notifying the neighbors in the coming weeks.

Spring Planting Blitz
The Parks staff and numerous volunteers will be planting flowers in Buxton Park, Sesquicentennial Park and city flower beds on Tuesday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 15.  Thousands of flowers will be planted to beautify the city during these two days.  These efforts are made possible by the hundreds of volunteer hours not only on planting days, but also with their help in the greenhouse growing them from seeds and their help all throughout the summer and fall during clean up and removal.

Cleaning of Trails
During the City Council meeting a question was asked about trail cleaning. The Parks Department performs this cleaning throughout the year on an “as needed” basis. The staff utilizes a multi-purpose vehicle that has a brush attachment.

Figure 8 Races
As discussed during the May 6th City Council meeting, the Figure 8 races went beyond their permitted time. City staff will be sending a letter to the event organizers reminding them of the permitted times. Also, county dispatch personnel and our police force were notified of the recent issue. Our officers will respond accordingly if there are problems in the future.  

Police Department News
Congratulations to our police department. The department received word that a funding request was approved for $14,250 from the Governor’s Traffic Safety Bureau. The funds will be used towards special overtime enforcement pay, a new in-car camera and a new radar unit. 

Additional Attachments
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Current Projects Update

Council Agenda Draft - May 20, 2019
Council Agenda Draft - June 3, 2019

Ryan Waller

City Manager

____________________________________________________________

 Audit Presentation
As a reminder, if you have any questions or areas of the audit you wish to have our auditor address during his presentation, please forward those to me or Andy Lent at alent@indianolaiowa.gov as soon as possible.

Comprehensive Plan Update Focus Group
As you are aware, the City has begun the process of updating the Comprehensive Plan.  To ensure that this updated Comprehensive Plan articulates Indianola’s desired vision, is it essential to engage the community.  On Monday, a focus group session with Simpson students was held in the first floor atrium at the Kent Campus Center.  Students were able to take a few minutes away from their busy finals week to enjoy some pizza and give their feedback and perspective about the values, priorities and future direction of Indianola.  This was the first of many public engagement events that will take place throughout 2019.  When future events are scheduled, the information will be passed along to Council in my weekly e-mail.

Square Streetscape Open House
Last fall the City, Indianola Chamber of Commerce, and Warren County Economic Development Corporation partnered with Iowa Economic Development Authority on conducting an assessment of our community’s Square. This process was wonderfully successful because of the input and feedback received from the community. A key recommendation that resulted was for the community to engage in a streetscape design process. As you will recall, Council approved a professional service agreement with Bolton and Menk in February to begin a streetscape master plan for our Downtown.  Since that time, Bolton and Menk has managed the project through data collection and stakeholder outreach.  The next step in the process is to host a public open house, which will take place on Wednesday, May 15 at 7 PM at the Sagewood Events Venue, located at 117 E Salem.  The invitation is attached for more information.  

Trail Projects
The Jerry Kelley Trail project will be kicking off soon.  A pre-construction meeting is scheduled next week with staff and the contractors.  Also, staff continue to work on easement acquisition for the Hillcrest Trail project.  Updates will be provided as this project progresses.

Wastewater Treatment Plant
City staff received notification from the DNR that the proposed site location for the new wasterwater treatment plant has been approved.  This means that the proposed location meets the setback standards and other siting requirements prescribed by the State.  No additional information has been received regarding the City’s district court filing.

City Correspondence
Attached please find a letter submitted thanking the City for its contribution to Dollars for Scholars, as well as a letter from the Census regarding next steps in the preparation for the 2020 Census.
Dollars for Scholars
US Census

Business Record
Attached is a scan of a page from the April 26, 2019 Business Record.  As you will see in the first bullet, the City of Indianola was recognized for as one of the Best Places to Retire in Iowa. 

Greater Des Moines Partnership
I will be out of the office next week Wednesday through Friday as I will be participating in the Partnership’s annual legislative trip to Washington D.C.  Topics that I plan to relay onto our federal legislators during our scheduled meetings, include: EPA support for blending (related to our WWTP), COPs & SAFER Grants (to help fund our public safety personnel), infrastructure funding, appreciation for FEMA’s assistance during last summer’s storm clean-up. I will be accessible by email and cell phone.  Andy will also serve as a point of contact if immediate assistance is needed.  

Community Development Updates
Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - May 20, 2019
Draft - June 3, 2019

Director of Finance

____________________________________________________________

Property Tax Bill
Early Thursday morning, the House passed the property tax bill that is expected to be signed by the Governor. Fortunately, it is much less restrictive than the earlier Senate and House versions. The approved version has the soft cap at 2 percent and requires a 2/3 Council vote to exceed the two percent. There are also additional notification requirements. The bill also moves the budget deadline from March 15th to March 31st.  A Des Moines Register article is attached. Alan Kemp from the Iowa League of Cities discussed the approved bill with the Metro Finance Directors group at a noon meeting today at the Indianola Country Club. The governor has not signed, but indications are that she will. We are still shifting through the new budget approval process should she do that.

Comprehensive Plan Open House
The Comprehensive Plan update is underway, and the public engagement is beginning!  This coming Monday, from 11:30 AM to 2 PM, Snyder and Associates will be hosting a focus group session with Simpson students to gather their perspective about the values, priorities and future direction of Indianola.  This event will take place in the first floor atrium at the Kent Campus Center.  Door prizes and pizza will be offered to those who participate!  
 
Comp Plan and Streetscape Planning Committees
This week, a list of members on the Square Streetscape Stakeholder Committee and the Comprehensive Plan Project Management Team was requested by Council Member Clark.  Those lists are attached.  These Committees were chosen after recommendations from the consultants about typical industry/resident group representation.  Additionally, both the Square Streetscape Plan and Comprehensive Plan update will include public engagement and focus group meetings to assure input is being received from the entire community.  Updates will be given when these meetings are scheduled.
Comp Plan Committee
Streetscape Planning Committee

Warren County Courthouse Demolition
According to a Des Moines Register article (attached), demolition of the Warren County Courthouse is to begin in late May and end mid-July. Please read the attached article for more details.
 
Warren County Leadership Institute
For the past 25 years, WCEDC has hosted the Warren County Leadership Institute (WCLI), which is an annual class with a series of leadership development sessions every two weeks for four months and a class project. The sessions are held throughout the county allowing participants to get to know the county and people who live here. Many people in Warren County have been through WCLI, including myself who will be the incoming board president next year. Last night, our own Charlie Dissell graduated along with 20 other members. Their class project was to raise money to support the Freedom Rock at Warrior Run, which collected over $8,000. Congrats Charlie!
 
Police Storage Building
Following complaints about the area around the police storage building located behind Arby’s, the Parks Department removed trash and other debris, trimmed overgrown brush, cleared the gutters and hauled in 3 dump trucks of mulch around the building.
 
Lower SRF 2009 Interest Rate
Attached is letter from Debbie Durham, Iowa Economic Development Director informing us that the interest on the 2009 SRF Series loan will be lowered from 3% to 1.75% on the remaining term of the loan. This will save the city close to $1.1 million in interest. I contacted our bond attorney, Eric Boehlert from the Ahlers Law Firm who will start the required proceedings for the change. He says he can’t recall a larger interest rate change on this type of loan.
 
Hillcrest TIF Amendment
We continue to work on the amendment to renew the Hillcrest TIF amendment for the industrial park. Part of the required actions is a consultation meeting that the City holds for anyone from the other taxing entities (school district and county) that wishes to know more about the amendment. Charlie and I were the only attendees at the meeting.
 
Line of Duty Benefits Workshop
An unfortunate occurrence that can happen for any city or county is the death of a police office or firefighter due to the high-risk factor of their employment. On May 6th, Melissa McCoy, Chief Chia, and Firefighter Ted Neller, are hosting a workshop at the Country Inn and Suites on how to handle the benefits and other arrangements in these cases. Presenters will include  Brian Zinanni who is the Supporting Heroes state director from Missouri . So far, there will be about 26 participants attending this workshop from surrounding communities.
 
Traffic Light Battery Backup Project
All of the battery backups are installed and operational at all lighted intersections on 65/69 and 92 (except Buxton and 92). Street department has not done a walk-through yet with the engineer but they are fully functional. What this means is this, whenever there is a power failure at one of these intersections, the lights will go to “flashing red” and stay that way until power is either restored or until manually turned back on to normal. All battery packs should be able to run “flashing red” for a minimum of 4-6 hours/12 hours isn’t out of the realm of possibility though. After the Police notifies the Street Department when these go to “flashing red”, we will have more than enough time to communicate with Mike Metcalf and his crew at IMU to see if we need to load the portables back up and be prepared to go that route. As of today, all portable stop signs that used to be tethered to the control boxes are back at the Street Department facility for storage. This is a huge technological advancement for the City and will save all of our staff crucial time and should reduce our exposure to liability  in the case of an outage.

HWY 65/69 Median Workday
Staff has scheduled a workday for the spring maintenance of the North Hwy 65/69 Medians for Tuesday, April 30.  The inside lanes are required to be closed and the work is scheduled to take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to minimize the impact on commuters.  Work will include replacing plants that have died, mulching, fertilizing and weed control applications, removing sand from the concrete areas and crack sealing the concrete.  Notifications have been made to the police department, city departments, city website and Facebook pages.  
 
Early Bird Season Pass Sales
This is the fourth year we have offered the Early Bird 20% discount.  The pre-season discount ended last week and below is the summary of the past 5 years pass sales  This is the third straight year of increased pre-season sales and an increase of 18% over last year.  
 

Legislation

Thank you to all who have reached out to our local state delegation.  I have attached the latest version of the Iowa League of Cities’ Legislative Link.  It has some updated information on the proposed property tax legislation.  As noted in staff’s email from earlier this week, this proposed legislation would severely impact the City and would prevent us from implementing the public safety staffing recommendations.  It is requested that you please contact our legislators to share this information.  

RAGBRAI
As you may have seen, the main headliners for our community’s RAGBRAI stop were announced on Tuesday.  This release was made public on our community’s RAGBRAI outlets, RAGBRAI’s outlets, Catch Des Moines’ outlets and various online and print publications of the company that owns the Des Moines Register.  The positive publicity for our community (locally, regionally and nationally) that has been generated from this announcement has been absolutely incredible.  Attached, please find two ads that were published in both the Des Moines Register and USA Today.  
 
Audit Presentation
Staff has confirmed with Robert Endriss, our city auditor, that he will present his findings on the FY2018 audit at the City Council meeting on May 6th. If you have any questions or areas you wish to have him specifically address, please forward those to me or Andy Lent at alent@indianolaiowa.gov by April 26th.  
 
Streetscape Concept
The Square Streetscape Steering Committee held its second meeting this morning.  After the first meeting, the consultants worked to bring forward three different concepts for feedback from the Committee.  Pros and cons of each concept were discussed, and the Committee collaborated to recommend its final concept.  The next step in this planning process will be to host an open house for the public to attend and provide feedback, followed by the final plan being presented to the City Council.  

Build My Future
On Wednesday the Street Department represented local governments at the State Fairgrounds for the Build My Future-Iowa. One of the event organizers (Greater Des Moines Homebuilders’ Association) requested our participation.  Over 2500 high school and college age students from all over the state came to Des Moines to experience what various trades and industries had for future opportunities of careers. There was a “National Signing Day” event for those students who were choosing to join an apprenticeship program in one of the trades versus a college route. City staff spoke with students about opportunities within the public sector and especially at the City of Indianola. 

Grants
Congratulations to Angie Buchanan in the Parks & Recreations Department for securing two grant awards.  One grant was in the amount of $1,000 from MidAmerican that will be used for trees and the other was from the Warren County Philanthropic Partnership in the amount of $4,680 for the Children’s Garden Entrance arbor sculpture.  

Out of the Office
I will be out of the office beginning Wednesday.  If you need assistance during this time, please contact Andy Lent. 
 
Community Development Updates
Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 

RAGBRAI
As you are aware, RAGBRAI is a major event that has a tremendous economic impact for a community.  In addition to the publicity of being a host community for this year’s event, our community has benefitted in other ways because of our involvement with RAGBRAI 2019.  On Saturday, April 6th at Simpson College’s Black Box Theatre, RAGBRAI officials hosted a day-long training for nearly 140 people representing the pass-through towns along this year’s route.  Several of the attendees commented that this was their first time visiting Indianola while others commented that Indianola was a lot closer than they thought.  We are currently working with RAGBRAI officials on securing a location for another state-wide meeting here in our town.

Legislative Link
Attached is the most recent version of the Legislative Link from the League of Cities.  Please be aware of the write up regarding HF 773.  Due to the negative impact this bill will have on cities, the League and community members have registered against this proposed legislation.  Also attached is a resolution that the City of Spencer will be passing on Monday.  

EMA Meeting
On Tuesday, April 9th Chief Chia attended a meeting between 911 Commission and Emergency Management Commission. The content of the meeting was Warren County Communication System. Attached is a copy of the presentation that was delivered at the meeting.  One of the main items discussed involved the purchase of portable and mobile radios for all public safety services in the county, excluding those departments who had already purchased updated portable and mobile radios.  Additional information will be provided as it becomes available.

Median Maintenance
Staff has scheduled the spring maintenance of the Highway 65/69 medians for Tuesday, April 30th.  The inside lanes are required to be closed and the work is scheduled to take place from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. to minimize the impact on commuters.  Work will include replacing plants that have died, mulching, fertilizing and weed control applications, removing sand from the concrete areas and crack sealing the concrete.  Information regarding this scheduled maintenance will be advertised via the City’s communications tools.

Civic Upgrade
On Tuesday, April 9th staff had a conference call with Cassandra Camren from Civic Systems. They established a tentative schedule for the upgrade of the accounting system, addition of the mobile pay application, addition of accounts payable and budget functions to the department head portals, and the addition of the community development module. Most of the work will be completed in the next couple of months. The community development module installation may go into the summer months depending on how busy the department is during that time. As part of this process, Community Development will be updating all its permit applications and reviewing the fee structures associated with those permits. As you will recall, this was one of the parking lot list items approved by Council with the FY20 budget to be paid from the remaining FY2018 PILOT payment from IMU.
 
Pedestrian Crossing Update
The 2018 TSIP project is nearing completion. This project was a two-part project with pedestrian heads being updated on all traffic signals throughout the community. The second portion involves the installation of battery back-ups at our traffic signals. As of the writing of this update, all battery boxes are installed and the contractor is waiting for assistance from the battery back-up manufacturer to wire and program these units into our systems. This project is expected to be finalized in the next 10 days to 2 weeks. Upon completion all portable stop sign assemblies will be removed from the areas surrounding the traffic signal cabinets.

Comprehensive Master Plan
Attached is a quarterly newsletter that is published by the Iowa Chapter of the American Planning Association.  This newsletter contains an article on the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan update project.  
 
BRAVO Letter
Attached is a letter from Sally Dix, BRAVO Executive Director, thanking the City for its ongoing support.
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - May 6, 2019
Draft - May 20, 2019

RAGBRAI
If you haven’t heard, on Tuesday the community’s RAGBRAI committee released the theme and logo via a 39 second video.  The video is available at https://vimeo.com/327999973.  The release has generated a lot of exposure for our community and has received a tremendous amount of positive feedback.  In addition to the release of the theme and logo, the website and social media outlets have been made public.  They are:

Website: https://www.indianolaragbrai.com/ 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nolaragbrai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nolaragbrai 
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nolaragbrai/ 
SnapChat: https://www.snapchat.com/add/nolaragbrai 

Comprehensive Master Plan
A kickoff meeting for the Comprehensive Master Plan Update Project took place on Tuesday at City Hall.  Nineteen committee members, made up of community stakeholders, kicked off the comprehensive plan update with a 90-minute meeting.  The project team discussed where Indianola is today (both positives and negatives), and where the team would like to see Indianola in the future.  The consultants also presented the team with census data, mapping, existing plans and the proposed public engagement process.  The next step in the process is to continue data collection and for the consultants to host focus group meetings with various organizations in Indianola.  The public engagement process will begin in June when a community survey is released.  The consultants also plan to attend some community events to get public input, as well as have a public open house later on in the fall.  This planning process is anticipated to last for about nine months.  

Catch Des Moines Meeting
Earlier this week, I met with Greg Edwards and Vicki Comegys of Catch Des Moines.  It was a great meeting during which we discussed our community’s powerhouse line-up of the Des Moines Metro Opera, RAGBRAI, County Fair, and the National Balloon Classic, as well as a great deal of other positive projects taking place in our community.  They were impressed with the amount of activity happening and were very gracious in offering assistance where needed.  An example of their assistance was with the release of our community’s RAGBRAI theme and logo video, Catch Des Moines shared via their social media accounts which have more than 80,000 followers (Facebook and Twitter combined).  

IDOT Meeting
This morning (April 5th) City representatives met with IDOT to review a few topics, including: summer events, Highway 92 project, and funding for our traffic signalization project.  At the conclusion of the meeting the IDOT representative expressed his appreciation for the positive working relationship with the City.  A follow-up meeting is being scheduled.

Panel Presentation
Attached is a copy of the presentation that was shared at the Building Sustainable, Vibrant Communities event that was hosted last night at Simpson College by the Culver Public Policy Center and the local American Association of University Women (AAUW) branch.

City Council Policy
A request was made at Monday’s City Council meeting for a copy of the local preference policy.  A pdf of this policy is attached.  The full version of the City Council policy document may be found on the City’s website at http://indianolaiowa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8173/Council-Policy-Folder-110518.

League of Cities
Attached please find a copy of this week’s Legislative Link that is provided by the League of Cities.

Community Development Updates
Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 

Top Places in Iowa
If you have not seen the post on the City’s social media outlets, our community was again named a top 10 place to retire in Iowa by Smart Asset.  This year we received a ranking of six (last year we ranked eighth).  

Jail/Courthouse Project
As mentioned in last week’s update email, the City was provided with a revised site plan for the jail/courthouse project that was being reviewed by staff.  Attached is a copy of the letter that was shared with our partners at the County regarding the revised site plan.  

Square Lighting
In advance of the jail/courthouse project, IMU removed the lights around the inside of the Square.  This process entailed installing a temporary pole, one that is much taller, in front of the KNIA office and Canoe Outfitters. Overhead wires were then installed from the temporary poles to the existing decorative poles on the outside, in front of the businesses, part of the Square.  As of Wednesday, March 27th, the lights on the inside portion of the Square are off and the lights on the outside portion of the Square remain on.

County Updates
Attached please find a copy of the meeting minutes from the January 28th Carlisle City Council meeting.  As you will see in the attached minutes, a few County updates were provided that Staff thought were valuable to share with you.  

Land Use Training
Iowa State University (ISU) Extension and Outreach has released its schedule for its Introduction to Planning & Zoning for Local Officials Workshop series for Spring 2019.  The Introduction to Planning and Zoning workshop is designed as a “basic training” for local elected and appointed officials on the land use issues facing them today. The workshop is intended primarily for local officials new to planning and zoning issues, though it also will serve as a refresher for veteran members.  A brochure with additional information, including dates and locations, is attached.  If you would like to attend, please let Charlie Dissell know by Friday, April 5th.

Summerset Trail Closure near Hillcrest
As part of the development at the Quail Meadows residential project a section of the trail near Hillcrest will be closed for a period of time.  This is due to sewer work that is required for the development.  At this time a timeframe has not been set, but Staff remain in contact with the developer and will be advertising once a timeline is established.  

School Resource Officer Update
Earlier this week, City Staff met with School District representatives and parents to discuss various items regarding the School Resource Officer position.  This was a positive discussion that produced valuable information to consider as we partner with the School District to get this program up and running.  This position has already been posted internally for interested officers.  

WPC/IMU
Congratulations are in order for the Water Pollution Control Department for receiving a grant in the amount of $5,000 for the the installation of new controls at McCord and Plainview lift stations.  A big thank you to our friends at IMU for this grant award.  

Spring Cleaning
As previously mentioned, non-emergency City Hall staff are looking to schedule a spring cleaning day.  There are a number of files and storage rooms in City Hall that have not been cleaned in several years.  It is anticipated that non-emergency offices would be closed for the spring cleaning day.  The tentative date for this cleaning day is April 26th.  City staff plan to review this at the April 1st City Council meeting.  

Budget Inquiry
Earlier this week Staff received an inquiry about the location of the FY19 budget document on the City’s website.  A copy of this document may be found on the City’s website at http://indianolaiowa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8194/FY19-Indianola-Iowa-Budget-Presentation-Document?bidId=.  

Community Development Updates
Attached please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - April 15, 2019
Draft - May 6, 2019

Pedestrian Crossing Upgrades
Iowa Signal began work on the pedestrian signal heads and pushbuttons along the main highway corridors.  As you may recall, this project is primarily funded by a grant from IDOT.  Once this phase of the project is completed the contractors will start installing the battery back-ups.  As part of the battery back-up installation, we anticipate the traffic signals will go dark briefly while the power cables are connected.  Iowa Signal will place stop signs out prior to the signal going dark and removing the stop signs once the signal is back running.  A timeline has not yet been determined, but the anticipated outages will not be for very long and should not disrupt traffic.
 
Sewer Project
The 15th St/HWY 92 sewer project will commence the week of March 25th. On Track Construction from Nevada will move in early that week to start potholing for underground utilities. Their boring subcontractor, AAA Trenching, will start boring in the new sewer on March 27th. This project will eliminate the defective sewer connections in the old trailer park that emit odors and allow ground water to enter into the sewer system. The three structures on the northwest corner of the intersection will be tied into a new sewer main that will run west on the north side of HWY 92.
 
Jerry Kelley Trail
The bid deadline for the Jerry Kelley Trail project was earlier this week.  The lowest bid was more than the Engineer’s estimate.  Staff is waiting to receive the bid tabulation to evaluate areas that could be value engineered and other options available to reduce the cost of the project.  Staff anticipates having the information in advance of the April 1st public hearing.
 
Jail/Courthouse Project
Earlier this week, the City was provided with a revised site plan for the jail/courthouse project.  A copy of this revised site plan is attached.  City staff are in the process of reviewing this revised layout and will be providing comments to the County.  A copy of this letter will be provided in next week’s update email.
 
Economic Development
As shared during a previous City Council meeting, staff have been working with a building owner on overcoming some infrastructure related challenges.  Attached is a letter providing an exemption to certain provisions of the City Code to allow the business to pursue alternatives that meet the intent of the Code.  The City Code does allow for this administrative review and exemption.  
 
Developer Meetings
This week staff met with two separate developers to discuss future residential developments.  Following the meetings, both developers expressed their appreciation for the cooperation and assistance.  In total, the two developers would represent 67 residential lots.  
 
Sewer Connection Fee Districts
This week staff received another complaint about the amount of fee due to connect to the City’s sewer system within a Sewer Connection Fee District.  This contact indicated that are looking to develop the area, but is likely unable to make the high amount work in their budget.  Staff is continuing to research this issue and is working with Legal to determine what can be done in areas where potential fees have made development unaffordable. 
 
Parks and Recreation CIP Projects
In last week’s update staff shared updates on two Parks and Recreation projects (shallow pool concrete and shallow pool water feature pumps).  Attached, please find a memorandum providing an update on these two projects. 
 
Mary Zimmerman
After 32 years of service to our community, Mary Zimmerman will be retiring from IMU on March 29th.  Attached is an invitation for a reception honoring Mary’s dedicated service. 
 
RAGBRAI Route
On Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, RAGBRAI announced the routes in and out of our community.  The routes may be found at https://ragbrai.com/routemaps/2019-route-maps/.  The community’s RAGBRAI committee is working on the various details, including the planned internal route.  Information will be provided as it becomes available. 
 
Out of the Office
I will be out of the office most of the day, but will be accessible by cell phone.  
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - April 1, 2019
Draft - April 15, 2019

City Council Meeting
As mentioned in my email from yesterday, we have been having a devil of a time trying to get the March 18th meeting rescheduled.  Unfortunately, simply canceling the meeting and waiting until the April 1st City Council meeting is not an option because we have a number of items that need to be completed before the end of the month.  For a variety of reasons and to increase our ability to have the necessary meeting, we will be scheduling two identical City Council meetings (March 19th at 5:00 p.m. and March 20th at 1:00 p.m.) in hopes that one of them can take place.  Phoning in will be an option.  The meeting agendas will be limited to the following items:

1. Setting some public hearings (so we don’t disrupt local businesses), 
2. Approving the claims (so we don’t incur late fees), 
3. Approving a contract with Civic (this is the City’s main financial and payroll system), and 
4. Receiving and filing the audit (so we can meet the State deadline).

Approved FY 2020 Budget
The FY2020 budget has been submitted to Warren County and to the Iowa Department of Management a few days ahead of schedule. Thanks to the Council and City staff for all their hard work in putting together another annual budget. 

FY 2020 Budget Document
The Finance Department has started work on the FY2020 Budget Presentation Document. They have 90 days from March 4th to submit the document to GFOA to be considered for the Distinguished Budget Award.  As part of this work, staff will be incorporating recommendations that were provided by GFOA as part of last year’s budget submittal.  Once completed, this document will be loaded to the City’s website.

FY 2018 PILOT Payment
As previously shared, the IMU FY2018 audit found that more electricity and water had been sold than previously forecasted. An amount equal to five percent of the electricity sales and three percent of water sales is transferred to the city as a Payment in Lieu Of Taxes or PILOT payment. The remaining amount of $73,600 will be transferred to the city with $47,104 to the General Administration Fund and $24,496 to the Police Fund. As you may recall, the General Administration transfer will pay for the accounting system upgrade.

County Email
Attached is an email that was sent to County representatives earlier this week.  This email provides some follow-up information resulting from our last Courthouse/Jail update meeting.  This is being provided for informational purposes only.

Shallow Pool Concrete Bids
Three bids were opened for the replacement of approximately 80 square yards of concrete walkway around the Aquatic Center Shallow Pool and concession areas.  Several portions of the concrete are cracking or crumbing.  Estimates were obtained last year from concrete contractors that ranged from around $22,000 to $30,000.  These figures were used when including in the CIP budget for this fiscal year.  The received bids ranged from $45,564 to $93,582.  City staff will be recommending rejecting all bids and re-contacting the contractors for a per square yard cost and then prioritizing the areas that need to be repaired prior to this season under the budgeted CIP amount.  

Pool Feature Pumps
Two of the pumps that operate the water features in the Aquatic Center Shallow pool were scheduled for repair during this winter as the shafts were corroding to the point of visible holes.  With the advice from the Water Pollution Control staff and other pump vendors, the plan was to remove the shafts and rebuild them at Williams Machine in Lacona.  Following delivery, it was discovered the shafts could not be removed without damaging the impellers and other pump parts.  Staff have since been working with several pump vendors to collect estimates for replacement options.  There is $15,000 included in the CIP budget for these repairs.  Staff will be working to select the best replacement options as soon as possible as the replacement pumps have a lead time of 4-6 weeks.

Employee Awards Banquet
Attached is the invitation for this year’s employee awards banquet.  Please be sure to rsvp to Melissa McCoy by Friday, March 22nd.  

Mary Zimmerman
After 32 years of service to our community, Mary Zimmerman will be retiring from IMU on March 29th.  Attached is an invitation for a reception honoring Mary’s dedicated service.  

Spring Cleaning
Non-emergency City Hall staff are looking to schedule a spring cleaning day.  There are a number of files and storage rooms in City Hall that have not been cleaned in several years.  It is anticipated that non-emergency offices would be closed for the spring cleaning day.  Once a tentative date is identified, we will present at an upcoming City Council meeting and advertise accordingly.   

Shadow Day
On Wednesday, 28 high school students shadowed employees in City and IMU departments.  Departments included Fire, Police, Streets, Parks, Recreation, Library, IT, Community Development, City Manager/Finance/City Clerk/HR, and Electric. Students had the opportunity tour interesting areas within departments, ride with police officers, see how paramedics intubate patients, learn about the planning and zoning commission, budget, interviewing, and a variety of other municipal operations.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - April 1, 2019
Draft - April 15, 2019

Square Streetscape Steering Committee
The Square Streetscape Steering Committee had its kickoff meeting this morning at the Sagewood Event Center.  Twenty-three committee members, made up of business owners and other community members with an interest on the Square, kicked off this planning process with a 90-minute meeting.  Amongst the topics discussed were traffic circulation, sidewalks, bicycle mobility, the County Courthouse project, street lighting, planters, pedestrian features and parking.  The next step in this planning process will be a meeting with Staff prior to the consultants getting into data collection and plan/concept design.  This planning process is anticipated to last for three to four months.  

Putney Auction Services
The Planning and Zoning Commission will review the request from Mark Putney at its meeting on Tuesday, March 12.  Since the City received the amendment request prior to any event taking place at the new location, any potential enforcement will be deferred until after we have a determination by both the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council.  

Sewer Connection Fee Districts
This week staff has received two complaints about the amount of fee due to connect to the City’s sewer system within two separate Sewer Connection Fee Districts.  Both points of contact were from a business looking to relocate to Indianola, but unable to make the high amount work in their budget.  Staff is continuing to research this issue and is working with Legal to determine what can be done in areas where potential fees have made development unaffordable. 

Kiwanis/Rotary Inclusive Playground
A design for the inclusive playground that Kiwanis and Rotary have been working toward installing has been chosen.  Together the groups have raised nearly $30,000, with estimated installation costs to be around $28,500.  The playground will include a spinner and rocker that are both accessible from wheelchairs.  There will also be four interactive panels to provide more interactive play.  The design sketches and proposed playground layout is attached.  The Parks and Recreation Commission also approved this design in their February meeting.  No work will be commenced or City expenses incurred until all the funding has been raised.  It is anticipated that the funding goal will be reached by June.
Playground Options
Layout
 
Pickard Concession Area Shade Structure
With the removal of the old deteriorated concession stand and the small attached shelter, there is a need to provide shade to the seating areas of the softball complex.  Funding in the amount of $9,000 is included in the Parks and Recreation budget to install shade structures in this fiscal year.  Several options were considered including wooden or steel shelters, large shade canopies and smaller shade structures.  Following the evaluations, a 25x50 ft shade canopy was chosen as the best option for our location.  It will be larger than the old 20x30 structure which will provide more seating.  There is currently two areas with canopies at the Aquatic Center and those have proven to be durable while providing shade for seating and playing areas.  The Parks and Recreation Commission approved the design at their February Meeting.  The Indianola Community Foundation has also committed $2,300 for the installation of this project.  The total cost of the structure is $11,290.

Legislative Update
Attached is the legislative update from the League of Cities.  This attachment provides a summary of various bills impacting municipalities.  

RAGBRAI
The planning efforts for RAGBRAI are underway.  If you receive any inquiries concerning RAGBRAI, please either direct them to me or inform the person(s) making the inquiry that information is currently being compiled and will be included on a website once the planning is complete.  The website will be advertised in the near future and will be well promoted.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.

Jerry Kelley Trail
The Iowa DOT has published the request for bids for our community’s Jerry Kelley Trail Phase 2 expansion project.  The bid letting date is March 19th.  All bids must be submitted through the Iowa DOT.  We anticipate bringing the proposals to Council on April 1st for approval.

Local Option Sales Tax Revenue
Yesterday, we receipted in the first installment of Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) revenue since the Warren County unincorporated area passed the measure. As expected, the revenue has decreased from an average monthly amount of 160,000 to just over $87,000. While it is still too early to tell, if the City continues to collect at this amount, the annual amount will be $200,000 more than budgeted ($1 million compared to a budgeted amount of $800,000).  Staff will continue to monitor this information.

Putney Auction Services
As you will recall from an email I sent earlier this week, Putney Auction Services did not have proper zoning to begin operations at their new property at 2612 West 2nd Avenue.  As noted in that email, Staff was attempting to get in contact with Mr. Putney to work on an expedited process in order to seek the proper zoning.  Earlier today, Staff received the attached letter from Mr. Putney requesting the required action.  City Staff will be coordinating accordingly and will provide any updates as necessary.  

Quality of Life Legislation
Earlier today Staff was alerted to two pieces of proposed legislation – House File 542 and Senate Study Bill 1221.  The proposed legislation would prohibit various governments from acquiring land for parks, trails and conservation efforts including water quality, as well as eliminate the tax credit for donation of land for conservation.  Information regarding these proposals have been shared with members of the City’s Parks and Recreation Commission, as well as the League of Cities.  Staff will continue to research and monitor.

YMCA Meeting
Recreation staff met with YMCA staff on February 26th to discuss collaboration between the YMCA and Parks and Recreation, which includes working together to provide a more unified direction with offerings regarding recreation programming and recreation facilities.  The discussion focused on sharing information and methods to communicate each other’s programming.  Work will continue to offer joint programs, explore ways to expand on shared events, and avoid competing programs.  

Fire Department Requests for Service
Over the first two months of 2019 the Fire Department received calls for service in excess of 200/month.  Even though this is two months worth of data, annualizing this data would put the department on-pace to exceed last year’s total, which was the highest recorded. 

Heather Hulen
Attached please find a press release that was published by the YMCA of Greater Des Moines announcing Indianola’s very own Heather Hulen as the new Executive Director for the Indianola YMCA.  A reception for Heather is scheduled for 4:00 on March 6th.  

Homebuilders Association Meeting
Earlier this week Charlie and I met with the Executive Director of the Home Builders’ Association.  As you may recall, we have been working on fostering a relationship with this organization the last few years.  It was a great meeting where we were able to share many of our recent successes and current projects.  Additionally, we were able to identify some ways to assist the HBA in making contacts in Indianola for some of its key initiatives.  

RAGBRAI
The planning efforts for RAGBRAI are underway.  If you receive any inquiries concerning RAGBRAI, please either direct them to me or inform the person(s) making the inquiry that information is currently being compiled and will be included on a website once the planning is complete.  The website will be advertised in the near future and will be well promoted.

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - March 18, 2019
Draft - April 1, 2019

County Meeting
A meeting with the County, their representatives and City/IMU staff has been scheduled for next week.  The purpose of the meeting will be to review the current status of the Courthouse/Jail project.

Bike Nite Meeting
Brenda Easter and I met with organizers of Bike Nite on Thursday.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the planning of the event for the next two year.  The location of the event will likely remain on the Square.  Organizers will be meeting again with the Chamber and staff to review other logistical items following the meeting referenced above (with the County).

Greater Des Moines Partnership
On Monday I met with representatives of the Greater Des Moines Partnership.  The purpose of the meeting was to review the City’s upcoming Streetscape Master Planning project, Comprehensive Master Plan update project, and RAGBRAI.  The Partnership staff indicated that they are willing and able to assist with all of the aforementioned projects.  We are certainly appreciative of their commitment.

Developer Meeting
On Tuesday Charlie and I met with a representative of a developer from Sioux Falls.  This individual mentioned that the developer was interested in some available residential ground in the northern portion of the City.  They indicated that this inquiry is preliminary at this point and that they would be touching base with staff later.  

Prairie Glynn
Approximately 16 building permits have been applied for in the Prairie Glynn subdivision (E. Euclid).  These permit applications are currently under review.  

Chamber of Commerce
Attached is a letter from Brenda Easter and the Chamber Board thanking the City for support and participation.  

Professional Development
Kuddos to Andy Lent who recently received a certificate of professional development from the Government Finance Association.  Andy received this for completing a continuing education class in the field of capital budgeting.  

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Current Projects Update

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - March 4, 2019
Draft - March 18, 2019
 

Kick-off Meetings
This week staff held kick-off meetings for both the Comprehensive Master Plan update and the Streetscape Concept Design projects.  A primary focus of both kick-off meetings was public engagement.  We will be providing regular updates as we progress along with these two extremely important community projects. 
 
County Email
Attached is an email sent to County representatives requesting another coordination meeting for the courthouse/jail project.
 
Presidents’ Day
A friendly reminder that non-emergency offices are closed on Monday, February 18th due to the Presidents’ Day holiday.  As a result of this holiday, the City Council meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, February 19th.  Parks & Recreation will have regular evening programming during the evening, which includes: ChicoMetrics at the Activity Center and Youth Basketball at Wilder School.
 
Grants
Kuddos go out to the Police and Fire Departments.  Both departments have been working hard on pursuing grants to help off-set costs for these departments.  As an example, the Police Department has just submitted a grant application for $19,000 that would help to replace two scanners, two printers, and computer monitors in six patrol vehicles, as well as help fund a portion of the maintenance contract on the electronics.
 
YMCA
This morning Kevin Halterman, Nate Fehl and I met with the new CEO of the Greater Des Moines YMCA.  During our meeting we discussed the recruitment for the vacant Executive Director position, the review of local branches she is currently undertaking, and the 28E agreement between the two entities.
 
Expired Permit Update
As you may recall, there was a backlog of expired building permits that went back several years.  Thank you to Charlie and Kristin who have been actively managing this backlog.  As a result of their hard work, the number of expired permits is now down to 40.  Charlie will be speaking on this during his update at the City Council meeting.
 
Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Building Permits
Current Projects Update
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know.
Draft - March 4, 2019
Draft - March 18, 2019

IMU Tree Trimming
Attached please find a notice regarding upcoming tree trimming activities that IMU will be undertaking around electric facilities.  IMU indicates that the earliest they can begin tree trimming activities is February 13th and that this will take place over the next few months (weather dependent).
 
IDOT Proposal
Jason Etnyre and I had a conference call with an IDOT official to share direction received from the City Council on their proposal to restripe a portion of Highway 92 from three lanes to four lanes.  We shared the direction and some of the contributing factors for the decision.  The IDOT official thanked the City for the consideration.  During the call we discussed possible next steps to review possible solutions to the stacking issue during school drop-off and pick-up.  More information will be shared as it becomes available.

National Balloon Classic
Congratulations to our partners at the National Balloon Classic.  They are featured on the cover of the January 29th edition of the Travel Iowa magazine (see attached).  

Greater Des Moines Partnership Annual Report
Attached please find a copy of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s Annual Report for 2018. 
 
City Hall Repairs
Repairs were required for the HVAC unit on the City Hall roof.  The braces meant to keep the unit secure broke. This was discovered while investigating what appears to be a water leak from above.  

Legislative Link
Attached is this week’s legislative update from the Iowa League of Cities.

Mahaska Rate Change Letter
Attached is a letter the City received regarding a rate adjustment that will go into effect March 1, 2019 for certain digital packages.
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - February 19, 2019
Draft - March 4, 2019
 
Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Current Projects Update

CVB Focus Group
On Monday Doug and I attended a meeting with consultants hired by the CVB.  The purpose of the meeting was for the consultants to obtain information from various stakeholders.  Our meeting was one of several focus group meetings that the consultants are hosting.  The input received during these meetings will be used as the CVB looks to establish a master plan for tourism efforts.
 
IMU Budget
At its board meeting January 28th, the IMU Board of Trustees approved the Utility’s FY 2019-2020 Budget. Currently there are no planned rate adjustments for the Electric, Water, or Telecommunications Utilities; however, an Electric Cost of Service Study will be presented to the board on February 11th with a Water Utility Rate Study considered for completion in late June 2019. Overall revenues for the three utilities for 2020 over 2019 are expected to be up $1,914,300 (9.94%) primarily due to projected Telecommunications Utility income. Expenses for the same period, which include Capital Projects, are expected to be down $3,240,100 [14.52%] due to the completion of the Electric Line Shop, the Telecom Shop Rehabilitation, and the installation of much of the fiber infrastructure.
 
Illegal Dumping
Recently, staff observed evidence of someone depositing refuse not being generated by City departments into the dumpster at City Hall.  Staff will be monitoring this situation and if needed will be taking appropriate measures to prevent this illegal activity.  If you witness any activity, please be sure to let us know.
 
Development Agreement for 506 West 2nd
Attached, please find two pieces of correspondence regarding the former D & D property located at 506 West 2nd.  This item is listed as an agenda item on Monday's City Council agenda.  City Staff will recommend that this agenda item be tabled.
D & D Email
D & D Letter
 
Community Events Meeting
Earlier today, Brenda Easter and I co-hosted a meeting with organizers of various community events that are held on the Square.  The purpose of the meeting was to share information on what we know about at this time for the logistics of the courthouse/jail project.  Attendees were appreciative of the communication and will be incorporating information shared into their planning processes.

Highway 92/Y Street Lighting
At the last City Council meeting a question was asked about the lighting placement along Highway 92 (Specifically at Y Street).  Mike Metcalf, Electric Superintendent, shared that the new LED lights along Highway 92 were installed as a result of the DOT  paving project a couple years ago. IMU hired P&E Engineering to design the street light placement. The street lighting plan was submitted to DOT for approval for placement in the Right-of-Way (ROW). As part of the ROW permit, DOT has to approve the placements of utilities to make sure they don’t conflict with other utilities. The City also has to sign off on the permit prior to work beginning. These permits have typically been reviewed and approved by Community Development.

Register Article (House File 41)
Attached please find an article regarding the proposed legislation regarding IDOT that was provided in a previous weekly update email.
 
Awards Banquet
As you may recall, following last year's employee awards banquet a survey was conducted of employees asking about the preferred time of the year to host this great event.  The responses indicated that it would be preferred to have the banquet in the Spring in the hopes that the winter weather would be gone and those employees who help with snow plowing could enjoy the night.  Planning has commenced and as of the writing of this update the tentative date is March 29th.  As planning progresses more information will be provided.
 
YMCA Meeting
Earlier this morning I attended a meeting at the YMCA's corporate offices regarding the annual fundraising campaign.  Indianola was well represented at this event and Heather Hulen even served as one of the presenters.  The YMCA offers over $2 million in financial aid to Metro residents (over $200,000 is provided to those in the 50125 zip code).  Information was previously provided to elected officials on the campaign goals for the Indianola facility.  As you review the provided information, it is requested that you please consider assisting in our community's campaign.
 
Legislative Update
Attached please find a comprehensive legislative update email provided by the League of Cities.  There are several items contained within this email that would have an impact on the City.  Staff will continue to monitor these items and share updates as received.
 
WPC Updates
Staff are anticipating that the contractors for the CIP project to update the controls at the Plainview and McCord lift stations will start the first full week in March.  Also, the CIP project for the 15th St / 92 Sewer is expected to start on March 25th.  Lastly, attached are some photographs of the new sewer camera truck that is used to inspect our sewer infrastructure.



Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - February 19, 2019
Draft - March 4, 2019
 
Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department. 
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
January Building Permits
Snow on Sidewalk Report

Harvest Innovations
On Wednesday afternoon, a fire broke out inside the main facility for Harvest Innovations.  City fire personnel responded and after seven and half hours, were able to extinguish the fire.  While there was minimal structure damage, large equipment was destroyed.  Thankfully there were no injuries. If additional information is received, we will let you know.

Legislative Update
Yesterday I provided an update on proposed legislation regarding lane conversions.  Attached, please find a more comprehensive legislative update email provided by the League of Cities.  There are several items contained within this email that would have an impact on the City.  Staff will continue to monitor these items and share updates as received.

Building Maintenance
This morning staff placed a service call with the individual who works on the heating system at City Hall.  This was done because temperatures on the south side of the building reached as low as 56 degrees.  Police personnel and other staff were required to wear hats and gloves until the temperature was able to reach a more suitable level.  

Snow on Sidewalks
With the weekend providing residents the ability to get caught up on snow removal, the City has put out a reminder of City regulations regarding snow on residential sidewalks.  Beginning Monday, properties that have been reported as not having clear sidewalks will receive letters providing notice of City regulations.  If voluntary compliance is not obtained, the City will proceed with additional enforcement activities.

Another New Business
Our partners at the Chamber shared this morning that they have been working with an interested party on the vacant building that the Dirty Bird used to occupy.  Brenda shared that this party has executed a lease and are anticipating opening “The Watering Hole”  mid- to late February.

Census
Earlier this week the City received a notice from the US Census Bureau about a voluntary survey.  This survey, which requested information about possible boundary changes, was completed and submitted.  Staff have responded to a number of these over the last year and will likely be required to respond to more as we approach 2020.  

Snow Removal Efforts
There are several items to share on this matter:

1. Kuddos go out to the members of the team who have been working around the clock to keep our community safe and clean.  In addition to the great work they are doing with the plows, the drivers are to be commended for their alertness and concern.  While on their routes, members of the team observed and relayed information about items that could impact the safety within our community – snow forts in/near dangerous areas and snow-covered hydrants.  Because of their efforts, the rest of the team has been able to work to better address these concerns.  Here is a link to the 1/22/19 broadcast of WHOtv which helps to illustrate this point -https://whotv.com/2019/01/22/winter-blast-a-blessing-and-curse-for-warren-county/.  Another example is through the collaboration with several external partners, including the School District, Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis, and the Cub Scouts all of which asked members to help remove snow from around the fire hydrants.  We are so thankful for these partnerships and their assistance!
2. The snow removal efforts would not be possible without the assistance from virtually every department.  WPC, Parks & Rec, and IMU have assisted in plowing while PD, Parks & Rec, Fire, IT, and Library have all assisted with communications.  The School District has also assisted in some of our communication efforts.
3. Crews are on a mandatory rest period now and will be back on the streets at midnight tonight.  A question recently raised by a councilperson concerns the plan for drifting.  Our crews maintain a log of areas in town that commonly experience drifting.  Someone from the department goes around town every two hours during heavy wind periods in order to try and address these drifts. 
4. For your information, regarding the snow ordinance activation on 1/18/19, there were 14 parking tickets issued and five vehicles impounded.  For the snow ordinance activation on 1/22/19, there were 11 parking tickets and three vehicles impounded.

Hillcrest TIF
As mentioned recently during a City Council meeting, the Hillcrest 2 TIF is set to expire at the end of the current fiscal year.  This area generally includes the Indianola Industrial Park along 14th St between Hillcrest and Iowa Avenues.  Staff has started the process to renew this TIF area.  As part of this process, staff is examining what areas of the current TIF area have been fulfilled, and what areas still have development potential.  Additionally, staff is looking at the areas shown as planned industrial areas on the City’s Future Land Use Map that may be added to the TIF area.  This process will include a declaration of necessity from the Council, consolation meetings to be held with all affected taxing entities (Indianola School District and Warren County), a Public Hearing by Council, and adoption of the updated Urban Renewal Plan and TIF ordinance by Council.  Staff anticipates this process to begin in the next few months so the new TIF area can be implemented prior to the current one expiring.

New Business
The City received word from our partners at the Chamber that a new business is coming to town.  The name of the business is Shoe Sensation and they will be coming to town this spring.  Shoe Sensation will be occupying the vacant Advanced Auto Parts building, located at 610 N. Jefferson Way.  If interested, here’s a link to their website - https://www.shoesensation.com/.

Fire Department Statistics
During our staff meeting this week, Chief Chia shared that calls for service from 2017 to 2018 increased by a little more than eight percent from 2,112 calls up to 2,284 calls.  Attached, please find a document that provides a breakdown of these calls for both 2018 and 2017.  For your information, the total calls for 2018 are above the projections for the year 2020 that were assumed in the Fire Department’s staffing study.  
 
Square Activities
Last week, Brenda Easter, Charlie Dissell and I met with a representative of the County’s courthouse/jail development team.  During this meeting we discussed the estimated plans for construction on the site related to stormwater facilities and the possible short-term impact on parking.  While the plans could change when the project is put out for bidding, Brenda and I will be hosting a meeting with organizers of activities on the Square to begin the dialogue on how to minimize the impact to these community events.  Additional information will be provided once we have more information.  

China Star Building
A few weeks ago, I received a call from a realtor who indicated that they represented the new owner of the China Star building.  At that time, the realtor indicated that a deed would be filed and that the building was purchased via foreclosure.  Accordingly, we have been monitoring the County records to verify the claim.  During a recent check of the ownership of the property, we were able to verify that there is a new owner of the building.  According to County records, the owner is identified as ACC Holdings.  
 
Street Lighting Plan
Attached is the document from IMU regarding street lighting that was referenced during the recent City Council meeting.  
 
House File 41
I was recently alerted to a recent House File that involves the DOT and four to three lane proposals.  A copy of the proposed legislation may be found at https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ba=HF 41&ga=88.  I have reached out to the League of Cities to inquire about this proposed legislation. Their lobbyist indicated they were looking into this and would get back to me.  Additional information will be shared once received.  

Highway 92 Survey
As you recall, the City has advertised a survey soliciting input on the proposal from IDOT to convert highway 92 from four lanes to three lanes.  We plan on closing the survey on January 25th.  Staff will share the survey results with the City Council for review and direction at its February 4th meeting.

Doggie Dive
The Memorial Building Commission voted to eliminate the Annual Doggie Dive at their meeting on 1/17/19.  This was a result of information released from the Iowa Department of Public Health regarding additional risks and guidelines that pool operators must meet to mitigate the additional risks of illness and injury to the pool patrons and their dogs.  

City Hall Elevator
City staff is in the process of scheduling repair work for the elevator at City Hall.  The work is necessary in order to be compliant with State guidelines.  Staff is waiting for a scheduled date from the vendor and will provide notification once it has been officially scheduled.  
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas maintained by the Clerk’s Office for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - February 4, 2019
Draft - February 19, 2019

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department. 
Property Maintenance Database
Sump Pump Issues Reported

Thank you
Today marks my work anniversary at the City.  My family and I are so grateful for this opportunity and love being able to call Indianola home - thank you!
 
Phishing Email
Attached, please find an email that IT provided to employees last month advising of fake emails.  This is being shared for your information.  Just today, two separate employees received fake emails that had my name as the sender.  In both cases, employees were asked to purchase gift cards.  Thankfully, both employees questioned the validity of the email.  Both IT and PD were notified.   

410 S. Jefferson
The closing for the 410 S. Jefferson D&D property took place earlier today.  As you may recall, this purchaser is paying the City $23,165 for the lot and will be constructing a building on the property.
 
Developers Breakfast
Yesterday morning, staff hosted a breakfast for individuals and companies involved in development and real estate.  As you will recall from the invitation letter that was provided in a previous update, the focus of this meeting was to share updates on the department, but more importantly to solicit input.  Attached, please find information that was shared during this meeting.  We were pleased with the turnout for this inaugural event and the feedback provided both during and after the event.  Staff will be providing follow-up to all invitees and attendees.
Presentation
Indianola Fact Sheet
Contractors Contact List & Feedback Form
 
Highway 92 Survey
As you recall, the City has advertised a survey soliciting input on the proposal from IDOT to convert highway 92 from four lanes to three lanes.  We plan on closing the survey on January 25th.  A post providing a reminder of the survey and notification of the closing date is forthcoming.  Staff anticipates that the survey results will be shared with the City Council for review and direction at its February 4th meeting.
 
Ankeny YMCA
Earlier today, there was a vote by the YMCA to end its relationship in the City of Ankeny.  The YMCA was previously notified by the community of its intentions to end the relationship in 2020.  The action taken this morning was to move the termination date to March 1, 2019.  A press release is attached.

Safety Training
Kuddos go out to the entire team for their commitment to safety training.  Staff completed the first set of online safety training classes.  It was a successful round with 96% completion.  Employees and department heads feel the online training is productive and convenient.  Employees completed courses on Bloodborne Pathogens, Winter Driving, Preventing Slips, Trips and Falls, Workplace Violence, Fire Prevention and Personal Protective Equipment. 

Interviews
Earlier this week, staff and members of the City Council's administration and policy committee conducted interviews with firms that submitted proposals for the Comprehensive Master Plan and Streetscape Concept projects.  It is anticipated that recommendations will be presented to the City Council at the February 4th meeting.
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction, as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - February 4, 2019
Draft - February 19, 2019

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department. 
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Sump Pump Issues Reported

Anticipated Snow Event
At around 11:00 a.m. today crews began pre-applying salt and sand to the roadways.  This is being done in anticipation of the upcoming weather that appears to be a drawn-out event.  City crews will be monitoring the weather closely on the conditions of the roads and will respond accordingly.  As a reminder, the City’s snow and ice removal policy stipulates that plowing operations will commence when accumulation reaches two inches.  

Budget Process
Attached, please find the memorandum that was in the Council packets on Monday listing the next steps for the FY20 budget process. On Monday, Andy will email a link to a Doodle poll your availability the last week of January for our budget meetings. In order to be respectful of your time, we may include 1-3 people at the meetings if more than one person selects the same slot(s). The meetings should not take longer than one hour. Similar to the last few years, during the meeting we will walk through the detailed information that is to be presented at the upcoming budget meetings.  

Fire Department News
Congratulations to the Fire Department.  The Department applied for and was awarded a grant from the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation in the amount of $4,945.00.  This grant will be used to purchase equipment that can check oxygen levels and other vitals of patients.

Joint Meeting with School Board
On Thursday, Diana distributed the agenda for the joint meeting with the School Board.  As a reminder, the meeting will take place on Monday, January 14th at 6:00 p.m. and will be held in the new administrative offices located just west of the middle school.

Chamber Dinner
Thank you for the responses.  All who have rsvp’d have been registered with the Chamber.  This event is scheduled for January 17th at 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. and will be held in the Kent Center.

IMU Customer Service Center
IMU’s new customer service facility will be open for business on January 14, 2019.  IMU Staff stationed at City Hall have completed their move earlier this morning.  IMU has posted signs announcing that the payment drop box on the west side of City Hall is no longer taking payments. The south parking lot payment drop box is still operational and will be relocated to IMU’s new facility. 

City Hall North Entrance
With IMU’s transition to their new office building, a temporary employee (Michelle Sims) is staffing the area at the north entrance of City Hall.  Staff from IT will use a portion of the work area/stations vacated by IMU.  All other staff will remain in their current workstation locations.  

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the next meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. Please note that the next regular City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, January 22nd. 
Draft - January 22, 2019
Draft - February 4, 2019

Joint Meeting
Please note that the joint meeting with the City Council and the School Board to discuss the topic of a school resource officer will be on Monday, January 14th.  It is anticipated that the meeting will take place at 6:00 p.m. at the District’s new administrative office building.  A separate calendar has been emailed to you all and a formal agenda will be published next week.

IDOT Request
Staff has prepared a brief survey soliciting feedback on IDOT's request/proposal to restripe portions of highway 92 from four lanes to three lanes.  The IDOT video on the proposal, as well as our survey are now available on the City's website and advertised via social media.  Here is the link to section of the City’s website containing this information - http://indianolaiowa.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=1446. 

Chamber Dinner
As you are aware, the City is an investor in the Chamber.  Based on the City’s investor level, the City is afforded a table of eight to the annual Chamber dinner.  This event is scheduled for January 17th at 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.  If you plan on attending, please let me know so that I can make the necessary arrangements with the Chamber.  Please let me know if you plan to attend by January 11th.  

Jerry Kelley Trail Letting
The City received word from IDOT that the scheduled letting for the Jerry Kelley Trail project is March 19th.  To get to this point has taken some time primarily due to requirements of IDOT.  This is a positive step forward with this project.  

YMCA Annual Fundraiser
As you may recall, there is an annual fundraiser that takes place to benefit the YMCA.  All are invited to attend the official kick-off for this fundraiser, which will take place at the Indianola YMCA on Thursday January 10th at 7:00 a.m.  

YMCA Executive Director
The job advertisement for the Indianola YMCA Executive Director position closed on December 30th.  As this is a YMCA position, the recruitment is being handled by the Greater Des Moines YMCA.  The team at the corporate office is keeping the advisory board apprised of the recruitment process and will be providing an update of next steps after they complete an initial review of the submitted applications.

Zoning Letter
Recently, the City received an inquiry about the ability to run a business in a building they were purchasing.  Upon review of the Zoning Code, it was determined that the proposed use is not allowed within the Zoning District.  Attached, for your information, please find a letter that was sent as a follow-up to the inquiry.

IMU Customer Service Center
IMU’s new customer service facility will be open for business on January 14, 2019.  Staff currently stationed at City Hall will move Friday, January 11th. While there will be IMU staff in City Hall to assist customers, walk-in payments will not be able to be taken in that day.  IMU has posted signs announcing that the payment drop box on the west side of City Hall is no longer taking payments. The south parking lot payment drop box is still operational and will be relocated on January 14th to IMU’s new facility. This information may also be found on social media.
 
Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the next meetings.  As a reminder, these are fluid documents that can change on a regular basis (i.e. some items may get added/rescheduled due to Council direction as well as other factors that may or may not be within the control of the City departments).  If there are items that you would like more information on, please let me know. 
Draft - January 22, 2019
Draft - February 4, 2019
 
Community Development Updates
Attached are various updates provided by Community Development.  Please note that the property maintenance report does not show those properties that have been provided to legal counsel for the next step in the enforcement proceedings.
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report