Ryan Waller - City Manager
Statement
Attached, please find an email that was shared with all City employees regarding the tragedy that took place in Minneapolis. It is not customary to include such emails in the weekly update, however, given the gravity of the situation I felt it important to do so. I am grateful for our team’s dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment to the unbiased and equitable treatment of all.
Important Message to City Employees
Police Department
Several Metro police departments have received inquiries about a campaign called “8 Can’t Wait.” Attached, please find a graphic that illustrates how the Indianola Police Department addresses the pillars of the campaign (additional information may be found at https://8cantwait.org/). Lastly, please know that the process to review and update policies is a regular occurrence at the City. Within the Police Department, a review of the department’s operating policies commenced a couple of weeks ago. I am very proud of the women and men of our department and greatly appreciate their dedicated and professional service to our community.
June 15th City Council Meeting
The City Council will meet on Monday, June 15th for its regular meeting (there will not be a study session). The agenda and meeting materials are available on the City’s website at http://www.indianolaiowa.gov/AgendaCenter/City-Council-5/. The meetings will be aired live via the City’s YouTube channel (accessed here: City’s YouTube Channel) and a Zoom Webinar.
Library Opens Monday
The Library will re-open Monday with curbside pickup offered during all open hours. Besides checkout services, public computers will be available on a limited basis. To accommodate additional cleaning and disinfecting measures, hours will be temporarily reduced by two hours every day. This information has been updated on the City’s re-opening matrix found at https://www.indianolaiowa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/11303/Reopening-Matrix_6102020.
Activity Center Re-Opening
Staff is working to begin the first phase of re-opening the Activity Center to the public on Monday, June 22nd. The hours will be reduced to 8:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. to allow for additional cleaning and modifications will be made to keep the safety of our visitors and staff a high priority. Visitors will be required to check-in, encouraged to wear masks, lobby seating will be eliminated, activity schedules reduced or modified, some rooms will not be available, and additional safety signage will be posted. In addition, the Buxton Room will be made available for rentals beginning July 11th with limited seating, adjusted procedures and increased cleaning. The specific details will be posted on the Parks and Recreation website and emailed to the Senior Center membership list.
Temporary Road Closure on Hillcrest Avenue
The City’s Street Division is planning to repair a failed pavement section on Hillcrest Avenue, between North 14th Street and 325 feet west of North 14th Street. Unfortunately, this construction work will require a temporary road closure of both the lanes. The work is scheduled to start the week of June 22, 2020 and is expected to be completed within one day, weather permitting.
Street & Stormwater Intake Repairs
Streets Division staff continued repairing deteriorated sections of roadways and upgrading sidewalk ramps to ensure ADA compliance. This work, which involves full-depth patching to restore the integrity and rideability of the concrete pavement, took place on West Sunset circle. The upgraded a sidewalk ramp work was at the intersection of West Sunset Circle & G Street (a picture is attached).
Traffic Signal Timing & Iowa Avenue Project Update
The contractor (Sternquist Construction) started the work for pavement reconstruction earlier this week. Road closure signage was placed accordingly, and the contractor began removing the existing pavement (a picture is attached). Excavation and subgrade preparation will follow, with new concrete paving expected to begin in roughly two to three weeks afterwards. This project, which is partially funded by a grant, will also improve the synchronization of the traffic signals on Jefferson Way (US highway 65/69) and 2nd Ave (IA 92). The contract for this project has a late completion date of July 17, 2020.
Pavement Markings
This week, Streets Division staff continued the annual pavement markings that includes the stop lines, crosswalks, turn indicators, on-street parking, bike lanes, and dashed lines down the middle of the roadways. Rainy weather conditions have caused some delays, but a few good days during this week allowed staff to make some progress.
Staff Training
All staff from the Streets Division completed a four-hour training on Roadway Safety Basics and a one-hour training on ADA Accessible Sidewalks and Curb Ramps. The training for Roadway Safety Basics was provided by Iowa Local Technical Assistance Program to give an overview of roadside safety, identification of safety concerns and determination of appropriate improvements. The training for ADA Accessible Sidewalks and Curb Ramps was provided by National Concrete Pavement Technology Center.
Comprehensive Master Plan (Elevate Indianola)
Staff has begun distributing hard copies of the recently adopted Comprehensive Plan to key stakeholders in the community, including: Indianola Municipal Utilities, the Indianola School District, Simpson College, Warren County, the Central Iowa Regional Transportation Planning Alliance, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, the Indianola Chamber of Commerce, and the Warren County Economic Development Corporation. We again would like to thank the citizens, stakeholders, staff, elected and appointed officials who provided their input via the various public engagement events, meetings, and/or online surveys.
Community Development Reports
Attached are the following reports provided by the Community Development Department:
- The Planning and Zoning Commission reviewed various final plats and recommended approval to the City Council. Additionally, Scooters Coffee and Peoples Bank administration building began site work.
- Eight building permit applications were submitted, and four building permits were issued. There are currently six building permit applications in review and 90 building permits that have been issued year to date.
- One code enforcement case was opened and two cases were closed. There are currently 26 open code enforcement cases.
Warren County Justice Center (WCJC) Weekly Update
In the attached WCJC update, DCI reports that Ashland Avenue should be reopened on Monday.
Weekly Update Email
Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the anticipated agendas for the June 1st and June 15th 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).
Anticipated Draft June 24, 2020
Anticipated Draft July 6, 2020
Anticipated Draft July 20, 2020