Weekly Update - 2018

Budget Prioritization
As a follow-up to the budget prioritization exercise and discussion at the City Council Study Session meeting, staff will begin researching the additional budget items submitted as part of this exercise. If you submitted a request, please know that you may be contacted by staff to obtain some additional information to assist with our research and preparation for future budget meetings.   
 
Presentations
Attached are the two presentations that were reviewed during the December 17th City Council Regular and Study Session meetings.
FY20 Budget Prioritization Slides
Administrative Clerk Position
 
IDOT Request
Staff are working on preparing a brief survey soliciting feedback on IDOT's request/proposal to restripe portions of highway 92 from four lanes to three lanes. The survey will be available on the City's website and advertised via social media. We are hoping to have this available after the holidays, at the latest.
 
Joint Meeting
As previously reported, we are looking to schedule a joint meeting with the City Council and the School Board to discuss the topic of a school resource officer.  If you have not done so already, can you please respond to me letting me know if you are available to meet with the School Board on Monday, January 14th? This is an off-council meeting Monday. Thank you to those who have already responded.
 
Contractor Meeting
Attached, please find a letter that has been sent to developers and contractors throughout the Metro inviting them to a breakfast in January.  The purpose of the breakfast is to share information on many of our recent successes and to solicit feedback on their experience with the City's permitting and development review process.  
 
Autumn Ridge
On Wednesday, Staff received a copy of the development costs from Mr. Fred Dowie, developer of Autumn Ridge Subdivision. As you will recall, Mr. Dowie requested financial assistance as part of his development.  In accordance with City Council direction, Staff, working with our City Engineer, will be reviewing the materials submitted by Mr. Dowie and will ultimately set up a meeting with Mr. Dowie’s to review his request and next steps. Updates will be provided as information becomes available.
 
Partnerships
Earlier this week, I was invited to attend a meeting with representatives from the School District, Simpson College and the YMCA. During the meeting, it was shared that Heather Hulen is serving as the interim Executive Director of the Indianola YMCA, we reviewed the upcoming annual giving campaign and we discussed ways to improve upon collaboration. One such collaborative item was working together to improve communications and cross-promotions of events. To that end, attached, please find a flier advertising free admission to Simpson College basketball games. Please feel free to share this information.
Simpson Basketball Flier
 
City Mail
Attached please find mail received on behalf of the City.  
CIRTPA Representation
 
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.
 
Holiday Hours
A friendly reminder that non-emergency offices will be closed on Monday (12/24) and Tuesday (12/25) for the Christmas Holiday.  Also, non-emergency offices will be closed on the following Tuesday (1/1) for New Years.
 
Out of the office
I will be out of the office on Friday, but will be available by email and cell phone.  
 
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 - January 7, 2019
Draft - January 22, 2019
 
Community Development Updates
These updates will be provided via a separate email.

City Council Agenda Items
The following are two items relevant to the upcoming City Council meeting:

1. Claims – In reviewing your agenda packet, you may have noticed that on your claim list, there are a couple of new items.  These items are: 1) the claims to Infomax in each department are for the new printer/copier lease that the Council approved (these will move under IT in FY2020 on July 1, 2019); and 2) the “Professional Services US” claims in some of the departments are what used to be the monthly transfers to IMU for utility billing services. This switched the transfers in/out over to a revenue/expense transaction between the City and IMU and is needed due to IMU’s new accounting and utility billing system.
2. School District Letter – Earlier this week, City Staff hosted a meeting for IDOT officials to review their request to restripe E. 2nd Avenue from four lanes to three lanes with School District officials.  Attached is a letter from Art Sathoff providing comments on behalf of the School District regarding IDOT’s request.    

Thank you!
Thank you to all who were able to join Liz and I last night for a little holiday celebration.  We had a great time and we appreciate everyone’s generosity in bringing a non-perishable item.  The collected items were dropped off at Helping Hand over the lunch hour.  The volunteers that helped unload the donations were very appreciative (picture attached).  Thank you!


Partnership with the Indianola School District
The Indianola School District partners with DMACC to help students prepare for college and find a job after high school.  Through the partnership, local professionals work with students on preparing a resume, interviewing and introducing them to different types of jobs.  Earlier this week, Melissa served as one of the volunteers for this program and worked with several high school students.  In addition to this activity, Art and I have discussed opportunities for our respective teams to share in training opportunities.  These discussions have led to the scheduling of a joint team training later in February.  

Sump Pump Letters
Attached, please find a copy of a letter that has been mailed to various residents regarding sump pump discharge onto sidewalks and City streets.  In addition to this letter, the City is providing public service announcements on this topic via our social media outlets.  

Safety
Congratulations go out to the entire team for their continued efforts regarding workplace safety.  Attached, please find a letter following a recent site visit by IMWCA.  

Census Information
The Census has released its estimates for 2017.  According to this release, the City’s estimated population is 15,990.

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.

BRAVO Announcement
Attached, please find a press release from BRAVO regarding its 2019 Cultural Enrichment Grant awards.  As previously reported by Councilman Kling, Indianola’s very own Des Moines Metro Opera received a sizable grant.

Christmas Hours
The Christmas Holiday is less than two weeks away.  This year, Christmas Eve and Day fall on a Monday and Tuesday respectively.  In accordance with City policy, non-emergency offices will be closed on these days. 

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - January 7, 2019
Draft - January 22, 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
Planning & Zoning Project Updates

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.

Library
During an internal budget meeting, Michele Patrick shared that the funding level the City receives from the County is being reduced.  We currently receive approximately $80,000.  The anticipated reduction is about $10,000 down to $70,000.  

Budget Prioritization
Thank you to all for completing and turning in your budget prioritization worksheet.  Staff will be compiling this information, which will be presented for the Council’s review and discussion at the December 17th Study Session.

National Balloon Classic
Attached is a piece of mail that announces the 2019 National Balloon Classic Winter Gala.  The event will be held on February 2, 2019.  Please see the attachment for more information.

Helping Hand
Attached, please find an invitation to the grand opening for the addition to Helping Hand.  Details for the event are included in the attachment.

Sewer Letter
Attached, please find a letter from Rick Graves to a resident on Scott Felton Road regarding a possible private sewer lateral issues.  This is a courtesy letter being sent to inform the homeowner of a possible issue.  This was discussed during emergency street repairs by the City’s Street Department team.  

Community Partners’ Meeting
About two years ago, Jay Simmons, Art Sathoff, Brenda East and I agreed to get together to share information and discuss items that impact our respective entities.  Our most recent meeting took place on Monday of this week.  It was a positive meeting during which we shared current initiatives and likely upcoming projects.  An outcome of this meeting was to work together on a collective branding effort.  We plan on regrouping after the first of the year.

YMCA
Earlier this week, 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, and the review of local branches she is currently undertaking. 

Mediacom
Attached, please find correspondence from Mediacom announcing price adjustments.

Other City Mail
Attached are two other pieces of mail sent to the City.  One is an invitation to the Governor’s Luncheon for Girl and Boy Scouts.  The other is a mailing regarding the 2019 Corporate Games.  We are polling employees to see if there is interest in entering a City/IMU team.  
Governor's Luncheon
2019 Corporate Games

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - December 17, 2018
Draft - January 7, 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

Distinguished Budget Award
As you may recall, last year the City received its first ever Distinguished Budget Award.  Attached, please find correspondence that we received just today announcing that for second year in a row, the City has received this prestigious award!  This is a wonderful testament to your leadership and the hard work, dedication and fiscal stewardship of the City Staff.  Special recognition goes to Andy, LuAnn and Skye for their work in putting together the presentation document and preparing the necessary submission materials.  The enclosed press release has been shared with local media and provided on the City’s website and social media outlets.  This is outstanding news!

IMU Administrative/Customer Service Location
Attached, please find a flier that is being distributed to provide notice of the relocation of IMU’s Administrative and Customer Service Offices.  As noted in the flier, the move is expected by the end of the year.  This will be the new location for residents to go to sign up for utilities, pay bills, and have questions answered regarding bills.  City and IMU staff are meeting next week to go over logistical items required of the relocation.  

Harvest Innovations
Rachel and I have been working on scheduling meetings with business owners in the Industrial Park.  This week we had a meeting with key officials at Harvest Innovations.  The focus of these meetings are to better understand the business' needs and, if possible, assist with those issues.  It was a positive meeting and we are working to assist in providing some information that was requested.  

Prairie Glynn Subdivision
Attached, please find an email that was received regarding the prospective sale of Prairie Glynn Plat 1.  

Claims
The Finance Department will be making some adjustments in how they will be handling claims during the first two weeks of the new year. This is due to our administrative/bookkeeper taking a two-week vacation for a mission trip with her church. Since other potential support staff from IMU will be unavailable due to their workload involving their move, maternity leave and utility billing, claims for the January 7th meeting will be processed as much as possible prior to December 28th. Any claims received after this date will likely be processed for the January 21st meeting. There will likely be no noticeable difference for the Council other than a difference in the normal number of claims for the January meetings, but we wanted to be sure you were aware of the situation.

Prioritization Worksheet
Just a friendly reminder that the prioritization worksheet that was distributed at the November 19th Council Study Session is due to Finance by December 7th.  If needed, a copy of this document is attached for you use.

City Mail
Attached please find pieces of mail received on behalf of the City (attachments are labeled “FEMA Letter” and “Magellan 112618”).  Both pieces of correspondence have been routed to the appropriate departments.
FEMA Letter
Magellan 112618

Council Emails
Attached are copies of two emails I sent to the City Council since the last weekly update email.
Email 11-21-18
Email 11-29-18

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - December 17, 2018
Draft - January 7, 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

Jail/Courthouse Meetings
This week was a busy week with meetings concerning the Jail/Courthouse.  On Tuesday morning, Indianola residents and business owners met with the architects to share feedback on the architectural aesthetics of the proposed building.  Attached, please find a copy of a powerpoint the County’s design team from Shive-Hattery shared with this group.  Later in the morning, City and IMU staff met with project team members to continue our discussions over construction logistics.  These meetings are common for construction projects and are primarily focused on sharing information that are is important to the project (i.e. location of utilities, measurements, contemplated plans, phasing questions, etc).  As mentioned in a previous weekly email update, this latter meeting is one that will continue on a regular basis. 
Warren County - Justice Center

Sewer Customers
As part of some routine reviews, City Staff learned of another property that has been connected to the City’s sanitary sewer system since at least 2014, but has not been paying.  Water Pollution Control has sent out a notice to the customer providing notice that back payment (pursuant to City policy), as well as on-going payment is required.  

City Hall Hours
A friendly reminder that City Hall will be closed on Thursday (11/22) and Friday (11/23) for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Ambulance Billing
The City’s ambulance billing provider just closed out the collection report for the month of October.  As part of their efforts, reported collections for this month was $53,977. 

Presentations
Attached, please find the two presentations from Monday’s Council meeting.
FY2020 Budget Update
Storm Water Master Plan 2018 Update

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - December 3, 2018
Draft - December 17, 2018
 
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.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report

Building Assessment Powerpoint
Attached for your files, please find a copy of the presentation that was reviewed during the special City Council meeting on November 12th.  This presentation is also available on the City’s website and social media outlets.

City Audit
As you may recall, municipalities are required to file an Annual Financial Report (AFR) with the State by December 1st. This report is populated with data prepared as part of our annual audit.  The City is about 95% complete with this report, which will be able to be completed once IMU’s audit is completed.  

FEMA Compliance Inquiry
Attached, please find email correspondence between an attorney representing Iowa Bankers Mortgage Corporation and myself.  The attorney sent an email to Indianola, Norwalk and Carlisle inquiring on the status of our compliance with FEMA regulations related to the Flood Insurance Program.  As you will see in my response, FEMA signed off on the City’s submitted materials on October 30, 2018.  

Kenwood Street Striping
Attached, please find a copy of a letter that was mailed to residents and businesses in the vicinity of the Kenwood/W 2nd Avenue intersection.  The letter provided notice of the street striping that was proposed last month during the Council Study Session.  Also attached, please find a picture of the finished product.  The striping is designed to better facilitate turning movements for motorists. 

City Hall Hours
Please note that next week City Hall will be closed on Thursday (11/22) and Friday (11/23) for the Thanksgiving holiday.

Council Emails
Attached are copies of several emails I sent to the City Council this week.  
Email 1 - Attachment
Email 2 - Attachment
Email 3
Email 4 - Attachment

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - December 3, 2018
Draft - December 17, 2018
 
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.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report

IMU Transition
As noted in an email earlier in the week, City and IMU staff met today to discuss various logistical items related to IMU staff’s move to the office building on West 2nd.  A main focus of the meeting was notification to our customers regarding the move.  In addition to notification, much discussion focused in on various items and responsibilities IMU receives payment from the City to perform on our behalf.  As noted in the email previously shared with the Council (also attached to this email) it was shared that IMU is desirous to no longer perform these duties to allow for a focus on telecom.  Tom and I agreed that a joint meeting with the City Council and IMU Board is warranted on this matter as it will have a budgetary impact on both City and IMU.

DNR Meeting
Yesterday, representatives from HR Green, the League of Iowa Cities, Rick Graves and I met with several administrative and technical staff to review the status of the City’s facility plan for a new wastewater treatment plant.  While it was an extremely long meeting (3.5 hrs), all parties felt that it was an extremely productive meeting.  It is anticipated that we should be closer to determination on a key component of the facility plan around December 7th.  

WWTP Resolution
Attached is a copy of the executed resolution confirming the City’s commitments regarding the farm site.  A copy of this has been provided to County staff for inclusion in the Board of Adjustments meeting packet.  The meeting is scheduled for November 14th at 6:35 p.m. at the County’s Administrative Building (this notice is one of the mail pieces referenced below).
Resolution Confirming Commitments
Federal Communication Commission
Notice of Public Hearing

League of Cities Request
Today I received an invitation from the League of Cities to serve on its Environmental Coordination Committee.  Like my participation on the Greater Des Moines Partnership board, this represents a great opportunity for our community especially at a time when we are working on our new wastewater treatment plant.  I do plan on accepting this invitation unless there are any reservations from the Council.

I-Street Holdings
Staff received an inquiry about I Street Holding’s development plans for the property currently under renovation (this is the building immediately east of the former Dirty Bird Saloon). Mr. Smith shared that the renovation is focusing first on the interior before moving the focus to the exterior.  Please note that the development agreement that Mr. Smith had with the City only covered the replacement of the bearing column of masonry units and removal/replacement of broken brick and tuckpointing along the south wall.  The façade improvements are not part of the development agreement and therefore are not being paid for with the loan. 

Scott Kruthoff
Attached is an email from Scott Kruthoff announcing his resignation as Executive Director of the Indianola YMCA.  As you will see, Scott accepted a position with Johnston Community Education.

Trail Projects
Last night, the Parks and Recreation Department hosted a public open house regarding the two tail projects to take place in the spring.  There were approximately 30 residents who attended the meeting.

City Mail
Attached please find pieces of mail received on behalf of the City.  

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - November 19, 2018
Draft - December 3, 2018
 
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.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits Report
Autumn Ridge Plat 3

Preparation
It snowed today.  If you haven’t done so already, be sure to dig out those winter clothes!!

City Mail
Attached are three pieces of mail received at city hall. One is an invite to Iowa Business Hall of Fame Dinner, a notice from Impact7G doing a compliance review for T-Mobile antenna and cabinet installation (Community Development is reviewing), and the WWTP inspection report noted below.

Memo on EMS Billing
I’ve attached a memo from Fire Chief Chia with a report from Intermedix regarding the EMS fee billing results. It will most likely take a full billing cycle of about a year before we get completely caught up with the billing from where we left off when we first hired Intermedix. However, you can see that progress has been made. Chief Chia continues to have weekly telephone conference calls with Intermedix to ensure the billing continues moving forward. 

WTTP Inspection Report
Attached to the update is an inspection report recently completed for the wastewater treatment plant. A summary is provided on page 8. While it notes that the city is taking active measures to reduce stormwater inflow into the system, there are a few other violations that the staff will need to correct. Here is Rick Graves’ response to the report:
“The ammonia violation is due to the age of the facility. As for the General Permit 1 inspections, this is something the DNR has started to enforce and it only affect cities with over 1 million gallons per day of sanitary sewer influent. I will begin doing these inspections. There is a DNR class on this in November that I will be attending.“

Open House for Trails
Staff is planning to have a public information meeting for our two trail projects.  The primary audience will be those residents adjacent to the trail route (a letter will be mailed), but it will be open to the general public.  This will be publicized via our website and social media outlets. The meeting will take place on Thursday, November 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Indianola Activity Center.  You should have received an email about this earlier.
 
Sound in Council Chambers
At the last City Council meeting, a resident noted that they had difficulty hearing speakers up at the dais and the podium.  City staff have worked to adjust the volume levels for the audio in that room.  In addition to the volume adjustment, staff is requesting that during City Council meetings you avoid placing papers or phones near the speakers.

Boards and Commissions
An updated list of the members of the City’s Boards and Commissions has been added to the city website and is attached. HIRTA will be asking the Council to appoint someone to their Transportation Advisory Group so we have posted an advertisement on the website asking interested individuals to apply.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - November 19, 2018
Draft - December 3, 2018

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.
Building Permit Listing
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database
Permits Report - 102017
Permits Report - 102018

This has been a busy week involving meetings with residential developers.  This week we have met with three separate developers regarding different areas of town that they are interested in developing.  Two of the three meetings involved developers that have not previously developed in the City.  We are certainly excited about this activity and interest in our community.

Sewer Customers
As part of some routine reviews, City Staff learned of at least two properties that have been connected to the City’s sanitary sewer system since at least 2011, but have not been paying as they are not coded in the system as a City customer.  Water Pollution Control has sent out notices to these two customers providing notice that back payment (pursuant to City policy), as well as on-going payment is required.  Prior to sending the letters, City Staff was going to be placing courtesy phone calls.

WWTP/ City Farm Site Neighbor Meeting
Yesterday evening, City Staff and HR Green representatives met with neighbors of the City Farm site to review the project and the City’s commitments related to the project.  We anticipate this will be an agenda item on the November 5th City Council meeting in advance of the November 14th Board of Adjustments (BOA) meeting during which the City’s special use permit application will be considered.  As you may recall, the BOA has tabled consideration in September and again in October. 

Jail/Courthouse Meetings
This week was a busy week with meetings concerning the Jail/Courthouse.  On Wednesday morning, Indianola residents and business owners met with the architects to share feedback on the architectural aesthetics of the proposed building.  Later in the morning, City and IMU staff met with project team members to review utility information on the site.  This latter meeting is one that will continue on a regular basis.

June 28 Storm Update
Chief Chia, Jason Etnyre and Andy Lent will be meeting with FEMA representatives on Tuesday, October 30 to discuss the submission of City reimbursements for the June 28, 2018 windstorm. This will include the bidding and removal of the brush dump storm debris pile.

Rollback Information
Rollback numbers have been published.  This year’s percentages are a little better on residential, but continue to slide on multi-residential.  These numbers, as you may recall, will have an impact on revenue generated from our property tax levy.  Andy conducted some preliminary analysis and at this point it is estimated that this will have a positive impact on revenues for FY20. 

FEMA Letter
Attached, please find a letter to FEMA transmitting the City's updated floodplain regulations. 

Council Emails
Attached are copies of emails I sent to the City Council this week.
Email - October 23, 2018

Chamber Invite
Attached, please find an invitation for an investor only presentation regarding the results of the Indianola Human Capital Survey.  Details are in the attachment and advanced registration with Brenda is required.  If interested in attending, please contact Brenda.

Cultivation Corridor Annual Report
Representatives from the Greater Des Moines Partnership provided notification that the 2017 Cultivation Corridor Annual Report is available.  If interested, it may be viewed at the following link - http://www.cultivationcorridor.org/assets/books/2017-annual-report/. 

HIRTA
The Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency, HIRTA, is the State designated transit system for the counties of Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Madison, Marion, Story and Warren. One of HIRTA’s outreach efforts, is facilitating a Transportation Advisory Group (TAG) in each of the counties.  The success of a TAG is dependent upon having dedicated and engaged members willing and able to commit to a minimum of 2 meetings per year. HIRTA is requesting member communities appoint an individual to serve in this capacity.  Accordingly, we will be advertising this opening in accordance with the City’s policy.

Out of Office
I am out of the office the week of October 29th.  During this time Andy will serve as administrative point person if there are any questions.  

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - November 5, 2018
Draft - November 19, 2018

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.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database
Expired Permits List

Police Press Release
Attached, please find the press release from the Police Department following the stand-off from earlier today.  Again, a big thank you to our first responders and the other agencies who assisted.  
 
WWTP Meeting
Attached, please find a letter that has been mailed to residents living around the City Farm Site.  A copy of this has also been emailed to those residents that we have email addresses.
 
Square Assessment
Following direction from the City Council on Monday, we have reached out to a number of firms requesting a proposal for concept design services for a streetscape plan for the Square.  Proposals are due to the City by November 5th. 

FEMA Letter
Attached, please find a letter received from FEMA concerning the City's Floodplain regulations.  As you may recall, our regulations were amended at the recent City Council meeting.  Staff will be submitting these regulations once we receive the proof of publication from the newspaper.
 
Military Training at Fairgrounds
A reminder that this weekend (10/20 and 10/21) military training drills will be taking place at the Warren County Fairgrounds. Please do not be alarmed if you witness or receive calls concerning  a large military presence or loud noises.

Summercrest Hills
City staff have observed that the "box outs" - the diamond shaped sections of the roadway around sewer lids - are showing signs of failure.  These improvements are covered under the accepted performance bond.  City staff are coordinating with the appropriate contractors to ensure these failures are addressed.  
 
East Euclid
Similar to the observations for Summercrest Hills, staff has also observed areas along the new portion of East Euclid where there appear to be signs of issues with the "box outs" and cracking in the pavement.  City staff are coordinating with the appropriate contractors to ensure these failures are addressed.  
 
Speed Study Results
Attached, please find a memorandum from Chief Button summarizing the results of the recent speed survey in the vicinity of W 14th.
 
Open House for Trails
Staff is planning to have a public information meeting for our two trail projects.  The primary audience will be those residents adjacent to the trail route (a letter will be mailed), but it will be open to the general public.  This will be publicized via our website and social media outlets. It is anticipated the meeting will take place on Thursday, November 8 at 6:30 p.m. at the Indianola Activity Center.  
 
Sound in Council Chambers
At the last City Council meeting, a resident noted that they had difficulty hearing speakers up at the dais and the podium.  City staff have worked to adjust the volume levels for the audio in that room.  In addition to the volume adjustment, staff is requesting that during City Council meetings you avoid placing papers or phones near the speakers.

Council Emails
Attached are copies of emails I sent to the City Council this week.  
Council Recap
Marketing
Police Event

Out of Office
I am out of the office today and again the week of October 29th.  During this time Andy will serve as administrative point person.  

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - November 5, 2018
Draft - November 19, 2018 

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.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

WWTP Public Hearing
HR Green representatives, Amy Beattie (Brick Gentry), Rick Graves and I attended last night’s County Zoning public hearing on the City’s application for a special use permit for the proposed wastewater treatment plant.  The meeting was also attended by the neighbors of the City’s farm site.  At the conclusion of the meeting at 10:30 p.m., the application was tabled until next month.  In advance of the next meeting, we will be hosting another meeting (10/25/18) with neighbors of the City’s farm site.  This meeting was requested by the Board of Adjustments.

Budget/Financial Policy
City Staff has received a request from a councilman regarding the City’s financial policy and the reserve targets.  In response to this request, a copy of the financial policy, which includes the reserve targets, may be found in the City Budget Book (Section VI pages 14 – 22) - http://indianolaiowa.gov/DocumentCenter/View/8194/FY19-Indianola-Iowa-Budget-Presentation-Document?bidId.  Also, it is my understanding that Staff is still receiving requests for a document that shows the fund balances.  This information has been provided in emails on September 21st and October 2nd.  I am reattaching the documents provided in these emails.  Additionally, as noted in the October 2nd email, the ending fund and projected fund balances may be found on page 44 of budget book, which may be found via the link provided above.  As indicated previously, Andy and I are available to review this material with any elected official. 
City Funds as of September 18, 2018
June 2018 Treasurer Report

Habitat for Humanity
At the last City Council meeting, Councilman Gezel asked if homes built by Habitat for Humanity are eligible for the City’s abatement program.  As long as the home constructed met the requirements of the program, a home built by Habitat for Humanity would qualify.  I spoke with the County Assessor’s Office which also confirmed that Habitat for Humanity would qualify.

National Event
This weekend, October 13-14, Indianola will once again welcome a national event when the Sports Car Club of America takes the track at the National Balloon Classic spectator lot (located south of the Memorial Balloon Field) for the 2018 DirtFish SCCA RallyCross National Championship. Over 120 drivers from across the nation will compete in various categories such as all-wheel, front-wheel, rear-wheel, and 2-wheel drive. Spectators are welcome to watch the action at no cost, but parking is limited and all viewers must remain in designated safe zones. For more information about DirtFish, visit https://www.scca.com/pages/rallycross.

Personnel Update
I am pleased to share that we have filled the vacant Community and Economic Development Director position.  Charles Dissell will be joining the City team on Monday, November 19th.  Charles has significant experience in planning and code enforcement, is familiar with central Iowa and had glowing reviews from references.

Ash Tree Removals
Included in the City’s FY19 budget is funding to continue to remove Ash trees.  As you may recall, these trees are at risk from the Emerald Ash Borer.  This year, 57 trees have been identified removal.  It is anticipated that removal of these trees will be completed by December.  We will be providing notification of these efforts and the locations via our communication outlets (i.e. website, Facebook and Twitter).  The locations of the trees are as follows:

1 tree at Moats Park
2 trees at Willow Creek Tot Lot
4 trees at McCord Park
3 trees at South Park
4 trees at Pickard Campground
5 trees near the shelter at Pickard
3 trees in the NW corner of Pickard
3 trees in Easton Park
14 trees along Hwy 92 E, in front of Easton Village Apartments 
5 trees along the McVay Trail on Hwy 92 East (between Pickard & 15th St)
2 trees at the Library 
1 tree at Memorial Park
10 trees along the McVay Trail between 5th & 9th streets

Thank You Letters
Attached, please find two letters thanking the City for its support of BRAVO and programs funded via BRAVO.

Peoples Company Letter
Attached, please find a letter the City received concerning an inquiry being made by Peoples Company.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please draft agenda documents for 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 - November 5, 2018
Draft - November 19, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Mission Statements
As mentioned at the last council meeting, City Staff are going through a Vision & Values exercise.  As part of this exercise we work together as a team to bring alignment to the overall Mission Statement for the City.  While preparing for this exercise, it was learned that the City has two different Mission Statements (which as you might imagine can cause some confusion).  I have attached copies of these for your review.  In the next few months, Staff will be bringing this forward to the Council for review, discussion and direction on this important matter.
Mission Statement 1
Mission Statement 2

IDOT
Earlier this week, Jason, Andy, Dave Moeller and myself met with representatives from IDOT.  It was a great meeting during which we shared planned projects.  One project that IDOT shared is the planned grind and overlay for Hwy 92 east through town.  As part of this project they are asking the City to consider restriping of this section of road from 4 lanes to 3 lanes with a center turn lane.  Staff and the City Engineer are currently evaluating and anticipate this matter being presented to the City Council on October 15th for direction.

CIRPTA Report
Attached, please find a report provided by CIRPTA.  This report provides a high-level analysis of the conditions of roads of its membership.  The City Engineer will be in attendance at the October 15th Study Session to provide a progress report on the second year of the City’s in-depth road indexing project.

WWTP Meeting
As you may recall, the City’s special use permit application was tabled at the last Warren County Board of Adjustment meeting.  The next meeting is on Thursday, October 11th.  Attached, please find a copy of the public hearing notice.  City staff and representatives from HR Green and Brick Gentry will be in attendance at this meeting.  A courtesy copy of the notice has been shared with the City Farm neighbors.

Abatements
Attached, please find some photos of a few properties that City Staff (Kristin, Jason and Kevin) have been proactively working on to address.  As the deadlines for remediation have passed, contractors have been secured to address overgrowth as well as junk and debris removal.
402 W 1st Ave
500 N N Street
506 N Kenwood Blvd

Public Safety Open House
A friendly reminder that there is a public safety open house on Thursday, October 11th from 6 to 8 p.m.  

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 - October 15, 2018
Draft - November 5, 2018

W. Salem Repairs
As was previously reported, City crews discovered a significant void below the surface of the roadway in the vicinity of the 200 block of W. Salem.  It is fairly certain that the void was caused by the absence of approximately 10 to 15 feet of stormsewer that deteriorated over several years.  Without the sewer in place, rainwater is not conveyed properly and instead washes out the material around the location of the pipe thereby creating the void.  This was a significant task for the crews, especially given the number of events taking place on the Square, but they did an amazing job!  The Streets Department was assisted by a number of other departments in this effort – Fire, Police, Water and Water Pollution Control.  It was a tremendous team effort.  It should be noted that as part of the repairs, the crews needed to remove one of the crosswalks.  The crosswalk was colored concrete with a stamped design.  Unfortunately, due to timing and that the equipment needed to create the pattern is no longer available, the crosswalk was replaced in unstamped concrete.  We anticipate leaving as is until such time we can evaluate options stemming from the Square assessment and the progression of the Jail/Courthouse project.  If interested, there are pictures available on the City’s social media accounts

Square Assessment
Attached, please find a copy of the presentation that the Assessment Team provided to the public.  This, along with the public engagement sessions, was well attended.  The Assessment Team noted they would provide a detailed report in approximately four to six weeks.  Once received, City, Chamber and WCEDC staff will work to develop next steps of this project.  More details will be shared as they become available.  

P&Z/Autumn Ridge
I have received inquiries on the status of the special Planning and Zoning meeting that was requested by Fred Dowie, the developer of Autumn Ridge.  Mr. Dowie sent an email to staff indicating that they would instead be heard at the October 9th meeting.  Accordingly, there is not a special meeting next week.  Here is a link to the meeting packet (http://indianolaiowa.gov/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_10092018-770), which also includes two rezoning petitions (one of which is the D and D property on West 2nd).  

EMS Billing
Earlier this year the Fire Department transitioned to a private company to perform the billing for ambulance services.  As we have discussed in the past, the transition timeframe is what has contributed to the negative fund balance in the EMS line found on the Treasurer’s Report.  The company has been working on reconciling prior and current bills and this has been paying off.  Earlier this week, the City received multiple insurance checks totaling more than $25,000.

Save the Date
The National Balloon Classic’s annual fundraiser is scheduled for Saturday, February 2, 2019.  The event will be held at the Hilton Des Moines Downtown (435 Park Street).

Out of Office
I will be having minor surgery on Oct. 3rd.  At this point I am unsure of the specific recovery time, but may be taking sick time towards the end of the week.  I will be accessible by email. 

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 - October 15, 2018
Draft - November 5, 2018

Community Development Updates
These updates will be provided via a separate email.

Square Repairs
Recently, crews from the City’s Water Pollution Control Department televised storm sewer lines around the Square.  During this exercise, crews found a section where the storm sewer pipe is missing as well as what appears to be a cavity under the street that is estimated to be approximately 10’X4’X6’ in size. The City’s Streets Department is scheduled to begin work on this area starting Monday, September 24th.  Announcements have been shared via our communication tools and with the Chamber.  Once this project is complete, the Streets Department will be replacing two separate storm sewer intakes (NW and NE corners of the Square) that are collapsing.  

Clinton Project
The 2018 Capital Street Improvements Project, encompassing Clinton Ave between North Howard Avenue and North Jefferson Way, began construction on August 6, 2018.  Since construction began, rain has halted construction for a combined 10 working days, and utility complications an additional four days.  This accounts for 40% of the available working days to this point, and over 20% of the working days across the length of the project. Working through these hindrances, both the storm sewer and water main are 50% complete, with the paving set to begin shortly, and seeding to follow.  Overall, the project is approximately 12 days behind schedule.  Paving the block of Clinton Avenue between North 1st Street and North Jefferson Way is anticipated to begin October 1, 2018.

Wastewater Treatment Plant
A blower at the City’s wastewater treatment plant has failed.  Rick Graves has researched various options for the blower and will be having this important piece of equipment repaired (a new blower is estimated to be between $25,000 to $30,000).  The repair work will be a little more than $11,000.  

Codification
The City is in the beginning phase of a codification effort.  The City’s code has not had a full update since 2001.  As part of this effort, the Code will be reviewed primarily to update City regulations so that they align with Iowa Statute.  We will keep you posted as we progress with this project.

Grant Opportunity
As you may recall, over the last two years the City has received approximately $29,000 in grants from Wellmark that are being applied to our budgeted trails projects.  Attached is a pdf file that contains voting instructions for this same program.  Please take a moment to look at the document and vote for Indianola.  Please feel free to share this information so that we can try and make it three years in a row!

Expired Building Permit Letter
Attached, please find a copy of a letter that will be mailed to properties that have expired building permits.  Staff will be phasing the mailing of these letters over a period of time to better handle calls in response to the letter.

Councilperson Inquiry
Earlier this week, I received an inquiry concerning the placement of chairs and benches on the sidewalks around the Square.  City code was amended earlier this year to allow for tables, chairs, signs and displays on sidewalks provided that there remains a minimum walking area of 5 feet.  In addition to this inquiry, it was asked about the different styles of benches.  In looking through the City’s regulations, it does not appear the City has formal design standards that would require benches to look a certain way.

Auditor Meeting
As you are aware, representatives from Denman and Company have been performing work as part of the annual audit.  This morning we had a meeting to review the status of the audit and next steps.  The preliminary findings are positive and we have learned a lot as part of this audit.  While the audit is nearly complete, we will not be able to have it finalized until the audit of IMU is complete.  This is due to the fact that the business activities of IMU are a component of the City and are needed to provide a complete financial picture, as required by law.  

Requested Information
At Monday’s City Council meeting, a request was made for budget information.  Attached, please find three pdfs containing the requested information.
Andy Lent Email
City Funds - as of September 18, 2018
June 2018 Treasurer Report

Tourism Grant Application
Earlier this week, I sent a letter in support of a grant application submitted by our Chamber.  The grant being pursued is a tourism grant that, if successful, will help promote many of our community’s tourist attractions.  

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 - October 1, 2018
Draft - October 15, 2018

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

WWTP Public Hearing
HR Green representatives, Amy Beattie (Brick Gentry) and I attended last night’s County Zoning public hearing on the City’s application for a special use permit for the proposed wastewater treatment plant.  The meeting was also attended by the neighbors of the City’s farm site.  The application was tabled until next month. 

Developer Meetings
During this week I have met with two separate developers that are exploring opportunities in Indianola.  One developer is exploring the feasibility of pursuing a residential development on the east part of town with the other developer considering a commercial opportunity in the north section of town.  More information will be provided as it becomes available.

Building Assessment Meeting
Late last week I met with the consultant performing the building assessment for City Hall/Public Safety.  The final report is anticipated in the next few weeks.  Once completed we will be scheduling a time for the consultant to present the report to the Council.

Jail/Courthouse Coordination Meeting
Earlier this week, City and IMU staff attended a meeting with County representatives regarding the jail/courthouse.  The purpose of the meeting was to begin the discussions regarding coordination of the project.

Indianola Youth Council
Attached please find a letter concerning modifications to the Indianola Youth Council. Staff from the Parks and Recreation Department will continue to coordinate these activities with the members of the Youth Council.  

House of Mercy
An invitation has been extended to the City Council to attend a meeting at the House of Mercy (310 N Buxton St, Indianola, IA 50125) on September 19th at 12:30 p.m.  Attached, please find information concerning this meeting.

N. H Street Repair Work
Earlier this week the Street Department commenced repair work on a section of N. H Street.  Upon opening the section of roadway, staff discovered a 5 foot void under the street (a “sink hole”).  Attached are two photos of this section.  Vanderpool Construction has been brought in to assist with this work.  
Photo one
Photo two

Health Insurance Committee
As we have reported previously, research continues concerning the topic of spousal carve out/surcharge.  Attached, please find two emails, one from Melissa McCoy and one from Chris Longer providing respective updates on this matter.  

BRAVO
Attached is an invitation from BRAVO to attend an event they are hosting concerning regional public art.  If you are interested in attending, please feel free to register via the provided link or let me know.  

Catch DSM
The CVB’s annual celebration is scheduled for Wednesday, October 3rd at 5:00 p.m. in West Des Moines.  If you are interested in attending, be sure to register by September 26th at catchdesmoines.com/celebration.

HIRTA
Attached are two ads that HIRTA is using to notify residents concerning HIRTA services.  We will be publicizing these ads to help promote this service for our residents.
Ad one
Ad two

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 - October 1, 2018
Draft - October 15, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find various updates provided by the Community Development Department.  Before and after pictures of a property that has been on our property maintenance list is attached if you are interested.  
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database
Before Picture
After Picture

League of Cities Meeting
On September 5th, HR Green representatives, Rick Graves and myself met with League of Cities staff to discuss opportunities to assist the City as we work with the DNR on obtaining approval of the City’s facility plan for the proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant.  It was a positive and productive meeting during which the League committed to assisting the City in a variety of ways.  We will be following up with League staff in a few weeks to begin any necessary work.  We will report back accordingly. 

WWTP Public Hearing Notice
Next week, HR Green Representatives, the City Attorney and I will be attending the public hearing to present the City’s Special Use Permit application for our WWTP.  A copy of the public hearing notice was provided in last week’s email and may be found at http://indianolaiowa.gov/767/Wallers-Weekly-Update. 

Jail/Courthouse Design Meeting
As previously reported, a committee comprised of chamber members and area residents was formed to provide feedback to the architects working on the design of the jail/courthouse.  A meeting of this group took place on September 5th.  The feedback provided by the members of the committee was a desire for the building to incorporate more designs in keeping with the architecture of the buildings around the Square.  Another meeting is anticipated for October.

Correspondence
As elected officials you may receive correspondence from other entities, such as: the State of Iowa, Iowa Division of Transportation, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the US Census Bureau, to name a few.  Often times this correspondence is meant to provide instructions to the City in order to comply with various requirements or transmit invoices and/or other important business related documents.  While City Staff is often copied on these communications (which we then process accordingly), there may be times when we do not receive a carbon copy.  Accordingly, it is requested that if you receive these types of correspondence that you please let me know so we can route and respond accordingly.  Thank you for your cooperation!

School Resource Officer Meeting
I have previously reported that Chief Button and myself have had a few meetings with Art Sathoff and a few parents interested in exploring the possibility of a School Resource Officer.  The most recent meeting took place earlier this week during which we reviewed 1. current public safety involvement and trainings with the School District, 2. the City's public safety staffing studies and 3. the City's and School District budget process.  We noted that we would explore the possibility of scheduling a joint meeting with the School Board and City Council to be bringing forward this topic for discussion/consideration as we enter the upcoming budget process.

Fire Alarm Testing
Please be advised that safety crews will be conducting testing of the City Hall/Public Safety building fire alarm system on September 24th and 25th. 

Square Assessment
Thank to those who have responded so far.  If you have not, this is a friendly reminder that the following slots are available for you to participate in the Square Assessment: Tuesday, September 25th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is requested that you please respond to me letting me know which timeslot works best for you.  We will need to limit each slot to avoid quorum issues.  Again, please let me know and we will work to finalize a schedule – thank you!  In addition to providing a response to your preferred schedule slot, the assessors are asking that you please complete the survey found at - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Indianola_IA. 

Building Assessment
Later this afternoon I will be meeting with the consultant that has been performing the building assessment of the City Hall/Public Safety building.  The purpose of this meeting is to receive an update on the status of the assessment and anticipated schedule for City Council presentation.  More details will be provided in next week’s update email.

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 - September 17, 2018
Draft - October 1, 2018

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

FEMA Update
In last week’s update it was noted that staff would be attending a meeting with FEMA to review the procedures to submit for reimbursement due to damages from the June storm event.  Staff attended the meeting and were provided information on the necessary paperwork to complete.  City staff has completed and submitted the paperwork.  It is anticipated that the next steps in the process will be an individual meeting with FEMA staff.
 
DNR Meeting
On August 30th, HR Green representatives, Rick Graves and myself met with DNR officials to review the City’s facility plan for the proposed Wastewater Treatment Plant.  It was a positive and productive meeting.  HR Green will be providing some minor follow-up items requested by DNR staff at this meeting.  In addition to this meeting, we will be meeting with League of Cities staff to discuss the City’s application with the DNR.
 
WWTP Public Hearing Notice
Attached, please find a copy of the public hearing notice for the City’s Special Use Permit application with the County.  In addition to the notice, I have also attached a copy of a courtesy email that was provided to the neighbors of the City’s farm site.  
 
I-Street Holdings
At the last City Council meeting, Councilman Parker asked about I Street Holding’s development plans for the property currently under renovation.  I was able to speak with Tom Smith who noted that the renovation will focus first on the interior before moving the focus to the exterior.  
 
City/IMU MOU
Attached, please find a memorandum from Tom Gaffigan concerning the status of the Memorandum of Understanding between the City and IMU.  After we meet, this matter will be brought back before the City Council to consider any additional modifications.
 
Fire Alarm Testing
Please be advised that safety crews will be conducting testing of the City Hall/Public Safety building fire alarm system on September 24th and 25th.  
 
Square Assessment
This is a friendly reminder that the following slots are available for you to participate in the Square Assessment: Tuesday, September 25th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is requested that you please respond to me letting me know which timeslot works best for you.  We will need to limit each slot to avoid quorum issues.  Again, please let me know and we will work to finalize a schedule – thank you!  In addition to providing a response to your preferred schedule slot, the assessors are asking that you please complete the survey found at - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Indianola_IA.  

Developer Meeting
On Thursday, August 30th a meeting was held with a representative with a Metro commercial and residential developer.  This developer has not worked in Indianola previously and noted that they are very interested and excited in the happenings in our community.  The representative indicated that he will be in touch to set up a meeting with members of his team to discuss possible opportunities.

Senator Ernst
As previously reported, Senator Ernst was scheduled to visit with Chief Button and members of our Police Department, but this visit needed to be rescheduled due to the severe weather that damaged Marshalltown and Bondurant.  The Senator has rescheduled her trip to Indianola and is anticipated to visit with Chief Button sometime next week.
 
Industrial Park Business Meetings
As noted in a previous, we have been working on scheduling meetings with business owners in the Industrial Park.  This week I had a meeting with the President and Vice-President of Vanderpool Construction.  The focus of these meetings is to better understand the business' needs and, if possible, assist with those issues.  This meeting was a positive one that included much information sharing on various City projects and initiatives.  
 
Floodplain Notification
Attached, please find a letter that was sent from FEMA concerning actions required to be taken by the City prior to November 2018.  The City’s attorney is working on updates to the City’s floodplain ordinance, which is anticipated to be included on the September 17th City Council agenda.
 
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 - September 17, 2018
Draft - October 1, 2018

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

Clinton Road Project
As you know, this infrastructure improvement project commenced earlier this month.  While crews were removing sections of the road surface, a telephone company conduit was damaged.  This was due to the fact that the utility was at a very shallow depth right under the road surface.  Phone crews were working to restore service. 

June Storm Update
City Staff will be attending a briefing on August 23rd.  The purpose of this meeting will be to review the process to seek assistance from FEMA as a result of the damages from the June 28th storms.  We will keep you apprised as this process progresses.

Square Assessment
This is a friendly reminder that the following slots are available for you to participate in the Square Assessment: Tuesday, September 25th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is requested that you please respond to me letting me know which timeslot works best for you.  We will need to limit each slot to avoid quorum issues.  Again, please let me know and we will work to finalize a schedule – thank you!  In addition to providing a response to your preferred schedule slot, the assessors are asking that you please complete the survey found at - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Indianola_IA. 

Spousal Carve Out/Surcharge
As you will recall, we received direction from the Council and IMU Board to research the topic of spousal carve outs/surcharges.  As noted in last week’s weekly email, a forum was held on August 21st to continue the research into this topic.  Please note that, as has been reported previously, the last several times this has been discussed, this topic has caused concerns on the part of employees. 

Mayor’s Youth Council
As reported at Monday’s Council meeting, the City will be receiving a $200 donation that will help go towards the Mayor’s Youth Council bike fest.  This donation was secured as a result Jason’s participation in an APWA survey. 

Correspondence
Attached, please find additional email correspondence with Mr. Steve Richardson concerning questions he had about the recently approved Urban Revitalization Plan (referenced attachments are provided separately with this email).  Also attached is correspondence from Mr. Fred Dowie concerning permitting and inspections.
Richardson email 1
Richardson email 2
Dowie email
UR Plan 2008
Amending UR Plan 2009

Out of the Office
I will be out of the office on Thursday (August 23rd) and Friday (August 24th).  If you need assistance during this time, please contact Andy Lent.

Upcoming City Council Agenda
These will be provided via a separate email.     

Community Development Updates
These will be provided via a separate email. 

Jail/Courthouse Meeting
On 8/14/18 I attended a meeting representatives from the County and the Chamber concerning the jail/courthouse project.  The meeting was more of an introductory meeting during which some initial timelines and other important factors (i.e. communication with businesses and permitting requirements) were shared.  During this meeting, it was shared that a community committee was being formed and that Randy Cairns would be chairing this committee.  This committee will include representatives from the Chamber, Hometown Pride, and Keep Indianola Beautiful.  The focus of the committee would be to provide feedback concerning the look of the building.  It was a very positive and cooperative meeting.  We will be having a follow-up meeting in September.

Square Assessment
As previously shared, we are partnering with the Chamber, WCEDC and the State on an in-depth assessment of our Square.  The Assessment is scheduled to take place September 25^th – 27^th.  For this assessment, we are looking to engage a large portion of the community and are working on strategies to this end.  You may recall that specific invitations have been sent to Keep Indianola Beautiful and our community’s Hometown Pride Committee.  As promised in the August 3^rd weekly email, we have been working to schedule interview times for you.  The following slots are available: Tuesday, September 25^th from 1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. or 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. It is requested that you please respond to me letting me know which timeslot works best for you.  We will need to limit each slot to avoid quorum issues.  Again, please let me know and we will work to finalize a schedule – thank you!  In addition to providing a response to your preferred schedule slot, the assessors are asking that you please complete the survey found at - https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Indianola_IA. 

Spousal Carve Out/Surcharge
As you will recall, we received direction from the Council and IMU Board to research the topic of spousal carve outs/surcharges.  The deadline of January was provided to have concluded the research.  Attached, please find an email from our HR Manager providing an update of this process.  As previously noted, this topic has caused concerns on the part of employees. 

WWTP Application
As noted during our special council meeting on July 19^th, we would be working to submit the Special Use Application to the County.  Attached, please find a copy of the application that was submitted, as well as a courtesy email that we sent to the neighbors of the City Farm providing them notice of the same.

Restaurant Meeting
I previously reported that through networking with representatives from the Iowa Restaurant Association, I was introduced to a Metro area sit-down restaurant that has interest in expanding its operations.  As mentioned in a previous update email, the owners visited the community for a tour and to attend the Classic on July 31^st.  I am pleased to share that this experience has led to another meeting with the owners that took place on Thursday, August 16^th.  During this meeting we discussed the possibility of having this restaurant do a “pop-up restaurant event” in Indianola.  We will be working together on brainstorming some ideas. 

Transition Tree
Since receiving Rich’s resignation, staff has been working on a transition plan.  Very little will change for residents and contractors looking to engage in business with the City as they will continue to contact Community Development for assistance.  We have secured the temporary services of David Churchill to assist in the area of plan reviews and inspections.  David will be spend time in the office in order to accommodate any walk-in visits from customers.  The State will be performing the electrical inspections as this requires specific certifications.  Snyder and Associates will continue to perform the more substantial reviews involving site plan, subdivisions and stormwater reviews.  Kristin, Jason and Kevin Marmon (of Streets) will be taking care of code enforcement issues.  Kuddos to Kristin, Jason, Andy and Melissa for taking the lead on this task and developing this plan. 

Councilperson Inquiry
I received an inquiry about the South K Street and if this project would be assessed.  The topic of South K Street is a discussion item for the August 20^th Council Study Session.  At any rate, the response is that we don’t have an answer for the funding question. The main purpose of the meeting on the 20th is to get feedback from Council. Specifically, we need direction from the Council on if paving of South K Street is a priority.  If yes, then we need that direction, which will then allow us (staff and Snyder) to come up with some proposed funding options. If/when these options identified, we would then present these funding options to the Council at a future meeting for discussion, feedback and other direction, if needed. 

Record–Herald
Last week we provided the Record-Herald with a copy of a blurb providing the positive news about our credit upgrade.  Attached, please find a copy of that blurb.  We did share a similar note with the Business Record as well.

Developer Meeting
On Thursday, August 16^th a meeting was held with a residential developer.  This developer is exploring the possibility of securing several acres that would become two residential developments.  We provided information concerning current regulations.  The developer will review this information and follow-up with the City in a few weeks. 

Correspondence
Attached, please find additional email correspondence with Mr. Steve Richardson concerning questions he had about the recently approved Urban Revitalization Plan. Email Part 1  Email Part 2

Rich Parker
Attached, please find an invite for a going away get together for Rich Parker.  We hope you can stop by to wish him luck in his new position with V&K.  Thank you to Kristin, LuAnn and the IMU team up front at City Hall for coordinating this event.

Kiya Koda
Attached is the report for July from Kiya Koda.

Upcoming City Council Agenda
Attached, please find the draft agenda for the upcoming meeting.  As a reminder, this is a 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.

Community Development Updates
These will be provided via a separate email.

Bond Rating
On 7/31/18 Andy and our Financial Advisor participated in a bond eating surveillance call. This is a review of the City’s current credit profile. The last time this occurred was on 11/12/13. We are happy to report that the findings were extremely positive and resulted in a bond rating upgrade. This is important as it means better interest rates (additional savings) if/when the City needs to bond for infrastructure needs. This will be on the next Council meeting agenda. 

Active Shooter Training
As you may have seen already, on Tuesday Aug. 14th, from 9am--1pm, a joint training event conducted by the Indianola Police Department, the Indianola Fire Department, and the Indianola Community School District will be held at the Indianola High School. This training will be conducted both inside the Indianola High School as well as outside the High School and the Indianola Middle School. Notices are going out to emphasize that some may hear loud noises, simulated injuries or see police officers and fire personnel making entry into the building at the high school, but it is for training purposes only and should not be considered a real world emergency. This training was designed to better prepare our community first responders as well as the Indianola Community School District for any type of emergency situation that may take place on school grounds.

Transport Van Purchase
As you are aware, the Council previously approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County, and the Cities of Carlisle and Norwalk concerning the purchase of a transport van.  As noted during Monday’s Council meeting, we received the attached notice from the County that the purchase has been made.  In accordance with the MOU (also attached) we are processing reimbursement to the County. 

Developer Meeting
On Monday, August 06th a meeting was held with a Metro residential developer.  This developer has not worked in Indianola previously and noted that they are very interested and excited in the happenings in our community.  Following the meeting the developers requested some information, which we are working on providing to them.  During the meeting, they noted that the amended abatement program is viewed as a positive for the community.

Correspondence
Attached, please find additional email correspondence with Mr. Steve Richardson concerning questions he had about the recently approved Urban Revitalization Plan.  This was provided to you previously on August 6th.  The attachments referenced in the email are provided separately as attachments to this email (labeled Tax Abatement Comparison 55.62 and 60).

Inspections
Embedded in this email are pictures of an email exchange between Mr. Dowie and myself. Mr. Dowie asked about inspections following Rich’s departure from the City. As noted, city staff are working on a transition plan which will be in place prior to Rich’s last day. 

Out of the office
I will be returning to the office from vacation on August 14th.  As a reminder, Andy Lent is the point of contact during my abscence. 

Upcoming City Council Agendas
These will be forwarded via a separate email. 

Community Development Updates
These will be forwarded via separate email. 

Square Assessment Planning Meeting
Earlier this week, Rachel (WCEDC), Brenda (Chamber) and I met to begin working on the logistics for the City Square Assessment project.  The Assessment is scheduled to take place September 25^th – 27^th.  For this assessment, we are looking to engage a large portion of the community and are working on strategies to this end.  As of this email, we have sent specific invitations to Keep Indianola Beautiful and our community’s Hometown Pride Committee.  Also, please note that we will be working with you to schedule interviews with the team from the State that is conducting the assessment.

South K Street
Attached, please find a letter that was mailed to homeowners in and around the vicinity of South K Street.  As you will see, this letter provides an update for the neighborhood concerning our efforts on South K Street.

City Farm Neighbor Meeting
On Monday, July 30^th we hosted a meeting with the neighbors of the City Farm.  As you are aware, this is the proposed location for the City’s new WWTP.  The meeting was well attended and lasted for about 1.5 hours.  During the meeting, we reviewed materials and information that we previously reviewed with the City Council on July 19^th.  Attached, please find a copy of the materials that were reviewed. 

Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) Financial Modeling
As previously reported (at the July 19^th Special Council meeting), Andy and I met with the City’s Financial Advisor on August 1^st to review the updated financial modeling for the new WWTP project.  According to the model, we are still on target even after incorporating the updated cost of construction estimates.  We will be scheduling this as a presentation for the Council at the second meeting in September
Site Plan 70 Scale

Correspondence
Attached, please find email correspondence with Mr. Steve Richardson concerning questions he had about the recently approved Urban Revitalization Plan.  This is being provided for your information.  The attachments referenced in the email are provided separately as attachments to this email (labeled Tax Abatement Comparison 55.62 and Tax Abatement Comparison 60).

FAQ Document
Attached, for your reference, is a FAQ document concerning the City’s recently approved Urban Revitalization Plan that you are free to use.  As you know, the City’s Urban Revitalization Plan establishes the new abatement schedule.    

Comprehensive Master Plan RFP
As you saw earlier this week, the RFP for the Comprehensive Master Plan update has been published.  In addition to publication on our normal sites, the document has been shared around the Metro with various organizations that deal with firms that conduct this type of work.

Jerry Kelley Trail
Attached, please find a letter from Doug Bylund to IDOT requesting an extension for the Jerry Kelley Trail project.  This request was granted and, as noted in the Strategic Plan Tracking document, is scheduled to be bid out in December 2018. 

Out of the office
I will be out of the office next week beginning August 7^th.  During this time, Andy Lent will serve as the point of contact. 

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, this is a 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 20, 2018
Draft - September 4, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find the updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Building Assessment
As previously reported, we had our kick-off meeting last week for the building assessment for City Hall/Public Safety. Today, we continued this progress with meetings with Chiefs Button and Chia.  During our meetings we reviewed the needs identified in the staffing studies and how this plays into additional office and equipment space requirements.  Once the assessment is completed, a presentation will be scheduled for the City Council.   

Jail/Courthouse Informational Meeting
So you are aware, it was shared that during a recent informational meeting in New Virginia that County Supervisor McIntyre noted that the Indianola Council did not agree with the proposal.  We have shared the signed resolution supporting the proposal and encouraging an affirmative vote on August 7^th with the co-chairs of the jail committee.  This resolution is attached.  They are aware that the resolution was unanimously supported by the Council.  Also, the next informational meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 2^nd at the YMCA at 7:00 p.m. 

Clinton Avenue Reconstruction
On the evening of July 24^th, we hosted a pre-construction meeting for businesses and residents that live along E. Clinton Avenue (west of 65/69) to review specifics of this capital project.  We had one constituent attend the meeting.  This project is scheduled to commence on August 6^th (weather permitting).

National Balloon Classic News
On Monday, Jay Byers (CEO – Greater Des Moines Partnership) and I participated in the Classic’s annual Flight Over Des Moines.  It was a beautiful day and has been posted about quite a bit on social media.  Hopefully, these marketing efforts will continue to increase, not only attendance at this event, but also awareness of the great amenities of our community.  Also, you may have noticed some additional traffic signs around town for the balloons.  This is the result of a coordination meeting with City, State, balloon and County Fair officials and will hopefully work to ease traffic flow through our community during this busy time.  Dave Moeller was instrumental in getting this meeting set up.

WCEDC
A reminder that on Wednesday, August 1^st WCEDC will be hosting their morning breakfast with other Warren County communities at the Balloon Field.  The program will include a presentation from the Greater Des Moines Partnership and will begin at 7:30 a.m.  If you plan to attend, please be sure to RSVP with Rachel at WCEDC.

WWTP
We are meeting with the neighbors of the City Farm next week to review the materials shared with the City Council during last week’s special meeting.  We will provide a recap following this meeting. 

South K Street
This week, various City officials were contacted by residents along South K Street expressing concerns about the dust control.  Attached, please find the emails on this matter.  This is being provided for your information as we look forward to additional conversations with the City Council concerning next steps on this matter.
Email 1 - July 27, 2018
Email 2 - July 27, 2018

Campground Email
Attached, please find an email from an individual concerning the availability of campgrounds.  Like the previous item, this is being presented for your information only as we look forward to the comprehensive master planning project.

School Resource Officer
In a May 2018 update email to you all, it was reported that there is a group of residents who have expressed their desire for the School District to hire a school resource officer. Art Sathoff reached out to Chief Button to obtain information as he conducts his research.  Art, Chief Button and myself met earlier this week to review the status of this request and next steps to engage the City Council and School Board.  We anticipate on presenting information in the near future for discussion and direction concerning this matter. 

Appreciation BBQ
At the end of August the City and IMU will be hosting an appreciation BBQ for all employees.  This is being done to recognize and thank all employees for their amazing efforts following the storms that occurred on June 28^th. 

Ambulance
As you may recall, some time ago there was an uninsured motorist that crashed into and damaged one of our ambulances.  The matter was taken to court where the City prevailed and the defendant was ordered to pay back the City for damages.  Attached is an update on the collection efforts for this case.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, this is a 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 6, 2018
Draft - August 20, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find the updates provided by Community Development. 
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Building Assessment
Earlier today I met with the consulting team that will be conducting the building assessment for City Hall/Public Safety. This meeting officially kicks off this project, which is meant to provide high-level recommendations for improvement considerations and expansion opportunities, factoring in the recent public safety staffing studies.  As mentioned previously, this project is expected to take a few weeks.  Once completed, a presentation will be scheduled for the City Council.   

Restaurant Meeting
I previously reported that through networking with representatives from the Iowa Restaurant Association, I was introduced to a Metro area sit-down restaurant that has interest in expanding its operations.  Earlier this week, I had a very positive meeting with the owners.  As a result of the meeting, the owners will be visiting the community on July 31^st to take a tour and to attend the Classic.

Police Department
If you have not yet seen our Police Department’s Law Enforcement Lip Sync featuring Sgt. Largesse and Ofc. Thomas (also of late night basketball fame), please check it out here - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oav4kP9plKw.  You may have heard Chief Button speak about community policing in the past.  This video is a great example of that in action.  A thank you to our Police Department for the work they do and the positive manner in which they represent our community.  (Congratulations, also, on the popularity of the video.) 

Senator Ernst Meeting
The Police Department meeting with Senator Ernst was rescheduled due to the tornados impacting Bondurant, Marshalltown and Pella. 

IMU Update
At the July 9, 2018 board meeting, the board approved a request to hire another full-time Utility Services Rep and bring in a temporary employee.  The temporary employee will be to provide coverage for an employee going on maternity leave at the time fiber ramps up.  The temporary employee will be brought in prior to the maternity leave so appropriate training can occur.  The additional full-time employee is to ensure proper training as a replacement for an employee in the department possibly retiring in a year or two.  It is anticipated that these employees will be primarily supportive of the fiber efforts.

Transfers
Over the last few weeks Andy and Chris Longer have been working to review and close out the financials from FY18.  In reviewing the scheduled transfers, it was discovered that the programmed transfers for FY 18 did not follow the approved cost allocations that were approved by the City Council and IMU Board in December 2016.  Andy and Chris have been working together to correct these issues, which will likely result in an increase in contributions from the City to IMU, as well as a reduction of revenue from IMU to the City.  It is anticipated these numbers will be reflected in the Treasurer’s Report for June.

Benefit Forum
On a regular basis, HR hosts employee benefit forums to provide employees an opportunity to ask questions, share experiences with the City’s/IMU’s benefits package, and discuss upcoming topics.  A topic that was discussed during this week’s forum was spousal carve outs.  As you may recall, this was a topic that the IMU Board and Council directed staff to research back in 2017.  In September 2017, following discussions with department heads, we recommended this research be delayed.  The Council concurred with this recommendation.  Following a joint meeting earlier this year, staff received direction to recommence this review and provide information back by January.  The IMU Board has directed their staff to provide information back to them by September.  From a City perspective, we are still operating under the January timeframe and are only conducting research to be shared with the governing bodies.  As a FYI -during the initial discussions, the staff present at the forum expressed serious concerns regarding the impacts of a carve out program. 

National Balloon Classic News
On Monday, Jay Byers (CEO – Greater Des Moines Partnership) and I will be participating in the Classic’s annual Flight Over Des Moines.  As part of this event, we have been able to again get the assistance from Catch Des Moines to help publicize this amazing community event.  In addition to this exposure for our community, earlier this week an online version of the Readers Digest named the National Balloon Classic as on the Country’s top 11 festivals.  Here is the link if interested - https://www.rd.com/culture/best-small-town-festivals-in-america/.

WCEDC
On Wednesday, August 1^st WCEDC will be hosting their morning breakfast with other Warren County communities at the Balloon Field.  The program will include a presentation from the Greater Des Moines Partnership and will begin at 7:30 a.m. 

Jail/Courthouse Informational Meeting
Attached is the handout that was provided to attendees of last night’s informational meeting.  There is another meeting scheduled on Thursday, August 2^nd at the YMCA at 7:00 p.m.

WWTP
Attached are a few items from last night’s meeting.  There are two items (labeled as “HR Green Mtg…”) that comprise the materials HR Green distributed at last night’s meeting. Additionally, attached is the requested pro forma that was updated as part of our budget process in January.  As noted yesterday, staff is meeting with our financial advisor next week to review and update the pro forma now that we have the updated cost estimates. 
HR Green Management Handout 1
HR Green Management Handout 2
Sewer Cash Flow

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, this is a 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 6, 2018
Draft - August 20, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached, please find the updates provided by Community Development.    
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Jail/Courthouse Informational Meetings
An informational meeting on the proposed jail/courthouse bond referendum was held yesterday. The citizen committee has scheduled two additional meetings on Thursday, July 19th and Thursday, August 2nd. Both meetings start at 7:00 pm and will be held at the YMCA.  Please note that we have a meeting with HR Green on July 19th that starts at 5:30 pm. We do not anticipate our meeting with HR Green lasting longer than an hour. 

 

Storm Response 1
Yesterday (7.12.18) City staff, along with other Warren County communities impacted by the recent storms, attended a meeting with State of Iowa officials. The purpose of the meeting was to get a preliminary assessment of the costs incurred because of the storm and clean up efforts. This data (we hope) will be helpful in the State getting FEMA involved. We will keep you posted. 

 

Storm Response 2
As you may have seen yesterday on social media the clean up efforts have been completed. These efforts were completed about two weeks sooner than we anticipated. This is quite an accomplishment and one that would not have been achievable if not for the amazing teamwork on display from the County, State, IMU and the City. A special shout out to the IMU staff who answered and relayed the calls, the Police Department staff who assisted with the the social media posts and the City’s Street Department for a well coordinated and executed removal plan.  

 

WWTP Meetings
An agenda for our meeting with HR Green was published yesterday. In addition to this meeting, we have scheduled a meeting with the neighbors of the City farm (location for the new WWTP). The meeting is scheduled for Monday, July 30th at 5:30 pm. 

 

Economic Development Meeting
Yesterday I met with one of the owners of the land north of the Watters GMC dealership.  The owner is contemplating removal of the existing house and seeking a rezoning of that property from Agriculture to Highway Commercial. It was a very preliminary meeting. More to follow as it becomes available. 

 

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, this is a 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. 

 

Community Development Updates
The updates provided by Community Development will be submitted via separate email.    

WWTP Update
Yesterday afternoon Rick and I met with HR Green representatives to discuss the next steps in the WWTP project.  Accordingly, we would like to schedule a meeting with you all to review where we are in the project and the next steps (which includes a meeting with the City Farm neighbors sometime later in July).  Please watch your emails for some potential meeting dates (likely to be the 3^rd week in July). 

Hillcrest Avenue
Next week, the Streets Department, with assistance from IMU and several City Departments, will be teaming up to conduct some major roadway repair along E. Hillcrest.  This project is anticipated for Monday and Tuesday of next week.  It is being pursued because while the team was performing maintenance work in the vicinity, they observed signs of failure of the roadway and concrete thicknesses of only about four to five inches.  Information will be provided via social media so we can alert residents of this emergency type repair. 

Jail/Courthouse
Updates have been provided concerning the meetings that occurred this week.  One item I wanted to share is that I met with one of the chairs of the citizens’ committee that has been working on this topic.  The purpose of our meeting was to review the materials we put together for our successful LOSST campaign.  In addition to this, the City of Norwalk shared that they are researching and planning an education session for their citizens. As mentioned earlier this week, the topic of the jail/courthouse will be an agenda item for July 2^nd.

Marketing
I wanted to share a few recent plugs that we were able to get out for our community.  First, as I reported last Friday, we hosted representatives from the Greater Des Moines Partnership (Mr. Gene Meyer and David Maahs).  During our meeting we were able to share a number of the projects in progress and planned (i.e. abatement, comprehensive plan, infrastructure, infrastructure studies, residential and commercial developmental activities etc).  Second, I had the privilege of having coffee with Suku Radia.  During our meeting I shared many of the same updates, but focused on the efforts of our community to review our comprehensive master plan, as well as our major tourist attractions. During our visit he commented that he has “been hearing about the great things happening in Indianola” and that he “enjoys attending performances of the Des Moines Metro Opera”.  Lastly, I had a Partnership Board meeting this morning and shared the upcoming DMMO and National Balloon Classic schedules.  This update was a warmly received from the board and I even had some attendees asking questions about these events after our meeting.

Out of the Office
I will be out of the office on Monday and Tuesday next week, but will be accessible if needed.  You may also contact Andy or Diana.   

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agendas for the upcoming meetings.  As a reminder, this is a 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 2, 2018
Draft - July 16, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Letter to the Editor
Al Farris submitted a letter to the editor concerning the City’s draft abatement program.  Al provided a copy of what he submitted and asked that this be shared with all of you.  This is attached as a word document.    

Greater Des Moines Partnership Meeting
On Monday, June 18^th Mayor Shaw, Brenda Easter, Andy English (Chamber President) and I will be meeting with Greater Des Moines Partnership representatives.  This meeting is something that they attempt to do yearly as a way to stay contacted with communities.  I shared with our team that some topics I hope to cover, including: Economic Development – comp plan, investment in and study of infrastructure, residential developments, Square assessment; Industrial Park – increased participation on this front with property owners and the Partnership; and Marketing of community & our assets – DMMO, Balloon Classic, County Fair etc.

Industrial Park
As I shared previously, Rachel and I have been working with a national site selector.  The site selector is working on behalf of a company that is looking to make a $10 million investment in an industrial park.  We have been told that the site we have put forward is of particular interest to this company.  Recently, I was contacted by a representative indicating that they are working on cost estimates for the site in Indianola.  In addition to this particular lead, another request for possible sites came through the Greater Des Moines Partnership.  With the assistance of IMU, WPC and WCEDC, we will be submitting a parcel in our industrial park for consideration.

Median Project
As of writing of this report, the median project is nearly complete with all of the cement now poured.  The contractor has scheduled the removal of the barricades to occur at approximately 3:00 p.m. today.  The contractors have been instructed to begin removing barricades on the west lanes first in order to accommodate the regular commute and the added traffic due to Bike Night.

Building Assessment
Now that our staffing studies for police and fire have concluded, we have been working on securing quotes from firms to conduct the budgeted building assessment for City Hall/Public Safety.  We hope to kick this project off within the next few weeks.

Restaurant Association
As you may recall, a few weeks ago I met with the President/CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association.  As a follow-up to that meeting, I was put in touch with and ultimately met with the director of marketing for the association.  It was a great meeting during which we discussed all the great amenities we have here in our community.  Following that meeting, the director of marketing put me in touch with the owner/operator of a successful restaurant in Clive that has been contemplating expansion.  I have sent a request to meet and am waiting to hear back. 

Website
Staff is working on updating the website to include the new Boards and Commissions policy.  In addition to this item, Diana has been updating the comprehensive policy book to include all of the recent revisions approved by Council.  Once completed, this document will also be posted to the website.  We hope to have this completed within the next few days.

Fiber Rates
Earlier this week, the IMU Board adopted the rates associated with the fiber project.  Attached is a document containing those fees.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agenda for the next meeting.  As a reminder, this is a 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. 

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Jail/Courthouse
The mayor of Norwalk has requested a third joint meeting of the group that has been working with the County on the new jail/courthouse proposal.  For those of you who attended the previous meetings, an email will be sent with the dates proposed by Norwalk.  

 

Special Meeting
During the council meeting on Monday, there was discussion of a special council meeting. Staff and the City Attorney were notified that the request for a special meeting is for Wednesday. Diana will be preparing that agenda on Monday and will publish accordingly. 

 

Turkey Vultures
Thank you to the police department, with cooperation from IMU, for coordinating with the DNR to secure and hang two dead vultures. 

 

Dog Incident
Staff has received some inquiries regarding the recent/unfortunate dog attack. As noted in Captain Sher’s email, please be mindful of the pending hearing if you are contacted. Simply noting that we are following the policy as established by city code is an acceptable response. We are anticipating the hearing will take place at the June 18th city council meeting. 

 

Median Project Phase 2
This phase is scheduled to begin this Monday, June 11th. Information has been shared on social media. This will continue to be used as the main communication tool for the community. 

 

Street Striping
Streets completes the street striping project this last week. Here are some figures from the project:

• 49 School Crossings - Each has 250’ of 4” lines laid down for a total of 2.3 miles of paint in these school crossings
• 4.54 miles of yellow curb throughout the entire town
• 55 blue handicap stalls         
• 9 Bike Trail Crossings - 585’ of lines each for a total of 5265’ or just shy of a mile in bike crossing lines alone!
• The Square and areas just off the Square - there were 450 of the 18’ white lines laid down for a total of 8,100 feet or 1.53 miles of white lines.
• Just over a 1.75 miles of yellow lines along Hillcrest that includes medians, turn lane markers, centerline dashes, and the double “no passing” lines. 

South K Street
The dust control project for South K Street was completed yesterday morning when Jerico applies the last application of calcium chloride. This project included removing the last section of failing sealcoat, adding of a new road base, grading and applying calcium chloride. 

 

Budget
The State completed the review of our budget. A transposed number in the valuation section of the state’s budget form was found/corrected. This means that too much revenue was calculated on the form. The adjustment reduces the revenue that was going to be transferred into reserves.

 

Community Development Updates
These documents will be forwarded via separate email. 

Site Selector
I previously reported that we have been engaged in conversations with a national site selector that represents a company looking to develop a $9 million facility in our Industrial Park.  In addition to the previous activity that has been shared with you, the site selector contacted me for additional information concerning our TIF program.  The feedback continues to remain positive.
 
Homebuilders Association (HBA) of Greater DSM
Earlier this week I met with Dan Knoup, Executive Director of the HBA.  I have worked to establish a relationship with Dan and the HBA as this becomes a strong lead to developers.  It was a very productive and positive meeting during which we covered a variety of topics, including: our abatement program, our investment in our infrastructure, our comprehensive master plan, our work to meet and solicit feedback from developers, and a variety of other topics.  He was very impressed with our efforts.  

Iowa Restaurant Association
On Thursday I met with the President/CEO of the Iowa Restaurant Association.  The purpose of this meeting was to establish a relationship with this organization and to learn about opportunities to partner (and market our community).  This too was a very positive meeting during with Jessica shared several ideas to better market our community to restaurateurs. I have been sharing these with our community partners (i.e. DMMO, County Fair, Chamber, Simpson College) as they are excellent opportunities to work together.
 
Next Week
I will be in training all next week between the hours of 9 and 5.  I will be checking/responding to emails/voicemails during available breaks and after hours.  If immediate assistance is required, please contact Andy Lent.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agenda for the next meeting.  As a reminder, this is a 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. 

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Site Selector
I previously reported that Rachel and I participated in a phone call with a national site selector that represents a company looking to develop a $9 million facility in our Industrial Park.  Earlier this week we had a follow-up conversation with the site selector during which they asked for additional information.  The feedback received following the call was positive. 
 
Chuck Burgin
A friendly reminder that there is an open house this afternoon for Chuck.  Details are included in the attached invite.  Please be sure to stop by and thank Chuck for his years of service. 
 
CemenTech
Rachel and I have been working on scheduling meetings with business owners in the Industrial Park.  This week we had a meeting with the CEO of CemenTech.  The focus of these meetings are to better understand the business' needs and, if possible, assist with those issues.  In this particular instance, Mr. Deering expressed a need for individuals to train for welding.  The follow-up we have done with this includes putting CemenTech in touch with the High School (they have a trade educational program) and with the Greater Des Moines Partnership.  Mr. Deering indicated that they would be looking at their future space needs.  We shared that we will be able to serve as a resource when they enter that phase.  
 
Trail Grant
Congratulations to the Parks and Recreation Department for receiving a $16,000 trail grant.  This money will be used to offset costs associated with one of our two upcoming trail projects.
 
Meeting Recordings
Attached is an email from Alex concerning the issues we have been experiencing with the meeting recordings. The issue was identified and corrective measures taken to repair the meeting storage drives which caused the recording system to fail while processing video files.  As you will see, this impacted not only City Council recordings, but also the Board of Trustees and Planning and Zoning.  
 
Business Record Letter
Attached is a joint letter from Michael Egel (DMMO Executive Director) and myself to the Managing Editor of the Business Record.  
 
South K Street
Attached is a letter sent to the South K Street neighborhood.
 
Memorial Day
A reminder that City Offices will be closed on Monday due to the holiday.  We hope you all have a great holiday weekend.
 
Upcoming City Council Agendas
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. 
 
Community Development Updates
These will be forwarded via a separate email.

Joint Meeting
The joint meeting with the City Council and IMU Board is scheduled for Wednesday, May 23rd.  The focus of the meeting will be insurance renewals.  The meeting packet will be distributed on Monday.

Salem Court
The contractor is expected to have the repairs to the Peoples Company wall completed by May 31st.  Keep Indianola Beautiful had a meeting yesterday to discuss restoration of the mural.  It sounds as if many of the previous artists who worked on the original mural will return for the restoration.

Jail/Courthouse Meeting
The County and Shive-Hattery provided a presentation to our Chamber and local businesses concerning the plan to re-build on our Square.  The meeting, which took place on Tuesday, May 15th, was well attended by businesses and county officials.  It was a very civil and professional meeting that lasted approximately one hour. 

W. Clinton Project
The previously reported public open house to go over the reconstruction of W. Clinton (65/69 to N. Howard) took place on May 15th.  We had one resident attend the meeting.  The resident was appreciative of the information.  The project is scheduled to take place in August and we will continue to ensure notification to the public.

Inclusive Playground Equipment
Voting is now open for the Inclusive Playground project that Kiwanis, Rotary and Lions are supporting.  You are able to vote every 24 hours + one minute until the end of this month.  Here is the link - https://wyng.com/FacebookContestEntry.psp?c=832916&u=1310441&a=448952861833126&p=176506589672&rest=0&id=7562374&rest2=0.

Economic Development
Over the last several months many meetings have occurred with developers, land owners and business owners.  Over the last two days I have received word that there are two new businesses that are pursuing opportunities in Indianola.  These are still in the early stages and are not yet public.  More information will be shared as it becomes available.

IMU Building
As previously reported, IMU purchased the office building on West 2nd which will become the offices for utility billing services.  Tom shared that closing was scheduled for this week, but relocation of staff would not occur for a few more months. 

School Resource Officer
There is a group of residents who have expressed their desire for the School District to hire a school resource officer.  Recently, Art Sathoff reached out to Chief Button to obtain information as he conducts his research.  This is being provided in the event you are approached and further updates will be shared as they become available. 

Upcoming City Council Agendas
Attached, please find the draft agenda for the next meeting.  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. 

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Highway 65/69 North Medians
There was a Pre Construction meeting earlier today concerning this project. Work is scheduled to begin on June 4th. Weather permitting, the contractor hopes to complete the work in four days. If the work is not completed that week, Concrete Professionals will use the week of June 11-15 for the project.  
    
Pickard Building 
Attached is a photo of the new concession stand. The contractor and engineer are working to schedule a meeting next week to go over any punch list items. It is anticipated that the old concession stand will be removed at the end of this month. 

Morlock Liftstation 
The sub-contractor for the road work is behind schedule by about a week. HR Green sent a notice to the sub contractor. As of the last update, roadwork will be nearing completion by May 21.  This date is weather dependant and is still tentative at his point. 

Ford Lawsuit 
As you may recall, the City filed suit against Ford and Noble Ford for a defective ambulance. While we settled with Ford corporate, the case with Noble remains open. A court appearance was scheduled for next week, but it will be continued to a future date while Noble pursues settlement negotiations with Corporate.  

W Clinton Project 
The bids for the W. Clinton Road project came in below our engineer's estimate (a good thing).  While the project won't take place until later in the summer, an open house for neighbors in the vicinity of the project area is scheduled for next week. This will give the residents an opportunity to learn more of the project and share those issues important to them as we plan our project.  

K Street Dust Control 
Staff has been working on preparations for dust control on South K Street. As it currently stands, staff and the calcium chloride vendor are anticipating work to commence the week of June 4th. The neighborhood will be notified. 

Aquatic Center 
Staff is working on preparing the pool for opening weekend (May 26-28). Staff plans to begin filling the pool later today and begin the start-up of pumps on Saturday, May 12.  

Agendas and CD Updates 
These items will be forwarded via separate emails. 

National Exposure
If you have not seen it yet, ABC (National) News picked up the video of two of our officers (Sgt. Rick Largesse and Ofc. Devin Thomas) playing basketball with some Simpson College students (https://www.facebook.com/ABCNews/videos/10157204834963812/).  The video has gone viral and has generated a lot of positive attention from across the country.  Kuddos to our Police Department for the great work they do in protecting us AND for representing our community in such a positive way!    
 
LOSST Impact
As you may have read, the unincorporated areas of the county voted to approve the implementation of the local option sales tax.  Based on analysis, the City of Indianola is likely to see our share of tax receipts drop by approximately $700,000.  Attached you will find two PDFS (Pre May 1… & Post May 1…) that show the before and after impact as a result of this vote.
 
Backfill Legislation
Thank you to all of you who helped in contacting Senator Garrett.  Senator Garrett responded noting that “the proposal was amended so that it does not start until fiscal 2020. The proposal would phase it in over 3 years for entities that have seen an above average increase in revenue and 6 years for the rest.”  Your collective efforts are appreciated.  We will continue to monitor the situation and work with the League accordingly.
 
University of Iowa Institute of Public Affairs
Here you will find an article concerning the discontinuation of the program that was led by Jeff Schott - https://www-thegazette-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/www.thegazette.com/subject/news/education/university-of-iowa-to-discontinue-institute-providing-local-government-support-20180501?template=amphtml.  Jeff is retiring this month and with his departure, the University will not be funding this program anymore.
 
Greater Des Moines Partnership
I will be out of the office the latter part of next week for the Greater Des Moines Partnership legislative trip.  During this time I will be accessible via cell phone and email.  Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.  
 
YMCA Search Committee
Attached is a memorandum from the YMCA announcing the formation of a committee to identify a successor for Dave Schwartz as CEO.
 
Kiya Koda
Attached is the report from Kiya Koda for the month of April.
 
Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - May 21, 2018
Draft - June 4, 2018
 
Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

WWTP
Earlier this week, Rick and I had a progress meeting regarding the proposed WWTP with HR Green representatives.  Attached, please find a revised schedule.  As you will see, several of the dates have been moved up.  We continue to move this project forward and anticipate having another update meeting with the City Council in mid-July.

Pool Passes
Attached, please find an email from Jeff Lucas providing an update concerning the Aquatic Center.  As you will see, we are ahead of prior years’ early bird pass sales.  

Peoples Company Building/Salem Court Repairs
The masonry contractor working on the repairs at the Peoples Company building shared with staff that they anticipate completing their work by Friday, May 4th.  This timeframe is weather dependent.  As previously reported, Keep Indianola Beautiful will likely be taking the lead on restoring the mural on the outside wall facing Salem Court.  

Entryway/Corridor Beautification
Staff continues to work on the beautification plan for the entry corridors into our community.  Parks and Recreation staff power-washed the northern entry sign.  In addition to the cleaning, staff will be planting flowers in front of that sign and the entry sign located by Pickard Park.  The flowers will be similar to those that were planted during the median project.  Planting is expected to take place sometime in May.

Chamber Lunch
The Chamber will be hosting a lunch on Thursday, May 24th.  The purpose of the lunch will be to provide an overview of current focuses of the Chamber.  Advanced registration is required.  If you are interested in attending, please let me know.  

Fire Department
Attached, please find a letter thanking the Fire Department for assistance provided during a recent event.  

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - May 7, 2018
Draft - May 21, 2018

Community Development Updates
These will be forwarded via a separate email. 

City/IMU Joint Meeting
Just a reminder that on Monday, April 23rd (immediately following the IMU board meeting), there will be a Council/Board of Trustees joint meeting.  Diana will be sending the meeting packet on Friday when she sends out the IMU board packet.

Utility Billing
During routine audit follow-up, utility billing staff identified various accounts that were not being charged sales tax.  As you may recall, the City and IMU updated the policy for similar situations.  The staff is currently compiling a list, along with the amount of money owed by customers and will be following up in accordance with the policy.    

Peoples Company Building
The contractors working on the Peoples Company building are making progress on the repair work. The contractors had to increase the project area, but have relayed to staff that they estimate completion by June 1st.  This is obviously dependent on weather and other factors. This information has been shared with Keep Indianola Beautiful (KIB) as this was the group responsible for the most recent painting of the mural.  Staff is working with KIB and the lead artist to facilitate a meeting to ensure plans can be in place once the project is completed.  

Warren County Philanthropic Grants
Congratulations to our Library, Parks & Rec, Police, and Fire Departments.  These departments received grant awards from the Warren County Philanthropic Partnership.  Grant awards ranged from $2300 to $5000.  

FOIA
As previously mentioned, the City received a FOIA request for all emails sent by City Council members.  The requestor provided payment required to process the request, which was completed on Tuesday morning.

Municipal Leadership Academy
If you have registered for Part Three of the Municipal Leadership Academy, please be reminded that it will be taking place on Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The location of the academy is the Hilton Garden Inn (8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston IA 50131).  

Out of the Office
I will be out of the office on Thursday and Friday.  If you are in need of assistance, please call Diana. 

Upcoming City Council Agendas
These will be forwarded via a separate email. 

Community Development Updates
These will be forwarded via a separate email. 

Morlock Lift Station Improvements
This week, the contractors have been utilizing a soft closure of Apple Drive, which has allowed traffic to continue to flow through the work area.  Beginning Monday, April 16th the road will be closed to all traffic.  It is anticipated that the road will be re-opened by May 10th.  Please see the attached map that shows the area affected by the closure. Pursuant to our communications plan, this information has been shared with the impacted residents.  

WWTP Facility Plan
HR Green has reported that revisions to the Facility Plan to align with the new Antidegradation Alternatives Analysis are complete and were submitted this week.  According to Jim, they expect the Facility Plan to be approved by July 1st.  Jim has been having discussions with the “higher-ups” at the DNR to ensure the review of the submitted materials is seamless.  In preparation of the next phase in the project, you will notice that there is a professional services agreement for conceptual design work on the Council agenda.  During this next phase, we will begin putting specifics around the proposed facility, which will allow us to then make application to the County for any necessary approvals.  

Cities/County Joint Meeting
Next week, the Warren County City Managers reconvene for a follow-up meeting.  During this meeting we will review the information requested of us by city and county leaders at the meeting from a few weeks ago, review the status of the massing work (will the joint facility fit on the square and how would it look from a size standpoint – this is not an architectural rendering) being performed by Shive-Hattery, and a possible joint meeting dates.

HIRTA
In February, I reported on a meeting with the Business Development Manager (BDM) from HIRTA.  They reached out to me in an effort to establish a connection with the City.  It was an excellent meeting during which the BDM shared the services that HIRTA offers to residents.  Given that access to transportation is an important component of Economic Development, HIRTA was in town this week to share information about their services to our various community partners – National Balloon Classic, Catch Des Moines (CVB), Warren County Fair, Simpson College, DMMO, WCEDC).  There was a good sharing of information from our partners, which will hopefully lead to other positive opportunities.  This same group will be providing a similar presentation to the City Council on Monday.

Street Department Updates
Here are a few updates concerning activities of the Street Department:

1. Street Sweeping – Street sweeping operations are in full swing.  The street sweeper has made its way through about 75% of the town.  
2. Street striping – The Street Department will be preparing to perform street striping operations throughout town.  These operations are weather dependent, but we are hopeful they will be able to commence in the next few weeks.
3. Cementech Truck – Staff from the Street Department will be at training next week for our Cementech truck.  During the training, Cementech will be calibrating so the vehicle will be ready for the upcoming concrete season. 

Municipal Leadership Academy
Part Three of the Municipal Leadership Academy will be taking place on Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  It will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn (8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston IA 50131).  Registration is required through the League.  If you are interested, please let me know and we will get you registered.  

BRAVO Letter
Attached, please find a letter from BRAVO thanking the City for its support.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - May 7, 2018
Draft - May 21, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

Joint City/IMU Meeting
As mentioned during the council meeting on April 2nd, the joint meeting with IMU is scheduled for Monday, April 23rd.  This meeting will be scheduled to start immediately following the IMU Board Meeting.  Anticipated agenda items include: fiber project, IMU building projects (Utility Billing Services and Electric Line Shop), and Health Insurance renewal.  As this is a public meeting, Diana will be publishing an agenda (likely April 19th).  Please be sure to mark your calendars

Hubbell
Earlier today I had a lunch meeting with the Vice President of Land Development and Land Development Project Manager for Hubbell.  During the lunch we discussed several City initiatives currently underway (tax abatement updates) and planned (complete update of the City’s Comprehensive Plan), as well as areas of town that are available for development.  It was a very positive meeting.

Fred Dowie
Last week I shared an email from a local developer (Fred Dowie).  This past Monday Mayor Shaw, Councilman Marchant, Chuck and myself met with Mr. Dowie to review his observations and concerns (i.e. tax abatement, development costs, availability of land).  This was valuable information and is the type of information we will be collecting during one of our organizational goals - reviewing our processes with developers in order to get feedback.  During this process (once it is commenced) we will be compiling information so that we can review it with staff and council in order to determine what, if any, improvements can be made and/or researched.

City Council Inquiry
Earlier this week, I received an inquiry from a councilperson about a post directing residents to call the non-emergency number of the Police Department.  The question was if this was in response to the county’s 911 system.  The post was not in any way connected to the county’s 911 system, but rather a public service announcement to ensure calls are routed properly so we are allocating our public safety resources properly. 

Pickard Park Concession Project
Attached, please find two pictures showing the progress of the Pickard Park Concession project.  The contractor anticipates completing construction by June 1st.  

Square Buildings
If you have been to the Square you may have noticed some activity – contractors have commenced work on both the Peoples Company building and the two other dilapidated buildings located on the north side of E. Salem.  These are the projects being funded by the low-interest loan approved by the City Council.  

Hometown Pride Update
Attached is a five month update from the Hometown Pride community coach.

Joint Cities/County Meeting
As mentioned during the City Council meeting, on Tuesday, the managers from Carlisle, Norwalk and I met with the County and Shive-Hattery to discuss follow-up from the joint cities/county meeting that took place on March 27th.  This group will reconvene in a few weeks to review some materials being put together by Shive.  As more information becomes available, it will be shared.

Kiya Koda
Attached is the latest update from Kiya Koda.  

Municipal Leadership Academy
Part Three of the Municipal Leadership Academy will be taking place on Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  It will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn (8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston IA 50131).  Registration is required through the League.  If you are interested, please let me know and we will get you registered.  

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - April 16, 2018
Draft - May 7, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

Robin Eyeberg
Rachel Gocken and I met with Robin Eyeberg earlier this week to review the properties that she and her family own.  During our meeting she noted that they are not interested in working with a realtor, but are willing to entertain offers on the properties.  We will be facilitating a meeting with Robin and the Greater Des Moines Partnership to help provide information she has requested, as well as to gain exposure for her property.  We did also briefly discuss the proposed residential development that involved Bill Ludwig.  She noted that this stalled because Bill wanted Robin and her family to be developers, which they were not interested in doing.  I will be having a follow-up conversation with her during our meeting with the Partnership.

Morlock Lift Station Improvement
Earlier this week I shared an email from a constituent concerning the Morlock Lift Station Improvement project.  Attached, please find two emails – one email is staff’s response and one is of Mrs. Shank’s email response to the revised schedule.  As noted last week, construction will commence on March 19th.
Email to Mr. & Mrs. Shanks
HR Green Email & response from Mr. & Mrs. Shanks

Entrance Corridors
A goal of the strategic plan and the City’s Comprehensive Master Plan concerns the beautification of the entryways into the City.  As you know, last year we completed the plant and irrigation installation along the northern corridor.  Planning is underway to complete that project with the concrete perimeter.  While we work on that, staff continues to work on ways to spruce up other entry points.   Attached is an email from Angie Buchanan concerning some plans.  Keep Indianola Beautiful has committed to assist with the plant material for these entrances.  Also, with the assistance of Steve Gray from KIB, we will be looking at possible locations to incorporate the same types of planting at the western entry point.

Peoples Building
Chuck indicated that he met with Peoples’ engineer on Monday, March 12th to review the shoring that has been completed in the basement area.  Rich also conducted an inspection of shoring work (on the first floor).  Once the shoring is complete on the 2nd floor, the masonry crew will begin removing and replacing the portion of the exterior wall. It is anticipated this will begin next week.

Dean Yordi Meeting
As previously mentioned, Chief Button and I will be meeting with Dean Yordi early next week.  Dean mentioned (when setting up the meeting) that he wanted to ask about how the proposed location will work for operations.  We will report back following the meeting.  

Utility Billing
As part of the fiber project, IMU purchased a new utility billing system.  It was relayed during staff meeting that this will be set up first for telecom customers with a transition later occurring for the other utilities.  From what we have been told, this system can be expanded to include other aspects such as a financial/budgeting, payroll and HR.  It is anticipated that it will be approximately two years before research is done on these other modules.  Tom indicated these add-ons cost approximately $250,000.  

Out of the office
I will be out of the office this afternoon.  Also, I will be out of the office in the upcoming weeks for the professional development class through Drake.  

Municipal Leadership Academy
Part Three of the Municipal Leadership Academy will be taking place on Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  It will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn (8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston IA 50131).  Registration is required through the League.  If you are interested, please let me know and we will get you registered.  

Upcoming City Council Agendas
These will be forwarded via separate email. 

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Morlock Lift Station Improvements
Work on this project will recommence on Monday, March 19th.   The contractor (J & K) plans to start by removing the pavement beginning just North of 1809 Apple Lane (Ketch’s) & 1810 Apple Lane (Shanks) and removing it to just East of 1806 Apple Lane (Biddle’s). The street will be closed and access to the properties in this area will not be possible from the street. The work should be completed and street replace by May 2nd and then move to the East and do it all again.  This announcement has been provided to the residents in the vicinity, along with the schools, post office and others.  Additional notification will be posted on the City’s website and social media outlets.  

Peoples Company Building
Staff received word from representatives at Peoples Company noting that, weather permitting, their contractors will begin work on their building Monday, March 12th.

City Hall Boiler
As previously reported, the boiler system for City Hall has required a lot of repairs over the last few years.  It was recently discovered that another component of this system has failed and will need to be replaced.  Additional quotes were received and a vendor selected.  The good news is the cost will be less than the original quote of $12,000, the bad news is it will still be a substantial cost ($8,000).  

Joint Meeting with IMU
If you have not done so already, can you please let Diana or I know if you will be available on April 23rd for a joint meeting with the IMU Board of Trustees.  

BRAVO Invitation
Attached, please find an invitation to attend a regional conversation about public art on Wednesday, March 21 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm.  Registration is required.  Feel free to let me or register following the link included in the attachment.

Municipal Leadership Academy
Part Three of the Municipal Leadership Academy will be taking place on Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  It will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn (8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston IA 50131).  Registration is required through the League.  If you are interested, please let me know and we will get you registered.  

Kiya Koda
Attached is the February 2018 report provided by Kiya Koda.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - March 19, 2018
Draft - April 2, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

IMU Offices
IMU purchased a building at 210 West 2nd Avenue to become the new Customer Service Center at a price of $307,000 for the 3,888 square foot, 15 year old, brick on slab structure.  IMU closes by May 15, 2018 and the two tenants will not have to vacate until September and December 2018 respectively; with Impact, a Social Service Agency, likely being permitted to stay.  City Staff will be reviewing how best to occupy/utilize the space currently used by the IMU staff.

City Hall Boiler
The boiler system for City Hall has required a lot of repairs over the last few years.  It was recently discovered that another component of this system has failed and will need to be replaced.  An initial quote for this repair came in at $12,000.  Additional quotes are being sought.

Budget Inquiries
Earlier today staff received two inquires.  The first inquiry was for the entire budget documents for the proposed FY19 budget.  Attached, please find a folder with several pdfs that comprise the FY19 budget.  Staff included a summarized version of this information on the City’s website yesterday following publication of the City Council agenda (also attached).  Consideration of the budget is scheduled for Monday’s City Council meeting.  A presentation will be provided similar to the ones reviewed during the previous budget meetings at Monday’s meeting.

The second request concerned the RFP for the integrated library system that Diana emailed out earlier today.  A question was asked about how much was budgeted for this project.  The amount budgeted in the proposed FY19 budget for this system is $50,000.  This may be found on pdf page 11 of the attachment labeled “website post”.

FY19 Budget (items in the original folder have been combined to one PDF file for the website)
Budget Website Post

Economic Trends Luncheon
Attached, please find an invitation to an economic trends luncheon that is hosted by Snyder & Associates.   Registration is required.  Feel free to let me or the individual on the invite know if you plan on attending.

BRAVO Invitation
Attached, please find an invitation to attend a regional conversation about public art on Wednesday, March 21 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm.  Registration is required.  Feel free to let me or register following the link included in the attachment.

Municipal Leadership Academy
Part Three of the Municipal Leadership Academy will be taking place on Saturday, April 21st from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  It will take place at the Hilton Garden Inn (8600 Northpark Dr., Johnston IA 50131).  Registration is required through the League.  If you are interested, please let me know and we will get you registered.  

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - March 19, 2018
Draft - April 2, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

Tuesday the House passed HF2286 (formerly HSB596) on a vote of 75-21. This bill would negatively impact cities’ ability to restrict the transfer of title to real property based upon failure to comply with a city ordinance. The League is registered against this bill because of concerns that this bill could encroach upon Home Rule by prohibiting cities from requiring compliance with property maintenance inspections prior to completion of the sale of a home. The bill has been sent to the Senate where it was attached to companion bill SF2215 and is now eligible for consideration. We have been gathering information from cities on how this bill impacts them. If you have an ordinance that will be impacted by this legislation, please let us know. We have learned that cities that have adopted the International Property Maintenance Code in its entirety will be impacted by this legislation.

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Health Insurance Performance
Attached, please find a report provided by the City’s health insurance broker, Holmes Murphy, that was reviewed during a meeting this morning with IMU and City staff.  In the attached, please notice that the health insurance program is trending better than expected at this point in time by a little more than $196,000 (positive news).  Another important data point from the attached is that of the $581,304 total expenses paid out for health insurance as of the end of January 2018, seven claims accounted for $392,387 (this number does not include the $74,000 reimbursement due to the stop-loss coverage getting enacted).  While reviewing this information, we did spend some time reviewing the potential cost impact (additional liability to IMU and the City) as a result of two “Lasers”.  As you may recall from previous presentations, “Lasers” are high dollar, open claims that the insurance companies shift the cost of onto the employers.  This topic will be a major consideration point during our renewal process.  As more information is obtained, it will be shared with the Council and IMU Board.  

Time of Sale Legislation
On Wednesday I spoke with the lobbyist for the League of Iowa Cities.  He continues to lobby against the bill.  During our conversation on Wednesday he requested some information from the City related to the I/I administrative order that was placed by the DNR.  Staff is working on providing this information.  If you have contacted any legislators, can you please let me know?  This is important information that I would like to share with those entities that are also lobbying against the proposed legislation.

Sewer Customer
In last week’s weekly email, it was reported that during a recent inspection by the Water Pollution Control, it was discovered that a property previously believed to be on a septic tank has been actually hooked up to the City’s sewer system.  Attached, please find a letter that was provided to the homeowner regarding the City’s policy on this matter. 

Greater Des Moines Partnership Statistics
During the budget meeting on February 12, a request was made for a copy of the Greater Des Moines Partnership’s performance statistics.  Attached, please find a copy of the letter the Partnership submitted as part of their funding request.  The performance statistics may be found in their later attachments.

City Offices/City Council Meeting
In accordance with the City’s holiday schedule, City Offices will be closed Monday, February 19th in observance of Presidents’ Day.  Accordingly, the City Council meeting will take place on Tuesday, February 20th.  Please note that the start time is 7:00 p.m.  There is no Study Session.  We are required to have the start time at 7:00 p.m. due to the fact that public hearings were published in the paper with a start time of 7:00 p.m.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - March 5, 2018
Draft - March 19, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

Sewer Customer
During a recent inspection by the Water Pollution Control in preparation for a future project, it was discovered that a property previously believed to be on a septic tank has been actually hooked up to the City’s sewer system.  Based on records, it is believed that this property has been connected since at least 2003.  The property is located in the vicinity of E 2nd Ave/N 15th St.  Staff is working on preparing a notification to the resident.  As part of the letter, staff is researching what City code contemplates for back billing.  As more information becomes available, we will let you know. 

Snow/Ice Removal
The snow that was expected for the City last night did not materialize.  However, initial reports are predicting a sizable event this weekend.  Crews have performed some prep work today (i.e. hills and intersections).  The crews and equipment will be ready to respond if/when the storm hits our area.  As a reminder, plowing operations will not commence until snow accumulation hits around 2 inches.   

Police Department
Kudos go out to the Indianola Police Department.  A few days ago, there was a police chase that ended up in an arrest.  The pursuit began in Oskaloosa and continued for approximately 30 miles as it passed through Marion County, entered Warren County, and came to a safe conclusion after its tires were deflated with the deployment of stop sticks by officers from our very own Police Department. 

Hometown Pride Meeting
An introductory meeting was held last night for residents interested in participating in the Hometown Pride Committee.  The meeting was well attended with approximately 15 residents in attendance.  Today is the last day for applications for the Committee.  Once they are all received, they will be compiled and shared with the City Council for appointment consideration. 

SRF Grant Meeting
Earlier this week, Dave Moeller and I met with representatives to discuss the next steps with the $300,000 grant that was awarded to the City.  Since the grant is tied to the Morlock Lift Station borrowing and can only be used for specific stormwater projects, we are under a timeline to get the eligible projects bid.  These projects were included in the draft CIP and are funded entirely by this grant.  We will need to have another meeting with the State to further review the project, which we anticipate to take place later this month.  Additional information will be shared as we receive it.

EMS Billing
The EMS biller for the City recently resigned to take a higher paying position with the State.  In attempting to fill the position, Chief Chia also explored partnering with a private company that specializes in EMS billing (Norwalk and Carlisle have recently gone this route).  Due to the importance of this function (getting invoices for ambulance services filed with insurance companies in order to receive revenue for the expenses incurred by the Fire Department), Chief Chia has been working on a RFP for this service.  He has completed the drafting of the RFP today and is planning on posting it today.  We will plan on presenting at the next City Council meeting on February 19th.  Staff is concerned that if we wait until February 19th to present the agenda before posting that this will extend the delay in collecting revenue for services provided by the Fire Department.

Firetruck
It only took about a week, but our fire department received an offer to purchase the replaced rural truck.  The purchase price ($25,000) is higher than anticipated ($16,000).  Chief Chia is working on the necessary paperwork to finalize the sale.  

IMU Fiber
Attached, please find pictures of IMU’s new fiber service vehicle.  
Image 1
Image 2

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - February 20, 2018
Draft - March 5, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

D&D Property (910 E 2nd)
The City has been notified by the attorney representing the prospective purchaser that their client is no longer interested in the property.  

Hometown Pride Meeting
There will be an informational meeting for residents interested in participating in the City’s Hometown Pride Committee.  The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, February 8th at 5:30 p.m. in the Council Chambers.  Applications will be shared with the City Council for consideration of appointment to the committee.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - February 20, 2018
Draft - March 5, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

Jerry Kelley Trail
Attached, please find a letter to IDOT requesting an extension for the grant.  Our previous six-month extension is set to expire.  As you will see, in the extension request, we note the council’s recent direction.

Court Order
Attached, please find the court order that was referenced in my email yesterday.  This was as a result of the City’s legal action against the motorist that damaged a City ambulance.

IDOT notification letter
The City recently received notice from IDOT regarding some work that will be done in the southern portion of Indianola, along HWY65/69.  There may be a cost to the City for relocation of utilities as a result of the project.  Staff is researching and will be prepared to report during the next City Council meeting. 

Peoples Building and Others
CD, legal and WCEDC continue to work on the loan application to help fund the repairs to the Peoples’ building adjacent to Salem Court.  Another building owner is also interested in participating in the program so that necessary restoration can take place to the buildings located directly east of the Dirty Bird Saloon.  This matter (incorporation of the other buildings and authorization to make application) will be presented to for approval at the next City Council meeting.

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - February 5, 2018
Draft - February 20, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database

County Board Supervisor Meeting
Earlier today, Chief Button and I attended the County Board of Supervisors workshop meeting.  During the meeting, Sheriff Vos informed the Board that his preference is to place holding “pods” on the square which will be used for holding cells after the County jail closes on Feb. 2nd.  Elected and appointed officials from Norwalk and Carlisle spoke in support of the proposed temporary measure.  Their support stemmed from the standpoint of eliminating the distances that local police officers would need to travel to Jasper County.  A working meeting will be taking place next week with the Sheriff, Supervisor Yordi, and the Police Chiefs.  It is anticipated that a follow-up workshop meeting will be scheduled later. 

WWTP Meeting
Just a friendly reminder that the meeting with HR Green is scheduled for January 23rd at their offices in Johnston.  Jim and members of his team will be providing a historical orientation for the new councilmembers beginning at 5:00 p.m.  This portion will cover the history leading up to the submission of the facility plan.  The main portion of the meeting will begin at 6:00 p.m. and will cover the current status and next steps.  In response to an inquiry about the agenda, please know that the agenda is posted for 5:00 p.m.  This is done to ensure proper agenda notification if a quorum of the council is in attendance prior to 6:00 p.m.  

Ambulance Accident/Court Case
As some of you will recall, staff and legal counsel were directed to initiate legal action following a traffic accident involving a motorist and a City ambulance.  A hearing for this case was held with the judge ruling from the bench in favor of the City.  We are awaiting formal entry of the order by the Court and will share that information once received.  

Biscuits & Sausage Gravy Breakfast
A friendly reminder that the American Legion and the Indianola Police Department will be hosting a breakfast this Saturday from 7:00 to 10:00 a.m.  The breakfast will be held at the American Legion located across from the Post Office. 

Upcoming City Council Agendas
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 - February 5, 2018
Draft - February 20, 2018

Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.

Employee Awards Banquet
Just a friendly reminder that the awards banquet is this evening.  Looking forward to seeing everyone.
 
Budget Meetings
We have been hard at work finishing up the draft budget.  As has been done in the past and in accordance with the budget schedule, I will be reaching out to schedule individual meetings with members to provide an overview of the work that has been done.  
 
Tuesday
Another friendly reminder that the City Council meeting will be on Tuesday, January 16th.  City offices are open on Monday, but the Council meeting is pushed back to Tuesday.
 
Sustainability Fair
Please see the attached flier announcing the Sustainability Fair.
 
Kiya Koda
Attached, please find the Kiya Koda report from December 2017.
 
Upcoming City Council Agendas – 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 - February 5, 2018
Draft - February 20, 2018
  
Community Development Updates
Attached are the property maintenance and construction updates provided by Community Development.
Construction Project Updates
Property Maintenance Database