WDM Magazine--Issue 13 hitting homes and businesses soon!

Issue 13 of the WDM Magazine should hit mailboxes by early next week. There are some exciting things to watch for in this issue, including:

• info on the Hy-Vee World Cup Triathlon, coming to the metro area June 17;


• info on our new Affordable Housing Initiative Pattern book;


• a summary of the City's Quality Initiative (which I have discussed previously in this blog);


• an explanation of several new projects going on in Valley Junction, including the railroad avenue streetscape, expansion of VJ Unplugged--our wireless Internet network--and the acquisiton of historic City Hall; and


• info on our new Firefighter's Memorial at Station #18 (South 50th and Grand Avenue).

These news items are included along with numerous pages of library and parks and recreation programming always featured in the WDM Magazine. I think this is a very nice issue and I hope you take a minute to read about these City programs.

Paid On Call Firefighter Recruitment

Our recruitment is under way for the next group of paid-on-call firefighters. The only differences between a career firefighter and a paid on call firefighter are the work hours and salary. The career firefighters work a set schedule, with a set salary, making firefighting their primary employment. A paid on call firefighter is a firefighter that volunteers their time to make calls and help the fire department with any events when he/she can and is needed. A paid on call firefighter is paid for the calls he/she makes and events they work, while their primary employment is in another field. Both Paid on Call and Career firefighters are trained equally and work together in all areas of the fire service. Paid on call firefighters are essential to our successful operation and great contributors to our City! Please mention this position to anyone interested or visit our website www.wdm-ia.com (employment) for more information.

Have you renewed your pet’s license for 2007?

If you haven’t yet renewed your pet’s license for 2007, you should do so by April 1st to avoid any late penalties. You can get your new tags here at City Hall or at most local Vet Clinics. Proof of rabies vaccinations must be provided and prices are as follows:

Dog or Cat (unaltered)...................................... $10 ea
Dog or Cat (Spayed / Neutered)...................... $5 ea

You can also print out a form here and bring it to Administrative Services at City Hall with your payment.

Fire Engine 180

This is a neat shot of firefighters and EMS staff working together on an accident scene in early March (this is from the KCCI website). The blizzard only brought about 4 inches of snow but with 40 mph winds it shut down Interstate 80 west of Jordan Creek Parkway all the way to Omaha on March 1-3. This picture was taken at the MixMaster with a 4 car/semi pile up. A police car was hit by a semi and an ambulance was missed by inches during the call.I think our public safety personnel, and the personnel of surrounding communities, responded extremely well to the harsh storms we experienced these last couple months. Thanks to those who serve us like this on a daily basis.

Garden Program

Now that it's getting warmer, I'm sure I'm not the only West Des Moines resident thinking about Spring. Our Human Services department has a Garden Program for low-income, disabled, or elderly residents. Eligible participants can receive a $15 voucher to purchase a combination of vegetable starter plants and up to $5 of flower starter plants. Garden tilling is also available to qualifying West Des Moines residents. This is a great program to get started on a garden that can be both attractive and a resource for homegrown food!

WDM Teen Center

The new West Des Moines Teen Center at Rex Mathes has been a great resource for area youth since it opened in August. The average daily attendance for the center is 68 youth, with attendance reaching the 150s in the colder months! The Teen Center features movie days, cooking classes, magic camp, pool tourneys, guest speakers, self-defense, sports, study time, leadership games, and dances, among other activities. User survey results so far demonstrate 100% overall satisfaction with the center! 76% of youth report that they stay at the Center for two hours or more, and 69% say it is likely or very likely they would be home alone if they could not attend the Center. In addition to the hard work of our Parks and Recreation employees, the WDM Community School District, Campfire USA, and Walnut Creek YCMA have assisted in operating the Center. Community support has truly made this a safe and fun environment for our 7th through 9th graders!

Call our Parks and Recreation Department at 222-3444 for any questions about the center or its hours. I hope even more people take advantage of this great addition to our youth recreation in West Des Moines!

Storm Clean-Up

I want to thank our Public Works department for the excellent job they've done keeping the roads safe and cleaning up after the last two winter storms. You may have seen the Des Moines Register article earlier in the week discussing the cost of these storms--about $125,000 so far to plow and de-ice, clean up tree damage, and pay employees overtime.

What I am thankful for in these conditions, however, is the progressive nature of the City's Public Works department. For the past few years they have been experimenting with blending chemical deicers for snow and ice control on the streets. The goal was to find an effective solution to allow salt brine to work at lower pavement temperatures (salt brine can only be used down to about 15 degree Fahrenheit). In the past, we have had to use more expensive chlorides when the temperature drops below that threshold, ranging in price from .$55 to .75 per gallon. We produce our own salt brine at the City and it only costs us approximately $.04 per gallon. As you can see, the more we can use salt brine, the better!

Our Public Works employees decided to develop a precision blending system that could precisely blend various types of deicer chemicals and allow us to use salt brine even in colder temperatures. Due to hard work and inventiveness, this "experiment" was successful, and the City of West Des Moines now has a state of the art blending system which is receiving national attention. We even had visitors from Sweden come to take a look at it! The employees involved in developing this blending system used specialized tools from their own homes and confronted every challenge with a solution. It is anticipated this system will save the City several thousands of dollars in the next few years since we will be able to utilize the more economical salt brine during cold weather events.

Fortunately, our roads are so well maintained during the year that they have not incurred as much damage as they might otherwise during these rough conditions. Anyone who does want to report a pothole or other damage can call our Public Works Department at 222-3480, or report the damage through the help desk on the city’s Web site, http://www.wdm-ia.com/. Our goal is to repair anything the City is responsible for within 24 hours of a complaint.

I'd like to end with this comment we received from a citizen on our Online Service Desk regarding the storm clean-up:

"I wish to thank the public works department for the removal of tree branches from my property today. I certainly appreciate the service. Keep up the great effort! I know Mother Nature has made the last couple of weeks difficult for your department. Keep up the good work. You do a terrific job for us. Thanks again, John Mathis"

Police Reserves

I'd like to take a moment to thank our oustanding police reserves in the City of West Des Moines. Our Reserve Unit was established on September 1, 1961 under the name West Des Moines Police Civil Defense Unit. In 1967 they became the West Des Moines Auxiliary Police, and today they are called the WDM Police Reserve Unit. This unit provides general support to the police department--as volunteers. These officers serve our community on their own time! Some who have an interest in law enforcement use it as an educational opportunity, but more than anything it is a community service provided by these dedicated individuals.

This is not like any other volunteering. To be a reserve, these officers have strict entrance requirements. They must be US citizens over age 21 with a valid driver's license, good moral character, and a minimum education of 60 hours or 2 years of college. They must pass a physical agility test and complete 150 hours of training with the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy within four years. They must pass weapons certifications tests, a polygraph, a background investigation, a psychological examination, and an oral interview. They also undergo probationary status for one year, and participate in reserve field training and annual in-service training.

The uniform of a reserve officer is identical to that of a full-time officer with the exception of a reserve patch and the word "reserve" on their badges. Our dedicated reserve unit in West Des Moines logged 1,612.75 hours in uniform assisting the Police Department with community events and department activities in 2006. I'd like to thank and honor them for their generous commitment to our City.

For a reserve officer's observations on the "job," read here: http://www.wdm-ia.com/asp/news/news_details.asp?deptid=9&newsid=926.

Human Services Serves Record Number

Here is some information that may surprise you. We could tell our Human Services department was really busy this holiday season because our program outreach assistants were always running to and from meetings to make sure they were available for clients! However, their client count has proved they were busier than even they realized--seeing over 2100 walk-in clients between October and December! This is a 25% increase over last year, and evidence that community support is still very much needed and appreciated by the less fortunate in our City and the surrounding suburbs we serve.