West Des Moines City Manager Blog

West Des Moines - Best for Business

2010-08-09T13:03:00.000-05:00

If you've read the Business Record this week for the annual Best Of awards, you've probably noticed that the City of West Des Moines has been honored as the City Government Most Conducive to Business. This is the 13th consecutive year that the City has been so honored and in fact, West Des Moines has received this honor every year that it has been offered. The fact that West Des Moines has once again been named as the city most conducive to business in the metro is a testament to the hard work of elected officials, city employees, and especially the citizens of West Des Moines. West Des Moines has been able to hold on to this award through the years because we have refused to stand pat and have always strived to improve our city in all aspects. Although I am moving on to new challenges, I fully expect to read about West Des Moines winning the award as City Most Conducive to Business for the 14th consecutive year due to the strong infrastructure of people remaining in place.

West Des Moines Named one of Best Places to Live

2010-07-12T13:47:00.004-05:00

Money Magazine has named West Des Moines as one of the United States' Best 100 Places to Live. We last received this honor in 2006.

I've included a snapshot of the Money magazine website feature below. As you can see, the authors feel that West Des Moines has a lot to offer in terms of events and quality of life.

If you visit the website, you can compare West Des Moines with the Top 10 cities listed on a number of factors including finance, housing, and quality of life. West Des Moines compares very favorably with those cities in all areas measured.

Congratulations to all involved with making West Des Moines worthy of this honor. In addition to city staff and elected officials, our residents and business community have helped shape West Des Moines into a city that is always in the running for this kind of recognition. Thank you.

Tell Us About Your Sustainable Business

2010-05-26T16:32:00.003-05:00

In an effort to compile information about sustainable services available here in West Des Moines and promote the use of those services, our City's Striving After Sustainable Solutions team has put together a webpage dedicated to featuring businesses that enter information via a form on the city website. If you offer a service or product you believe meets the definition of "sustainable" or "green," submit it to be considered for inclusion on this new section of our website.

Human Services - in the Suburbs

2010-05-05T16:17:00.002-05:00

It's clear how the economic shift we've experienced over the last couple years has affected some municipal services - our Department of Human Services, for example, has witnessed a big leap in need, mostly from new clients who have never had to seek help before. A recent article in Governing Magazine about poverty in suburban America addresses just that, as well as other unique challenges suburban cities face in helping those in need. Although the article presents some sad truths, it also makes me feel fortunate that we have an established city Human Services department that was able to meet our increased challenges head-on when the economic decline began. I have heard our Human Services staff comment on many of the same issues mentioned in the article.

It also reminds me to again thank those who sponsored or attended our latest Human Services fundraiser, Sunday Supper in Our Town, which raised over $45,000 that will directly benefit our low-income, elderly, and disabled residents. If you have a moment, please take a look at this list of sponsors and thank anyone you know associated with the event.

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2010-04-28T13:41:00.001-05:00

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Best Practices in Emergency Services

2010-04-23T11:40:00.002-05:00

The Iowa EMS Alliance, our City's partnership with Iowa Health Des Moines to provide ambulance service, was featured in the March 2010 issue of Best Practices in Emergency Services. The article highlights the financial savings and improved service levels that the arrangement has created. Read the article.

TIF Districts in Iowa

2010-04-02T14:17:00.003-05:00

The 21st edition of our WDM Magazine hit households in West Des Moines yesterday. For my column in this issue, I felt it was timely to address the concept of Tax Increment Financing districts, which are frequently misunderstood. I'd like to reiterate that information here.

Tax Increment Financing, also known as TIF, is one of the least understood economic development tools available to Iowa cities. TIF is used to encourage businesses to locate or expand their operations in our city by directing the tax revenues generated within the TIF district to investments in the district. The ability to create TIF districts is a real asset for the City of West Des Moines, and therefore merits further explanation.

Before creating a TIF district, an urban renewal plan outlining the geographic boundaries of the area slated for development (or redevelopment) is reviewed by the Plan and Zoning Commission and adopted by the City Council. A public hearing is held prior to adoption of the ordinance.

There are several common misconceptions about TIF districts. Here are some realities that clarify why TIF works to benefit an area and the city as a whole.

First, property in TIF districts is taxed. TIF is not a tax abatement. In TIF districts, the taxes generated over and above the base value of the property are retained by the government (in this case, the city, though TIF can be used by counties and community colleges) for use within the district. Only taxes generated on the improved value of the property, known as the increment, are retained for investment in the district.

TIF districts are commonly used for public improvements within the identified district. They can also be rebated back to the developer in exchange for their private investment in new buildings and/or jobs.

Without TIF, we would be at a real disadvantage in competing with other states for significant projects. There are 44 other states that also use TIF to attract economic development.

The use of TIF does not hurt county and school revenues. Counties and schools continue to receive tax revenues calculated on the base value of the TIF property – basically, the same amount of tax revenues they received prior to establishment of the TIF district. When the district expires, counties and schools benefit from the improved value of the property. During the TIF lifespan, schools are reimbursed by the state for lost capacity to levy school taxes for operation. However, public schools and counties benefit immediately from TIF districts with the ability to collect taxes for debt incurred on capital expenditures against all growth in valuations.

Since they are designated for a specific purpose, TIF districts have a 20-year lifespan, but most are retired early. In West Des Moines, we typically retire TIFs in 10-12 years.

We have had success with TIF districts in all areas of our town, not just in our current growth areas to the west and south. For example, our Westown IV TIF, located East of I-35 between I-235 and University Avenue, was created in 1998. That TIF was retired in 2006, at which point there was $140 million in new taxable valuation in the district and over $10,000,000 had been constructed in new infrastructure, such as streets and sewers. This infrastructure was financed entirely by TIF funds, and the area’s debt was paid off in just eight years. Today, there is over $180 million in new taxable valuation in this area, generating over $5.5 million in annual tax revenue for the city, schools, and county.

The City has also used TIF in the Valley Junction/Railroad Avenue area. This TIF initially served to reconstruct Railroad Avenue, make improvements to the Fairmeadows Creek drainage basin, construct Lincoln Street, and purchase residential properties no longer in conformance with current land uses. It has also been used to landscape Railroad Avenue, reconstruct Grand Avenue from E.P True to the Raccoon River Park entrance, and make streetscape improvements in the Valley Junction Business District.

The Valley Junction TIF district was created in 1995 with the expectation that it would require a longer lifespan that our typical TIF district in West Des Moines to accomplish more initiatives. This TIF will be retired in June of this year having accumulated an incremental value of $101,096,220. This valuation will now be available to all taxing authorities for their operating budgets. Our work in this area continues, however, and a smaller TIF district has been created to address specific initiatives like shared sprinkler systems in the commercial blocks, economic development south of the railroad tracks, and further enhancements to the streetscape.

The bottom line: without TIF, we would have fewer new businesses, slower expansion, a smaller tax base, and lower retention rates of businesses in Iowa, resulting in fewer jobs. In West Des Moines, TIF has been used appropriately to the benefit of the entire community, and has been instrumental in getting the right public improvements in place to make exceptional things happen.

Gaga for Google

2010-03-12T13:17:00.005-06:00

West Des Moines is part of a nationwide competition to win a Google pilot Internet project. As part of their Fiber for Communities program, Google has expressed a desire to install new Internet connections with data transfer rates faster than 1 Gigabit per second (extremely fast) in the selected communities. In West Des Moines, we hope that our existing infrastructure, commitment to helping the project work, and highly engaged citizens who would truly be able to utilize this faster network will help us stand out. We are focusing our campaign on you. If you want to help West Des Moines catch Google's attention, check out our website news item on the subject for ways to get involved.

Library Survey

2010-02-24T16:12:00.001-06:00

The West Des Moines Public Library is currently mailing a survey to 1,000 homes in West Des Moines and the surrounding area. This survey is part of the library's strategic planning effort being conducted by the nationally known library consulting firm Himmel and Wilson. The households receiving this survey were selected randomly. Citizens are encouraged to complete it and return it so the library will have a better understanding of the community's needs. The library will also conduct a web survey during March that will be available from a link on their website and will be distributed electronically.

New Beginnings

2010-02-22T15:29:00.002-06:00

The City feels that the future growth and development of West Des Moines is dependent on creating an environment where small businesses can thrive. The City of West Des Moines and Mid Iowa Small Business Development Center along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are pleased to sponsor entrepreneur classes for current business owners or those considering an entrepreneurial endeavor in West Des Moines. Twelve scholarships are available for the program, called "New Beginnings" – and there is an application on our website.

Comprehensive Plan Update

2010-02-01T10:40:00.002-06:00

The draft Comprehensive Plan, which the Plan & Zoning Commission recommended for approval on September 30, 2009, will be taken to City Council beginning with a public hearing on February 8, 2010. The City Council is scheduled to use six public hearings to complete its review and final adoption of the City's new Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan will take effect immediately after the City Council's adoption. Information on the update process, as well as the draft plan itself, is available on the City's website.

If you are not involved in development, you may be asking "what exactly is a comprehensive plan?" The Comprehensive Plan is a statement of the City's policies and intent toward development of the City. Once adopted, it services as a guide for decision-makers regarding future development and redevelopment. It is meant to be a flexible document in that it responds to the changing needs of the City, including changes in development patterns and adjustments necessary to maintain or improve the quality of life to which our citizens are accustomed.

It is truly a tool for long-range planning - our current plan was adopted in 1993, and because we have followed its intent but made the right changes along the way it has served us well. Updating this plan is a complicated process because we must balance the benefits of potential development with the costs and impacts on the character of the community. To us, this is a welcome challenge, and one we feel well-equipped to handle in West Des Moines.

NLC Prescription Drug Discount Program

2010-01-21T09:19:00.002-06:00

The City of West Des Moines is taking advantage of a great program through the National League of Cities to help our residents out with the cost of prescription drugs. The city is making free prescription drug discount cards available to city residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC). The discount cards offer an average savings of 20 % off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs for residents without health insurance or a traditional benefits plan, and for residents with insurance or benefits that have prescriptions that are not covered by insurance. One great feature of this program is that discount cards may be used by all residents of West Des Moines and there are no restrictions based on your age, income level, or existing health coverage. Based on a list of participating pharmacies on the NLC website, the card can be used to buy prescription drugs at 79 pharmacies around the metro, and it's also good at participating retail pharmacies across the United States.

Check out our NLC prescription discount card website page for an FAQ regarding the program, as well as links to printing the card yourself or picking one up at a location in the city.

Email Notifications

2010-01-13T15:59:00.003-06:00

Metro Waste Authority is now providing automatic email updates on recycling services, garbage collection, and yard waste for member communities (including West Des Moines). Residents can sign up to get notified when service is interrupted, when new services become available, and more.

Email notification has become a high priority for most organizations that deal with customers - including the City of West Des Moines. Our extensive eUpdates system provides information about meetings, news, job postings, and RFP announcements to interested parties. We are regularly looking for ways to make better use of technology, and this is a feature that is both popular for those who want the information and useful for us because (we think) it reduces questions coming in.

WDM Only City Featured in New Products Listing

2009-12-22T10:17:00.002-06:00

West Des Moines was recently the only city credited by Better Roads magazine with one of the Top 20 rollouts for new products in the highway and bridge industries.

Better Roads selects the top 20 new products of the year based on their significance and whether they "change the way work gets done or bring new standards to an industry."

The City of West Des Moines and Monroe Snow & Ice Control were recognized for developing a roller mill system salt slurry spreader, which we call the Salt Slurry Generator. The excerpt from Better Roads:

"The city is blending a liquid de-icer product that contains 80 percent salt brine, 10 percent Fusion or GeoMelt and 10 percent calcium chloride. The system is a look into the future: more liquid and reduced granular usage to lessen the overall chloride load on the environment."

Take a look at the article for all twenty new products.

2010 Census Video

2009-12-21T12:57:00.002-06:00

Watch the video below for an introduction to the 2010 Census. To learn more, visit the Census page on our website or the official page 2010census.gov.

Forbes.com Ranking

2009-12-11T13:56:00.000-06:00

More good news for our metro area - on November 30, Forbes.com named Des Moines - West Des Moines in its Top 5 "Best Bang for the Buck" cities. Forbes looked at the country's 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas for foreclosures as a percentage of home prices; vacancies; unemployment rates; a three-year job-growth forecast; a three-year home-price forecast; housing affordability; median real estate taxes; and median travel time to work. See the article or the complete list.

Veterans Recognition Ceremony

2009-12-02T14:19:00.006-06:00

Below, you can view highlights from our Veteran Recognition Ceremony held in the City Hall Council Chambers on November 16. We were honored to have several veterans in attendance, many of whom were willing to share stories of their service with us. This was a small "thank you" for them.

At the City Council meeting after the ceremony, the City Council issued the proclamation below:

vetsproclamation_signed.pdf

Tweets and Fans

2009-12-01T14:28:00.008-06:00

In an attempt to communicate in new and different ways (for us, at least) the City now has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. The two are linked, so you will see many of the same messages and updates on both.

You can follow us on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/cityofwdm and/or become a fan of West Des Moines on Facebook.

We will use these tools much the same way we use our text messaging service - to publicize events, promote new city services, and provide important notices. The Facebook Fan Page will feature easy access to relevant information about the City. It may be opened up as a discussion board for specific issues as appropriate, but will always be maintained and monitored to ensure all content is respectful and constructive. If residents wish to contact City Council or staff, or to request City services, please use the Staff Directory on our website for phone/email info or the Citizen Service Desk.

Veterans Recognition Ceremony - November 16

2009-11-12T09:08:00.002-06:00

Veterans Day is over but our recognition of veterans should never be.

In the spirit of this week, which was designed to promote veteran awareness, the City of West Des Moines will hold a recognition ceremony next Monday prior to the City Council Meeting. Mayor Gaer and the West Des Moines Police Department Color Guard will be part of a short official ceremony to thank those who have served. The rest of the hour will be an informal reception with refreshments, time to chat, and a group photograph. Kids in West Des Moines schools have even made cards for the veterans and a few will be in attendance to thank those who attend.

We hope to pay our respects to as many veterans residing in West Des Moines as possible. If you are a veteran, please consider attending this event. If you know a veteran in West Des Moines, please get word of this event to them. Those who think they'll attend can RSVP to 222-3610. We're also making transportation available through our Human Services Department - anyone interested in that can call Carmen at 222-3661.

The City Council will also issue a proclamation during the meeting honoring our City's veterans and thanking them for making the choice to live in West Des Moines at some point after their service.

Grand Avenue Construction Update

2009-11-03T11:25:00.002-06:00

North of the bridge. The contractor was able to pave the two west lanes of Grand Avenue from Casey's to the bridge on Wednesday of last week. All storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water main lines were completed on the project prior to the weekend. The contractor is applying fly-ash material to the roadway to speed the drying process and lessen the impact of future rain events so that the remainder of the project can be paved in the next few weeks. Every reasonable step is being taken to get as much done as possible while the good weather lasts.

South of the bridge. On Friday, fly-ash material was applied to the roadway to assist in the drying process so that crews could work through the weekend in preparation of paving the two west lanes early this week. They continue to complete back filling and fine grading behind the curbs so that traffic can be reopened from the Fuller Road & Grand Ave intersection to Railroad Avenue with some restrictions north of the bridge.

Website Honored

2009-10-19T10:49:00.002-05:00

Our website was recently awarded a Silver Circle Award for digital communications from 3CMA, the City-County Communications and Marketing Association. The judge's comments read:

"Beautiful design! Clean, contrasting colors. Great calendar and news features. Content is clean and well-designed. Well-updated City Manager blog."

Our staff works diligently on the website to keep it updated and educational. We do not maintain a separate web communications specialist, so each department is charged with updating and adding new information when appropriate. There are several staff in each department trained to use the content management system in place, and they do everything from adding news and calendar items to sending out eNotifications and creating pages with video, links, and important content.

Of course, it is great to get kudos on the blog as well!

We are always looking for feedback on the website from residents and users. Let us know what works and what doesn't from your viewpoint!

H1N1 Information

2009-10-05T16:38:00.002-05:00

I've overheard a lot of conversations related to the H1N1 flu in the last week - it seems to come up everywhere.

Efforts to counter and manage potential pandemic situations are spearheaded at the county level, with support and participation from any agencies or governing bodies with a role to play in the process. The City of West Des Moines is one of those entities. In addition to partnering with the county public health departments in their planning and preparation efforts, we are continually working to improve our organization's internal pandemic flu plan in the event we need it.

In response to demand for information on H1N1, Polk County released a letter to the community last month. Here are some excerpts from that letter:

"Everyone is hungry for concrete answers regarding the H1N1 influenza A pandemic and what the Polk County response will be this Fall... We anticipate the spread to continue through the Fall and Winter at a greater rate although we have no way of knowing what the real rate of the spread will be."

"the populations at highest risk for more severe illness and complications are:

1) pregnant women
2) newborn infants under 6 months of age - because they can't receive the vaccine, (their parents and caregivers will need protection)
3) infants, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years of age
4) health care workers and emergency service personnel - because they have the a high risk for exposure
5) people 24 - 64 years of age with underlying health conditions. Adults 65 years of age and older have had minimal impact from this virus."

"The H1N1 vaccine should be available (in limited supplies) in mid to late October. We also know all of us have a role to play in keeping our community and each other safe. Each of us can effectively reduce the spread of the illness by staying home when we are sick with flu like symptoms and use good hygiene etiquette (cough and sneeze in a tissue or your sleeve and frequently wash your hands). We also know that antiviral taken in the first 48 hours of symptoms could help minimize the severity and length of illness. We also know that seasonal flu will also be spreading during Fall and Winter months and that seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccinations are readily available in our community."

"Just like you, we do not have all the information we need to fully develop our plans. What we are doing is preparing with school districts, colleges, hospitals, emergency service personnel, private businesses and hundreds of other partners in the community. We are planning a menu of multiple strategies for vaccine distribution on which to draw from once we have stable information and when we know how much and when vaccine will be received. We have 48 staff members who are all working very diligently and intensely in developing plans for each of these concept strategies."

"The vaccine distribution strategies in Polk County will be a blended program for the at-risk populations and they will be built upon the premise that targeted people should receive the vaccine as quickly as it becomes available. The possible venues being planned are mass clinics, school-based clinics, school and community rounds (nurses provide on-site vaccinations at licensed child care facilities, pre-schools, and other places), and pushing vaccine out through select health care providers who work with the target populations and can provide the vaccine directly to these people."

Among other things, you can get updated H1N1 information by:

signing up to receive health alerts when Polk County Health posts new information to the website;
calling the special line (515-323-5330) between 9 am and 4 pm Monday - Friday to ask H1N1 related questions;
following the Health Department through Twitter for updates;
checking the H1N1 section of their website for FAQs, weekly bulletins, and more; and
checking the H1N1 section of the Dallas County website, which contains information very similar to the Polk County Health Department site.

As the Polk County letter mentions, we can all effectively play a role in reducing the spread of H1N1. We've advised our employees to follow their recommendations as it relates to attendance at work when flu-like symptoms are present and practicing proper hygiene.

Also, continue your usual habits to stay informed. County health departments will release information about the vaccine when it's available, including who is eligible to receive it as it is rolled out.

Energy Star Challenge

2009-09-21T10:20:00.002-05:00

The City is participating in the federal government's ENERGY STAR Challenge and is encouraging local businesses and organizations to do the same. The ENERGY STAR Challenge is a national call-to-action to improve the energy efficiency of America's commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more. Read about the Energy Star Challenge and see what the City's SASS (Striving After Sustainable Solutions) team is up to on our website. We are encouraging local businesses to take the challenge as well, and we will put those participation certificates up on our website.

Our application for Energy Efficiency and Block Grant funding from the US Department of Energy includes steps to help get us toward that 10% goal. That application is currently being reviewed. See what we applied for and what we hope to do to make the city more energy efficient.

To establish a baseline for this goal, the SASS team requested that MidAmerican Energy conduct audits on our thirteen largest city facilities. Audits have been completed for nine of the facilities. The other four - City Hall, Public Works, the Law Enforcement Center, and the Library - are undergoing a more extensive audit. By working through MidAmerican Energy, we are able to reap greater rebates from MidAmerican for any changes we make. I encourage local businesses to see how MidAmerican can help in evaluating and recommending changes for facilities through their BusinessCheck program- there are links on the SASS pages of our website for that too.

If you are a West Des Moines business that is making sustainable changes or using sustainable practices, let us know! We plan to promote any best practices out there.

Census 2010 Plans Well Underway

2009-09-08T09:43:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe, but the Census Bureau is already gearing up for the 2010 Census. The Census is mandated by the Constitution and participation is required by law, but response rates are still low in some areas of the country. In the 2000 census, Iowa had the nation's highest response rate at 76% (in our area, Polk County had 74%, Dallas County had 76%, and Warren County had 77%). This year the Census Bureau is hoping to boost that rate by giving everyone the same 10-question survey, among the shortest surveys since the first Census in 1790. Beginning in mid-March 2010, more than 120 million questionnaires will be delivered to U.S. residential addresses. The Census Bureau has also announced that more than 13 million questionnaires will be bilingual (English - Spanish) for the first time.

As you can imagine, preparing for and conducting the Census is an enormous project. Last spring, Census Bureau workers walked every street in the nation to match actual residential addresses with those provided in lists from the U.S. Postal Service and local governments. The Census Bureau has reported that it will hire nearly 1.4 million people to conduct the 2010 Census, including follow up with households that do not return their mailed questionnaire.

The City of West Des Moines is assisting in this year's Complete Count campaign by helping to identify and organize resources for the Census Bureau and by promoting completion of Census 2010 by our residents. It is certainly to our benefit to have every resident of West Des Moines - and Iowa - counted, as population is a common criteria for financial assistance, grant funding, and representation in federal government.

WDM Magazine Issue 19

2009-08-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

West Des Moines residents should receive Issue 19 of the WDM Magazine in mailboxes this week. The issue includes a recap of summer events, an article on our Traffic Operations Center, important notices and information from the Public Works and Police Departments, some features on Valley Junction, and more.

As usual, the issue includes a pull-out Parks and Recreation guide and programming information for the Library and Human Services departments. The Human Rights Commission has included a short survey they'd like residents to tear out and send back to gauge opinions & experiences related to human rights in West Des Moines.

I'm pleased to report that the WDM Magazine recently won an award--specifically, the Bronze Award for Best Government Publication from the 2009 Magnum Opus Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Custom Media. The Magnum Opus awards are given by ContentWise in conjunction with the Missouri School of Journalism and McMurry Publishing. This is the second award the magazine has won in the last couple years - in 2007 it received a Savvy Award from 3CMA, the City/County Communications and Marketing Association.

Business Record Appearances

2009-08-20T13:18:00.001-05:00

The City of West Des Moines has received some great exposure recently in the Des Moines Business Record.

West Des Moines traffic engineers Jim Dickinson and Eric Petersen were interviewed for an article on the City's innovative traffic modeling techniques.

The City was also named "City Most Conducive to Business" in the Business Record's Annual "Best Of" rankings for 2009. We have received this recognition consecutively since the question was first asked in 1998 and will work to continue to receiving it.

PD 2008 Annual Report

2009-08-06T11:18:00.005-05:00

As part of its annual report, the Police Department keeps very good records of its work in the community each year. They report comprehensively on the work of each division, year to year comparisons, commendations and awards, and more. Some details from 2008:

In the Operations Division, the Uniform Patrol Unit (the largest and most visible segment of the department) responded to 48,675 calls for service in 2008. This group authored over 6,400 police reports, made 1,580 arrests, investigated 1,226 traffic accidents, and issued 657 parking tickets and 6,070 traffic citations. These officers, who work in one of five patrol territories, maintained an average response time of 6 minutes and 9 seconds to priority calls during 2008.
The K-9 Unit, which is part of the Uniform Patrol Unit, had a busy year as well. The unit made 107 canine trips, 2 felony arrests, 31 misdemeanor arrests, 19 assisted arrests, 28 assisted traffic stops, and 32 outside agency assists. They completed 8 building searches, 20 demonstrations, and 251 hours of training. The unit seized $102,300 in US currency and three types of illegal drugs. West Des Moines also hosted the United States Police Canine Association Region 21 Field Trials, where the K-9 Team placed second overall in a field of over 30 teams, qualifying for nationals.
Police officers in the Criminal Investigation Unit (C.I.U.) investigate major crimes like homicide, rape, robbery, assault, arson, kidnapping, and burglary. The eight officers and one part-time civilian investigator assigned to C.I.U. all receive extensive training to deal with witnesses, victims, and suspects, often in sensitive situations. The C.I.U. was assigned 2479 cases in 2008
Three detectives, called School Resource Officers, are assigned to the schools. They work to prevent crime and investigate crime against children in the schools, as well as serve as a liaison between the department and the school community. They were assigned 689 cases throughout the year with a closure rate of 90.3%.
The Animal Control Unit, which is part of Special Operations, works to ensure and promote the humane treatment of animals in West Des Moines and Clive and return or adopt out as many animals as possible. In 2008, they handled 2,126 calls for service and 504 adoptions from our WDM animal shelter.

In their annual reporting, the Police Department also recognizes five chaplains that donated over 233 hours of their time in 2008 to help officers and civilian employees who requested their presence or help.

This is just a sampling of the information from the Police Department's 2008 year. To read more about the different functions of the police department, visit their section of the West Des Moines website. You can also view the 2008 year-end crime report.

Use the VJ Shuttle

2009-07-29T13:06:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow night we begin offering shuttling service from the Hillside/Walnut Creek campus in the 700-800 blocks of Eighth Street to the intersection of 5th and Maple for the Farmers Market and Music in the Junction events.

We'll have two shuttles running using vehicles from the WDM Human Services Department. They'll run from 4 pm to 9 pm, and each vehicle that parks in the lot will receive a $5 "voucher of appreciation" for trying it out that can be used at the vendors and merchants who participate in the Farmers Market. It's a short route, so there shouldn't be much of a wait, and it will really help to open some spots up outside the immediate area of the events.

We'll continue the shuttle service, as well as the voucher program, through the rest of the 2009 Farmers Market season (October 1). I hope you try it out. There are a lot of great reasons to go down to Valley Junction on Thursday nights, and it's important that we work to lessen the impacts of these events so that they can continue in a positive light.

If we all focus on being good neighbors to those who live in the area around 5th Street and finding a parking spot that is legal, safe, and doesn't inconvenience someone else in the area or just use the shuttle, the events will be more enjoyable for everyone.

Economic Development Plan Update

2009-07-17T08:38:00.004-05:00

The City's Community & Economic Development Department recently started the process of updating the West Des Moines Economic Development Plan, which was last completed in 2003. The plan is a broad study to help city officials and staff better plan for future economic development in our City. This project will involve other city departments, elected officials, and community members, and will focus on creating high-value jobs and retaining young talent in West Des Moines.

The development of Jordan Creek Town Center was the main impetus for the original study in 2003. Because the City anticipated that the area around that site would quickly become an attractive area for development, we generated this plan to ensure the area developed the right way. The 2003 plan also led us to ramp up the executive call program, which involves visits by city staff and officials to local businesses to identify any issues they may have and educate them about how the City can assist.

The 2009 update will be managed by AngelouEconomics (AE), an economic development consulting firm. The plan has four objectives:

1) assess the region's current competitiveness;
2) identify specific high-impact target industries;
3) develop specific strategies to improve city efforts to attract new business, retain and expand existing businesses, retain young professionals and grow a skilled workforce, revitalize older commercial areas, and encourage entrepreneurship; and
4) build a shared vision and catalyze collective action through a detailed implementation plan.

As I mentioned, community input in this process is key. Although we will hold focus groups on specific issues, all citizens can get involved by going to the project website, following our progress in developing the plan, and completing surveys. There is one for businesses and one for residents, and both will be open until the end of July. You can also use the link to the consultant's email on the website to send your comments directly to AngelouEconomics.

The website is located at: http://www.wdmdevelopmentplan.com/.

Thanks for your assistance as we improve our planning for the future West Des Moines.

New Book Spotlights West Des Moines & Valley Junction

2009-07-10T14:02:00.001-05:00

On July 6, a book showcasing a pictorial history of West Des Moines and Valley Junction was published as part of a series called Images of America. The book, written by local author Craig S. McCue and the West Des Moines Historical Society, displays over 200 vintage images highlighting the history of the city, including some current photos we provided for their use.

The book, called West Des Moines and Valley Junction, includes:

the history of West Des Moines beginning with Pioneer times, through the years as Valley Junction and up to present day;
several chapters relating the story of the city's evolution from a farming community to a railroad hub, its growth as a suburb of Des Moines, and its transformation into a financial hub; and
other chapters of regional interest related to the heyday of the railroads in the Des Moines area, the impact of the Depression and War of Iowa communities, and the construction of the interstates through the Des Moines metro area.

The book is available for purchase through the Jordan House at 2001 Fuller Road. Anyone can call (515) 225-1286 to place an order. It is also obtainable at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers. Although I would encourage purchase of the book through the Historic Society to support their work, you can also preview the book on the publisher's website.

New and Improved Fuller and Grand

2009-06-29T10:42:00.004-05:00

The intersection of Fuller Rd and Grand Avenue is now open for travel on the south, west, and east sides. The north leg is still closed for the next phase of the Grand Avenue project. This project is part of a larger reconstruction of Grand Avenue from the Raccoon River Park entrance to Railroad Avenue as a four and five-lane section. The new intersection allows for safer traffic movements through the intersection and roadway, and includes traffic signals.

Although the intersection officially opened up last Wednesday afternoon, we had to close it again at times on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday for Hy-Vee elite and age group races.

Grand Avenue was originally paved in the early 1930s, so this rehabilitation is very much needed. The overall project involves a widening of the street to increase traffic capacity and wider lanes (12 feet). All three phases are described below.

Phase 1: This phase of the overall project involved reconstruction of the Grand Avenue/Fuller Road intersection, including the installation of signals. Construction in 2008 included relocation of public utilities as well as construction of the retaining wall south of Heatherwood Drive. Construction began March 23, 2009 for the 2009 Construction season and involved the remaining utility work, full pavement removal and replacement, and construction of new traffic signals at the Grand/Fuller intersection.

Phase 2: This phase will include construction of the four and five-lane section of Grand Avenue from the limits of Phase One northerly to the railroad tracks north of Delevan Drive. Phase Two will be constructed during the 2009 construction season.

Phase 3: This phase includes construction of a similar pavement section from the limits of Phase One southerly to just beyond the entrance to Raccoon River Park. The construction timelime for Phase Three is yet to be determined.

Tri Weekend in WDM

2009-06-24T14:59:00.007-05:00

June is always a busy month in West Des Moines, and one of the biggest events in the city is quickly approaching.

The Hy-Vee Triathlon will fill up Raccoon River Park this weekend. On Saturday, hundreds of kids will participate in a shortened version of the event inside Raccoon River Park. In the afternoon, the world's top male and female triathletes will compete for an impressive prize purse. On Sunday afternoon, they will represent their countries again as part of the World Championship Team race (a new event for the sport of triathlon that we in West Des Moines will be the first to see)!

Earlier on Sunday, nearly 2500 amateur athletes will test themselves by swimming, biking, and running through the park and on some of our city streets. Due to the number of people participating in this race, the route must be longer to avoid problems that frequent lapping would cause.

This is a tremendous event for the City of West Des Moines and the greater Des Moines metro area. Here are some questions we are often asked at the City regarding the event:

Q. Which streets are impacted?
A. This year, the race impacts the portion of Grand Avenue from S. 35th St to Fuller Rd. for about an hour Friday (during elite practice) and from 12 - 6 pm Sunday, the elite race.

On Sunday, the bike portion of the race will take place on Grand from the park entrance out to Raccoon River Drive, continuing into Dallas County and back. The run will then go up Grand Avenue to Fuller Road, west to S. 35th, north to Mills Civic, and turn around short of the Valley Stadium west entrance. Sunday's closure starts at 5 am. Grand west of S. 35th will open as soon as the last biker leaves the road, and should be open no later than 10:30 am. The rest of the route will remain closed until noon. For road closure maps and route maps, view the Triathlon news item on our website.

Q. Where should I park to see the event?
A. Hy-Vee has done a lot of advertising of its shuttle routes for the event, and that is the best way to park without hassle and without having to navigate the road closures. You can park and ride at Valley High School and Valley West Mall.

Q. What impact does this have on Raccoon River Park?
A. Portions of the park have been closed during event-setup, and the entire park will be used during the triathlon weekend. There will be some lingering impact as the event is taken down as well. View a graphic showing the park impacts here. Other impacts that may be of concern to residents include aesthetic changes to the park or changes to the natural beauty of the park. Hy-Vee has committed to leaving the park as good as or better than it was prior to the event.

Q. Who pays for this event to take place?

A. This event (including any overtime costs incurred by the city) is entirely funded by Hy-Vee, and any proceeds they recover go to Variety - the Children's Charity and other designated nonprofits. Although there is some city administrative staff time involved in planning for the event, it is a worthwhile investment of time because of the community benefit and the impact of bringing visitors and participants to our city for an elite competition. Although the amateur event creates some inconvenience for residents because of its size, which necessitates holding part of that race on city streets Sunday, it is this part of the event for which West Des Moines residents - and people around the state -- spend months preparing. Many of us know someone participating. As a city, we must weigh the costs of some temporary road closures with the benefits of providing a location for this community activity to occur. We have tried to minimize the inconvenience to residents in the area to the best of our ability.

Q. What does it cost to attend?

A. The event is free for the public.

Please view the Hy-Vee Triathlon news item on the City website or http://www.hyveetriathlon.com/ for any additional questions you have about the 2009 Hy-Vee Triathlon.

Fuller and Grand Construction Update

2009-05-28T12:12:00.009-05:00

Due to great weather last week, the contractor was able to make great progress in paving operations at Fuller Road and Grand Avenue. Below are some photos taken last Friday morning.

Fuller Road Looking East:

Grand Avenue Looking North:

Grand Avenue Looking South:

Currently the intersection is scheduled to be open in time for the Hy-Vee Triathlon, although it will be closed to thru traffic for most of that weekend. For important information regarding the Triathlon weekend including park impacts, road closings information, and more, visit the Triathlon News page on the city website.

Site Selection Recognizes the Greater DSM Partnership

2009-05-13T13:32:00.002-05:00

Site Selection magazine, which recognized Jordan Creek Town Center earlier this year as a development that creatively combines retail and entertainment options, recently gave the Greater Des Moines Partnership an Honorable Mention as one of the Top Economic Development Groups of 2008. The Microsoft Data Center slated for West Des Moines is mentioned in their discussion of the Partnership's work.

The article in Site Selection is also interesting because it suggests that the "jobs of the future" are headed to Middle America. The author notes that, based on Site Selection's data, communities in the central United States are leaders in job creation and corporate investment in facilities.

Site Selection's choices for the top economic development groups were based on numerous criteria: total capital investment; investment per capita; total jobs created; jobs created per capita; the contributions of the local or regional economic development organization toward the attainment of these numbers; overall economic vitality; depth and breadth of economic strength; diversity of industry; ability to generate breakthrough deals; and the ability to provide documentation for all projects.

Another sign that Central Iowa is considered a strong and vital economic power! Thanks to the Partnership for their continued commitment to attracting and retaining businesses in our area, assisting business expansion, and developing our workforce.

If you haven't visited the Partnership's website recently, I suggest you view the Partnership's Workforce Attraction Video or get information about their recent I Believe campaign.

Employees Mark Earth Day

2009-05-04T08:58:00.006-05:00

Last Wednesday, ten West Des Moines employees took an hour out of their day to collect garbage and litter near Interstate 35 between Mills Civic Parkway and Grand Avenue. They collected over 20 bags of trash in that short time. A commendable effort that I know mirrored the efforts of numerous groups, organizations, and individuals who demonstrated their commitment to making our community more sustainable on Earth Day.

Another group of city employees is working to develop a comprehensive sustainability strategy for the City organization, which will serve as a year-long reminder that we need to be cognizant of the effects of our present-day activities on the future.

Relocation Source Spotlights WDM

2009-04-24T15:09:00.003-05:00

West Des Moines was named one of America's Top 100 Places to Live for 2009 by Relocate America, a website that provides relocating consumers and area residents with access to local community resources. The award is based on outlook for future growth, visionary leadership, improving or thriving economies--including housing--and realization of "green" initiatives. Congratulations to our community members for being active participants in and contributors to our education systems, community events, and business community. It is only by being a successfully well-rounded community that West Des Moines appears on these lists.

Online Services Review

2009-04-09T10:46:00.002-05:00

At Monday's City Council meeting, we reviewed the first year of the West Des Moines website, which was launched March 31, 2008. For those of you who missed the meeting, here are the highlights from that report.

From approximately March 31, 2008 to March 18, 2009) over 272,000 “sessions” were recorded on the West Des Moines website. That resulted in an average of 772 sessions per day. A 'Session' is defined as a series of clicks on the site by an individual visitor during a specific period of time. During that same time, over one million page views were recorded on the West Des Moines website. That resulted in an average of 2,892 page views per day.

In all, 135,218 unique visitors came to the West Des Moines website in that timeframe. A Unique Visitor may have more than one session during the date range, but is only counted once.

According to the 2008 Citizen Survey, citizen satisfaction with the website increased 7% from 2006 to 2008. 40% of residents were “very satisfied;” 45% of residents were “satisfied;” and
14% of residents were neutral.

37% of residents reported having used the website to get information in the last year.

Some new features we've added this year include:

Online Development Center
eUpdates
Restaurant listing/hotel listing
Email to a Friend - available on any page
Add to Outlook - available on calendar items
Report a Crime Online
File a Traffic Complaint Online
Online directory of parks
Awards and Recognitions page
Publications and Reports page
Online RFP and Bid listings
Online holiday sponsor form
Online Human Services volunteer application
Small Business/Entrepreneurship assistance
Comprehensive new resident guide
City Council Meeting video online
Online magazine/document viewing (page turning program)

Our next steps will involve more e-commerce options for residents on the website.

Our most frequently viewed pages on the website in that timeframe were:

1) Employment
2) Parks and Recreation
3) Adult Sports Info
4) City Calendar
5) Valley View Aquatic Center
6) Contact Us
7) GIS and Maps
8) Raccoon River Park
9) Parks Facilities and Matrix
10) Directory of Parks

WDM Magazine Arrives This Week!

2009-03-30T10:52:00.002-05:00

West Des Moines residents and businesses: watch for Issue 18 of the WDM Magazine to arrive in your mailbox this week. This is our biggest issue yet - evidence of the quality programs we continue to promote and the high level of communication we want to maintain with our customers - you!

Among other things, the Spring/Summer 09 issue of the magazine contains:

information on this year's A-MAY-Zing Days celebration;
a description of the Hy-Vee Triathlon event planned for June 27-28 this year;
2008 Citizen Survey results;
news on the new single-stream recycling program, Recycle and Roll;
info on the yard waste season;
eco-friendly tips for the home;
a sign-up request for the City's new text messaging program; and
many more interesting news items about city services.

Like every issue, the magazine includes information on the Library, Human Services, and Parks and Recreation programs taking place over the next few months.

Notable - Jordan Creek Town Center

2009-03-18T10:15:00.002-05:00

In case you don't read Urban Land, a publication of the Urban Land Institute (which our Community and Economic Development department keeps up with), Jordan Creek Town Center was recently named one of ten developments internationally that creatively combine retail and entertainment.

The article, entitled "Entertainment/Retail Synergies," names Jordan Creek along with developments across the US and in Tokyo, Portugal, China, Finland, and Switzerland as examples of creative, well-designed regional malls and lifestyle centers that offer shopping intertwined with entertainment options.

You can download a PDF copy of the article to see the feature on Jordan Creek and other examples around the globe.

Westcom Moving Today

2009-03-10T14:31:00.003-05:00

If you receive the West Des Moines section of the Des Moines Register, you may have noticed that the Westcom Dispatch Center is moving today.

If you're not familiar with Westcom, the Westcom Dispatch Center is a consolidated public safety dispatch facility that receives public safety related calls and dispatches police, fire and EMS for the cities of Clive, Urbandale, and West Des Moines. The name Westcom was derived from the fact that all three cities are western suburbs of Des Moines and it is the communication center. Until today, Westcom was located in the West Des Moines Law Enforcement Center at 250 Mills Civic Parkway.

Prior to January of 2001, all three cities had separate public safety dispatch centers staffed by city employees 24 hours every day. The consolidation of these independent dispatch centers into one contributed to a big improvement in communication between the three public safety agencies involved because it put us all on one trunked radio system. The merger allows us to directly communicate with one another during large-scale incidents/accidents. The three communities share expenses for the center based upon a percentage breakdown of the total calls for service received by the center. The policy oversight body for Westcom is a committee made up of representatives of the three cities and chaired by a city manager. West Des Moines EMS Chief Jeff Dumermuth serves as Director of Westcom.

As noted in the article, Westcom is moving to its new communications center in Public Safety Station #19 today. Housed in the basement of the station, Westcom will have a great deal more space and more assurance that their equipment and dispatchers can operate without seeking an alternative shelter during a weather emergency.

As the western suburbs have grown, our three-city dispatch operation has outgrown its old location in the Law Enforcement Center. The entrance to the Police Department has been enhanced to handle the change. After today, residents who enter the police department on weekends, holidays, or after 4:30 PM will remain in the front vestibule (the area between the front doors and another set of inner doors, which will be locked) and communicate with Westcom in their new location via phone, with dispatchers responding via intercom.

The dispatcher will view the caller via cameras that will be installed in the entrance, listen to the resident's needs, and dispatch police personnel to the location if necessary as they have done in the past. If the individual is seeking immediate refuge at the police department, Westcom will be able to remotely open the inner doors and immediately close and lock them.

Top 10 Affordable Suburbs

2009-03-06T16:55:00.000-06:00

BusinessWeek has again included West Des Moines in one of its "top communities" list. This time, it was named one of the Top Ten Most Affordable Suburbs, which factored livability (short commutes, low pollution, green space), education (well-educated residents, high test scores), crime (low personal and property crime), economy (high job growth, low unemployment rate, high family income), and affordability (median household income, cost of expenditures) into its ranking.

This story was featured on the homepage of MSN.com today!

Leading the Way to Sustainability

2009-02-18T17:11:00.002-06:00

The City of West Des Moines recently directed some of our Curb It! Revenue Sharing funds toward sponsorship of the Center on Sustainable Communities Building a Sustainable Iowa Workshop. The events taking place here in West Des Moines at the Raccoon River Park Nature Lodge include an Advanced Building Workshop and a leadership forum.

I think that the leadership forum will be an exceptional opportunity for area individuals, businesses, government entities, and organizations to dialogue about our current efforts and how we can make more progress toward sustainability in Central Iowa. The City of West Des Moines will have staff in attendance.

Here is the description of the forum from the COSC website:

"As Iowa’s leading resource on sustainable building education, COSC is conducting a Leadership Forum with Marc Richmond for Iowa’s business leaders, community leaders, state agency leaders, and policy makers. The session will define the key components of sustainable building and illustrate strategies for building sustainable communities based on national models. "

Schedule:

9:45 am Registration, Networking
10:00 am Welcome by Kevin Nordmeyer, New Director of the Iowa Energy Center
10:10 am What exactly is Green Building and Sustainable Design . . .
and why is it important to you?
11:00 am Where are we in Iowa?
12:00 am Luncheon
12:30 pm How do we move forward effectively?
1:30 pm Open Discussion and Wrap-up

I would encourage any Greater Des Moines community leader to consider signing up. I know that our staff members look forward to participating in the conversation.

The WDM Difference

2009-02-10T14:48:00.004-06:00

Click the graphic above to virtually browse through the City of West Des Moines' newest development guide, The WDM Difference. The guide was distributed to Business Record subscribers in January.

This guide serves as an economic development tool for the City's Community and Economic Development Department as they work to recruit and retain businesses in the city. In my opinion, it's also a pretty interesting read for residents of West Des Moines because it encompasses so many different aspects of our community. A map highlighting land uses and development areas is available halfway through the online publication.

Request a hard copy of the development guide.

Crime Free Multi-Housing

2009-02-04T08:10:00.006-06:00

Many people don't realize that multi-family housing (apartment, town home, and condominium) is a strong component of West Des Moines' residential inventory. Over 18,000 of our residents (35%) live in multi-family dwellings.

Although residents report a very high "feeling of safety" on our citizen surveys, we continue to work in all parts of our community to improve how we deliver public safety services. One important element of that service is crime prevention.

Approximately 10% of the Police Department’s calls for service are to apartment communities. Although that is just a percentage of overall crime, we try and work through management groups and associations to affect a large number of people in multi-housing developments. All of these efforts take shape in the Crime Free Multi-Housing Program (CFMH).

CFMH is a partnership between the WDM Police Department and local apartment complexes. It is essentially a coalition of police, property managers and residents of rental properties working together to reduce crime. This concept was developed in Mesa, Arizona in 1992 and introduced in the Des Moines area in 1996. Our department received its initial training in 1997 and certified its first apartment community, Sun Prairie Apartments, in 1998.

The main tenants of the program are that effective property management can have an impact on the health of the community and that simple, legal, and fair techniques exist to deal with illegal activity. There are three phases to the program - management training, crime prevention through environmental design (which involves inspections and meeting security requirements), and tenant safety training. A complex must complete all three phases to be fully certified. Eight apartment complexes have done so. The Police Department has developed partnerships with an additional 42 apartment communities in West Des Moines to work towards that goal.

Learn more about the phases and tools involved in the program on our website. For more specific information on Crime Free Multi-Housing, you can contact Officer Jeff Hartshorn in the Police Department's Special Operations Unit at 222-3369.

False Alarm!

2009-01-26T16:37:00.011-06:00

We hear the word "change" a lot now, and it's a word with both good and bad associations. In West Des Moines, we work hard to ensure that all change is positive - although that can be an elusive goal!

There are several small ways we try to encourage change in the City. Here is one small example. Let's call it a "motivational tool."

Over the years, the number of alarm calls for service has been a concern for our Police Department. An overwhelming majority of those calls turn out to be false alarms that unnecessarily consume city resources. A false alarm is any call from security, fire or other specialized electronic or mechanical alarms or alarm systems that is not triggered by an actual safety issue or event. There are bound to be a number of false alarm calls, of course--it would be impossible to eliminate them. To examine what the City could do, we simply got a small group of employees together under the umbrella of our quality program (which emphasizes continuous improvement) and considered options to reduce the number of false alarm calls. That group's recommendations came to fruition in 2002, when we enacted a False Alarm Ordinance. That year, the Police Department received 2,470 false alarm calls. In fact, 6.4% of ALL calls for service directed to the Police Department were false alarms.

Fortunately, the number of alarm calls has decreased consistently since 2002 thanks in large part to the ordinance. Among other things, the ordinance increased the penalty for false alarms, assured that businesses take responsibility for recurring false alarms in the same 24 hour period, required an alarm function that can deactivate a bad sensor or alarm zone, required alarm companies to be licensed with the city, and set up an appeals process for contesting false alarm violations.

The change over time is evident:

2002 - 2,370 alarm calls
2003 - 2,185 alarm calls
2004 - 1,800 alarm calls
2005 - 1,819 alarm calls
2006 - 1,683 alarm calls
2007 - 1,665 alarm calls
2008 - 1,457 alarm calls

Since the ordinance, the percentage of calls for services due to alarms has decreased to 3.0%. Alarm calls are at their lowest level since 2000, the earliest year from which we have data, and have decreased 41% since 2002. In 2008, the PD received 1,457 alarm calls for service, 72 of which were recorded by WestCom dispatch as "good" alarms needing officer follow-up. So while the majority of alarm calls (in 2008, 95%) are still false alarms, we have taken action to limit the resources spent on those calls, which frees officers up to respond to more urgent calls for service.

Citizen Academies - making safety more exciting

2009-01-15T14:17:00.024-06:00

As a citizen of West Des Moines, you are no doubt interested in the safety of your home, neighborhood, and community. Our biannual citizen survey attempts to measure the feeling of safety in the community, and in 2008 95% of residents reported being satisfied or very satisfied with the feeling of safety here. The remaining 5% were neutral. It is extremely important to our public safety staff at the City to provide as many educational opportunities as possible to residents and business owners so that you are equipped to prevent problems from occurring or prepared to respond to problems when forced to.

One manifestation of that goal are the citizen academies held by our police and fire departments. Both are in the process of recruiting candidates for the next class--the police academy will hold its 8th annual class beginning in March, and the fire academy will hold its sixth class at a date to be determined.

These citizen academies contain both classroom style learning and active, hands-on opportunities to learn what your public safety personnel are trained to do professionally. They both provide an exceptional opportunity to get to know your city police officers or fire fighters, and to get a better idea of what it takes to keep a community safe.

If you are interested in either of the upcoming academies, you can read more on our website about the police academy or the fire academy, and learn how to apply.

Find Your Address on a FEMA Flood Map

2009-01-13T14:39:00.003-06:00

Did you know you can search for your property on the FEMA website to identify where you are located in relation to a floodplain or flood hazard zone? You can create and print maps online through FEMA's website. All you need are some basic instructions (which you can find on the City website), your property's address, and a little patience to go through the steps on your computer and adjust the maps views. Given last year's abundance of water in Iowa, it is worth taking a look at any areas where you own property.

Raising Kids in WDM?

2009-01-12T17:21:00.001-06:00

Even though BusinessWeek named West Des Moines as one of the cities likely to be hardest hit by the financial crisis (an article we rebutted on our own website and that I mentioned here), they included West Des Moines on their Best Places to Raise Your Kids in 2009 listing for being "kid-friendly" and "cost-friendly." Read why West Des Moines was chosen or the full article text.

Sustainability Effort Moving Ahead

2009-01-02T15:23:00.003-06:00

In November, the Des Moines Register published the Green Cities segment of its climate change series, discussing what some Iowa cities are doing to become more sustainable. In West Des Moines, we are moving closer to hiring a sustainability expert to enhance our current efforts to make our organization more sustainable. In October, a small committee made up of representatives from the City Manager's Office, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, and a Metro Waste Authority employee conducted interviews of three candidates who submitted proposals to serve as a Sustainability consultant. Two firms were interviewed and both had excellent resources to assist the City in this effort. An agreement between the City and ERM (Environmental Resource Management), an international firm that also has an office on Mills Civic Parkway, should be drawn up soon based on the Curb IT! Revenue Sharing funds that are available for use.

With the help of the consultant, a steering committee of city employees will be developed to lay out the vision and goals for this initiative. Then, smaller groups of city employees will be asked to head up projects based on their volunteered interest in the topic. Any initiatives that come out of this group will be submitted to the Curb It! Revenue sharing program for additional funding. Watch here for more updates on our program as it unfolds, and read the Green Cities article (find West Des Moines on the digital map) for more information on what we are currently doing as a City.

Building Continues in WDM

2008-12-22T11:36:00.005-06:00

While times are tough...there are bright spots. West Des Moines is still one of them.

2008 will prove to be West Des Moines' best year ever in terms of building permit valuation. In November 2008 alone, the City issued 79 permits with a total valuation of $203,351,682. That amount is higher than annual valuations for some cities and for West Des Moines in the past. Our current year-to-date valuation is $486,866,205, compared to $184,538,064 at this point in November 2007.

This year's building permit valuation is so high in part due to the two new hospitals going up in our community. These facilities will be a tremendous asset to West Des Moines and will complement the excellent system of health care we currently have in the greater metro area. There are still a favorable number of permit applicants for retail buildings, single family homes, and apartment buildings in the mix this year as well.

Restoring Youth Offenders to the Community

2008-12-15T09:47:00.005-06:00

When a West Des Moines student between the ages of 11 and 18 commits a crime in West Des Moines, police officers may refer them to the City's Youth Justice Initiative (YJI) program instead of to the formal juvenile court system. Cases are accepted by YJI based on the seriousness of the crime, risk factors, willingness of the youth to admit wrongdoing, and the commitment of the youth's family to help implement all of the program's recommendations for the youth.

YJI bases its approach on the principles of restorative justice. The program focuses on accountability, education, and support for the youth offender and their family, which is achieved partially through ongoing community justice conferences--called "circles"--with the offender, family members, the victim, and other community stakeholders. It is important that the victims of the crime have a voice in the process and participate in the circles. Without this group's involvement, youth offenders are likely to continue to commit crimes or experience increased substance abuse, mental health issues, academic failure, family issues, risk-taking, and gang involvement. An article in the 1998 Journal of Quantitative Criminology estimates that the monetary value of saving a high-risk youth is between $1.7 to $2.3 million.

From July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008, the West Des Moines YJI program provided services for cases involving 70 youth. Nine additional youth received partial services. By the end of that fiscal year, 40 of the full service cases had closed and 30 were continuing. The breakdown of charges included:

31 Drug/Alcohol charges;
26 Theft charges;
10 Fire-related charges;
2 Burglary charges; and
1 miscellaneous criminal charge.

YJI continues to meet its goals for youth in the community. Over that same time period, 95% of juvenile offenders completed their reparation plans, including restitution and community service where appropriate. 5% of youth finished YJI unsuccessfully. 98% of youth who completed the program reported an understanding of the injuries caused by their offending. Altogether, the youth performed over 1,254 hours of community service. 87% of offenders did not re-offend during their YJI program. As of November 2008, 94% of the youth that had completed the program had not re-offended.

High risk youth in the program also showed improved risk factors. 64% of youth with high academic risk significantly improved performance based on school reports. 100% of youth with substance abuse problems maintained six consecutive months of abstinence prior to finishing the program (56% of YJI youth have significant substance abuse issues). Families also site that the Family class they take as part of YJI improves their communication and leads to positive family functioning.

You can read overall results from the last seven years of YJI on the City's website. This program is a unique and effective effort to bring our youth offenders together with their families, their victims, and other community stakeholders in order to prevent future crimes and involvement with the criminal justice system. As an attempt to help our youth offenders become functioning and contributing parts of our community, it is an overwhelming success.

Salt for any season

2008-12-11T10:44:00.004-06:00

After months of planning and preparation by several Cities, the first salt will be delivered to our new metro salt storage facility today. The first building of the structure, the joint cities building, was recently completed. The City of Des Moines building should be complete within a couple of weeks. We will start filling today and begin using our new building immediately, as we obviously have a need for salt given the snowfall we've already seen.

The salt storage facility is a tremendous example of what can be accomplished when agencies work together for a common need. This multi-agency salt storage facility allows nine area cities to store 22,000 tons of salt at an industrial area site in Grimes. The Metro Waste Authority agreed to finance the project and to allow the agencies to utilize 10 acres of land they had purchased for a transfer station that may be constructed in the future. One of the biggest challenges that governmental agencies have faced in past winters is the lack of salt availability during peak snowfall months. Last year was particularly bad; many cities ran out of salt early in the season. This facility will allow the cities to reserve the salt they need in storage before the winter months begin, which also means we can purchase the salt when it's at its lowest price of the year, no matter when that occurs.

The first delivery of salt may attract some news coverage today, so watch for more information and a chance to view the facility yourself.

Connected Through Giving

2008-12-08T17:01:00.003-06:00

We just wrapped up the 2008 portion of our military care package program at the City. Over the course of the year, we collected items from employees and sent care packages (using the US Postal Service military care kits) to five soldiers - one employee from our Fire Department and four immediate family members of employees who were in active combat overseas. Our employees are a generous bunch. They donated enough items right off the bat to send out several packages. One employee collected cards from her daughter's third grade class for the soldiers, which they especially liked.

Items collected during our initial care package drive earlier in 2008

I am happy to report that all of the soldiers we sent care packages to are now home, or at least back in the United States. Some are set to be re-deployed, and we will resume sending care packages to those soldiers if/when that occurs. We are also going to use some of our leftover items to send holiday packages to extended family members of employees who weren't part of the regular program, and the rest will be donated to West Des Moines Human Services. It is heartening that even in troubled economic times, people are willing to give to those in need or to those who are working honorably on our behalf.

Your Next WDM Dining Experience

2008-11-19T11:06:00.003-06:00

The next time you plan to dine out in West Des Moines, take a look at the restaurant guide the City's Community and Economic Development department recently created. You can download the listing online. Visitors can take a look at the accompanying map to see the areas in West Des Moines with the largest concentrations of restaurants.

The categorized listing with contact information is a helpful reminder of the numerous options out there in our city, and may trigger a memory of a great place or help guide you to something new.

View the guide now or visit www.wdm-ia.com and look under Visiting, Dining in WDM.

Online Traffic Reports

2008-11-04T17:20:00.003-06:00

In our latest attempt to provide more services online, the West Des Moines Police Department has enabled an online traffic reporting form. The form can be used for non-emergency traffic violations including but not limited to speeding violations, stop sign violations, school zone violations, handicap violations, and illegal parking. In addition to making the reporting process more efficient and more easily tracked, this system allows you to report a continuing violation that the department can monitor and update.

To find the form, click the link above or follow these steps:

Visit http://www.wdm-ia.com/
Under Your Government, select Police, then Services
Choose the "File a Traffic Complaint" form

Since we launched the new city website in March, city staff have been able to add value piece by piece through small additions like this, enabling you to do more through the web. We will continue to find other opportunities to provide self-service options to our residents where it makes sense.

Historical Slide Show

2008-10-29T15:41:00.003-05:00

Our celebration on October 13th featured a slide show of "then and now" photos of West Des Moines. Here are a few of the historical photos included there. Many attendees got a kick out of glimpsing into West Des Moines' past.

Historical Photos

View SlideShare presentation or Upload your own. (tags: west des)

WDM 115 Year Celebration

2008-10-22T17:09:00.004-05:00

Thanks to all who attended our celebration of West Des Moines last Monday, October 13, at City Hall. We had a festive reception with wine provided by the WDM Chamber, cheese, dessert, and good company! Mayor Gaer and Chamber President Greg France took the opportunity to make some great comments about how far we've come in our 115 years of existence, and I highlighted some of our achievements during the last decade. I have had a tremendous ten years in West Des Moines so far, and the West Des Moines residents, members of the business community, West Des Moines boards and commissions members, and city staff who attended the reception reminded me why. Great people and great opportunities!

View photos from the event here.

BusinessWeek Ranking

2008-10-15T17:16:00.000-05:00

If you’ve read or heard about West Des Moines’ newest ranking, this time in BusinessWeek, you may be wondering what kind of financial shape the City as a whole is in. BusinessWeek ranked West Des Moines 4th on a list of cities most likely to be hardest hit by the nation’s financial crisis. West Des Moines issued an open response to the article, which was based on a simple methodology that ranked cities in terms of the percentage of residents employed by the financial services sector. No analysis was given as to the type of financial company or strength of company included in the cities. We issues an open response to the BusinessWeek ranking explaining why we are not as susceptible to issues as they suggest. You can read it on the news section of the city website.

An Unexpected Honor

2008-10-06T15:57:00.003-05:00

Officer Chris Morgan and Chief O'Donnell with two Kavanagh House representatives.

In August, my office was contacted by the Hospice of Central Iowa's Kavanagh House regarding a West Des Moines police officer. Kavanagh House provides 24-hour care to individuals with life-limiting illnesses. In July, staff there contacted the West Des Moines police department for assistance with a patient. After our officer responded, staff were so impressed with his assistance they called and asked to have a brief presentation in his honor.

Although we receive many compliments regarding our employees, including police officers, it is less common for a business or organization to take time out of their day to come and thank the employee formally in person, in front of their peers and supervisors. That is exactly what staff from the Kavanagh House did for Officer Chris Morgan, who in their words was able to calm their agitated patient "while ensuring the individual's dignity and safety" that day in July. In thanks for de-escalating the situation and taking a cooperative approach to the ordeal, staff came to the Law Enforcement Center personally to present Officer Morgan with a certificate.

Although Officer Morgan was "just doing his job," this kind of recognition positively reinforces the best in our officers. Police Chief O'Donnell and I were very impressed that the Kavanagh House team went the extra mile to thank our officer and our city.

Illumifest This Saturday

2008-09-25T16:44:00.001-05:00

The main entrance to City Hall has taken on a new look in the last couple of weeks—anyone who works here or has stopped by in that time period has doubtless seen the unique and attractive lantern feature in the lobby. This display is part of a unique new community festival devised by the City's Parks and Recreation department called Illumifest. Residents are encouraged to gather on the City/School Campus this Saturday, September 27, to create paper lanterns and then be part of a special lighting ceremony near the pond. The City hopes to have over 500 lanterns made and used at the event.

The lanterns in the City Hall lobby were made exclusively for Illumifest by Iowa artists participating in an art contest, and will be part of an auction to help raise money for next year’s art contest.

In addition to lantern making, Illumifest will have numerous events for adults and kids from 6-10 pm including free carnival rides, inflatables, displays by the Chinese Association of Iowa, live music, a beverage garden, food vendors, and fireworks. Our Parks and Recreation department has worked to obtain several sponsors for the event, which should make it a very exciting night.

Please stop by and support this unique new event for West Des Moines!

Citizen Survey 2008 - Take the call!

2008-09-02T14:30:00.004-05:00

The City's biannual citizen survey will be conducted again this month. The ETC Institute, an objective third party the City contracts to perform the survey, will begin calling households at the end of this week! If you are one of 400 random households that receives a call, I sincerely hope you consider taking the survey. It covers a variety of topics including city maintenance, city communications, code enforcement, public safety, library and parks services, and a couple of questions at the end of the survey aim to capture your vision for the future of our community. City departments and elected officials use questions from all parts of the survey to set benchmarks as part of our Balanced Scorecard system (see prior post on the BSC here -- scroll down to the May 19 entry) and to prioritize services based on what is important to residents. These results are then compared to the surveys conducted in 2002, 2004, and 2006, as well as to surveys conducted in cities of comparable size and status across the nation.

This is a tremendous opportunity to provide detailed feedback to your elected officials and city staff on many issues. If you want to see some summary data from the 2006 survey, click here.

Showing Shawn our Support

2008-08-27T13:24:00.003-05:00

Special thanks to everyone who helped put on last night's "welcome home" celebration for Shawn Johnson. The City was proud be part of the festivities. Take a look at the long list of entities that came together to put this event on with just a few days' planning: Hy-Vee, Adidas, Coca Cola, Global Spectrum, Iowa Events Center, Valley High School students, faculty, and staff, West Des Moines Community Schools, Kids West, the WDM Chamber, the Greater DSM Partnership, the Convention and Visitor's Bureau, the Nadas, the Governor's Office, the Polk County Supervisors, Chow's Gymnastics, WHO-TV 13, Keith Murphy, the Des Moines Register, and our own police department, who provided security for Shawn. It is really not surprising that there are so many people and organizations interested in making sure we give Shawn our support and recognition.

Below is a proclamation the West Des Moines City Council passed Monday in honor of Shawn:

Proclamation

WHEREAS, Shawn Johnson represented the best in American athletes through her performance at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Johnson won Olympic gold with an exceptional performance on the balance beam and won three Olympic silver medals in equally outstanding performances during the team exercise, floor exercise, and individual all-around competition; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Johnson is one of the most decorated United States gymnasts in Olympic History; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Johnson displayed sportsmanship, maturity, compassion, and poise under pressure far beyond her sixteen years throughout the 2008 Olympic proceedings; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Johnson captured the hearts and minds of Iowans, Americans, and people worldwide, cementing her status as a role model and an incredible representative of our country; and

WHEREAS, Shawn Johnson’s tremendous athletic accomplishment and endearing grace during competition generated remarkable pride and respect from the residents of her hometown, her classmates, and the officials of West Des Moines;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WEST DES MOINES, IOWA, THAT SHAWN JOHNSON HONORED HER CITY, HER SCHOOL, HER STATE, HER COUNTRY, HER FAMILY, HER COACHES, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY—HERSELF—THROUGH A STUNNING OLYMPIC PERFORMANCE AND UNWAVERING POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD HER TEAMMATES, THE COMPETITION, AND THE OLYMPIC EXPERIENCE.

Honoring Loretta

2008-08-26T10:53:00.002-05:00

West Des Moines Councilwoman Loretta Sieman was honored this month as a Woman of Influence by the Business Record. During my ten years in West Des Moines, Loretta has been a constant presence. Whether at City Hall, community events, or other local meetings, Loretta's advice, support, and enthusiasm have been sought out time and time again. Her goal is always to help. Check out the Business Record's article to read the long list of organizations that have benefited from her dedication.

Our Olympic Ties

2008-08-14T15:33:00.004-05:00

Although there are numerous amazing athletes and exciting events taking place every day of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, there are a few that I --and undoubtedly many in West Des Moines -- are watching especially closely.

As anyone who has met Shawn Johnson would expect, the young gymnast has made West Des Moines, Iowa, and our entire country proud. Not only is she a consistent contender and extremely talented performer, she has represented the United States with the poise and grace of someone far older. Shawn's terrific, wholesome personality has clearly captured the hearts and minds of Olympic-watchers everywhere, if you pay attention to commercials, announcers, web ads -- or any form of media in existence! We have been watching you, Shawn, and we are thrilled to call you one of our own. Shawn's coach, Chow, the coach of the Olympic team, has also received a little of the spotlight during these games, and he deserves every bit of it.

Another event of particular interest to many residents of West Des Moines and the Metro area is the triathlon taking place in a few days. The last two members of the 6-person US team qualified right here in West Des Moines on the Valley Southwoods school campus. 55 men and 55 women will compete on the 1.5k swim, 40k bike, and 10k run course. The course will feature the Ming Tombs Reservoir, said to be an awe-inspiring place.

The U.S. is one of just five countries to field a full team of six for the Olympics. Hunter Kemper, who qualified in West Des Moines, is competing in his third Olympics. Sarah Haskins, a former teacher who was the top American finisher in our triathlon, is competing there for the first time.

The team has spent the first week of the Olympics after Opening Ceremonies at a training camp in South Korea to get acclimated to the heat, humidity and time zone change, and to relax.

The women's triathlon will air live on NBC at 9 pm on August 17 (see more information on the event here). That's also the first night of the individual events competition for women's gymnastics. Our hopes are high and our cheers are loud (even if they are directed at a television).

Battling Bugs

2008-08-08T16:53:00.002-05:00

The mosquitoes are still out and on the attack, especially in the early evening hours, but we're doing our best to counter them.

In the past few weeks, the City's Public Works Department has implemented more aggressive measures to deal with the abnormally high mosquito population triggered by large amounts of standing water in and near our community. Public Works staff and contractors have been applying larvacide pellets with helicopter and ground crew applications in an attempt to kill pre-hatch mosquitoes. Crews have also been spraying various areas of the City where high populations have been encountered.

While the City cannot eliminate the mosquito population, I think we are successful in minimizing their impact. The Center for Disease Control recommends using mosquito spray when individuals are outside and are susceptible to biting insects-especially during early evening hours!

Special Achievement in GIS

2008-08-06T16:31:00.002-05:00

City representatives were honored this week at the at the ESRI User Conference for Special Achievements in GIS (SAG). GIS stands for Geographic Information Systems and uses computer hardware, software, and data to create a tool for managing and displaying geographic information. GIS links information to geographic locations and is typically associated with a map. The City's Interactive GIS map, which can be found off the www.wdm-ia.com homepage or here, provides zoning, land use, development, parks, and demographic information, as well as utility locations, street and lane closures, and construction information.

The ESRI website provides the following description of SAG award winners: "By embracing GIS technology, these organizations have made extraordinary contributions to our global society and set new precedents throughout the GIS community." Recipients of the Special Achievement in GIS award are submitted by thousands of organizations worldwide.

The press release from ESRI, which can be viewed here, states:

"The City of West Des Moines has become the beacon of GIS in the Des Moines metropolitan area. The City merges data from four counties into their GIS, enhances the exchange of disparate data between internal departments, manages a three-city 911 call center, and hosts, organizes, and provides content for CIAO (Central Iowa ArcGIS Organization) meetings. From traffic modeling and crime analysis to land use and building inspections, the City is successfully leveraging GIS to better serve its citizens and plans to expand its GIS Web sites to deliver more information to the public. West Des Moines is a place of major growth in Iowa, and it is a great example of how GIS can help create transparency in city management and operations."

Congratulations to the City's GIS Steering Committee, which worked hard to develop a credible and valuable tool that our residents and businesses can utilize for geographic information. I encourage you to try it out! As an end user, you can create maps for your own purposes as well.

IaCMA conference

2008-07-28T09:15:00.002-05:00

I'm proud to welcome city and county managers from around the state of Iowa to West Des Moines this week for the Iowa City/County Management Association (IaCMA) summer conference. The attendees will be staying in West Des Moines, and many have invited their families along to enjoy what West Des Moines and the Greater Des Moines area have to offer.

I was privileged to serve as president of IaCMA this past year, and I am thrilled that its members will be visiting our community. IaCMA conferences give city and county managers a chance to share their concerns, ideas, and thoughts on the profession, as well as sessions on topics like ethics, diversity, innovative programs in city government, and more things related to city management. Although we come from cities of different sizes with different challenges and blessings, we find a lot of common ground because there are many services all cities must provide and many goals we all want to meet.

I look forward to hosting this group and taking part in the educational activities the week has in store.

WDM Teen Police Academy

2008-07-16T15:41:00.003-05:00

The first West Des Moines Teen Citizens' Police Academy was held in June, and received great reviews! The Academy is modeled after our existing Citizens' Police Academy, which has graduated seven classes so far. It was designed to provide young people in our community the opportunity to learn about the Police Department and its operations and have fun doing it. It provided some valuable information for students interested in law enforcement careers as well. Our Police Department especially saw it as a chance to open up another channel of communication with our young citizens.

The students, all between 13-17 years of age, were required to be enrolled and attending a school in West Des Moines or one of the three school districts in our city, or to live in West Des Moines. They needed at least a 2.0 grade point average and a background check. The class was just five sessions completed in the mornings for one week. Teens learned about patrol and vehicle stops, evidence collection, the K-9 unit, the taser and other defensive tactics, what it takes to become a police officer, firearms, and Emergency Response teams, among other things. Several police officers participated in the instruction, which ended with a pizza party and graduation ceremony.

We have some great young people in our community! These teens were respectful and very interested in the operations of the Police Department. They will be excellent resources and spokespeople among their younger crowds for the officers in our department.

More good news--we already have parents and teenagers asking to sign up for next year!

Smoke Free Air Act

2008-07-08T08:22:00.003-05:00

As you've undoubtedly heard if you live in Iowa, the Smoke Free Air Act went into effect on July 1. The law's purpose “is to reduce the level of exposure by the general public and employees to environmental tobacco smoke in order to improve the public health of Iowans.”

This law prohibits smoking in public places, buildings, and “any outdoor area under the control of state government or its political subdivisions.” To be thorough, smoking is not allowed in outdoor sports arenas, stadiums, amphitheaters, designated seating areas of outdoor entertainment venues during public gatherings, outdoor seating or serving areas of restaurants, public transportation stations, platforms and shelters, school grounds, and the grounds of public buildings.

Although the Department of Public Health is still working out some details that will dictate enforcement of the Act, the City of West Des Moines is taking steps to work with employees and citizens affected by the new law. The City already had a tobacco-free policy for City facilities and city-owned vehicles, but will now, among other things, work to make the grounds adjacent to our public facilities smoke-free. That includes posting signs on buildings and in city vehicles.

Additional information about this new law, including FAQs, can be found at: http://www.iowasmokefreeair.gov/resource.aspx

The City is doing its part to help employees with their addiction to tobacco. We have an employee certified through the Iowa Lung Association to facilitate Smoking Cessation Courses. We are also offering assistance with physical addictions by adding Nicotine Replacement Therapy prescriptions into the prescription drug plan effective July 1. QUITLINE IOWA also offers phone counseling, free smoking cessation information, referrals and a two-week supply of Nicotine Replacement Therapy (patches or gum) at no cost for those who call 1-800-QUIT-NOW.

Over the last year, we've really tried to put an emphasis on health and wellness at the City. In addition to our fitness facility program, which requires employees to work out at least 12 times per month in order to participate, we've been running a Get Fit with WDM motivational program for employee teams who compete to lose weight and get in exercise time. These activities, in addition to wellness screenings and smoking cessation groups, should help to give us a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce and potentially reduce insurance costs. We have chosen to take a proactive approach to health and wellness, and have seen other cities and private companies take similar steps. Our Wellness Committee is very active and has played an important role taking us down this path, which is both good for employees and smart for employers.

June 2008 in West Des Moines

2008-06-26T14:19:00.002-05:00

It is another rainy day in West Des Moines, Iowa, a reminder that just two weeks ago our city was in the midst of serious flooding concerns. In retrospect, West Des Moines has been very fortunate considering the heavy rainfall our region has received in June. Our citizens dealt with some issues like flooded basements due to sewer backups, high water tables, and excessive surface water. We saw parking lots and some businesses with standing water, and had to close a few roads near major waterways. We were prepared for more, for something worse, but have been spared the calamities many cities and counties in Iowa are now dealing with.

We are concerned for our neighbors in Des Moines and our fellow Iowans in cities too numerous to even mention. Because the levee put in place in West Des Moines after the floods of 1993 held, we have been able to use our current resources to help out elsewhere.

At the request of Area Ambulance Service in Cedar Rapids, The City of West Des Moines Emergency Medical Services department sent one ALS staffed ambulance to Cedar Rapids on Friday morning, June 13, to assist with the emergent evacuation of Mercy Hospital - Cedar Rapids due to floodwater threatening their power system.

The WDM ambulance transferred two critical patients to another hospital in Cedar Rapids and brought one patient for further definitive care to Broadlawns Hospital in Des Moines.

City employees who participate on the State of Iowa Incident Management Team also made their way to another part of Iowa—this time to help out with the aftermath of the tornadoes in Parkersburg. The Incident Management team was created in 2006 as an asset for the state in planning and mitigating incidents and ensuring a quick recovery; three 9-person teams rotate on call status monthly. The teams are multi-disciplinary, including police, fire, public health, public works, and city administration personnel. Membership is spread across the state so that if an incident occurs in one spot, the team can still pull personnel from unaffected areas. Deputy Chiefs Jones and Sonnenburg from West Des Moines were asked to participate on the team.

Everyone on the Incident Management Team received three weeks of training including a simulated emergency operations center and extensive role-playing exercises in working together. The training was themed “all hazards,” so exercises involved tornados, flooding, earthquakes, terrorist events, and other challenging large-scale incidents.

The training could not have come at better time given the state’s recent bouts with all forms of inclement weather. The team’s first deployment was to Parkersburg, and they were on the ground less than 24 hours after the tornado hit. The team assisted local officials, who were very appreciative for the help and support in managing the incident. The amount of organization, management and information flow necessary in Parkersburg would be tough for any city, no matter what the size, to handle. The team was able to handle and support various parts of the recovery allowing the local officials to be visible to their residents and concentrate on their community.

The Incident Management Team was deployed again more recently to the Polk County Emergency Operations Center to help planning for the potential floods of 2008. This experience was different in that it involved planning for an incident rather than helping to manage one. Being closer to home, this deployment allowed the West Des Moines members to start using their training for the West Des Moines community.

Shifts in the command post are approximately 14 to 16 hours long since the command center must be open 24 hours a day. Deputy Chiefs Jones and Sonnenburg reported that the experience proved to be an extremely valuable one, and although they hope they never need to support our community in managing such an incident, their Incident Management Team will be ready just the same. They will use tools picked up in training and this hands-on involvement to help organize and plan for future large events that may occur in the city in hopes of minimizing potential problems.

I want to thank our employees for their tremendous response to this potential emergency. As you have read, we were an active participant in the Polk County Emergency Operations Center. Although we frequently updated our own city website and cable news channel, West Des Moines did not get a lot of local news coverage mainly because we did not have as many issues as some of our neighbors. Our staff spent time with several neighborhood groups discussing expectations for rainfall. We are taking actions to help our residents who have suffered some problems due to heavy rainfall, including picking up items damaged by floodwater, providing mosquito control, and providing references that may be useful as those who were affected go about cleaning up their homes. For more information on those steps, please visit the city website at http://www.wdm-ia.com/ or click here.

A-MAY-Zing Month

2008-06-04T15:51:00.004-05:00

June is here and the first annual A-MAY-Zing Days events have come to a close. The Community Celebration Committee put together a fun and comprehensive string of events for residents of West Des Moines and visitors from other communities to enjoy. The month wrapped up with a successful Kool and the Gang concert on 5th Street in Valley Junction, a presentation to the Iowa National Guard of a Key to the City, and fireworks the last weekend in May at Jordan Creek Town Center as part of the Principal Charity Classic. A-MAY-Zing Days featured many community events worth attending that got more attention under the newly created "brand" for the month of May. Zing into Spring and the street party in Valley Junction were particularly fun new events that the Chamber and City hope to bring back on an annual basis.

You can see photos from the events at http://www.amayzingdays.com/, Event Photo Gallery. Photos are being added continuously. Thanks again to our great sponsors who are also listed on that site for making the month of promotions and events possible.

Duck launch on the lake at Jordan Creek Town
Center as part of the YESS Duck Derby

Zing into Spring on the City Hall Lawn

Measuring our Success

2008-05-16T08:49:00.001-05:00

To build on my last entry about development in West Des Moines, this link will take you to a slideshow of random facts regarding population, development, and other measurements critical to tracking our progress as a City. This was created as part of a video to promote West Des Moines at the International Council of Shopping Centers conference.

After watching this slideshow, take a look at the other slideshows the City has uploaded to Slideshare.net. Just select "Display all slideshows by this author" in the right column of the screen. The City has uploaded several of its presentations there, including information on our Quality Initiative, Balanced Scorecard, and various city programs. You can also find information on every Citizen of the Year from the WDM Chamber.

"What are they doing to that road?"

2008-05-15T17:03:00.003-05:00

Curious about road construction projects you see in the City? The new West Des Moines website can show you what the construction you encounter on your drive to work, school, or home is about!

The Public Works Department has a Construction Projects page that will take you to a GIS map displaying all the road projects in West Des Moines. Clicking on an orange dot will give you more details about the project you're interested in, and a link to information on timing and cost of the project.

Aviva USA Groundbreaking

2008-04-30T12:41:00.016-05:00

Last Thursday, April 24, the City of West Des Moines elected officials and staff celebrated Aviva's future presence in our community by attending their groundbreaking ceremony.

Thankfully, the sun came out just in time for the groundbreaking and the tent Aviva had set up became a nice shade rather than a necessary shield from the anticipated rain. I was both proud and excited to welcome this premier development to West Des Moines. That ground will eventually support offices and employees--hopefully future West Des Moines residents.

In keeping with my previous entry about green building, Aviva has pledged that the new headquarters design will comply with guidelines adopted by the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED), a nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction, and operation of high-performance green buildings. Because they've had to clear so many trees to construct their facility, Aviva has also donated $50,000 to the Arbor Day Foundation to plant trees in West Des Moines. That gesture is already a sign of their good corporate citizenship.

Mayor Gaer had a chance to stand alongside Tom Godlasky, President and CEO of Aviva USA, and Governor Culver as they all made remarks commemorating the day. I think the facts Mayor Gaer presented about our development in West Des Moines are both interesting and meaningful, and I'll share some of them here. I consider this the backdrop to the story of Aviva USA and its arrival in West Des Moines.

This development has become a significant piece of a vision that is being carried out involving quality, excellence, and innovation, the driving forces of West Des Moines’ growth and improvement. West Des Moines’ population increased from 46,403 in 2000 to 51,744 in 2005, and today is estimated at 55,306. The represents a 19.2% increase in eight years.

Between 2005 and 2007, West Des Moines saw 6,105 new jobs created in the City. This represents a 12.9% increase during that two year period. That amounts to over 53,400 jobs in West Des Moines. It also brings our current daytime population to 117,500, an 8% increase from 2006. The City’s predominant employment sectors continue to be Finance and Insurance.

Since Jan 2006, the City has issued building permits with a value of over $439 million. Of that, $265 million is commercial construction accounting for over 2.8 million square foot of new commercial development. In terms of per capita property valuation, West Des Moines leads the ten largest cities in the State with just under $56,000 per person.

I’d like to thank the Mayor and City Council for their leadership in the process of bringing Aviva to West Des Moines; they continuously supported this development and were positive in our discussions with Aviva leading up to the groundbreaking. City staff should also be commended for their work with Aviva throughout the project and for their positive incorporation of Aviva into the City’s extensive planning process.

I’d also like to thank Aviva and Tom Godlasky for creating new opportunities for growth and high quality jobs--a highly sought after commodity--in our community. Many Aviva and Knapp properties employees were key players in what we felt was a very fair and positive process and also deserve thanks.

I’d also like to thank Governor Culver for the support and assistance the Governor’s Office and the State of Iowa’s Department of Economic Development, especially Mike Tramontina, provided in securing and accommodating Aviva USA in West Des Moines.

Aviva USA is a tremendous addition to West Des Moines, and the City looks forward to continued cooperation and growth. I am confident that Aviva’s presence in West Des Moines will advance the opportunities afforded to our current citizens and encourage more of the best and the brightest to live and work within our state.

Building "Green" in WDM

2008-04-17T13:53:00.003-05:00

Green building, like everything else eco-friendly, has become a very popular topic that has generated interest around the country. Green structures are designed and built to adhere to the principles of sustainability and environmental best practices. These efficient buildings conserve resources like energy and water and have fewer negative impacts on the environment and human health.

In an effort to promote green building, the City has conveyed two residential lots it currently owns in Valley Junction to Home Opportunities Made Easy (HOME) Inc, a Des Moines-based nonprofit organization. HOME, Inc. will be the general contractor in building a single-family home on each lot. Both houses will be built using green concepts and eventually sold to low-income households. One home will serve as a demonstration house, which could take up to a year to build in order to stay open for educational purposes, and the other will be built within a normal time-frame.

Partners on this project include the City of West Des Moines, HOME, Inc., and the Center for Sustainable Communities (COSC). In addition to the key partners, the project will utilize representatives from our community at large including city and state government entities, community-based non-profits, funding entities, key corporations, key industry sector advisors, and individual volunteers. Ideally, this project will demonstrate how a green-build home can be constructed affordably and practically.

The project's partners got together in March to discuss the design and plan the educational sessions and on site demonstration workshops that will be held during the construction of the demonstration house.

This project should help us to measure a green building’s impact on the environment by tracking energy consumption, resource consumption, waste production, water use, and accessible community resources available. All options and decisions made during design and construction will be documented, and the performance of the homes will be tracked. Specific costs of materials, products, labor and services utilized will be compared to a standard build in a comparable neighborhood. I'm excited about this project and think it is a great way for the City to partner with expert organizations and take a lead in encouraging the creation of sustainable, energy-efficient homes in all areas of our City and beyond it.

A groundbreaking ceremony at 927 Maple Street will take place Sunday, April 20, at 11:30 am as part of Earth Day. Don't forget to stop by the 3rd Annual Earth Day in the Junction that day from 10 am to 3 pm for numerous activities for adults and kids as well.

Best Places to Live and Launch

2008-04-07T11:24:00.005-05:00

FORTUNE Small Business (FSB) named West Des Moines in the Top 100 Places to Live and Launch a Small Business in a 2008 issue of CNN Money. To compile this list, FSB searched the nation for towns that "combine a great business environment with alluring leisure offerings."

With the help of ONBoard, a data-collection agency in New York City, and Bert Sperling, author of Cities Ranked and Rated, FSB ranked 296 Census-designated metro areas by "business friendliness" and "lifestyle offerings." Factors in the metro area rankings include tax rates, job growth, the number of airline flight connections nearby, the number of parks and arts venues nearby, health infrastructure, and climate. Based on strong population growth, low crime rates, and reasonable housing costs, they chose the town within each of the top 100 metro areas that "best blends business and pleasure." Interviews with local entrepreneurs, city officials, and business experts confirmed which towns had the strongest small business programs and best leisure resources within their metro areas.

I'm thrilled that our ongoing focus on economic development and small business, coupled with our excellent parks programs, leisure activities, and proximity to the ever-improving entertainment options in the metro area have put us on this list.

Iowa had three cities on the list: West Des Moines, Ames, and Iowa City--tying it with Minnesota for the most cities ranked in the Midwest. This is demonstrative of the headway Iowa metro areas are making in appealing to business interests and providing a desirable quality of life. This is a great accolade for Iowa and for our metro area.

New City Website

2008-04-01T09:58:00.003-05:00

The City of West Des Moines has a new and improved website.

The site is still at http://www.wdm-ia.com/ but has a new look and feel, and tremendous new functionality. We began our redesign process last summer and selected a vendor from sixteen RFPs. Six months after the initial meeting, the new website is complete.

Because the site is so much easier for our employees to use, we'll be updating and adding information a lot more often. Basically, we have complete control over the site content including pages, photos, documents, postings, and more. Each department has representatives dedicated to maintaining and improving the website in addition to their other job responsibilities.

I invite you to take a look at the new site and check out our new functionality. You can sign up to receive updates on news and events via email; navigate through the site based on who you are (visitor, resident, or business), what you're looking for (see the How Do I? bar), or city department (Your Government). Soon, we will have a database for our bids and proposals up on the site as well.

There is a lot more out there. Please take a look and refer back whenever you need information on the City. I think you'll find the new site very user friendly.

WDM Accidents in 2007

2008-03-20T08:49:00.006-05:00

Our Police Department released their 2007 Accident Analysis report last week. Accident calls for service increased by 21.1% from 2006 to 2007 . The number of actual accident reports made increased 7.7%. There are a number of reasons why a report may not be made at an accident scene after a call for service. Typically, reports are only made in the case of personal injury, a hit and run, or damage estimated to be above $1000. Sometimes, the Police Department receives multiple calls for service for one accident, usually if there are several witnesses on the roadway, and only one report is made.

Given that, the Police Department focuses heavily on the locations where reportable accidents took place. The top ten intersections where reports were made are listed below, with the number of reports in parenthesis.

1. 101 Jordan Creek Parkway (34)
2. 1500 I-35 (33)
3. 2000 I-35 (22)
3. 1551 35th Street (19)
5. 1400 Jordan Creek Parkway (18)
6. 3500 University Avenue (15)
7. 3500 Westown Parkway (15)
8. 1400 22nd Street (13)
10. 800 I-235 (12)
10. 2200 Westown Parkway (12)

All 34 reportable accidents at 101 Jordan Creek Parkway happened in the parking lot or access road area at Jordan Creek Town Center. Twenty were hit/run or striking unattended vehicle incidents with no information left by the offenders. Given that JCTC had over 24 million visitors in 2007, the fact that 34 reportable accidents occured there is not surprising, and is probably low. What is interesting about this accident location is that a higher proportion of young drivers were involved than were involved in the other top locations, and more accidents occured on Wednesday than any other day of the week. Also, there were no injury accidents. Take a look at the graphs below.

Most of the other top intersections had more accidents on Friday or Saturday, and a more even balance among age of drivers.

Public Works Accreditation

2008-02-29T09:37:00.002-06:00

I've written about the accreditation our three public safety departments have received. We are one of only four cities in the nation to have our Fire, EMS, and Police departments accredited. Well, I'm pleased to announce that our Public Works department has also achieved an accreditation!

The entire fleet staff for Public Works has been certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) and as a result the shop at Public Works is 100% accredited with ASE. This certification is considered by the service and repair industry to be the standard measure of competency for auto repairs. The next time you see a Public Works employee, notice the ASE patch on their sleeves--it is a sign that the employee has met a high goal set by the department. Their ultimate plan is for each mechanic to earn master certifications in both automotive and truck mechanics, which involves successfully passing 16 tests. These employees are highly skilled and dedicated to their trades.

Congratulations to our Public Works fleet staff on this accomplishment.

West Des Moines has A-MAY-ZING DAYS ahead

2008-02-11T13:53:00.001-06:00

We have a real sense of community in West Des Moines. You can see it in the kindness with which people greet each other, the way we support our neighbors in times of need, and the overwhelming response of our residents to community events. If you ever sit back and try to examine the various events held in West Des Moines, you can really see the importance of community celebration. Gatherings that involve local organizations or businesses and bring together residents from all over town connect people to the community. They help people create memories that are intertwined with other people and places in our City. They also connect people to the future of our community, as we plan on attending a certain event "next year" or welcome a new reason to celebrate in our ever-expanding and improving City.

Given the exciting benefits that celebrations bring to our city, I'm thrilled to talk about a month-long event in May that people from various parts of the community have been planning for the last year. A-may-zing Days is being billed as a "Celebration of West Des Moines" and provides a mix of existing and new events that will make West Des Moines the place to be in May. In addition to the City, some of the organizations involved include:

WDM Chamber of Commerce;
WDM Development Corp;
WDM Community School District;
Historic Valley Junction Foundation;
Jordan Creek Town Center;
Valley West Mall;
West Glen Town Center;
Lions Club; and
WDM Rotary.

More groups are signing up to participate as I write this! There are several events that will be publicized officially in a calendar as we get closer to May, but some of the highlights include:

Two pancake breakfasts, one held May 3 by the WDM Rotary and one held May 17 by the Lions Club and Eddie Davis Community Center.

Learnapalooza, the free annual event sponsored by the WDM COmmunity School District's Community Education. Traditionally held in April, Learnapalooza has moved to the first Saturday of May to be part of A-may-zing Days.

The 4th annual Festivale Cinco de Mayo, hosted by the Historic Valley Junction Foundation at Railroad Park and 5th Street in Valley Junction, on May 3.

Zing into Spring, a brand new Chamber event highlighting family fitness and wellness. The Zing into Spring, which takes place on May 4, will feature a 5k fun run, 1 mile walk and health fair headquartered on the lawn of City Hall. There will be a kids zing zone, a DJ, and much more, with a portion of proceeds this year being donated to help send Shawn Johnson's Coach Chow to Beijing for the 2008 Olympics.

Three big musical events will cap off Memorial Day weekend including a May 23 concert at Val-Air Ballroom, a street party featuring three bands on May 24 on 5th Street at Valley Junction, and a musical event with a national headliner on May 25 at Jordan Creek Town Center followed by a fireworks display.

There are so many more events. Many events are free, and most that do charge are both affordable and send a portion of proceeds towards a worthy cause, whether it be WDM Human Services, supporting our troops overseas, or other charities. To read about more events, visit www.amayzingdays.com. This site provides a tentative calendar and event listing, which will change and grow as we get closer to may, so keep checking back.

May will be a great opportunity for our City to come together and enjoy numerous events catered to residents of all ages. We haven't seen anything like A-may-zing Days in West Des Moines before, and I hope you clear off some time from your calendars in May to celebrate our community.

A Sad Reminder

2008-02-07T09:49:00.000-06:00

I'd like to look back quickly to my post on January 31 of this year regarding weather sirens. Today's Christian Science Monitor reports that a siren system in Atkins, Arkansas likely saved lives during the tornadoes that hit the Southern United States on Tuesday. Many residents in Atkins were able to find shelter after they heard the sirens twenty minutes before the tornado arrived.

The Monitor states that "With better weather monitoring and the wider use of sirens and other warning systems, the number of tornado deaths per million Americans has been decreasing in the United States for decades. " It's one thing for me to state in a blog entry that a frequently tested and functional weather siren system is important; it's another for a tragic incident to solidify how vital these systems are. Tuesday's devestating storms in the South were a sad reminder that while you cannot predict and plan for every disaster, preparation is vital. These tornadoes hit earlier in the year than expected. Fortunately, an effective siren system can provide short-term notice no matter when an event occurs, and hopefully save lives.

Read the article in the CSM here.

911 Trail Signage Project

2008-02-04T16:09:00.000-06:00

I'm surprised by the number of our residents who use the trails system in the winter. People repeatedly comment on the fact that the trails near their home are often plowed as quickly as their street! I'm glad they are used year-round; I know we have a lot of active residents! Recently, we have worked with surrounding cities to instate a plan that makes the trails even safer. This terrific multi-jurisdictional effort, called the 911 Trail Sign project, is starting to come to fruition in our City.

The 911 Trail Sign project is the product of a regional workgroup which planned to create a consistent trail sign system for 911 callers to reference when identifying their location on a trail. The workgroup consists of representatives from West Des Moines, Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale, Johnston, Polk and Warren Counties. West Des Moines was extremely active in this project with members from Parks and Recreation, Public Safety, Public Works, GIS and Westcom collaborating to increase public safety.

To be consistent among jurisdictions, the group chose to use a grid system that covers all involved areas and will help reduce confusion and response time in emergency situations. The grid also offers flexibility, giving the participating entities discretion regarding the location of signs for their part of the trail system. Signs can be placed closer together in short visibility areas and further apart where there is greater visibility without causing problems with the numbering system.

Jordan Creek Trail between Valley West Drive and 60th Street is the first segment of trail to be signed in West Des Moines. Parks and Recreation chose locations along the trail to place the signs and Public Works collected the GPS points so signs are accurately located and positioned. Each sign has an orange sticker indicating to dial 911 in the event of an emergency along the trail. The rest of the sign has a 6 digit number used to reference that specific location and give dispatchers information about where the call is located along the trail and how to access that specific location in an emergency.

Des Moines has also started signing their trails with this system. The other cities and counties involved in this project will be signing their trails as they have resources available for the project. This is a terrific example of cities collaborating to make emergency services more accessible from these harder-to-reach parts of our City.

Weather Sirens and You!

2008-01-31T10:00:00.000-06:00

The City of West Des Moines now has 15 weather sirens strategically located throughout the City. Historically, in order to make sure the sirens are activated and working properly, our personnel had to be sent to the siren to manually observe its operation. With fifteen sirens, that's obviously not the most efficient method of testing.

Our Emergency Management Coordinator, Fire Chief Don Cox, and Fire Lieutenant Mike Clark recently researched and implemented an improved system to monitor and record weather siren activation. At the end of January a new computer-controlled monitoring system was installed that provides two-way radio communication between the sirens and one of our fire stations. The software package provides real-time data on when a siren activated, how long it activated and if it performed properly. This improved weather siren system should enhance the safety of our community by ensuring the sirens are ready when we need them.

Our Fire Department would like me to remind you that these warning sirens are designed to alert you when you are outside; they are not designed to alert every citizen inside a building. It's important that people who spend most of their day inside a building invest in a weather radio to ensure they get proper alert warnings during severe weather.

Municipal Bonds

2008-01-15T09:29:00.000-06:00

Each week, the National League of Cities (NLC) puts out a paper called the Nation's Cities Weekly. The cover story in the January 7, 2008 edition was "Municipal Bond Market Relenting to Credit Pressure." The message of the article by Cherie Duvall was that the nation's $2.5 trillion municipal bond market, typically a highly sought-after and safe investment, is being "threatened by the nation's increasing credit crunch and real estate woes, causing some cities to worry about how they'll get money for crucial projects."

In today's market, cities with lower credit ratings are forced to pay higher interest rates on their bonds than they're used to or simply not move forward on projects they need or want to complete. Bond issues are being canceled in some cities because of the possibility of higher interest rates. In some parts of the United States, property values are falling and that means losses in tax revenue and the ability to issue debt. On top of that, companies that have insured municipal bonds in the past, allowing lower-rated cities to obtain lower interest rates, are not stepping up to insure new municipal projects as often because they are covering losses in the mortgage industry.

Duvall points out that states like Maryland and Virginia have good credit ratings and therefore are "largely unaffected" by the bond market's problems. Like these states, the City of West Des Moines is well-equipped to handle these pressures. As one of fewer than 100 cities in the nation with a AAA bond rating from Standard and Poor's, our City continues to see a strong market for our bonds. I'm thankful that strong financial management and economic development have buoyed our City and kept our bonds a credible and safe place to invest. Although the municipal bond market is still considered a very valuable market with historically low interest rates, the recent increases some municipalities are experiencing reiterate the importance of having well-managed finances. In addition, the vibrant business and development community in West Des Moines, along with high numbers of people choosing to live and play here, continue to keep us ahead of some of the nation's lagging indicators. West Des Moines is a great place to live and good things keep happening here, making us a highly rated city in more ways than one.

WDM Community Enrichment Foundation

2007-12-21T11:23:00.000-06:00

The WDM Community Enrichment Foundation was incorporated in April of this year thanks to the efforts of elected officials and community leaders. The Foundation is an affiliate of the Greater Des Moines Community Foundation and therefore a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization. It's mission is:

"To preserve and improve the quality of life in West Des Moines by engaging others in philanthropic support and services."

In early December the City Council approved a contribution to the Foundation of $20,000 for materials, fund raising activities, and grant-making. This contribution was issued with a requirement that the Foundation raise an additional $20,000 from other sources by February 29, 2008. The Foundation noted at that Council Meeting that they hope to raise even more than the $20,000 requirement by the end of February.

This independent body will focus on charitable giving capable of benefiting the entire city. In addition to contributing to community projects and programs, the Community Foundation will be able to raise and receive funds for specific capital campaign projects that need private sector contributions in order to be realized.

I'd like to congratulate our elected officials and community leaders on taking the initiative on this project and seeing to fruition a concept that will truly enhance quality of life in West Des Moines. Congrats and good luck to the current Foundation board members who will be pioneers of organized community giving in West Des Moines!

2007-11-20T15:43:00.000-06:00

Welcome Charles Schneider to the West Des Moines City Council! Charles was sworn in to his Second Ward Council Seat on November 8, 2007. View more information about Charles on the City Council/Biographies page of www.wdm-ia.com

See a video of the swearing in below.

Schneider_swearin_final
Uploaded by cityofwdm

CodeRED

2007-11-14T10:04:00.000-06:00

Have you signed up for CodeRED? This is an emergency notification system you can register for on the City's website at http://www.wdm-ia.com/. It's an extremely fast way for Westcom, our emergency dispatch center in West Des Moines, Urbandale, and Clive, to get the word out regarding emergencies in our area. The button looks like this (clicking on the button will also take you to the Code Red sign up):

CodeRED uses a unique Internet mapping capability to geographically target blocks, neighborhoods, cities, or regions depending on where the emergency takes place. A high speed telephone calling system delivers pre-recorded messages to homes and businesses (including answering machines) as fast as 60,000 calls per hour. Clearly, the ability to deliver information that quickly is vital in the event of natural disasters, missing children, safety alerts, and other hazardous situations. It allows our emergency management personnel to record the information you will need right away and get it to the affected areas immediately.

It's a very secure system, and any information you enter is safe and will be used only for this purpose. We know our emergency responders are working hard to protect us on a daily basis, and this tool helps them safeguard us better.

What do you like about West Des Moines?

2007-11-08T15:24:00.000-06:00

As we undergo a redesign process for our new website, we've been thinking a lot about what we like about our City. Words like parks, green space, and vibrant development have come to mind. We are collecting a list of adjectives or specific nouns that describe West Des Moines. I'd love your input at citymanager@wdm-ia.com or in this comment space as well.

What makes you proud of living or working here? What things about our City will attract visitors? How can we convey what it means to be a resident of West Des Moines to someone through the Internet?

Generations and the City Organization

2007-10-30T11:30:00.000-05:00

I had the opportunity to attend a conference in Pittsburgh for ICMA (the International City/Council Management Association) in October. This conference is a gathering of thousands of city managers, assistant city managers, and related professionals eager to learn about best practices in other cities and tips to better run their organizations.

ICMA has identified six priorities for its work in the coming years:

Local Government Leadership
Next Generation
Performance Management
Public Policy
Sustainable Communities
Emergency Management

Not surprisingly, these priorities are in line with a lot of communities' priorities as they look ahead. Concern for the "next generation" has become a popular topic in both public entities and private corporations. According to the US Census Bureau, the population 65 and older is projected to grow faster than the total population in every state beginning in 2011. Four years from now, the number of people in this country celebrating their 65th birthday will jump 21 percent, from 2.7 to 3.3 million. This will create a "replacement gap" in the workplace, with more jobs available than people to fill them.

This issue is especially pertinent in the public sector, where many managers and leaders are 5 or 10 years away from retirement. In local government management, the group of young people trained to take their place is far smaller than the number of baby boomers who will turn over executive positions in the next decade.

At ICMA, they've created programs for new and emerging managers and leaders to help address this problem. They also facilitate sessions at the annual conference regarding making the most of having four different generations in the workplace. At the City of West Des Moines, we have taken our own initiatives to address generational gaps and plan for the eventual departure of many of our top level people. In addition to a reading circle featuring the book "When Generations Collide," which provided recommendations to employees regarding relationships and team building across generations, the City has created a Succession Planning team to look at our process of preparing leaders to fill the shoes of future retirees. I think these steps will help keep us ahead of the game within our organization.

I will address the other priorities established by ICMA, and how they relate to our City, in subsequent blog entries. Thanks for reading. I'd be interested to know what kind of initiatives your employers have taken (in the public or private sector--we are all facing the same problem) to motivate and relate to employees from every generation and plan for the retirement of the baby boom generation.

CDBG

2007-09-28T09:40:00.000-05:00

This year, the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, administered by housing planner Christine Gordon in the City's Community and Economic Development department, is focusing on four areas as part of its 2007/2008 Action Plan. For those of you not familiar with the CDBG program, West Des Moines has been an entitlement community under this U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) sponsored program since 2005. The City qualifies because it is a local government with 50,000 or more residents.

In addition to administrative costs, this year’s CDBG Action Plan proposes funding for the Transitional Housing Program, Transit Pass Program, and the acquisition of Historic City Hall on 5th Street.

The Transitional Housing Program will continue to support two housing units. This funding is typically utilized to support the cost of rent and utilities.

The Transit Pass Program provides individuals or families with a one-year unlimited pass for DART. Qualified applicants can use the system throughout the entire metro area for access to employment, shopping and medical facilities. For FY 2005/2006, 130 passes were provided.

Acquisition of Historic City Hall is an exciting project for the City and will take place over two years, making this significant building the property of the City once again. At the May 21 City Council Meeting, the Council approved the Installment Contract for purchase of this building, which is located at 137 Fifth Street. Additional remodeling and rehabilitation will be necessary to create a useful space--many options for public use have been discussed, including a museum, City photo gallery, and small business center. I will write more about the plans for this building as they are finalized.

Aquatic Center Attendance

2007-09-14T10:35:00.000-05:00

Parks and Recreation had a record breaking year in 2007 with aquatic center attendance. We reached over 100,000 visitors at Valley View. The warm weather kept the lifeguards busy and the swimmers happy--only once did we close due to weather, which is unusual. That adds up to a lot of hours of operation.

I have heard from a few citizens concerned that the pools were not open longer this year. Typically, we keep one pool out of the three (between Clive and West Des Moines) open through Labor Day. That condition is part of our 28E Agreement (intergovernmental agreement) with Clive. This responsibility alternates between the two cities yearly. This year, the Clive staff (with assistance from WDM Parks and Rec) worked to keep their facility open, but were not able to find adequate staffing to continue to operate safely. For reference, to leave the Holiday aquatic center fully operational, 20 staff are required. The pool can open with only some areas accessible with 13-14 staff.

Parks and Recreation is planning to meet with area municipal and private outdoor pool management to try and identify a strategy to address this challenge. This has become a metro wide issue with schools and school activities starting earlier each summer, and fewer students available to help lifeguard and staff the pools late in the season. This is a priority for us next summer.

Public Safety News

2007-09-05T16:02:00.000-05:00

We have some excellent public safety initiatives coming through in September. I'll discuss a couple here.

The Police Department just launched an online report system. This system is not to be used in case of emergency, but is available to victims of some nonviolent crimes that occur within the city limits including theft, criminal mischief, lost property, harassment. The link is on our website at http://www.wdm-ia.com/ or here.

The Fire Department has designated the five Fire/EMS facilities in West Des Moines as Safe Places. This partnership with the Youth Emergency Services and Shelter (YESS) of Des Moines will allow youth experiencing a crisis of some sort access to the Fire/EMS stations around the clock. Staff at the facilities then contact a YESS Intervention Counselor to pick up the youth for professional care and follow-up. The stations that are now Safe Places (look for the big yellow signs) are:

Station #17 - 1401 Railroad

Station #18 - 5025 Grand Avenue

Station #19 - 8055 Mills Civic Parkway

Station #21 - 3421 Ashworth Road

Station #22 - 68th Street.

WDM Magazine Issue 13

2007-08-31T13:05:00.000-05:00

The newest issue of the WDM Magazine should have hit your mailboxes last week. If you're not a resident of West Des Moines, you can access it on our website, or by clicking here. In addition to the usual programming information for Parks and Recreation, the Library, and Human Services, you will find a comprehensive discussion of the various Boards and Commissions in our community. Members of these boards, from Plan and Zoning to Human Rights, take their responsibilities seriously in an effort to better our community. These appointed positions can be held by any citizen, and applications are available at City Hall. Reading this article, viewing our website, and even attending board meetings are great way to get to know the issues of the City and meet some of the involved citizens.

Practical information regarding the sign code, solid waste cart replacement, and yard waste disposal tips are included along with other city news.

The magazine also introduces our newest neighborhood park in West Des Moines. Quail Cove Park on 52nd Street opened this summer and covers nearly 10 hilly acres. It features two playgrounds and three picnic shelters, and we plan to develop a basketball court in the future. Visit Quail Cove park if you're in the neighborhood and see what it has to offer--it is a neat and scenic spot.

Armed with the right supplies...

2007-08-29T17:14:00.000-05:00

School in West Des Moines is in full swing, and more children are equipped with the proper supplies this year thanks to the hard work of our Human Services department.

After collecting cash donations, as well as every school supply you can think of (from backpacks to calculators, rulers, erasers, folders, Kleenex, and pencil boxes) Human Services set up a School Supply drive the week of August 13. Families came to Human Services and children were given supplies based on their grade level and school requirements. It was truly exciting for volunteers to hand a bag full of necessary supplies to kids who were about to go back to school.

This year, 351 low-income children received donated supplies from Human Services, thanks to their work and the generous donations of stores, individuals, and businesses. Monetary donations of $2,380.00 and supply donations of $5,750.92 made this possible. Thanks to those who contribute!!

United Way and the City of West Des Moines

2007-08-14T15:32:00.000-05:00

The City is currently in the middle of its combined charities campaign for the United Way and Iowa Shares. This year, West Des Moines was selected as a United Way Pacesetter, which means we are conducting our campaign along with seven other agencies before the start of the mass United Way campaign that takes place each fall. Our goal as a Pacesetter is to raise 15% more than last year and to set an example as an organization that cares.

The City's role in the campaign is largely to help inform our employees about United Way and the services it provides to the greater metro community. We invite agency speakers to discuss their programs and give employees the option of automatic payroll deduction for donations. This year, our goal is to raise $10,000 through our generous employees. As it stands less than two weeks into our campaign, we have raised over $8700. I think we are well on our way to meeting our goal.

The City has close ties to two United Way funded agencies...our own Human Services Department, and the Police Department's Youth Justice Initiative. Because, among other qualities, they measure and track their work and results, both receive support from the United Way. To me, this is an important consideration when deciding where to give. I'm thankful for all the partner agencies that work to improve the lives of individuals, especially youth, in our community. I also appreciate the fact that 89 cents of every dollar given to the United Way stays in our community and actually goes to the supported programs. The United Way's ability to coordinate local agencies in an effort to achieve systemic results is well worth this small administrative cost.

Drug Tip Hot Line

2007-08-02T14:53:00.000-05:00

Did you know the West Des Moines Police Department has created a Drug Tip Hot Line?

This 24 hour tip line enables citizens to provide narcotics investigators with information relating to illicit drug use and distribution.

When a citizen calls the Drug Tip Hot Line at 222-3517, he or she will hear a taped message. Citizens can explain the activity in detail without worry that the message will be cut off. All information is kept strictly confidential and it is not necessary to leave a name or any contact information unless you so choose or want a narcotics officer to return your call.

Narcotics officers will then cross-reference this information with past reports to identify any links or ties. The Police Department emphasizes that all information is useful because it may help to provide a missing piece to an existing puzzle.

If you witness a drug crime taking place and have access to a phone, you should still dial 9-1-1 and call a patrol unit to the scene.

The PD's tips for the drug hot line:
1. Speak clearly and don't rush. Take your time leaving your message.
2. Be as specific as possible in providing the following information:

Location of the incident: street address of building or house, names of nearest
intersecting streets, landmarks near or at the scene
Description of persons involved, such as height, sex, age, weight, clothing, hair
color, eye color, skin color, and any distinguishing marks
Description of vehicles involved, such as make, model, color, and license plate

For more information on this or other Police Department initiatives, contact the Police Department at 222-3320. More details on the tipline is also available at www.wdm-ia.com under the Police Department's FAQs.

Emergency Shelter Grant

2007-07-19T17:04:00.001-05:00

The State of Iowa's Department of Economic Development recently awarded West Des Moines Human Services a Homeless Assistance Emergency Shelter Grant for $23,500. Our Human Services department addresses the emergency needs of individuals or families at or near homelessness, including utility needs. During the 2005-2006 Fiscal Year, Human Services provided 483 local households with homeless prevention assistance worth nearly $45,000. That was an 18% increase from the previous year. This grant will help respond to critical needs in homelessness prevention. In addition to monetary assistance, Human Services provides guidance and planning to help families build strong foundations and encourage housing stability.

In the next WDM Magazine coming out August 20, West Des Moines Human Services provides success stories of their Transitional Housing Program, another important step in homelessness assistance. They also provide tips for strengthening the family unit, something we can all benefit from. Please watch for it and read it.

WDM Commercial Links

2007-07-17T15:45:00.001-05:00

In response to Janet's comment on my last blog, I've made the commercial available on You Tube.

"The Course of Life"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKo9x2PNc-Q

"Unexpected"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9poyTW7UZBs

City of WDM Commercials

2007-07-13T11:27:00.000-05:00

If you watch the rebroadcast of the Hy-Vee Triathlon on NBC this weekend from 1-2pm, you'll see two commercials promoting the City of West Des Moines! We are excited because these spots (although only thirty seconds) really demonstrate what West Des Moines has to offer and why it is such a great place to live. It's hard to communicate a lot in that short time period, but we've done our best.

Hy-Vee donated these commercial spots to us because West Des Moines hosted part of the triathlon, and we thank them for the opportunity to present our city to a national audience.

These commercials will also air on Channel 7 after this weekend.

Code Enforcement and the Balanced Scorecard

2007-07-03T16:07:00.000-05:00

In an earlier post, I described the City's Balanced Scorecard. I'd like to focus on a particular measure to give you a little more detail how it works.

In our "Provide A Well-Maintained Community" strategy, we measure the number of code enforcement complaints received from citizens. For this measure, we record the number of citizen complaints concerning stored abandoned/junk vehicles, junk objects, debris open to view in yards and private driveways, and weeds/brush that do not meet code. These complaints are tracked with the hope of reducing them through public education efforts and agressive enforcement of City ordinances in an efficient and timely manner. Each month, our Code Enforcement Officer puts together a report including all violations he has tagged and residents have pointed out to us through phone calls, our Online Service Desk, or emails.

You can see that for the past two years, reports have shot up in May. Of the 49 complaints received in May 2007 (compared to just 9 in April 07) 33 related to weeds and brush. Although three of those complaints did not turn out to be an actual violation, the rest were handled either on the phone, in-person, by door hanger, or by a mail notice. It's not uncommon for complaints to rise as lawns and rural areas start growing that time of year.

This is just a portion of our code enforcement report. There were an additional 40 violations identifed by code enforcement officers and police referrals that month. Some involved zoning and junk vehicles or debris, but most targeted weeds and brush. Our target for this measure is around 10 vehicles a month (based on a 1993 baseline of 133 complaints a year--and that was just for junked/abandoned vehicles). The number of junk related complaints has decreased significantly since that focus on enforcement began, and we've begun to measure these other violations as a result. I believe this is why our Citizen Survey results for 2006 showed dramatic improvements in satisfaction with Code Enforcement. Residents reported 81% satisfaction levels with the enforcement of maintenance of residential properties compared to 69% in 2002.

This is a good example of process integration in our City. The Balanced Scorecard is a tool we use internally to measure our performance, and by tracking that we can determine focal points and areas for improvement. Our Citizen Survey, conducted every two years, then gives us a handle on the external resident perspective for those same services, letting us know if we are on the right track or need to regroup.