Author: Gregg Mandsager

2nd Mississippi Drive Engagement Event Was a Success!

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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Thanks to the over 175 participants in our 2nd Mississippi Drive Corridor Event! Your time and participation is much appreciated and will make for a better project. Stay tuned for more!

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Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2nd public engagement event for the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project! We were pleased with the attendance and high level of participation by community members. The event was held on Tuesday, Nov. 10 at the Riverview Center. There were about 175 people who came to hear about potential design plans and provide feedback in a public opinion poll.

If you were unable to attend and would like to take a look at initial design concepts and submit feedback, you may do so at our engineering firm Bolton & Menk’s website: http://bolton-menk.com/mississippidrive.

The Mississippi Drive Corridor Project is exciting for Muscatine! Not only will the road be redone, but Muscatine will be better connected as a result of this project. Mississippi Drive is the key connector of downtown and the riverfront. As our community comes together to create a shared vision for the future of Mississippi Drive…

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Muscatine Parks and Recreation’s Role in the Community

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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City Week Iowa

It’s City Week here in Muscatine! That means we’ve been providing information about city government and encouraging engagement as we seek to include the community in decision making. City Week is sponsored by the Iowa League of Cities, with the purpose of showcasing and celebrating cities and the many services they provide.

Each department within the City of Muscatine plays an important role in enhancing quality of life for Muscatine’s residents. Today, I am going to share about the Parks and Recreation Department.

When I began working for the City of Muscatine, I spent time meeting with department heads and touring the facilities of their departments. One of the most enjoyable departments tours was with the Parks and Recreation Department. I liked visiting Parks and Rec because I already had some background knowledge about their offerings. Much like most people who grow up in Muscatine, I had childhood experiences of frequenting Weed Park…

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Water Pollution Control Plant Celebrates 50 Years

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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WPCP1On Thursday, Aug. 13 , the City of Muscatine Water Pollution Control Plant (WPCP) held a 50 Year Celebration Open House with tours of the plant and laboratory. It was my second time touring the plant and hearing about the process used to remove harmful organisms and other contaminates from wastewater so it may be safely sent to the Mississippi River.

While on each tour, I could not help but realize how little I think about the water I use. As long as it turns on at the sink or in the shower, I assume things are good to go. I think it is safe to say that a majority of the U.S. population is with me. We don’t often think of the “after” when we flush the toilet or run dishwater down the drain. In touring the plant, I got more than a “whiff” of the “after.” Considering the magnitude of waste…

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Vote for Muscatine to Receive $15,000 to Further Small Business Development

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

The City of Muscatine is in the running to receive an award of $15,000 to further the efforts of small business development in the community, and we need your help! We have partnered with CBI Bank & Trust, Community Bank and First National Bank of Muscatine to apply and become a finalist for the Strong Communities […]

https://muscatineiowa.wordpress.com/2015/10/06/vote-for-muscatine-to-receive-15000-to-further-small-business-development/

Mayor and Jill Hopkins’ Trip to China for the Opening of the Muscatine Center was a Success

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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Muscatine China Relationship Mayor and Jill Hopkins and Albert Liu are guided into the Muscatine Center at the Opening Ceremony

Last month, Mayor DeWayne Hopkins and his wife Jill spent ten days in China to attend the opening of the Muscatine Center and renew old friendships. This was Hopkins’ second trip to China as a representative of Muscatine. The first trip to China in November 2012 served to set the stage for the sister city relationship between Muscatine and Zhengding County.

Hopkins described landing in China on this trip as different than his first. In 2012, he and the group from Muscatine landed in Beijing as a light snow dusted the ground. This time, they flew into Shanghai where they were forced to embrace the summer heat.

The first night in Shanghai consisted of dinner at a restaurant in the Bund area with a view across the Yangtze River. After dinner, Mayor and…

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The SAFER Grant and How it Could Lead to the Hire of More Firefighters

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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Fire Department 6Here is Part 2 in a 4 Part Series on the Muscatine Fire Department.

Last week, I wrote about Fire Department staffing and explained that there are times where the Fire Department goes below the required nine personnel on duty. While this can be for a variety of reasons, it is crucial that there be adequate coverage and protection for the people in Muscatine should major structure fires arise. While meeting with Chief Ewers, he expressed faith in Muscatine’s highly trained and dedicated firefighters who are capable of tackling any type of emergency that may arise.

The City of Muscatine and the Fire Department recognize the need for increased staffing and are working to address it. One of the ways we may be able to increase staffing is through being awarded the US Department of Homeland Security’s Staffing For Adequate Fire And Emergency Response (SAFER) Grant.

Fire Department 5The Muscatine Fire Department has applied for this…

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How is the Muscatine Fire Department Staffed?

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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Muscatine Fire DepartmentA few weeks ago, I had a nice time touring the Muscatine Fire Department and learning more about how the department works. Now, I’m going to give you a more in-depth look at how the Fire Department organizes itself in order to protect and care for Muscatine’s citizens. Today, I will tell you about staffing and the procedures in place to assure that Fire and EMS services are carried out safely and effectively.

The Fire Department is a 37 uniformed member department. This includes a Fire Chief and an Assistant Chief who each work a 40 hour per week schedule and 35 members who each work a 56 hour work week on 24 hour shifts.

There are three different shift rotations that 35 members of the Fire Department work within – Blue, Green and Red shifts. Two shifts have 12 personnel and one shift has 11. I’m going to break down the…

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Students from Ichikawamisato, Japan Visit City Hall

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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On Thursday, July 30, Mayor Hopkins had the pleasure of giving a tour of City Hall to a group of students and their chaperones from Ichikawa Junior High School in Ichikawamisato, Japan. Ichikawamisato is one of Muscatine’s seven current Sister Cities. Muscatine and Ichikawamisato’s official sister city relationship goes back to 1990, meaning that this year is the 25th anniversary.

Muscatine Ichikawamisato

Mayor Hopkins began the tour by telling the students a little bit about what he does as mayor. He showed them his office and then guided them to meet with Finance Director Nancy Lueck and Community Development Director David Gobin. Both Nancy and David gave our guests an overview of their departments and discussed what they do for Muscatine.

Muscatine Ichikawamisato

Muscatine Ichikawamisato

The students had the opportunity to introduce themselves and ask questions. They were eager to learn more about Muscatine.

Muscatine Ichikawamisato

Principal Wataru Watai from Ichikawa Junior High School presented Mayor Hopkins with a poster highlighting the…

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What’s Goes On in Public Works?

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

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Hello there!

It’s Emily Lofgren here with the City of Muscatine. I’m glad you’re taking the time to read more about the Public Works Department.

As I’ve toured the various departments within the City, I have enjoyed learning how each department plays a significant role in making things run smoothly in the community. The Public Works Department is the largest department with 70 employees split into 10 divisions and a $12 Million operational budget. It was one of the first departments I began to learn more about.

Muscatine Public Works Sam Ravenscraft is a Vehicle Mechanic in the Vehicle Maintenance Division of Public Works. He spends his time making sure the vehicles in the department run smoothly.

Some of the Public Works divisions and functions include:

  • Building and Grounds – Maintaining the many public buildings and grounds visited daily by Muscatine residents and the business community
  • Engineering – Managing and designing projects and participating in…

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Mississippi Drive Corridor Vision and Project Kick-off Event

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

As we prepare for the September 1, 2015,  Kick-off of the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project, I wanted to pass on an educational piece that highlight’s the vision for transforming Mississippi Drive. This piece was put together after 30 city staff, business and property owners, health practitioners, regional planners and resident leaders came together under the direction of Dan Burden, national walkability expert, to begin to re-envision Mississippi Drive.

We identified what Muscatine currently lacks in the Mississippi Drive Corridor and found ways to potentially address those needs with changes to the built environment. Right now, we have an incredible opportunity to connect our downtown to the riverfront with this project. We can transform this corridor into a key focal piece for our community. Transforming Mississippi Drive will serve as a catalyst for economic development, community health, well-being and overall livability.

Please take a look at the Mississippi Drive vision piece and plan to attend the kick-off on Sept. 1. More details about the kick-off event will be released soon.

Click here for more info on the Kick-off Event!

Mississippi Drive Today

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Mississippi Drive Tomorrow?

BZ_MuscatineIA_After

Check out the following links!

Re-envisioning Mississippi Drive

Mississippi Drive Corridor Project Resource Page