Muscatine

Fiscal Year 2016-2017 Budget Process

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

2015 City of Muscatine Logo

The City of Muscatine must adopt an annual budget by March 15th of each year.  That process starts in November when departments receive budget materials and instructions.

Throughout the budget process there are numerous opportunities to participate and engage with your City staff and Council members.  Below you will find the schedule for this year’s budget process.

Please stayed tuned for periodic updates on the process, issues and challenges we face in putting together a budget for a full service city…a budget that meets our community needs, but that is responsible at the same time.

As always, our ideas and constructive input are most welcome!  Please feel free to respond here on Wordress, the City’s Facebook page, other social media outlets or by email.  Here is my email address:  cityadministrator@muscatineiowa.gov.

BUDGET CALENDAR:

Budget Schedule 2016-2017

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!

City of Muscatine

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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What’s Goes On in Public Works?

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

City of Muscatine

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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Save the Date: September 1 to be Mississippi Drive Corridor Project Kick-off

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

City of Muscatine

Save September 1 and plan to attend a kick-off event for the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project. The event will be held at the Muscatine Riverfront, with specific location and time information to be released soon.

What is the Mississippi Drive Corridor Project?

It is a proposal for reconstructing the 1.6 miles of U.S. 61-Business (pavement and curb/gutter). It also includes street lighting, landscaping, gateway features, pedestrian crossings, sidewalk improvements, traffic signals, geometric improvements, storm drainage improvements, and road embankment work intended to improve flood protection. The work will focus on four distinct areas adjoining Muscatine’s Central Business District.  The improvement segments include the HNI Campus Area, Downtown Area, High Sidewalk (Bluff) Area and the Carver Corner Area.

The City of Muscatine plans for this project to meet the objectives of Muscatine’s complete street policy by improving both Muscatine’s quality of life and image. This project will provide a safe and attractive environment for street users of…

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Update on Opening of the Muscatine Center

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

City of Muscatine

Last week, I wrote about Mayor Hopkins and his trip to China to take part in the opening ceremony of the Muscatine Center in the city of Jinan. In addition to Mayor and Jill Hopkins, five Muscatine area high school students and one teacher chaperone had the opportunity to attend the opening ceremony on July 17.

Students Katy Axel, Marci Clark, Grant Nollette, Zoey Petersen, and Alexa Santaniello and chaperone Angie Curtis are in China to attend Shanghai Camp, which is sponsored by the Shanghai People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries. The purpose of the summer camp is to bring international students to China to learn about China’s culture and to build relationships with students from other cultures. The five students from Muscatine will be the only students representing the United States at this year’s Shanghai Camp.

The photos of the Muscatine Center’s opening were provided by Marci Clark, who has…

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The Imagining Livability Design Collection by Walkable and Livable Communities Institute

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

As the City of Muscatine begins the process of reconstructing and reimagining what the Mississippi Drive Corridor could be, here is a new tool provided by the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute and AARP:

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Here is a brief explanation of this new resource provided by the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute:

“What can livability look like in a rural context? How about a suburban one? And what can be done to make existing urban conditions more walkable and bikeable?

If you believe a picture can speak a thousand words, or you know people who are visual learners, then you will enjoy and want to share the latest free, educational resource created by the WALC Institute and AARP: The Imagining Livability Design Collection, a visual portfolio of tools and transformations.”

More information can be found at the following website:  http://www.walklive.org

So, click on the above photo and check out this great new resource!

Muscatine Fire Department Spends Summer Focusing on Training

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

Check out the latest City of Muscatine blog post!

City of Muscatine

Fire Department 1 Fire Fighters Cory Schaeckenbach and Colin Suiter demonstrate control of fire hose

Last Friday morning, after starting off by touring the Police Department, I moved on to learning about the Muscatine Fire Department. Fire Chief Jerry Ewers welcomed me by first providing a brief overview of the Department’s role in our community. We discussed some of the ways the Fire Department both informs and educates residents of Muscatine. He explained that not only do they share news about an event or holiday, but they try to turn everything into a teachable moment.

From fighting fires, to educating citizens on fire safety, to providing EMS services to Muscatine and some surrounding areas, the Muscatine Fire Department keeps a full schedule. Something people in Muscatine might not know is that the fire fighters work 24 hour shifts, 365 days a year. They work holidays. They have three shift groups with a scheduled rotation, so there…

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Muscatine Police Department Seeks to Build Relationships With Community

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

City of Muscatine

Muscatine Police Department Officer Donyell Raisbeck has seen the benefit of relationship building as it pertains to her work on the police force

Hello, Muscatine!

As I said in the introduction post, I am spending time touring departments of the City to get a better feel for how business is done. My goal is to relay that information back to you. I want you to hear about the positive things happening in our great city and be informed about initiatives that affect you. I suppose you could say that my role serves as a bridge to connect the City to the people of the City, ensuring mutual understanding and discourse.

Last Friday morning started off with a trip to the Muscatine Public Safety Building to tour the Police Department. Police Chief Brett Talkington showed me the facility and explained more about the role of police officers in our community.

Right now, the Muscatine Police Department…

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Mayor Hopkins to Visit China for Opening of Muscatine Center

Posted on by Gregg Mandsager

City of Muscatine

Muscatine Center 3 Glad Cheng and Daniel Wang of China Window Group LLC plan for the Muscatine Center

On Saturday, Mayor DeWayne Hopkins and his wife, Jill, will travel to China for 10 days to attend the opening of a Muscatine Center. Their trip will serve to strengthen the relationship between Muscatine and China. Glad Cheng and Daniel Wang of China Window Group LLC are opening a Muscatine Center in Jinan, China to encourage Chinese tourism to Muscatine.

When then Vice President (now President) Xi Jin Ping visited Muscatine for his second time in 2012, people in China had Muscatine fresh on their minds. Awareness increased as stories of Xi Jin Ping’s visit sparked interest among the Chinese. Since then, awareness has decreased and Glad and Daniel want to change that.

Glad and Daniel hope to build two or three more Muscatine Centers within China to further their endeavor.

Mayor Hopkins said the Muscatine Center will feature displays…

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