Thanks to RAGBRAI and to each and every volunteer that helped to make RAGBRAI’s visit to Muscatine such huge success!
Having RAGBRAI end in Muscatine this year was absolutely incredible! We’re so proud of every rider for their tremendous achievement and we were honored to be a part of your moment of triumph! Also, our sincere thanks to RAGBRAI Muscatine for all the hard work volunteers did to make this possible! Click the photos below […]
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:
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!
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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Here 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.
The Muscatine Fire Department has applied for this…
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A 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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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.
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.
The students had the opportunity to introduce themselves and ask questions. They were eager to learn more about Muscatine.
Principal Wataru Watai from Ichikawa Junior High School presented Mayor Hopkins with a poster highlighting the…
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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.
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:
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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
Mississippi Drive Tomorrow?
Check out the following links!
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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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:
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!
Gregg Mandsager 