The Muscatine City Council will hear three presentations from staff Thursday (July 14) during the Council’s In-Depth session in the Council Chambers at Muscatine City Hall, 215 Sycamore Street, Muscatine, Iowa.
A virtual meeting will be held in conjunction with the in-person meeting for those who want to view the proceedings or make a comment but do not feel comfortable in attending in person. Details for joining that meeting are listed below.
Capital Improvement Plan 2022-2026 Draft
Muscatine City Planner April Limburg will provide the Council with an overview of the working draft for the 2022-2026 City of Muscatine Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) that has been developed over the last two months by City staff. The CIP is the planning, coordination, and scheduling of public physical improvements for a community over a period of years. A five-year CIP is required of Iowa cities by state law.
Projects in the plan were submitted by the various City departments and include any major non-recurring expenditure, or any expenditure for physical facilities in excess of $25,000. All submitted projects are included in the initial draft with a scoring mechanism used to assist in prioritizing each proposal.
Among the notable new projects in the draft CIP are the Fulliam Corridor Replacement, Isett Avenue Corridor Replacement, Houser Street Corridor Replacement, Papoose Station Generator and Public Restrooms, and a Synthetic Field with an Inflatable Dome.
The Council will review the CIP, add or remove projects from the five-year plan, and then approve the CIP to be used as a legislative and management tool to facilitate the scheduling, planning, and execution of a series of public improvement projects. Click on the following link to download a PDF version of the Draft CIP 2022-2026.
Snow Emergency Ordinance
Public Works Director Brian Stineman will then present on the proposed changes to the current Snow Emergency Ordinance in City Code. The goal of the changes is to provide of more easily understood policy for citizens and staff.
The current ordinance, implemented in 2013, is the alternate side of street parking policy that, when implemented, requires vehicles to be parked on the even or odd side of the street depending on the calendar date. Through feedback from staff and citizens, the City has determined that the ordinance, as written, is difficult to understand, difficult to comply with, and difficult to enforce.
City staff is proposing amending the current Snow Emergency Ordinance, returning to the snow emergency routes identified in the Public Works Snow Removal Plan, and purchasing and placing Snow Emergency Route signs. At such time as a snow emergency is declared, vehicles will need to be removed from the posted routes.
Grandview Neighborhood Grant Program
The final presentation will be provided by Community Development Director Jodi Royal-Goodwin on the proposed Grandview Neighborhood Grant Program that will be offered in two tiers. The first tier will focus on promoting positive neighborhood activities and funding small scale neighborhood projects through mini-grants of up to $1,000. The second tier will fund larger scale neighborhood improvements by providing financial assistance through grants of up to $10,000. The proposed grants will be funded with American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) dollars allocated to neighborhood revitalization.
The program is a part of the Grandview Corridor Revitalization Project that was launched in March 2021 with the goal of improving neighborhoods and enhancing Muscatine’s southern gateway. Five pillars were identified as part of the project including Economic Development, Business Support, Recreational Amenities, and Residential Support. Using Muscatine’s Heart and Soul engagement model and results from the 2022 Muscatine Community Survey, three key themes were developed and used to create the grant program. Those themes include grant program categories, varied grant amounts, and common eligibility requirements.
Information on the presentations and other agenda items can be found by clicking AGENDA to download a PDF version of the City Council agenda and/or attachments.
Thursday’s City Council meeting is open to the public. Citizens who do not want to attend the in-person meeting can watch and/or participate through the GoToMeeting virtual meeting portal. Information on joining the session and how to make a comment during the meeting is listed below. The session will also be broadcast live on the City of Muscatine YouTube channel and on Muscatine Power & Water Cable Channel 2.
On-Line Participation
To view or participate virtually, click on the link below or call in to the GoToMeeting. Be sure to mute your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone (press *6 when using phone or mute button on computer). At the appropriate time, you will be able to unmute your device to ask a question or make a comment. The public can also use the “chat” feature on GoToMeeting to pose a question to the Mayor, Council, or staff member. Those wishing to speak should use the chat box to post a message that will be seen by the Mayor who will address the questions or call on the speaker in turn. Those using their phones must wait until the Mayor asks for additional comments. The mayor will recognize you prior to you addressing the Council.
Muscatine City Council Meeting | Thursday, July 14, 2022 | 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM (CDT)
Join the meeting from your computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone by clicking the following link: https://www.gotomeet.me/CityofMuscatine/city-council-meeting
You can also use your phone by dialing +1 (669) 224-3412, follow the prompts, and type in Access Code 970-499-597 when prompted.
The link, phone number, and access code are the same for both meetings. You can remain logged on between meetings or exit and re-enter at the appropriate time.
New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/970499597
Original source can be found here.
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