City Council Retreats In Positive Direction
There were no microphones or any one person voicing distain over this proposal or that ordinance. In other words, Marshalltown’s City Council meeting on February 7th wasn’t your average, public get-together.
Also known as the City Council Retreat, the day long, seminar-style event at the Regency Inn was a gathering of personnel to review the city’s accomplishments, ongoing priorities/concerns, and future initiatives for the betterment of Marshall County.
University of Iowa Program Director Jeff Schott acted as guest speaker with the intent of assisting the Council in updating goals for the upcoming period.
Discussions began with Schott listing a foundation of what was considered positive influxes over the past 12 to 24 months-a total of 35 to be precise.
Several of those included the new library construction, listening to Hispanic community concerns, Center Street’s viaduct/sidewalk reconstruction, completion of the local bus system study, the downtown revitalization plan, improved Council/staff/community relations, various roadway renovations, Fisher and Emerson enhancements, and Alliant’s proposed coal plant.
“As I look, I feel that this is a very impressive list,” Schott commended. “You should all be very proud. Some cities don’t accomplish this much in 10 years.”
The mood then became focused when the list of concerns accumulated with items such as the local poverty level, police recruitment, immigration issues, major employers leaving the area, parking problems, use of the local transit systems, and one item in particular, which has the potential of being an issue as soon as the snow dissipates and the temperature rises.
Amanda Zubrod moved to Marshalltown last year and said she enjoys the area thus far. When asked if there was one thing she would like to see improved within the city, she thought for a moment and said, “I don’t remember the roads being in this shape when I first moved here.”
It’s no secret that an Iowa winter can be detrimental to the county’s roadways, and the Council listed insufficient dollars for street repair and maintenance as a concern, but one that will be dealt with accordingly because they, too drive on the same roads. As Schott expressed it, “Issues don’t happen overnight, and they certainly don’t get fixed overnight either.”
The initiative/goal summation included the sanitary sewer overflow, revitalizing the city transit system, finalizing animal control issues, adopting a city inspection of subdivision improvements, and continuing the lead abatement program.
After focusing on the positive, the not so positive, and the chocolate chip cookies on the refreshment table, Council members, along with Mayor Gene Beach, agreed that the excursion was a positive and informative outlook in the right direction for the community.
City Administrator Dick Hierstein, who was also present, is already looking ahead. “We’ll be developing a plan of action to address those issues, and respond to the ongoing ones we know about.”
“What makes our system of government work is the willingness of those who join with the public, and strive to make the accomplishment,” Schott said, concluding the day on an upbeat stance for the Council and the city’s future. “If you think you’ve done a lot in the last two years, just think of what can be accomplished in the next two.”
Marshall County Sun© Copyright 2008
