West Des Moines City Manager Blog

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2010-04-28T13:41:00.001-05:00

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Best Practices in Emergency Services

2010-04-23T11:40:00.002-05:00

The Iowa EMS Alliance, our City's partnership with Iowa Health Des Moines to provide ambulance service, was featured in the March 2010 issue of Best Practices in Emergency Services. The article highlights the financial savings and improved service levels that the arrangement has created. Read the article.

TIF Districts in Iowa

2010-04-02T14:17:00.003-05:00

The 21st edition of our WDM Magazine hit households in West Des Moines yesterday. For my column in this issue, I felt it was timely to address the concept of Tax Increment Financing districts, which are frequently misunderstood. I'd like to reiterate that information here.

Tax Increment Financing, also known as TIF, is one of the least understood economic development tools available to Iowa cities. TIF is used to encourage businesses to locate or expand their operations in our city by directing the tax revenues generated within the TIF district to investments in the district. The ability to create TIF districts is a real asset for the City of West Des Moines, and therefore merits further explanation.

Before creating a TIF district, an urban renewal plan outlining the geographic boundaries of the area slated for development (or redevelopment) is reviewed by the Plan and Zoning Commission and adopted by the City Council. A public hearing is held prior to adoption of the ordinance.

There are several common misconceptions about TIF districts. Here are some realities that clarify why TIF works to benefit an area and the city as a whole.

First, property in TIF districts is taxed. TIF is not a tax abatement. In TIF districts, the taxes generated over and above the base value of the property are retained by the government (in this case, the city, though TIF can be used by counties and community colleges) for use within the district. Only taxes generated on the improved value of the property, known as the increment, are retained for investment in the district.

TIF districts are commonly used for public improvements within the identified district. They can also be rebated back to the developer in exchange for their private investment in new buildings and/or jobs.

Without TIF, we would be at a real disadvantage in competing with other states for significant projects. There are 44 other states that also use TIF to attract economic development.

The use of TIF does not hurt county and school revenues. Counties and schools continue to receive tax revenues calculated on the base value of the TIF property – basically, the same amount of tax revenues they received prior to establishment of the TIF district. When the district expires, counties and schools benefit from the improved value of the property. During the TIF lifespan, schools are reimbursed by the state for lost capacity to levy school taxes for operation. However, public schools and counties benefit immediately from TIF districts with the ability to collect taxes for debt incurred on capital expenditures against all growth in valuations.

Since they are designated for a specific purpose, TIF districts have a 20-year lifespan, but most are retired early. In West Des Moines, we typically retire TIFs in 10-12 years.

We have had success with TIF districts in all areas of our town, not just in our current growth areas to the west and south. For example, our Westown IV TIF, located East of I-35 between I-235 and University Avenue, was created in 1998. That TIF was retired in 2006, at which point there was $140 million in new taxable valuation in the district and over $10,000,000 had been constructed in new infrastructure, such as streets and sewers. This infrastructure was financed entirely by TIF funds, and the area’s debt was paid off in just eight years. Today, there is over $180 million in new taxable valuation in this area, generating over $5.5 million in annual tax revenue for the city, schools, and county.

The City has also used TIF in the Valley Junction/Railroad Avenue area. This TIF initially served to reconstruct Railroad Avenue, make improvements to the Fairmeadows Creek drainage basin, construct Lincoln Street, and purchase residential properties no longer in conformance with current land uses. It has also been used to landscape Railroad Avenue, reconstruct Grand Avenue from E.P True to the Raccoon River Park entrance, and make streetscape improvements in the Valley Junction Business District.

The Valley Junction TIF district was created in 1995 with the expectation that it would require a longer lifespan that our typical TIF district in West Des Moines to accomplish more initiatives. This TIF will be retired in June of this year having accumulated an incremental value of $101,096,220. This valuation will now be available to all taxing authorities for their operating budgets. Our work in this area continues, however, and a smaller TIF district has been created to address specific initiatives like shared sprinkler systems in the commercial blocks, economic development south of the railroad tracks, and further enhancements to the streetscape.

The bottom line: without TIF, we would have fewer new businesses, slower expansion, a smaller tax base, and lower retention rates of businesses in Iowa, resulting in fewer jobs. In West Des Moines, TIF has been used appropriately to the benefit of the entire community, and has been instrumental in getting the right public improvements in place to make exceptional things happen.

Gaga for Google

2010-03-12T13:17:00.005-06:00

West Des Moines is part of a nationwide competition to win a Google pilot Internet project. As part of their Fiber for Communities program, Google has expressed a desire to install new Internet connections with data transfer rates faster than 1 Gigabit per second (extremely fast) in the selected communities. In West Des Moines, we hope that our existing infrastructure, commitment to helping the project work, and highly engaged citizens who would truly be able to utilize this faster network will help us stand out. We are focusing our campaign on you. If you want to help West Des Moines catch Google's attention, check out our website news item on the subject for ways to get involved.

Library Survey

2010-02-24T16:12:00.001-06:00

The West Des Moines Public Library is currently mailing a survey to 1,000 homes in West Des Moines and the surrounding area. This survey is part of the library's strategic planning effort being conducted by the nationally known library consulting firm Himmel and Wilson. The households receiving this survey were selected randomly. Citizens are encouraged to complete it and return it so the library will have a better understanding of the community's needs. The library will also conduct a web survey during March that will be available from a link on their website and will be distributed electronically.

New Beginnings

2010-02-22T15:29:00.002-06:00

The City feels that the future growth and development of West Des Moines is dependent on creating an environment where small businesses can thrive. The City of West Des Moines and Mid Iowa Small Business Development Center along with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development are pleased to sponsor entrepreneur classes for current business owners or those considering an entrepreneurial endeavor in West Des Moines. Twelve scholarships are available for the program, called "New Beginnings" – and there is an application on our website.

Comprehensive Plan Update

2010-02-01T10:40:00.002-06:00

The draft Comprehensive Plan, which the Plan & Zoning Commission recommended for approval on September 30, 2009, will be taken to City Council beginning with a public hearing on February 8, 2010. The City Council is scheduled to use six public hearings to complete its review and final adoption of the City's new Comprehensive Plan. The Comprehensive Plan will take effect immediately after the City Council's adoption. Information on the update process, as well as the draft plan itself, is available on the City's website.

If you are not involved in development, you may be asking "what exactly is a comprehensive plan?" The Comprehensive Plan is a statement of the City's policies and intent toward development of the City. Once adopted, it services as a guide for decision-makers regarding future development and redevelopment. It is meant to be a flexible document in that it responds to the changing needs of the City, including changes in development patterns and adjustments necessary to maintain or improve the quality of life to which our citizens are accustomed.

It is truly a tool for long-range planning - our current plan was adopted in 1993, and because we have followed its intent but made the right changes along the way it has served us well. Updating this plan is a complicated process because we must balance the benefits of potential development with the costs and impacts on the character of the community. To us, this is a welcome challenge, and one we feel well-equipped to handle in West Des Moines.

NLC Prescription Drug Discount Program

2010-01-21T09:19:00.002-06:00

The City of West Des Moines is taking advantage of a great program through the National League of Cities to help our residents out with the cost of prescription drugs. The city is making free prescription drug discount cards available to city residents through a program sponsored by the National League of Cities (NLC). The discount cards offer an average savings of 20 % off the retail price of commonly prescribed drugs for residents without health insurance or a traditional benefits plan, and for residents with insurance or benefits that have prescriptions that are not covered by insurance. One great feature of this program is that discount cards may be used by all residents of West Des Moines and there are no restrictions based on your age, income level, or existing health coverage. Based on a list of participating pharmacies on the NLC website, the card can be used to buy prescription drugs at 79 pharmacies around the metro, and it's also good at participating retail pharmacies across the United States.

Check out our NLC prescription discount card website page for an FAQ regarding the program, as well as links to printing the card yourself or picking one up at a location in the city.

Email Notifications

2010-01-13T15:59:00.003-06:00

Metro Waste Authority is now providing automatic email updates on recycling services, garbage collection, and yard waste for member communities (including West Des Moines). Residents can sign up to get notified when service is interrupted, when new services become available, and more.

Email notification has become a high priority for most organizations that deal with customers - including the City of West Des Moines. Our extensive eUpdates system provides information about meetings, news, job postings, and RFP announcements to interested parties. We are regularly looking for ways to make better use of technology, and this is a feature that is both popular for those who want the information and useful for us because (we think) it reduces questions coming in.

WDM Only City Featured in New Products Listing

2009-12-22T10:17:00.002-06:00

West Des Moines was recently the only city credited by Better Roads magazine with one of the Top 20 rollouts for new products in the highway and bridge industries.

Better Roads selects the top 20 new products of the year based on their significance and whether they "change the way work gets done or bring new standards to an industry."

The City of West Des Moines and Monroe Snow & Ice Control were recognized for developing a roller mill system salt slurry spreader, which we call the Salt Slurry Generator. The excerpt from Better Roads:

"The city is blending a liquid de-icer product that contains 80 percent salt brine, 10 percent Fusion or GeoMelt and 10 percent calcium chloride. The system is a look into the future: more liquid and reduced granular usage to lessen the overall chloride load on the environment."

Take a look at the article for all twenty new products.

2010 Census Video

2009-12-21T12:57:00.002-06:00

Watch the video below for an introduction to the 2010 Census. To learn more, visit the Census page on our website or the official page 2010census.gov.

Forbes.com Ranking

2009-12-11T13:56:00.000-06:00

More good news for our metro area - on November 30, Forbes.com named Des Moines - West Des Moines in its Top 5 "Best Bang for the Buck" cities. Forbes looked at the country's 100 largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas for foreclosures as a percentage of home prices; vacancies; unemployment rates; a three-year job-growth forecast; a three-year home-price forecast; housing affordability; median real estate taxes; and median travel time to work. See the article or the complete list.

Veterans Recognition Ceremony

2009-12-02T14:19:00.006-06:00

Below, you can view highlights from our Veteran Recognition Ceremony held in the City Hall Council Chambers on November 16. We were honored to have several veterans in attendance, many of whom were willing to share stories of their service with us. This was a small "thank you" for them.

At the City Council meeting after the ceremony, the City Council issued the proclamation below:

vetsproclamation_signed.pdf

Tweets and Fans

2009-12-01T14:28:00.008-06:00

In an attempt to communicate in new and different ways (for us, at least) the City now has a Facebook page and a Twitter account. The two are linked, so you will see many of the same messages and updates on both.

You can follow us on Twitter by visiting www.twitter.com/cityofwdm and/or become a fan of West Des Moines on Facebook.

We will use these tools much the same way we use our text messaging service - to publicize events, promote new city services, and provide important notices. The Facebook Fan Page will feature easy access to relevant information about the City. It may be opened up as a discussion board for specific issues as appropriate, but will always be maintained and monitored to ensure all content is respectful and constructive. If residents wish to contact City Council or staff, or to request City services, please use the Staff Directory on our website for phone/email info or the Citizen Service Desk.

Veterans Recognition Ceremony - November 16

2009-11-12T09:08:00.002-06:00

Veterans Day is over but our recognition of veterans should never be.

In the spirit of this week, which was designed to promote veteran awareness, the City of West Des Moines will hold a recognition ceremony next Monday prior to the City Council Meeting. Mayor Gaer and the West Des Moines Police Department Color Guard will be part of a short official ceremony to thank those who have served. The rest of the hour will be an informal reception with refreshments, time to chat, and a group photograph. Kids in West Des Moines schools have even made cards for the veterans and a few will be in attendance to thank those who attend.

We hope to pay our respects to as many veterans residing in West Des Moines as possible. If you are a veteran, please consider attending this event. If you know a veteran in West Des Moines, please get word of this event to them. Those who think they'll attend can RSVP to 222-3610. We're also making transportation available through our Human Services Department - anyone interested in that can call Carmen at 222-3661.

The City Council will also issue a proclamation during the meeting honoring our City's veterans and thanking them for making the choice to live in West Des Moines at some point after their service.

Grand Avenue Construction Update

2009-11-03T11:25:00.002-06:00

North of the bridge. The contractor was able to pave the two west lanes of Grand Avenue from Casey's to the bridge on Wednesday of last week. All storm sewer, sanitary sewer and water main lines were completed on the project prior to the weekend. The contractor is applying fly-ash material to the roadway to speed the drying process and lessen the impact of future rain events so that the remainder of the project can be paved in the next few weeks. Every reasonable step is being taken to get as much done as possible while the good weather lasts.

South of the bridge. On Friday, fly-ash material was applied to the roadway to assist in the drying process so that crews could work through the weekend in preparation of paving the two west lanes early this week. They continue to complete back filling and fine grading behind the curbs so that traffic can be reopened from the Fuller Road & Grand Ave intersection to Railroad Avenue with some restrictions north of the bridge.

Website Honored

2009-10-19T10:49:00.002-05:00

Our website was recently awarded a Silver Circle Award for digital communications from 3CMA, the City-County Communications and Marketing Association. The judge's comments read:

"Beautiful design! Clean, contrasting colors. Great calendar and news features. Content is clean and well-designed. Well-updated City Manager blog."

Our staff works diligently on the website to keep it updated and educational. We do not maintain a separate web communications specialist, so each department is charged with updating and adding new information when appropriate. There are several staff in each department trained to use the content management system in place, and they do everything from adding news and calendar items to sending out eNotifications and creating pages with video, links, and important content.

Of course, it is great to get kudos on the blog as well!

We are always looking for feedback on the website from residents and users. Let us know what works and what doesn't from your viewpoint!

H1N1 Information

2009-10-05T16:38:00.002-05:00

I've overheard a lot of conversations related to the H1N1 flu in the last week - it seems to come up everywhere.

Efforts to counter and manage potential pandemic situations are spearheaded at the county level, with support and participation from any agencies or governing bodies with a role to play in the process. The City of West Des Moines is one of those entities. In addition to partnering with the county public health departments in their planning and preparation efforts, we are continually working to improve our organization's internal pandemic flu plan in the event we need it.

In response to demand for information on H1N1, Polk County released a letter to the community last month. Here are some excerpts from that letter:

"Everyone is hungry for concrete answers regarding the H1N1 influenza A pandemic and what the Polk County response will be this Fall... We anticipate the spread to continue through the Fall and Winter at a greater rate although we have no way of knowing what the real rate of the spread will be."

"the populations at highest risk for more severe illness and complications are:

1) pregnant women
2) newborn infants under 6 months of age - because they can't receive the vaccine, (their parents and caregivers will need protection)
3) infants, children and young adults ages 6 months to 24 years of age
4) health care workers and emergency service personnel - because they have the a high risk for exposure
5) people 24 - 64 years of age with underlying health conditions. Adults 65 years of age and older have had minimal impact from this virus."

"The H1N1 vaccine should be available (in limited supplies) in mid to late October. We also know all of us have a role to play in keeping our community and each other safe. Each of us can effectively reduce the spread of the illness by staying home when we are sick with flu like symptoms and use good hygiene etiquette (cough and sneeze in a tissue or your sleeve and frequently wash your hands). We also know that antiviral taken in the first 48 hours of symptoms could help minimize the severity and length of illness. We also know that seasonal flu will also be spreading during Fall and Winter months and that seasonal flu and pneumonia vaccinations are readily available in our community."

"Just like you, we do not have all the information we need to fully develop our plans. What we are doing is preparing with school districts, colleges, hospitals, emergency service personnel, private businesses and hundreds of other partners in the community. We are planning a menu of multiple strategies for vaccine distribution on which to draw from once we have stable information and when we know how much and when vaccine will be received. We have 48 staff members who are all working very diligently and intensely in developing plans for each of these concept strategies."

"The vaccine distribution strategies in Polk County will be a blended program for the at-risk populations and they will be built upon the premise that targeted people should receive the vaccine as quickly as it becomes available. The possible venues being planned are mass clinics, school-based clinics, school and community rounds (nurses provide on-site vaccinations at licensed child care facilities, pre-schools, and other places), and pushing vaccine out through select health care providers who work with the target populations and can provide the vaccine directly to these people."

Among other things, you can get updated H1N1 information by:

signing up to receive health alerts when Polk County Health posts new information to the website;
calling the special line (515-323-5330) between 9 am and 4 pm Monday - Friday to ask H1N1 related questions;
following the Health Department through Twitter for updates;
checking the H1N1 section of their website for FAQs, weekly bulletins, and more; and
checking the H1N1 section of the Dallas County website, which contains information very similar to the Polk County Health Department site.

As the Polk County letter mentions, we can all effectively play a role in reducing the spread of H1N1. We've advised our employees to follow their recommendations as it relates to attendance at work when flu-like symptoms are present and practicing proper hygiene.

Also, continue your usual habits to stay informed. County health departments will release information about the vaccine when it's available, including who is eligible to receive it as it is rolled out.

Energy Star Challenge

2009-09-21T10:20:00.002-05:00

The City is participating in the federal government's ENERGY STAR Challenge and is encouraging local businesses and organizations to do the same. The ENERGY STAR Challenge is a national call-to-action to improve the energy efficiency of America's commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more. Read about the Energy Star Challenge and see what the City's SASS (Striving After Sustainable Solutions) team is up to on our website. We are encouraging local businesses to take the challenge as well, and we will put those participation certificates up on our website.

Our application for Energy Efficiency and Block Grant funding from the US Department of Energy includes steps to help get us toward that 10% goal. That application is currently being reviewed. See what we applied for and what we hope to do to make the city more energy efficient.

To establish a baseline for this goal, the SASS team requested that MidAmerican Energy conduct audits on our thirteen largest city facilities. Audits have been completed for nine of the facilities. The other four - City Hall, Public Works, the Law Enforcement Center, and the Library - are undergoing a more extensive audit. By working through MidAmerican Energy, we are able to reap greater rebates from MidAmerican for any changes we make. I encourage local businesses to see how MidAmerican can help in evaluating and recommending changes for facilities through their BusinessCheck program- there are links on the SASS pages of our website for that too.

If you are a West Des Moines business that is making sustainable changes or using sustainable practices, let us know! We plan to promote any best practices out there.

Census 2010 Plans Well Underway

2009-09-08T09:43:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe, but the Census Bureau is already gearing up for the 2010 Census. The Census is mandated by the Constitution and participation is required by law, but response rates are still low in some areas of the country. In the 2000 census, Iowa had the nation's highest response rate at 76% (in our area, Polk County had 74%, Dallas County had 76%, and Warren County had 77%). This year the Census Bureau is hoping to boost that rate by giving everyone the same 10-question survey, among the shortest surveys since the first Census in 1790. Beginning in mid-March 2010, more than 120 million questionnaires will be delivered to U.S. residential addresses. The Census Bureau has also announced that more than 13 million questionnaires will be bilingual (English - Spanish) for the first time.

As you can imagine, preparing for and conducting the Census is an enormous project. Last spring, Census Bureau workers walked every street in the nation to match actual residential addresses with those provided in lists from the U.S. Postal Service and local governments. The Census Bureau has reported that it will hire nearly 1.4 million people to conduct the 2010 Census, including follow up with households that do not return their mailed questionnaire.

The City of West Des Moines is assisting in this year's Complete Count campaign by helping to identify and organize resources for the Census Bureau and by promoting completion of Census 2010 by our residents. It is certainly to our benefit to have every resident of West Des Moines - and Iowa - counted, as population is a common criteria for financial assistance, grant funding, and representation in federal government.

WDM Magazine Issue 19

2009-08-26T08:53:00.000-05:00

West Des Moines residents should receive Issue 19 of the WDM Magazine in mailboxes this week. The issue includes a recap of summer events, an article on our Traffic Operations Center, important notices and information from the Public Works and Police Departments, some features on Valley Junction, and more.

As usual, the issue includes a pull-out Parks and Recreation guide and programming information for the Library and Human Services departments. The Human Rights Commission has included a short survey they'd like residents to tear out and send back to gauge opinions & experiences related to human rights in West Des Moines.

I'm pleased to report that the WDM Magazine recently won an award--specifically, the Bronze Award for Best Government Publication from the 2009 Magnum Opus Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Custom Media. The Magnum Opus awards are given by ContentWise in conjunction with the Missouri School of Journalism and McMurry Publishing. This is the second award the magazine has won in the last couple years - in 2007 it received a Savvy Award from 3CMA, the City/County Communications and Marketing Association.

Business Record Appearances

2009-08-20T13:18:00.001-05:00

The City of West Des Moines has received some great exposure recently in the Des Moines Business Record.

West Des Moines traffic engineers Jim Dickinson and Eric Petersen were interviewed for an article on the City's innovative traffic modeling techniques.

The City was also named "City Most Conducive to Business" in the Business Record's Annual "Best Of" rankings for 2009. We have received this recognition consecutively since the question was first asked in 1998 and will work to continue to receiving it.

PD 2008 Annual Report

2009-08-06T11:18:00.005-05:00

As part of its annual report, the Police Department keeps very good records of its work in the community each year. They report comprehensively on the work of each division, year to year comparisons, commendations and awards, and more. Some details from 2008:

In the Operations Division, the Uniform Patrol Unit (the largest and most visible segment of the department) responded to 48,675 calls for service in 2008. This group authored over 6,400 police reports, made 1,580 arrests, investigated 1,226 traffic accidents, and issued 657 parking tickets and 6,070 traffic citations. These officers, who work in one of five patrol territories, maintained an average response time of 6 minutes and 9 seconds to priority calls during 2008.
The K-9 Unit, which is part of the Uniform Patrol Unit, had a busy year as well. The unit made 107 canine trips, 2 felony arrests, 31 misdemeanor arrests, 19 assisted arrests, 28 assisted traffic stops, and 32 outside agency assists. They completed 8 building searches, 20 demonstrations, and 251 hours of training. The unit seized $102,300 in US currency and three types of illegal drugs. West Des Moines also hosted the United States Police Canine Association Region 21 Field Trials, where the K-9 Team placed second overall in a field of over 30 teams, qualifying for nationals.
Police officers in the Criminal Investigation Unit (C.I.U.) investigate major crimes like homicide, rape, robbery, assault, arson, kidnapping, and burglary. The eight officers and one part-time civilian investigator assigned to C.I.U. all receive extensive training to deal with witnesses, victims, and suspects, often in sensitive situations. The C.I.U. was assigned 2479 cases in 2008
Three detectives, called School Resource Officers, are assigned to the schools. They work to prevent crime and investigate crime against children in the schools, as well as serve as a liaison between the department and the school community. They were assigned 689 cases throughout the year with a closure rate of 90.3%.
The Animal Control Unit, which is part of Special Operations, works to ensure and promote the humane treatment of animals in West Des Moines and Clive and return or adopt out as many animals as possible. In 2008, they handled 2,126 calls for service and 504 adoptions from our WDM animal shelter.

In their annual reporting, the Police Department also recognizes five chaplains that donated over 233 hours of their time in 2008 to help officers and civilian employees who requested their presence or help.

This is just a sampling of the information from the Police Department's 2008 year. To read more about the different functions of the police department, visit their section of the West Des Moines website. You can also view the 2008 year-end crime report.

Use the VJ Shuttle

2009-07-29T13:06:00.003-05:00

Tomorrow night we begin offering shuttling service from the Hillside/Walnut Creek campus in the 700-800 blocks of Eighth Street to the intersection of 5th and Maple for the Farmers Market and Music in the Junction events.

We'll have two shuttles running using vehicles from the WDM Human Services Department. They'll run from 4 pm to 9 pm, and each vehicle that parks in the lot will receive a $5 "voucher of appreciation" for trying it out that can be used at the vendors and merchants who participate in the Farmers Market. It's a short route, so there shouldn't be much of a wait, and it will really help to open some spots up outside the immediate area of the events.

We'll continue the shuttle service, as well as the voucher program, through the rest of the 2009 Farmers Market season (October 1). I hope you try it out. There are a lot of great reasons to go down to Valley Junction on Thursday nights, and it's important that we work to lessen the impacts of these events so that they can continue in a positive light.

If we all focus on being good neighbors to those who live in the area around 5th Street and finding a parking spot that is legal, safe, and doesn't inconvenience someone else in the area or just use the shuttle, the events will be more enjoyable for everyone.

Economic Development Plan Update

2009-07-17T08:38:00.004-05:00

The City's Community & Economic Development Department recently started the process of updating the West Des Moines Economic Development Plan, which was last completed in 2003. The plan is a broad study to help city officials and staff better plan for future economic development in our City. This project will involve other city departments, elected officials, and community members, and will focus on creating high-value jobs and retaining young talent in West Des Moines.

The development of Jordan Creek Town Center was the main impetus for the original study in 2003. Because the City anticipated that the area around that site would quickly become an attractive area for development, we generated this plan to ensure the area developed the right way. The 2003 plan also led us to ramp up the executive call program, which involves visits by city staff and officials to local businesses to identify any issues they may have and educate them about how the City can assist.

The 2009 update will be managed by AngelouEconomics (AE), an economic development consulting firm. The plan has four objectives:

1) assess the region's current competitiveness;
2) identify specific high-impact target industries;
3) develop specific strategies to improve city efforts to attract new business, retain and expand existing businesses, retain young professionals and grow a skilled workforce, revitalize older commercial areas, and encourage entrepreneurship; and
4) build a shared vision and catalyze collective action through a detailed implementation plan.

As I mentioned, community input in this process is key. Although we will hold focus groups on specific issues, all citizens can get involved by going to the project website, following our progress in developing the plan, and completing surveys. There is one for businesses and one for residents, and both will be open until the end of July. You can also use the link to the consultant's email on the website to send your comments directly to AngelouEconomics.

The website is located at: http://www.wdmdevelopmentplan.com/.

Thanks for your assistance as we improve our planning for the future West Des Moines.