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HomeMy Public PortalAbout2023 11-November From the City of RIVERDALE, Iowa www.riverdaleia.org | 110 Manor Drive | (563) 355-2511 | deputyclerk@riverdaleia.org | November 2023 5– Daylight Savings Time ends 6– RFD Training, 6:30p 7– Election Day, poll hours from 7a-8p 10– Veterans Day, City Hall Closed 12– Mayor’s Town Hall, 4-6p 13– RFD Training, 6:30p 14– Public Hearing: Budget Amendment, 6p Public Hearing: Adoption of Ordinances by Reference, 6:15p Public Hearing: Vacation of Public Access Easements, 6:30p Council Meeting, 7p 20– RFD Training, 6:30p 23– Thanksgiving, City Hall Closed 24– City Hall Closed 27– RFD Training, 630p Yard waste pick-up ends 28– Council Meeting, 7p *all events at City Hall unless otherwise stated Be sure to vote on Tuesday, November 7th! Location: Community Room at City Hall: 110 Manor Drive. Timing: Polls are open from 7a-8p. Learn more about the candidates for City Council, Mayor, and PV School Board on pages 2-5. Mayor’s Monthly Question: Email responses to mayor@riverdaleia.org Did you know our Clerk and Deputy Clerk are both notaries and that you can get items notarized at City Hall? Are there any other critical services that aren’t currently offered that we should explore for City Hall? Sunday, November 5 Happy Thanksgiving from your Riverdale Staff! Submit your pet photos for our 2024 City Calendar! Email your submissions to deputyclerk@riverdaleia.org by Friday, November 10th. Operation Station: A Message from Riverdale’s Public Works Department November can bring quite a mix of weather! So let’s chat about leaves AND snow. Leaves can be collected for yard waste pick-up and/or burned. • Yard waste pick-up is every Monday until November 27th. • Please place leaves in a separate yard waste bin, or paper bag, and have at the curb when you put your trash out. • Do not put leaves in with your trash If burning, please note these guidelines: • Burning must not be within 20ft of property line or structure, no burning in a utility easement, and burn barrels are prohibited. • Fires must never be unattended, and there must be a garden hose nearby ready for use. • No burning before dawn or after sunset. Regarding snow removal: • No parking on any public street during snow removal unless snow is already plowed and snowfall has ended. • It is unlawful for any person to throw, push, or place snow or ice into the street. Such accumulation shall be removed promptly by the property owner. Please reference the following ordinances for more information: 105.05 Open Burning Restricted 69.10 Snow Removal 135.12 Dumping of Snow Riverdale, Iowa, City Council: Brock Duncan What would you like voters to know about you? My wife and I moved our family to this wonderful city in August 2019. We have three children, two dogs, and one cat. We love living here and plan on spending the rest of lives here. My wife works for the PV school district as a Para-educator and I work as a Technical Services supervisor for a municipal utility. I also volunteer as an EMT/Firefighter for the Riverdale Fire Department. Why did you choose to run for City Council? I chose to run for City Council to continue to volunteer my time to serve this community. Being on city council will allow me to make sure that we have a good budget and keep Riverdale a quiet and peaceful place to raise a family and conduct business. What are your goals as a City Council member? The goals I will work to accomplish are: Create a workable budget that is respectful of the resident’s tax dollars and meets the needs of the city. Make sure that the government is always transparent and answers directly to the residents. Improve our infrastructure and parks. Keep this a family oriented community that grows together. Justin Galbraith What would you like voters to know about you? I am a passionate and honest person. I believe in working hard and helping your community any chance I can. I am a school Administrator and have been an educator for 20+ years. I have been married for 18 years to Melissa; with 2 children, Adalyn (17) and Gus (14). Family is everything to me and I am a very proud Dad. Why did you choose to run for City Council? Being new to the community, I feel that being on council is the best way to meet neighbors and help solve problems to make our community strong. I see things that Riverdale, IA is doing to grow and I want to be part of that. I also see and hear frustration from neighbors and the community, I want to be part of a solution. What are your goals as a City Council member? Listen to our neighbors and community. Use my knowledge and skills to work through differences and make positive changes. Be a good leader that will get issues, concerns, and improvements to a resolution. Beth Ann Halsey What would you like voters to know about you? I I've lived in the city 41 years. All of our children have gone through and are currently going to Pleasant Pleasant Valley High School. Why did you choose to run for City Council? I want to be part of the council, to help with our community. To make decisions that will benefit everyone that lives here. What are your goals as a City Council member? To give Peggy's Park a long awaited shelter. To put pop up parks in Fenno and Woods additions. To help create quiet zones with Canadian Pacific. To widen Fenno Road. To develop the commercial space for the community. To work for you! Stephanie Harvey What would you like voters to know about you? My husband, Dan and I moved here in December of 2022 with our two boys, Hudson (14, 8th grader at PVJH) and Eli (11, 6th grader at Riverdale Heights Elementary). We have a dog, Xena and three cats (Ruby, Scarlet and Mac). I enjoy being outdoors, camping, cooking, gardening, playing games, reading and spending time with my family. This is my 19th year as a School Counselor, I am currently employed by the Camanche Community School District. School counselors have many valuable skills, such as being an advocate for all students, active listening, empathetic, trustworthiness, strong communication skills, adaptability and collaboration. My experience in the field of education, particularly as a school counselor, has offered me a unique skill set and perspective that I believe would be a substantial asset on city council. Why did you choose to run for City Council? My decision to run for city council stems from my desire to give back to our community while being an advocate for all residents. Although my time living in Riverdale may not be extensive, I am invested in the future of our community as a candidate and as a parent. I want to continue to make this the best place to not only raise my boys, but for all families that call our community home. I also believe in the power of equitable representation and valuing input from every corner of our community in the decision-making process. What are your goals as a City Council member? My primary commitment as a City Council member will always be the betterment of Riverdale. I pledge to be transparent in my decision-making processes and actively engage with residents to ensure that I am a genuine representation of our entire community. I will strive to create an environment of open communication, where we openly address both the challenges and strengths our community faces. Additionally, I am dedicated to upholding fiscal responsibility to ensure the financial health of Riverdale. Steven R. Townsend What would you like voters to know about you? Arrived in Riverdale in 1956 to assist in the building of a house on Circle Drive for my Aunt Viv and Uncle Ed Tinker. This Riverdale house became the location of family reunions and 4 th of July celebrations. I graduated from Central High School in 1969. Enlisted in the US Army Security Agency in 1970. Attended the University of Iowa from 1974 to 1977 with a degree in Civil Engineering. Married to my wife Jan in 1975. First job was in Chicago for Kemper Insurance Company in the Highly Protected Risk Division. Second job was at Rock Island Arsenal doing Military Construction, Safety and Industrial Engineering. We moved to Riverdale in 1994 for the Pleasant Valley Schools, the large flat yards and friendly neighbors. I have served on the Planning and Zoning Committee for nine years. I have served on the Mississippi Valley River Trail part II and attended 90 percent of the City Council meeting since arriving in Riverdale. I also volunteered for public works when the last manager quit after 12 weeks. I received a Volunteer of the Year award from the Governor of Iowa for this action. I am also currently on the Sewer Utility committee. Why did you choose to run for City Council? It is the right time in my life to share my life and work experiences in helping to run this great City. What are your goals as a City Council member? To conduct City business as required by Iowa Code of Regulations. To improve City parks by replacing damaged and removed playground equipment. To conduct City business so that we can pass State reviews of our books. I will also request a Annual Report form our Sewer Utility as required by Iowa Code. Riverdale, Iowa, Mayor : Kaitlyn Woods What would you like voters to know about you? My husband and I are developing Woods Estates and love bringing in more residents to this city. I love living in the city wit h a quiet country feel! I design the homes and run the behind the scenes work for our company as well as run a successful real estate business. I love working with people and making their dreams come true! I was blessed to marry my best friend, Seth Woods, I am a mother of two amazing kids, and an obsessed dog owner to Riley! I love to travel, do anything active, experience new things and entertain friends and family! Why did you choose to run for City Council? I want to get involved and give back. The City has done a great job with the quick growth in the last few years and I would like to help ensure the progress and enhancement of our city continues to grow. What are your goals as a City Council member? To help improve the city and bring my knowledge of development and real estate as well as business experience to the board. I would like to see the city become the best it can be and help establish strong relationships with new members to existing members of the city. Anthony Heddlesten What would you like voters to know about you: I've been a resident since 2017 and have served on council 2018-2022 and as mayor 2022-present. My wife, Kyla, and I live in Pleasant Hills with two sons, CJ & Lars, and a cat, Loki. I am a public servant in my day job as well, serving as an engineer at the Rock Island Arsenal. I strongly believe in continuing education and have utilized Iowa League of Cities training to become the first certified elected municipal official (CEMO) in the Quad Cities and one of the first 50 in Iowa. What do you think are your three most important accomplishments in your current term as Mayor? •Working with staff and council to revamp the positions at City Hall to the current 2 FTE + 0.75 FTE + Summer Hire(s) as needed layout. I think we are much more efficient and effective than ever. •Negotiating up to an additional $450,000 of funding for the City from CP-KCS in addition to the initial $100,000 they offered to make quiet zone improvements. Our initial quiet zone study was recently drafted and we have a plan to create a quiet zone from 62nd in Bettendorf all the way to west Davenport - over 10 miles of horn-not-required trains for our region by all the Cities working together. •Bringing back Imagination Library for all our 0-5 year-olds. Both of my grandmas were librarians, and a well-educated population is critical to democracy. We're starting our youngest residents off right. What are your goals for your upcoming term as Mayor? Here's my top 10 list as of right now, but the most important overarching policy is to listen to our residents and solve the problems they identify. •Celebrating our 75th Anniversary in 2025. •Implementing quiet zones from our study and improving rail safety in our community. •Continuing to right size our staff and department layouts as we add a couple hundred new residents. •Continuing to keep our budget as stable as possible to provide the critical services people expect and need while keeping our taxes and fees as low as possible. •Developing a plan with our residents and businesses to find the best way to reinvest the State-required Woods Estates LMI housing funds in existing homes and in bringing in new ones and if possible, working with regional funding sources to get grants to e xpand that money to do more good for more people. I would love to see this incorporated into a mixed-use development in the new commercial space next to City Hall. •Implementing findings from our parks and trails study to include improvements to existing parks, a shelter for Peggy's/Van Gundy, finalization of trails around the Woods Estates neighborhood, and the possibility of some form of a pocket park for Fenno. •Working with Fenno neighbors to implement some of the Urban Renewal Plan ideas developed during Mayor Bawden's term. •Developing a stormwater utility so we can get ready for additional expenses from an aging and undersized stormwater system as well as maintaining the dry detention basins in Woods Estates. •Continuing to engage and interact with our residents, businesses, public facilities, and neighboring communities on partnersh ips and growth wherever possible - such as at our monthly town hall meetings. •Continue to have Riverdale representation on behalf of Scott County's small communities on regional boards and commissions like the County Conference Board, E911, Emergency Management, Riverfront Council, Waste Commission, Wastewater Commission, etc. Pleasant Valley School District, School Board, District 4 Danny Amaya What would you like voters to know about you? I am a product of two worlds, born in Mexico and raised in Texas, where I learned the value of an education, hard work, and community. My life's journey led me to serve in the US Marine Corps for 22 dedicated years. In that time, I honed my leadership skills and developed an unwavering commitment to the principles of service and teamwork. For the past 21 years, I've shared this journey with my family, raising three children within the Pleasant Valley School District. My educational background includes a Masters of Business Administration from Texas A&M, which has equipped me with the tools necessary for thoughtful, strategic decision-making. I've held leadership positions in both the military and the civilian world, which have given me a profound understanding of the challenges and responsibilities inherent in ensuring the success of an entire team. I firmly embrace the philosophy of servant leadership, putting the well-being of students, administrators, and educators before my own interests. This core value will guide me as I seek to contribute to the betterment of our school district. Why did you choose to run for the school board? I've made the conscious decision to run for the school board because I am a firm believer in the transformative power of education to shape the future. My roles as a parent, a member of the Pleasant Valley community, and a veteran have given me a firsthand perspective on how effective education policies and leadership can impact the lives of our students. My motivation is to leverage my diverse skills and experiences, along with the collective voice of our community, to ensure that our schools create the most conducive learning environment for our children. Together, we can make a resounding, positive difference and empower the next generation to not just succeed, but to thrive. What are your goals as a school board member? • Constituency Representation: I don't believe in distant leadership. I am committed to being visible, accessible, and responsive to the community I serve. Effective representation is a two-way street, built on open communication and a genuine willingness to listen to the concerns, ideas, and needs of our students, parents, and educators. • Accountability: I am unwavering in my commitment to transparency and accountability within our school district. I will tirelessly advocate for the responsible and efficient use of resources, ensuring that every decision benefits the entire school communit y, from students to parents to educators. • Academic Excellence: I wholeheartedly support a curriculum-based education system that places foundational knowledge and skills at the forefront. I'm dedicated to maintaining an educational environment that promotes critical thinking, creativity, and indiv idual growth. I stand against the introduction of any agenda-based material that may compromise the integrity of our educational values. Our focus will remain resolutely on preparing our students for a successful, well-rounded future. Molly Brockmann What would you like voters to know about you? I have been a Bettendorf resident (in the PV District) for over 15 years. My husband, Tom, and I have 2 children. Sidney is a PV graduate currently attending Iowa State University and Sam is a sophomore at PV High School. I have been working as a sales and marketing professional for the last 25 years. I’m accountable and have perfect meeting attendance in my 5 ½ years on the board. I put a strong focus on leading with integrity, transparency, and collaboration. Why did you choose to run for the school board? I am running for a second term because I love this community and I want to see our district continue to be one of the top districts in the state. Our children are our most valuable resource. I’m excited to invest my time ensuring our students are provided with the best opportunities and resources so they can be successful, healthy and happy adults. Having a child that has gone Kindergarten thru 12th grade at PV gives me good perspective on the big picture. As a tax payer, I want to ensure that we are being efficient and responsible as our district continues to grow. People seek out and m ove to our community because we have a great school district where our students excel due to supportive and caring teachers, administration, and parents. What are your goals as a school board member? • My most important goal is to represent the people in my district. I will always be a good listener and I value other’s ideas. In fact, I often ask others for their perspective on issues. • We can’t rest on our past success; it is important to continue to strive to be a high performing district and give our studen ts experiences/opportunities to prepare them for future success. We need to continue to ask, “What can we do better.” • We need to continue to hire top talent and support our staff. • We need short- and long-term planning to facilitate growth while being fiscally accountable. • We need to continue to work with our legislators on our needs/priorities of: adequate funding, attract/retain teachers in the state of Iowa and support for student access of Mental Health services. nfpa.org/education ©NFPA 2018 NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION The leading information and knowledge resource on fire, electrical and related hazards Smoke Alarms at Homeat Home Smoke Alarms Smoke alarmS are a key part of a home fire escape plan. When there is a fire, smoke spreads fast. Working smoke alarms give you early warning so you can get outside quickly. • A closed door may slow the spread of smoke, heat, and fire. • Smoke alarms should be installed inside every sleeping room, outside each separate sleeping area, and on every level. Smoke alarms should be connected so when one sounds, they all sound. Most homes do not have this level of protection.• Roughly 3 out of 5 fire deaths happen in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. FACTS ! ! ! SAFETY TIPS • Install smoke alarms in every bedroom. They should also be outside each sleeping area and on every level of the home. Install alarms in the basement. • Large homes may need extra smoke alarms. • It is best to use interconnected smoke alarms. When one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound. • Test all smoke alarms at least once a month. Press the test button to be sure the alarm is working. • Current alarms on the market employ different types of technology including multi-sensing, which could include smoke and carbon monoxide combined. • Today’s smoke alarms will be more technologically advanced to respond to a multitude of fire conditions, yet mitigate false alarms. • A smoke alarm should be on the ceiling or high on a wall. Keep smoke alarms away from the kitchen to reduce false alarms. They should be at least 10 feet (3 meters) from the stove. • People who are hard-of-hearing or deaf can use special alarms. These alarms have strobe lights and bed shakers. • Replace all smoke alarms when they are 10 years old.