The public is invited to a series of 10 open houses this month to get newly completed bus schedules and ask staff questions about the significant service changes that take effect Sunday, June 10.  In addition, DART has launched new web pages about all of the 2012 service changes, which can be accessed at www.ridedart.com/june-2012-service-changes.cfm.

The open houses and web pages are designed to help customers transition into some very significant changes to the bus network. DART is implementing in 2012 the Year 1 recommendations of the recently approved DART Forward 2035 Services Plan, which is a plan for expanding service throughout Greater Des Moines. Changes include a 13 percent overall increase in service, some routes being rerouted, others having significant schedule changes, and, in a few cases, routes being partially or wholly discontinued.

Each meeting will include a presentation on the finalized service changes taking effect in June, as well as group and individual question-and-answer sessions with DART staff members.

MONDAY, MAY 21
• Noon – 1:30 p.m., Des Moines Central Library, 1000 Grand Avenue, Des Moines
• 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Urbandale Public Library, 3520 86th Street, Urbandale
• 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Clive Public Library, 1900 NW 114th St., Clive
TUESDAY, MAY 22
• 3 p.m.– 4:30 p.m., Des Moines Central Library, 1000 Grand Avenue, Des Moines
• 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m., Des Moines South Side Library, 1111 Porter Avenue, Des Moines
WEDNESDAY, MAY 23
• 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Johnston City Hall, 6221 Merle Hay Road, Johnston
• 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., West Des Moines Library, 4000 Mills Civic Pkwy., West Des Moines
THURSDAY, MAY 24
• Noon – 1:30 p.m., Des Moines Central Library, 1000 Grand Avenue, Des Moines
• 5 p.m. – 6:30 p.m., Ankeny City Hall, 410 W. First St., Ankeny
• 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m., Altoona City Hall, 407 8th St. SE, Altoona

Language and transportation services are available at meetings upon request. For requests, please call DART Schedule Information at (515) 283-8100.
 

The City Council, at its May 15th meeting, approved the amendment to the Timberline Village planned unit development master plan, the revised preliminary plat and final plat for the Townhomes of Timber Hills Plat 2.  This final plat contained a total of 21 lots proposed for construction as detached single-family units in lieu of 35 attached townhomes as originally platted. The “Timberline Village” P.U.D. Master Plan amendment approved single-family detached dwellings to be developed with a minimum lot width of less than 60 feet, as was originally required.  The final plat lot widths vary between 52.48 feet and 57 feet.

The City Council, at its May 15th meeting, approved the request by the Gospel Assembly Church to construct a metal accessory structure on its site.  This site plan proposes a metal storage shed that has approximately 570 square feet of floor area to be constructed in the southeast corner of the existing parking lot. The building will be used to store mowing and other equipment used to maintain the church property. Architecturally, the building will be metal with an arched roof profile.

Schools and churches are conditional uses in residential zoning districts. The Board of Adjustment granted Conditional Use Permits in 1978 to allow the existing church, garage, school, and missionary apartments, and 2003 to allow the existing print shop building.  A Conditional Use Permit is not required for the proposed storage shed, however approval from the Planning and Zoning Commission (approved on May 7th) and the Council was needed per the requirements of the Site Planning Ordinance.

The City Council, at its May 5th meeting, approved the single-family preliminary plat for the residential portion of the Day Family Farm Planned Unit Development.  The plat has an area of approximately 3.73 acres and is located in the southwest corner of the property. The remainder of the property to the east and north is designated for limited retail uses adjacent to Meredith Drive, and office and business park uses between the retail and the single-family residential uses. All of the property is zoned “P.U.D.” Planned Unit Development District.

A total of 9 single-family residential lots are proposed with widths between 70 and 90 feet, and areas ranging from 11,628 square feet to 26,314 square feet. The minimum lot width requirement is 70 feet. The lots will be accessed from a single cul-de-sac that will be a northward extension of 125th Street from Day’s Run Plat 4.  Water and sanitary sewer services are available to the proposed plat. The "Day’s Run" development, zoned P.U.D., adjoins to the south. The “Timberbrooke North” P.U.D. adjoins to the west. The north half fronts on Meredith Drive and is zoned for retail/commercial development. The south half was purchased by the Urbandale School District for a potential elementary school or other District use, and if not used by the District is zoned for “large lot” single-family detached residential.

The City Council set two public hearings for May 29th.  The first public hearing will be to vacate a storm sewer easement in the Berkshire Summit Plat 2, at 3406, 3410 and 3414 163rd Street.  This request has been filed because the property has subsequently been reconfigured and replatted. “Summit Estates Plat 1” extended Wilden Drive to the Corporate Limits for continuation into Clive development to provide “neighborhood connectivity”. However, when Clive approved the site plan for the new elementary school that adjoins the Corporate Limits, no provisions were made to either continue Wilden Drive or to provide a permanent turnaround (cul-de-sac).  Accordingly, the one-lot long, dead-end portion of Wilden Drive was vacated and conveyed back to the developer by the City Council. The street paving and other public
infrastructure was removed or relocated as part of the plat development, and the south 40 feet of the right-of-way was replatted along with adjacent property to create reconfigured single-family residential lots and necessary easements as part of the “Berkshire Summit Plat 2” Final Plat.  Therefore, the original storm sewer easement is no longer needed.

The second public hearing will be to amend the FY2011-12 Operating Budget.  In order to be in compliance with State requirements, the City Council must formally amend the FY2011-12 budget to reflect the expenditure changes in each function. This amendment would increase operating expenses in the Public Safety function by $839,000, due to Council direction last Fall to pay for Westcom radio system upgrades out of General Fund balance instead of issuing debt for the City’s portion of $792,000.  Additionally, pension contributions for military service deployments and animal control service contracts require an increase of $15,000 each, and federal forfeiture fund purchases of $17,000.  In the Public Works function, an amendment is needed for $102,000 to cover costs for the 109th Street asphalt overlay project approved by Council in summer 2011.  In the Culture and Recreation function, total expenditures will be increased by $79,600 for Enrich Iowa library grant received and $14,600 for the MAC camp costs.  The Community & Economic Development function will increase by $84,600 to cover pass-thru IDED grant of $75,000 and $9,600 for a software purchase required for the recent upgrade to New World Systems in the Building department.  Debt Service function will increase by $2,357,426 to cover costs of bond refunding done in the Fall of 2011 Transfers increase by $292,400 to allow for reclassification of funds due to recent GASB pronouncements for financial statement presentation. 

In total, the FY2011-12 amended budget would be $3,755,026 more than the adopted budget expenditures. Under the proposed amendment, the revised operating expenditures would be offset by $2,357,426 in proceeds from bond refunding sale, $292,000 from interfund transfers, $102,000 in road use tax revenues, $100,000 from EMS service fees, $75,000 in pass-thru state IDED grant funds, $65,000 in Enrich Iowa grant funds, $50,000 in court fines, $17,000 in forfeiture revenue, $15,000 in animal licensing fees, $9,600 in building inspection fees, $8,000 in private grants, $6,600 in private donations, and $657,000 from available General fund balance. In total, the FY2011-12 amended budget would be $3,098,026 more than the adopted budget for revenues, with another $657,000 being used from available fund balances. Grand total sources of funds equal $3,755,026.  The total revenue amendment of $3,098,026 will offset the expenditure amendment of $3,7550,26 by $657,000, thus creating a net  reduction to fund balances for the year.

The City Council, at its May 15th meeting, approved the Police Department's uniform dry cleaning service.  This service is required because the collective bargaining agreement requires that each patrol officer or plains clothes officer receive an annual clothing maintenance credit of $7 per week which is $364 a year.  The allowance represents a maximum for each employee and is a partial contribution toward the estimated annual cost per officer for dry cleaning services. The credit can only be used for the cleaning of uniform items, and for the plain clothes officers the allowance can be used for both uniform and non-uniform items. The same allowance is also extended to the non-union Chief of Police, Lieutenants, and Sergeants.  Although the cleaning allowance does not include the Reserve Police
Officers or any minor clothing repairs, prices for these services were solicited.  It should be noted that the Reserve Police Officers would pay the cleaners directly for dry cleaning services.  The winning bid was awarded to Victoria Cleaners, at an estimated cost of $2,483.65 per year for a three year agreement. 

The Engineering and Public Works Department combined with the Cities of Ankeny, Newton, Indianola, Knoxville, Polk City, Pella, Norwalk, Carlisle, Perry, West Des Moines, Windsor Heights, Clive, Waukee, Johnston, Des Moines, Grimes, Pleasant Hill and Pleasantville as well as Marion County, Warren County, Dallas County and Madison County to purchase roadway salt.  Historically, the combined purchasing power of the cities has resulted in lower unit prices than could be obtained by each entity individually or as part of the State bid process.  This combined purchasing power resulted in the low bid by Hutchiinson Salt Co. in the amount of $55.91 per ton.  In comparison the City purchased roadway salt at $65.00 per ton last year.  This year the City would purchase 1,050 tons for the upcoming winter. 

The City Council, at its May 15th meeting, set June 12th as a public hearing date for the Walker Johnston Shelter House Project and the Golfview Drainage Improvements Project.  At the May 15th meeting the Council approved resolutions authorizing the City Manager to solicit bids for both projects. 

The Walker Johnston Shelter House Project would demolish the existing shelter and construct an enclosed shelter house near the current site. This shelter will include a kitchen, restrooms, an open interior and storage. The proposed shelter would have an area of approximately 5,800 square feet, of which approximately 4,500 square feet would be for the community safe room.  The estimated cost of the project is $1.8 million. 

The Golfview Drainage Improvements Project is located at Laura A. Ward Park along NW Urbandale Drive and to the northeast of the intersection of 98th Street and Aurora Avenue. The project will involve constructing two sheet pile drop structures to limit the creek bed erosion and the installation of sheet pile to reestablish the bank to the northeast of the intersection of 98th Street and Aurora Avenue. Rip rap will be placed around the pond in Laura A. Ward Park to protect the edges from erosion.  The estimated cost of the project is $235,000.

The City Council, at its May 15th meeting, approved the proposal by MidAmerican Energy to install 42 high-pressure sodium street lights on 128th Street between Hickman Road to Douglas Parkway. The proposed lighting would be completed in late fall after all of the roadway paving is completed in November 2012.  The total proposal cost is $183,697.14. 

Bravo Greater Des Moines - The Region's Arts Council (Bravo) is a nonprofit organization committed to strengthening the metro area's arts and cultural community as a key element of a world-class quality of life. Bravo provides a collaborative focus to nurture and grow the arts by increasing funding through public and private sources.  Bravo presented its annual highlights to the Urbandale City Council, at the Council's May 15th meeting.  The presentation focused on Bravo's investment in the community and MD Isley, Bravo Executive Director, thanked the Council for its generous support. Executive Director Isley also spotlighted both the Living History Farms, located in Urbandale and the Connecting Kids to Culture program. 

The Urbandale Police Department responded to a criminal mischief case in the 4200 block of 162nd Street. Officer’s met with the Urbandale City Manager,  A.J. Johnson, who reported that sometime between 7:40 am – 5:15 pm on May 16, 2012, an unknown person(s) ran a lawn hose into his home causing thousands of dollars in damage.

The Urbandale Police Department is seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the person(s) involved in this case. Any information is strongly encouraged to call the Urbandale Police Department at 515-331-6803 or Polk County Crime Stoppers at 515-223-1400. If your tip results in an arrest and conviction, a
monetary reward will be issued.  For more information contact Officer Randy Peterson, at 515-331-6804.

Once trash is collected from your curb or emptied from your wastebasket at work, you probably do not give it another thought.  But Metro Waste Authority knows where nearly 2,000 tons of trash goes every day - roughly 18 percent of the state's annual waste.

Metro Waste Authority invites you to take a tour of our state-of-the-art landfill in eastern Polk County. On the tour, you will see how, with engineering and science, the garbage is managed each day in an environmentally sound way. You will also discover how the landfill provides electricity for thousands of area homes.

Many materials such as shingles, tires, metal, yard waste and appliances are also collected at the landfill but they don’t get buried with the other trash. The tour will show you how they are collected and recycled.

The bus tour is approximately one hour and 30 minutes. Tour dates are June 8 and June 16. Registration is now open at www.WhereItShouldGo.com.

For more information, visit www.WhereItShouldGo.com or call 515.244.0021.