New Live Fire Training Facility being built by Muscatine Fire Department

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Work is underway to construct a new live fire training facility using Conex containers at Muscatine Fire Department Station 2 off of Stewart Road. The facility will be a cost savings to the department and replace the procurement and use of old mobile homes for Fire Academy training.

The purchase of three Conex containers was approved by the Muscatine City Council during their March 16 meeting with the $9,485.00 cost being covered by American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

In his memo to the City Council, Battalion Chief Darrell Janssen said that Conex containers have proven to be a very effective way of creating a training facility that can be used for multiple live fire training scenarios.

“These containers can be modified and converted into various training props, which includes live fire rooms that can simulate real life situations,” Janssen said. “Creation of a live fire training facility like this has been a department goal for years as it provides flexibility, realistic training opportunities, and has a lower environmental impact than what we have had available for use in the past.” 

“I would like to say thank you to the Fire Chief, mayor, city administrator, and city council for making this possible,” Captain Andy Summitt said.

Summitt and Lieutenant Andrew McSorley have been heavily involved in the investigation and development of a live fire training facility.

“Many on staff spent hours preparing the trailers we were using for fire training, putting up drywall, fixing the floors, and prepping for the live burns,” Summitt said. “It was a costly, time-consuming process. We knew that there had to be a better way, one that was more durable and less costly.”

McSorley added that many departments are now going to these Conex boxes to burn in.

“They are safer, easier, last forever, and really cheap,” McSorley said.

Summitt, McSorley, and firefighter Sean Paustian were among those that started visiting other departments and seeing what they have done, including the facility at Iowa City, taking pictures and measurements to develop the basic layout for Muscatine.

“Iowa City facility graciously gave us all the help we needed along with input,” Summitt said. “We will work to have them come down and instruct us how to do the burns so that we can get the most bang for our buck.”

Staff continued with their research by calling and visiting other departments to see what they were doing, what worked, and what didn’t.

“We learned a lot for our design from the problems they encountered,” McSorley said. “Some departments don’t even burn in them, but just smoke the trainees out with a smoke machine.”

McSorley took all the information, sat down with paper and a ruler, and drew out the design for the Muscatine live fire training facility.

“We are getting to be such a young department that, if we are going to do it right, we might as well design it so that we can burn in it,” McSorley said.

When the first box arrived at the training site located at the old armory next to Station 2, it was discovered that the concrete pad had an arch to it. That meant that one end of the 8-foot x 40-foot container was 16-inches off the ground. With a team effort that is not unique for the City of Muscatine, Tyson Wedekind, the Roadway Maintenance Supervisor in the Department of Public Works, had his staff deliver and prep a level pad made up of crushed asphalt for the container.

“They had to pull off for other assignments but will be back in the next couple of weeks to create pads for the other two trailers,” McSorley said.

Public Works is not the only partner in the development of the training facility as the Fire Department has received help from Hoffmann, Inc., and MUSCO.

“Hoffmann donated two guys to us and a welder, which is amazing from them,” Summitt said. “I cannot thank them enough for that. And MUSCO provided their fork lift truck to help us place the containers.”

Kris Lee, president of Hoffmann, Inc., was on site Tuesday to see how the work was progressing. McSorley was hired by Hoffman while he was still in college and worked there until eight years ago when he decided to follow his lifelong dream to become a firefighter.

“I have known Andrew for a long time and when he reached out to us, we were happy to help,” Lee said.

McSorley noted that the expertise and equipment that Hoffman has donated to the fabrication of the facility is saving the department thousands of dollars, and a lot more in man hours.

The first container being worked on will house the burn room, a section of the container that has to be built to certain specifications and is lined with steel on the sides, the top, and on the bottom to absorb the heat of the fire. Behind that will be the control room where the instructors will maintain the fires.

“The heat inside one of these things is insane,” McSorley said. “We are going to have to put special covers on our helmets and use our older gear during the exercises.”

A second box will fit perpendicular to the first box with a third box sitting alongside the second box when the first phase of the facility has been completed. Both of these will be used to simulate rooms in a home or entrances to a home.

The second and third containers will have ports cut into the side so a pipe can be inserted to dispense smoke and keep the smoke machine outside. Plans also include using the piping of smoke into additional containers as the facility rises vertically and horizontally.

“There will be days with our academies when we will just pump these units full of smoke and let the trainees do searches,” McSorley said. “We will build walls in them to simulate rooms. An end to one container will look like the front of a house with a door, and the end of another container will look like a window with plexiglass in it so we can do vent and search.”

Paustian did construction before becoming a firefighter and will be constructing the rooms in the interior portions of the second two boxes. Plans include building a couple of closets and a bathroom that the trainees will have to open up and search through.

McSorley recalled four or five winters ago that a department in the general vicinity missed a child that was in a closet.

“For me, I’ve got two little kids, and that hit home,” McSorley said. “That is something that, in my academies now, we really hit hard on searches, especially in places that you don’t think of looking into.”

The current academy trainees will finish with the county burn trailer since the new facility will not be ready in time.

“This will be permanent training facility,” Summitt said. “My vision is that in the next couple of years we will go up maybe two-, three-, and four-stories high. We can stack them to make an upstairs, and to simulate basements. You can even stack them vertically to simulate elevators that you can repel down into. It will be the future training ground for sure.”

Veteran police officer retires after 35 years of service to the citizens of Muscatine

Brett Talkington steps away as Muscatine Chief of Police

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MUSCATINE, Iowa – Brett Talkington spent his final day as Chief of Police for the City of Muscatine just as he has done almost every day during his nearly 35-year career in law enforcement … meeting with members of the public. Talkington officially retires from public service today (February 28).

Talkington joined the Muscatine Police Department in 1988, was promoted to Corporal in 1996 and Lieutenant in 1998. He was promoted to Captain of Patrol in 2010 and became the Chief of Police on February 3, 2011.

“I started thinking about being a police officer in high school but really started wanting to do it early in my career in college,” Talkington said.

It was during those college years that he played fast pitch softball during the summer with a couple of police officers from Ames.

“I did a couple of ride-alongs with them and figured out pretty quickly that being a police officer was something that I kind of wanted to do,” Talkington said.

As a pretty social individual, Talkington found out early on that one of his favorite parts of the job was being able to visit with members of the community on almost a daily basis. That led to his dedication towards and active promotion of community policing by the Muscatine Police Department. Community policing basically is a collaborative partnership between law enforcement and the individuals and organizations they serve to develop solutions to problems and increase trust in police.

“I always liked to get out and talk with people so I probably was doing community policing before it was actually a thing,” Talkington said. “There has always been community policing in law enforcement and we always try to push the page on that, do more of that, and do a better job of that.”

Some of Talkington’s top memories as a police officer came from his interactions with individuals and families during some of the darkest times of their lives. He believes that by getting out and talking with the people, talking with the kids, and trying to help people through some of their issues can give you a feeling of great accomplishment. You deal with people at some of the worst times of their lives, he said, and if you just make a difference in a few of those lives that is what it is all about.

“Thinking back over my career, some of the top moments were when people got back to me later in life and thanked me for helping them through a personal issue or a family issue or with the kids or parents,” Talkington said. “Just dealing with people in general through the years and helping those people through problems was one of the biggest satisfactions for me. Again, people are at their worst times when we deal with them, not always, but most of the time.”

A field training officer who guided Talkington early in his career told him that how you deal with people initially is how that interaction is going to go. You set the tone for how it is going, he was told, good or bad.

That philosophy stuck with Talkington who has tried to pass it along to others as he rose through the ranks.

“In my 35-year career I have come across a lot of good cops and a lot of good supervisors,” Talkington said. “And I like to think that I have helped mentor some of those people and mold them and form them. As a field training officer, I like to think that I helped develop a lot of officers in the department.”

One of those that he has seen rise through the ranks. Tony Kies, will be taking over as Chief of Police Wednesday.

“Tony is going to do a great job as chief and Jeff (Jirak) is going to do an outstanding job as captain,” Talkington said. “As I look down the list of the new lieutenants, sergeants and corporals, each will do a great job in their new roles, and in their different positions. They will develop into those positions and Muscatine will be better for them.”

This is an exciting time for the Muscatine Police Department and Talkington knows that the department is in a real good place right now.

“That goes back to the whole department doing what they are supposed to be doing and following the rules,” Talkington said.

Being accredited by CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) by meeting an established set of professional standards and the use of ABLE (Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement) to prevent misconduct, avoid police mistakes, and promote officer health and wellness has created one of the top police departments in the state of Iowa.

“With CALEA everyone knows what is expected of them and they are held to higher standards than a lot of other departments are,” Talkington said.

Members of the Muscatine Police Department were doing some retaining on the ABLE program Tuesday, a process that the department does annually.

“ABLE gives everybody from the lowest person, the lowest officer, the rookie officer, all the way up to the chief, the techniques to intervene if somebody looks like they are getting out of hand with the person they are dealing with,” Talkington said. “Other officers, no matter their rank, can step in and this training gives them the right to do that without repercussions.”

The training has led to a dramatic reduction in the number of complaints, and a better relationship between the department and citizens.

“Sometimes you get into situations and it gets the better of you,” Talkington said. “The continual training from this program has helped our officers to stop before saying something they shouldn’t say or do something they shouldn’t do.”

The department and the citizens of Muscatine have also benefited from some additional high-end training that officers have been able to take.

“We have been blessed by a council and city administration that has provided us the money to send our people to really high-end training,” Talkington said.

“I would classify Muscatine as one of the better departments in the state of Iowa,” Talkington said. “Being CALEA certified is a huge thing for us and for the community itself, as well as the training programs that we send people to.”

Talkington’s message to those might like a career in law enforcement, especially with the Muscatine Police Department is … “we will get you trained, get you out on the road, and we are always looking for good people”

Reminder – burning of leaves is not permitted in Muscatine

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Weather and holiday closures along with an abnormally large number of leaves on the ground have created the not-ideal situation for the City of Muscatine Department of Public Works (DPW) of being behind in leaf collection efforts.

The delay in moving from zone to zone has prompted some residents to ponder if they should just burn their leaves instead of waiting for the leaf vacuum trucks to come around.

The simple answer is … DON’T. It is against the City Code of Muscatine and you could be fined.

“We have not allowed the burning of leaves for as long as I can remember,” Assistant Fire Chief Mike Hartman, who also serves as Muscatine’s Fire Marshal, said. “So, this has been a city ordinance for well over 25 years. When I came on the job the answer to my questions about burning leaves focused on the health/smoke concern and the potential for fires. I believe those are still two critical arguments for banning the burning of leaves.”

According to the City Code of Muscatine there will be no open burning within the corporate City limits without a permit having been issued by a representative of the Fire Department or by special exception of City Council. Section 15-5-2 (D) states that individuals who have property of one acre or more can be issued permits to burn landscape waste that commonly consists of leaves, organic matter, and brush and trees gathered from that property.

The reasoning for one acre or more is that these properties are large enough for individuals to locate their burn piles where they do not pose a risk to other structures whether on the individual’s property or a neighbor’s property. Open burning can only be done between 7 a.m. and 9 p.m. on the days stipulated on the permit. Section 15-5-5 contains other Open Burning Restrictions.

A Fire Department representative will attempt to ensure the fire poses no problem with relation to smoke obscuring roadways, creating a nuisance, or of the fire spreading beyond the control of the responsible individual before a permit is issued.

“With our present open burning ordinance (leaves not allowed to be burned) the most common reason for someone calling in an open burn is because of the smoke,” Hartman said. “The ordinance specifically authorizes our staff to require burning to be discontinued if the smoke is an issue – even if the citizen has a valid burn permit.”

Muscatine Fire Chief Jerry Ewers said his primary responsibility is the prevention of fires, therefore he fully supports the ban on opening burning.

“One of our primary concerns is that these fires tend to get out of control and spread to garages, fences, and other structures,” Ewers said.

Hartman noted that if you have watched a pile of leaves burn, you likely noticed how quickly and easily burning leaves can be swept up by a breeze. Fortunately, this material is not often a competent ignition source once it flies off, but there is potential.

The other primary concern is the health of the community.

“We interact with many people who have legitimate health issues and are medically impacted by smoke from burning wood,” Hartman said. “With our present ordinance we are able to balance the desire of one citizen to relax by a recreational fire with the personal safety concerns of those with medical conditions.”

“Within the last year we had 32 calls where someone was illegally burning – most of those were called in due to smoke,” Hartman said. “We also had six other calls where someone complained but since the person burning was following the rules, we allowed them to continue.”

So, what options are available to residents since burning leaves is banned by the City of Muscatine (and many other communities in our area including Davenport, Bettendorf, Iowa City, Clinton, Rock Island, and Moline).

The first option is to be patient. Public Works has three crews working extended hours to catch up and complete the second round of collection. A third and final round of collection will be undertaken if the weather holds.

“We have taken 304 leaf loads to the Compost Facility so far this fall,” Brian Stineman, Public Works Director, said. “Last year at this time we only had 178 leaf loads. We have every piece of equipment and every available staff member out working to complete our leaf collection efforts.”

Two other options available for residents include placing the leaves in a City of Muscatine yard waste bag to be picked up on the resident’s refuse collection day, or use the leaves as mulch for their gardens.

City of Muscatine yard waste bags are available at the Muscatine Transfer Station, HyVee stores, and at Fareway Grocery. Grass clippings, leaves, and garden waste can be placed in these bags and set next to the resident’s refuse bin on their collection day. The bags will be picked up by the Solid Waste Division and taken to the Muscatine Compost Facility.

Yard waste bags that have store brand names on them will not be picked up. However, residents of Muscatine and Fruitland can take these bags to the Compost Facility at their convenience.

The Compost Facility at the Transfer Station is scheduled to close for the season on December 11 but hours may be extended if leaf collection continues. The Compost Site will be open from 12-5 p.m. Sunday through Friday and from 9 a.m-5 p.m. on Saturdays.

Iowa DNR encourages three ways to handle fall leaves –

Fall leaves are beautiful – until they pile up in your yard. Don’t send those precious nutrients up in smoke. Instead, put those nuisance leaf piles to good use. Leaves, small branches and other landscape materials can nourish your lawn, garden or community.

It’s easy: 

1. Compost. Composting leaves and food scraps is a great way to turn this waste into garden nutrients. A good compost mix needs both carbon (dead or dry leaves) and nitrogen (green materials like food scraps and grass clippings). Many types and sizes of compost containers are available. For tips on low-tech ways to compost, see a DNR tutorial.  
2. Mulch. Your lawn will love you if you chop up and leave your leaves in place. Leaves are a free, natural fertilizer that enriches your soil with organic matter. You can use your regular lawn mower. Or, use a mulching lawn mower to shred and mix leaves and grass into your yard.  
3. Bag it. If you have too many leaves or branches to compost, you can bag the leaves and tie up the branches to be collected or have a drop-off at the Muscatine Compost Facility. The upside is that anyone can pick up composted materials for their yards or gardens from the Compost Facility.
4. Yard waste is collected on a residents refuse collection day but only in bags with the City of Muscatine logo on them. (See GUIDELINES).
5. Yard Waste in any paper bag along with tree limbs and other trimmings can be taken to the Compost Facility during normal hours operation.
6. Residents of Muscatine and Fruitland can drop off yard waste free of change with proof of residency. A small fee is charged for non-residents.

For some, burning leaves seems to capture the nostalgic smell of autumn. But breathing leaf smoke pulls pollutants such as carbon monoxide, soot and toxic chemicals into your lungs. While it may smell good, smoke is especially harmful to children, the elderly, and those with respiratory or heart problems. Turning leaves into nutrients is the healthy way to protect your and your neighbor’s lungs.

Firefighter Mike Kruse to be remembered

20th Anniversary of his line of duty death

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Six members of the 11-person shift that arrived to battle a late-night house fire on a cool September night remain on active duty with the Muscatine Fire Department. Four have retired or moved on. One remains the only Muscatine firefighter to die in the line of duty.

A year and three days after 343 firefighters perished in a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Muscatine lost one of its own while battling a house fire. Firefighter Michael Kruse was 53-years-old and a 27-year veteran of the Muscatine Fire Department when he lost his life on the night of September 14, 2002.

Kruse will be remembered during a special service Wednesday (Sept. 14) with the laying of a wreath, placing of structural firefighting gear, and a moment of silence at the Firefighters Memorial commemorating the 20th anniversary of his death.

Kruse remains the only Muscatine firefighter to die in the line of duty, the only Iowa firefighter to lose their life while on duty in 2002 and the 131st in the state of Iowa since record keeping began in 1890.

Jerry Ewers, now the Muscatine Fire Chief, fondly remembers meeting Kruse for the first time as part of his team at Station 2, and sadly remembers the night Kruse lost his life.

“I remember that night very well,” Ewers said.

Muscatine Fire Department’s Green Shift responded to a structure fire at 10:30 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2002, finding a wooden three-story multi-family home at the intersection of Orange and East 6th streets engulfed in flames. Kruse was one of two firefighters who were working on the structure’s roof when Kruse fell through and into the structure below.

When Ewers arrived at the scene he issued an all-call to bring in other shifts and relieve Green Shift in containing the fire.

“The tragedy suffered by Green Shift was felt by all those who came to the scene,” Ewers said. “But it was best to relieve that shift and allow them to grieve. We still had a job to do but it was a very emotional night.”

Kruse’s dedication to job safety and protecting Muscatine residents is a lesson that can be taught to the firefighters of today and those of the future.

His sacrifice and loss of life while on active duty, the emotional toll it took on his family, co-workers, and Muscatine residents, and the hope that Muscatine will never again experience a tragedy such as are all part of the message presented verbally or in the silent thoughts of those attending during each memorial service.

Assistant Fire Chief Mike Hartman also knew Kruse and carried his picture with him when he completed the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Stair Climb. The significance that two tragedies come so close together for Muscatine Firefighters is not lost on Hartman.

“It is sad but also offers you an opportunity to reflect on the job, and the sacrifices they made,” Hartman said. “I look at it as a chance to kind of rededicate yourself. Mike passed in 2002 and we don’t have a lot of people on staff who remember him.”

Ewers first met Kruse in the 1990’s as a newly appointed Fire Lieutenant assigned to Station 2. Kruse was a member of Ewers’ crew along with then firefighter June Anne Gaeta.

Ewers admits that as a very young, very green fire lieutenant he was book smart but lacked the fire ground command and exposure to structure fires.

“Mike was a true teacher and mentor to me,” Ewers said. “His experience in fighting real fires, his expertise with the equipment, and his knowledge of the city helped this young lieutenant grow.”

Kruse joined the department in 1975 and was one of the first members to obtain his fire science degree at MCC.

“He was a true firefighter dedicated to protecting property and saving lives,” Ewers said. “He was very detail oriented, liked everything clean and in its place, and took his job very seriously.”

One thing about Hartman’s relationship with Kruse is that Hartman knows that Kruse would expect him to maintain his training and safety, two things that were very important to Kruse.

“That’s one of things I reflect on at this time of year,” Hartman said. “What can I do to train a little bit more, to be a little bit safer, or to help our staff train harder and be safer.”

Hartman said you can either focus on the negatives at this time of year or you can look for ways to become better.

“Everybody is going to be sad at the loss of life,” Hartman said. “You can be sad and focus on the negative part. Or you can be sad and ask what would Mike want. Those of us, especially those who worked with Mike, would ask that question.”

Everybody dealt with Kruse’s death in a different way. Many on staff just did not talk about the event or what Kruse meant to the department. A gap started to develop as staff left or retired and were replaced his young new hires. Hartman noted that after a while, one of the newer firefighters asked what you can tell me about the event and about Mike.

Hartman and others realized that they had not done a good job of that, and sat down to put together a presentation to give to each shift. The two-hour presentation on the event, what went wrong, what could be done better, and what Mike was all about is now given at each new hire academy.

“You cannot undo what happened but you can use what happened and get as much positive out of it as you can,” Hartman said. “I think sharing this information with the department and the new hires helps to not only keep Mike’s memory alive but it is the right thing to do and brings them in to culture.”

Ewers spoke of the difference between commemoration and celebration during his 2012 speech. Commemorating an event, he said, is done to honor the memory of that event. Celebration is a time or rejoicing, a time to feel good about something that has happened.

“Commemorations often remind us of what we have lost,” Ewers said. “Commemorations are important, not because of the words spoken, but because of honor, courage, and sacrifice that were displayed during the time of the event itself.

“We all know in our hearts that firefighting is a dangerous profession,” Ewers said. “Mike knew this when he was hired in 1975. Not every firefighter who responds to the sound of an alarm is guaranteed a safe return to quarters. Some will be mentally scarred for life with what we see and encounter at emergency scenes, some will be seriously injured, and some will pay the ultimate price.

“So it was with Mike Kruse on September 14, 2002 while battling a house fire at 6th and Orange just a few blocks from here,” Ewers said. “We have gathered here to commemorate that tragic event that took one of our own and left behind a painful gap in our ranks. We will continue to do this as long as the Muscatine Fire Department is in existence.”

Muscatine’s Firefighters Memorial is located at the intersection of Cedar and 5th Streets.

NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL – Kruse is among the fallen firefighters to be honored with inclusion on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

In his memorial, his children wrote:

“Mike was a ‘True American Hero.’ He never wanted to be recognized for all the wonderful things he did. Mike always stood up for what he believed in. He was always honest‚ even though the other person did not want to hear what he had to say. Mike always followed the rules‚ unless someone gave him a direct order to do otherwise.

Mike always put others before himself. He always talked about his family which he was so proud of. Mike stood by them through thick and thin. He gave his children unconditional love. He taught them to respect other people for who they are. Mike explained to them to love life because life is short. He became their best friend. He loved them for who they are. He was so excited about his little grandson‚ who bore his name. He took time out of his busy life to spend lots of loving moments with him.

Mike always went the extra mile at home and at work. He kept track of every run he had ever been on. He stopped by some of the houses while he was out for his morning jog and checked on patients to make sure they were doing all right. He never passed up the opportunity to play in the yearly basketball game with the Special Olympics. Mike always enjoyed carrying the boot and receiving donations for MDA.

Mike was a veteran at the fire department for twenty-seven years. He was still able to keep up with some of the younger guys. He was able to give the younger firemen the knowledge he had learned over the years. He was very respected for that.

Mike was taken from us at a moment in time when his family and friends were so proud of who he was. He will always remain alive in our hearts as a ‘True American Hero.’”

IOWA FIRE FIGHTER LINE OF DUTY MEMORIAL

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

New job search, application process implemented by the City of Muscatine

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The City of Muscatine has implemented new applicant tracking software that will make it easier for individuals to search for and to apply for City employment. Gone are the days of visiting City Hall to pick up a paper application or downloading a PDF (portable document format) application from the website, filling it out, and returning the application to City Hall. The application process is now 100 percent online.

Job seekers can see a list of available positions and how to apply by clicking on the “Employment” button on the homepage of the City of Muscatine website (located in the upper left side of the main screen).

The Career Center will open in a new window and job seekers can view the list of current full-time, part-time, and seasonal opportunities by clicking on “available positions”. Search the list and click on the title to see the job description. Interested candidates can then click on the green “apply” button to begin the application process.

Potential applicants must register before applying by creating a profile. You only need to register once and can edit your profile at any time. Applicants can track the status of his or her application through their profile. Once registered you will also be able to sign up for email notification(s) of job openings in specific departments through the Talent Network.

For those who do not have access to a computer, the Department of Human Resources at Muscatine City Hall will have paper applications available for the job seeker to fill out. Human Resources staff is available 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to answer questions or to help in the online or paper process. Contact Human Resources at 563-264-1550.

Current Employment Opportunities

A variety of full-time, part-time, and seasonal employment opportunities are available and the City of Muscatine is actively seeking applicants who have the desire and interest to work for an organization that takes pride in their community, pride in community service, and pride in their employees. Individuals within a 30-mile radius of the Muscatine city limits (including Iowa and Illinois residents) are eligible to apply.

Police Officer

If you are called to public service and want to make a positive contribution, the City of Muscatine invites you to join the professional, accredited, and dedicated Muscatine Police Department. Work involves responsibility for community protection of life and property, crime prevention, law enforcement and arrest, assigned patrol, traffic control and supervision, investigation, records and reporting processing, community outreach, and other special police related assignments.

Engineer

The Department of Public Works (DPW) has an opening for an engineer who would assist with city/civil engineering studies, project design, review, and inspections relating to City infrastructure related projects. The position has responsibility to oversee and perform design for Capital Improvements as assigned. Other responsibilities include reviewing easement documents, design and construction projects in accordance with state laws and engineering standards.

Community Services Officer – Code Enforcement

The City of Muscatine is seeking a Community Services Officer (Code Enforcement) who will perform specialized technical and professional inspection work related to enforcement of adopted housing regulations and City Code. Work consists of inspections of businesses and residential properties to assure compliance with applicable regulations; communication of inspection results and required corrective actions to property owners; and coordination of abatement activities.

Ambulance Technician

The Muscatine Fire Department is taking applications for an Ambulance Technician. Work involves the performance of emergency and non-emergency medical duties in line with departmental operations as well as maintenance of all medical equipment and building and grounds. Responds to medical emergencies, responds to non-emergency calls for service, stands by at fire scenes and at community events prepared to respond to medical emergencies.

Assistant Library Director

Musser Public Library and HNI Community Center has an opening for an Assistant Library Director. The Assistant Director performs administrative and advanced professional work and oversees and manages select library operations and services. In addition, the Assistant Director serves as administrative manager for Adult/Reference Services and Special Collections

Refuse Truck Driver

The Solid Waste Division of the Department of Public Works is taking applications for a Refuse truck Driver. This is manual and semiskilled work in the operation of a refuse collection packer truck.  Work involves responsibility for operation of a refuse collection packer truck.  Work requires that employees of this class follow established routes and maintain collection schedules.  Emphasis of the work is upon operating the packer truck although on assigned routes employees of this class also collect and load refuse into the packer.

Muscatine Municipal Golf Course opportunities

• Clubhouse Supervisor – works in the clubhouse pro shop assisting customers with tee times, equipment rental, and pro shop purchases.
• Outside Services – responsible for collecting golf balls on the driving range, and assisting patrons with outside service needs.
• Food and Beverage – provides customer service to patrons at the golf course concession area. Ability to provide excellent customer service, and accurately handle orders and cash is required.

Parks and Recreation Department opportunities

• Soccer Complex On Site Supervisor – oversees user groups at the soccer complex, assists user groups with various needs, and ensures Soccer Complex rules are followed. Must be able to interact professionally and courteously with members of the public, and engage in some physical labor.
• Seasonal Equipment Operator(s) & Seasonal Groundskeeper(s) – Opportunities at the Soccer Complex, Kent Stein Park, Greenwood Cemetery, and Park Maintenance,  Must be able to safely use equipment such as riding mowers, push mowers, string trimmers and other groundskeeping equipment. This position assists in mowing, groundskeeping, and preparing athletic fields for play. Must be at least 18. Some weekend hours may be required. 

For more information, visit the Career Center on the City of Muscatine website. The City of Muscatine is an equal employment affirmative action employer.

Ambulances For Ukraine – Two Muscatine units begin journey to serve citizens in war-torn Ukraine

Two surplus ambulances from the Muscatine Fire Department completed the first leg of their journey for service in Ukraine Thursday morning, arriving at the staging area in Chicago just afternoon. The ambulances were outfitted with stretchers and loaded with additional provisions and loaded onto the truck that transported them to an east coast city Thursday afternoon. Pictured are, left to right: Muscatine Firefighter John Peters, Muscatine Fire Chief Jerry Ewers, OSF HealthCare Vice President Government Relations Chris Manson, and Muscatine Fire Battalion Chief Gary Ronzheimer.

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Two Muscatine ambulances are on their way to serve in Ukraine, a nation that is losing an average of seven ambulances per day in their war with Russia.

“These two units were declared surplus after we took delivery of new units,” Gary Ronzheimer, Battalion Chief for the Muscatine Fire Department, said. “They may not have additional life in this country as ambulances but they still can serve to assist the sick and injured, and are badly needed in Ukraine.”

Ronzheimer had been looking for ways that the Muscatine Fire Department could help the citizens of Ukraine and ran across a story about OSF HealthCare, headquartered in Peoria, Ill., who was working to send medical supplies and ambulances to Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion.

“I discussed donating our two older ambulances to the effort once they were declared surplus with Chief (Jerry) Ewers and he agreed that this would be a great way for Muscatine to support Ukrainian Medical Services.”

While the paperwork was being completed to declare the two ambulances surplus, Ronzheimer contacted Chris Manson, Vice-President of Government Relations with OSF Healthcare System, to determine just how Muscatine could donate the ambulances.

Working with the Consulate General of Ukraine in Chicago and the Ukrainian Medical Association of North America (UMANA), Manson has been able to ship five ambulances and medical supplies in three flights from Chicago since March 29.

Once the donation was approved by UMANA, the ambulances were scheduled to be shipped to Baltimore where they were to be loaded onto a ship in last half of June, taken across the Atlantic Ocean, and arrive in Ukraine in early July. The opportunity to speed up the delivery process presented itself earlier this week, with the contingency that the Muscatine ambulances needed to be in Chicago by noon on Thursday (June 9).

Manson informed Ewers and Ronzheimer that an aircraft large enough to handle both ambulances would be available on Monday out of an east coast city but the ambulances had to be at the airport by Sunday. If the ambulances make the plane, they will likely be in Ukraine by Wednesday and transporting injured, sick, and wounded by the end of next week.

“We were excited to learn of the opportunity to put the ambulances on a cargo plane and see them in service to the Ukrainian people sooner than transporting them by ship,” Ewers said. “Once we received word about the opportunity, we prepared the ambulances and made arrangements to take them to the staging area in Chicago.”

The two ambulances left Muscatine Thursday morning with Ronzheimer and Firefighter John Peters driving the two ambulances and Ewers following in his SUV to bring the pair back. They were greeted by Manson when they arrived at the Chicago warehouse staging area just after noon.

The Muscatine ambulances are the sixth and seventh to be sent to Ukraine as part of the OSF HealthCare project.

“This is an ongoing effort as, unfortunately, the need continues to grow,” Manson said in an OSF HealthCare press release. “Everyday ambulances are being destroyed in Ukraine. As soon as our ambulances arrive, they are immediately put to use across the country.”

WRRF has new tool to reduce nutrients, fight struvite formation in wastewater

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Muscatine Water & Resource Recovery Facility (WRRF) has a new tool to battle against struvite buildup … algae. The WRRF is taking part in a pilot study that uses growing algae as a way to reduce nutrients in wastewater.

“Algae is a wonderful way to take nutrients out of water,” Jon Koch, WRRF director, said. “They do that naturally anyway, taking nitrogen and phosphorus from the water to grow more of themselves.”

Gross-Wen Technologies, based in Slater, Iowa, developed a sustainable water treatment solution that was algae based, and a pilot program was established in early April at the WRRF and is now operational.

The process was developed by a graduate student and professor at Iowa State University as a way to remove the nutrients from lagoons and similar places.

“I was at a conference in Ames a few years ago when they presented this process,” Koch said.

What started as a process for lagoons attracted the interest of wastewater people and how this process could be used at wastewater plants. The thought of using algae to treat wastewater was new to the group presenting the process at the conference, and it took a few years of development to bring the costs down to a more manageable level.

The company visited the WRRF in 2019 and proposed a pilot program for Muscatine.

“We kind of lost track of the company during the pandemic but when we got slammed so badly by struvite in 2021, I called them up and said we needed to revisit bringing a pilot program to Muscatine,” Koch said.

The original cost for the six-month project was $100,000, but after some refinements to the process the cost was whittled down to $30,000.

“That is a lot more manageable,” Koch said. “During the revisit I asked them if we could get a pilot program right away and they said they could. However, it still took several months before the mechanism was delivered and installed.”

Struvite is a phosphate mineral crystal that is composed of magnesium, ammonia, and phosphate (referred to as MAP by the wastewater industry for the nutrient composition of struvite). Struvite is a common problem in sewage and wastewater treatment because it forms a scale in pipelines, belts, centrifuges, pumps, clog system pipes, and anaerobic digester systems. Damage to equipment, pipes and piping can lead to biosolids treatment mechanical and process failures.

To reduce the problems caused by increased struvite levels in wastewater, a “Revolving Algal Biofilm System (RAM^TM)” was developed for algae-based nutrient recovery from wastewater. The system also provides a cost-effective solution that can be used to comply with new, more stringent municipal and industrial wastewater discharge permits.

“This mechanism sits outside in a kind of greenhouse using the sun to keep the interior warm for good algae growth,” Koch said.

The system uses vertically oriented conveyor belts that grow algae on their surface. As the algae grows, it consumes nitrogen and phosphorus from the wastewater while it uses sunlight and carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to rapidly grow algae biomass.

“The belt rotates through the effluent water and grabs nutrients from the wastewater,” Koch said. “Algae grows on the belt as it rotates up into the warm air. The algae picks up more nutrients as the belt continues to rotate back down, through the water, and back up.”

Algae is harvested by being scrapped off the belt, and can be used to make fertilizer, bioplastics, and biofuels, providing an additional revenue stream alongside an already more economical system.

“All that scraped off algae has the nutrients in it and the water that comes out has less nutrients than when it came in,” Koch said. “The mechanism also puts oxygen in the water using a six hp motor.”

Oxygen is needed by the bacteria to allow biodegradation to occur (breaking down the organic matter containing carbon to form carbon dioxide and water). At the present time, Koch is using three 150 hp and two 250 hp motors to add oxygen to the water.

“If I can use 6 hp to add oxygen instead of 800 hp I am saving a lot of electricity,” Koch said.

The system benefits the WRRF by reducing the amount of nutrients in the water thus reducing the amount of struvite formation while meeting the more stringent DNR permit requirements and saving the WRRF money.

“So, you are meeting your permit limits for the nutrients you are required to take out, you are saving electricity, you are reducing struvite formation, you are reducing the amount of solids because it will pull solids out as well, and you have a revenue source,” Koch said. “This system kind of hits on a lot of different goals that we have.

Koch noted that using an algae-based system to remove nutrients from the water would quickly pay for itself.

“The savings you would have on energy reduction, and on the amount of time, energy, and chemicals used to prevent struvite formation along with the additional revenue from algae generation make this technology affordable,” Koch said.

But it is not only in the benefits of nutrient reduction to prevent struvite formation and to meet DNR permit requirements that make the system practical.

“This will be a really good compliment to the watershed work,” Koch said. “What this system can do for us as far as struvite removal is key, but you don’t have to do the whole thing (nutrient removal) at the plant.”

Koch noted that it would take an acre or more of these systems put together to do all the nutrient reduction and the cost would be pretty high.

“But if you scale it just where you need it, just enough to affect your struvite reduction and everything else, then maybe you can get most of that reduction done at the plant,” Koch said.

And whatever you cannot get done at the plant, then you can go out to the watershed, put in prairie strips and things like that, and do other watershed work which is really inexpensive but beneficial to the entire watershed.

“Muscatine city, the watershed as a whole, and the entire city basin will benefit from what we are starting to do at the WRRF today,” Koch said.

WRRF RAM System Pilot Program installed at Water Resource & Recovery Facility (Video)

Gross-Wen Technologies RAM System Overview (YouTube Video)

Gross-Wen Technologies RAB System (YouTube Video)

Saving Lives: The value of implementing fire safety measures in the home

MUSCATINE, Iowa – The value of fire safety is never more on display than after a young family escapes virtually unharmed from their smoke filled and burning home. That was the case last Friday (Oct. 29) when a woman, an infant, and a menagerie of pets escaped a smoke filled home on Sterneman Boulevard.

The woman and infant were asleep in the bedroom with the door closed when the sound of a smoke alarm just outside the bedroom woke the woman up. Upon opening the door the woman found a home filled with smoke. Without thinking twice, the woman grabbed the infant, put three dogs out onto the front porch, and then escaped the house as the first units arrived at the scene.

“The fact that there were smoke detectors throughout the home that were activated by the smoke and woke the family up more than likely saved their lives,” Assistant Chief Mike Hartman said. “But what else helped was the fact that the family closed the door to their bedroom which prevented the smoke from rolling in.”

Those two fire safety measures (smoke alarms and closing the door) are just two of the tips offered by the Muscatine Fire Department as residents prepare for winter.

Muscatine residents, like most families across the United States, will be turning back their clocks one hour at 2 a.m. on Sunday (Nov. 7), and the Muscatine Fire Department urges homeowners to change the batteries in their smoke and carbon monoxide detectors while they are changing the time on their clocks.

SMOKE DETECTORS AN EARLY WARNING SYSTEM

Smoke detectors are one of several lines of defense families can take to escape a fire in their home. Closing the door before doze, installing carbon monoxide detectors, and creating a home escape plan can also help prevent a tragedy.

“Smoke detectors should be installed inside each bedroom, outside each sleeping area, and on every level of the home including the basement,” Battalion Chief Ted Hillard said.

On levels without bedrooms, smoke alarms should be installed in the living (den or family) room, at the bottom of stairs leading to the next level, or in both locations. The detectors are usually mounted on the ceiling or on a wall no more than 12 inches from the ceiling, and at least 10 feet from a cooking appliance to minimize false alarms when cooking.

Hillard shared additional tips on smoke alarms.

• Don’t install smoke alarms near windows, doors, or ducts where drafts might interfere with their operation.
• Never paint smoke alarms. Paint, stickers, or other decorations could keep the alarms from working.
• Test smoke alarms at least once a month using the test button.
• Replace the battery at least once per year. If the alarm chirps warning that the battery is low, replace the battery right away.

“Newer smoke alarms have a 10-year non-replaceable battery,” Hillard said. “You need to write the date installed on the device because once they begin to chirp after 10 years they need to be thrown away and replaced.”

Having interconnected smoke alarms also increase safety, but it is important that all of the interconnected smoke alarms are from the same manufacturer. Interconnection can be accomplished by hard-wiring or wireless technology so when one smoke alarm sounds, they all sound.

When testing fire alarms, pay attention to where your pets hide. This is most likely where they will go in the event of an emergency.

Residents can call the Muscatine Fire Department (563-263-9233) if they have questions concerning smoke detectors. The department will come out and inspect smoke detectors in a home. They also have a grant program that offers smoke detectors to homeowners.

NFPA – Installing and maintaining smoke alarms

CLOSE BEFORE YOU DOZE

Fire spreads faster than ever before due to the use of synthetic materials, furniture, and construction. Closing doors can help stop the spread of a fire and, in many cases, actually can help to extinguish a fire before it spreads. The family on Sterneman Boulevard found out just how beneficial it was to close the door before they went to sleep.

“Having the door closed kept the smoke from coming in and filling up the bedroom,” Hartman said.

Smoke rises to the ceiling and begins to roll throughout a home to areas of least resistance. Closing a door increases that resistance.

“We could see during our investigation that the door had been closed as smoke filled the rest of the house,” Hartman said. “There were not any smoke stains inside the bedroom and that is a good indication that the smoke was prevented from entering the room.”

Hartman also said that keeping doors closed could also help in preventing the spread of a fire.

“Fire needs oxygen to spread and a closed door can reduce the amount of fuel available to a fire,” Hartman said. “In some cases, a closed door can actually help to smother a fire before it becomes out of control.”

Based on findings from the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) ‘Close Your Door’ encourages those trapped in a room during a fire as well as those who can safely leave a home to close as many doors as possible.

A closed door can be an effective barrier against deadly levels of carbon monoxide, smoke and flames, and may give people more time to respond to the smoke alarm. In fact, according to the FSRI, there can be a 900-degree difference in room temperature between a room with an open door and one with a closed door, with the open-door room reaching temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit or more.

“Fire hasn’t changed in the past quarter century, but our home environments have, and because of this fire moves faster than ever before with home fire deaths rising even as home fires decline,” said Steve Kerber, vice president of research and director of FSRI. “Our annual fire safety survey shows that fire safety habits still aren’t where they need to be to prevent loss of life and property. Everyone can take three simple steps by having working smoke alarms, having an escape plan and closing their bedroom door at night.”

FSRI Close Before You Doze

See the dramatic difference a door can make (YouTube Video)

HAVE AN ESCAPE PLAN

Another important fire safety action people should take to protect themselves and their loved ones in the event of a fire is having and practicing an escape plan that includes having two ways to get out of every room, and identifying a common meeting place outside of the home.

“This is one of the key messages in our educational program,” Hartman said. “Knowing what to do when a smoke alarm sounds, where to exit a room or the home, and knowing where to meet outside is crucial to increasing your chances of surviving a home fire.”

Fires spread quickly. Many times there is as little as one or two minutes to escape once the smoke alarm sounds, so pulling together members of the household to make a plan, practice the plan, and inspect all possible exits and escape routes is important.

NFPA Home Fire Escape Planning Tips

Every Second Counts (YouTube Video)

Muscatine firefighters pause to remember

Six members of the 11-person shift that arrived to battle a late night house fire on a cool September night remain on active duty with the Muscatine Fire Department. Four have retired or moved on. One remains the only Muscatine firefighter to die in the line of duty.

A year and three days after 343 firefighters perished in a terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, Muscatine lost one of its own while battling a house fire. Firefighter Michael Kruse was 53-years-old and a 27-year veteran of the Muscatine Fire Department when he lost his life on the night of September 14, 2002.

Kruse was remembered during a special service Tuesday (Sept. 14) with the laying of a wreath and a moment of silence at the Firefighters Memorial commemorating the 19th anniversary of his death.

Kruse remains the only Muscatine firefighter to die in the line of duty, the only Iowa firefighter to lose their life while on duty in 2002 and the 131st in the state of Iowa since record keeping began in 1890.

Jerry Ewers, now the Muscatine Fie Chief, fondly remembers meeting Kruse for the first time as part of his team at Station 2, and sadly remembers the night Kruse lost his life.

“I remember that night very well,” Ewers said.

Muscatine Fire Department’s Green Shift responded to a structure fire at 10:30 p.m. on that Saturday night (Sept. 14, 2002) finding a wooden three-story multi-family home at the intersection of Orange and East 6th streets engulfed in flames. Kruse was one of two firefighters who were working on the structure’s roof when Kruse fell through and into the structure below.

When Ewers arrived at the scene he issued an all-call to bring in other shifts and relieve Green Shift in containing the fire.

“The tragedy suffered by Green Shift was felt by all those who came to the scene,” Ewers said. “But it was best to relieve that shift and allow them to grieve. We still had a job to do but it was a very emotional night.”

Kruse’s dedication to job safety and protecting Muscatine residents is a lesson that can be taught to the firefighters of today and those of the future.

“Sometime tomorrow I ask that you take a moment and reflect on something that you can do to make your role as an emergency responder just a little bit more safe,” Mike Hartman, Assistant Fire Chief, said to fire department staff on Monday. “Those who knew Mike would agree that he believed in safety, and he would appreciate you finding a less risky way of doing what you have to do to protect the public.”

His sacrifice and loss of life while on active duty, the emotional toll it took on his family, co-workers, and Muscatine residents, and the hope that Muscatine will never experience a tragedy such as this ever again are all part of the message presented verbally or in the silent thoughts of those attending during each memorial service.

“Mike was one of the most safety conscious firefighter’s on the department,” Ewers said during a speech in 2012 commemorating the 10th anniversary of Kruse’s death. “Mike always looked out for other firefighters to make sure they were doing the job safely and that they had their full protective equipment on at all times.”

Hartman also knew Kruse and carried his picture with him when he completed the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation Memorial Stair Climb. The significance that two tragedies come so close together for Muscatine Firefighters is not lost on Hartman.

“It is sad but also offers you an opportunity to reflect on the job, and the sacrifices they made,” Hartman said. “I look at it as a chance to kind of rededicate yourself. Mike passed in 2002 and we don’t have a lot of people on staff who remember him.”

Ewers first met Kruse in the 1990’s as a newly appointed Fire Lieutenant assigned to Station 2. Kruse and firefighter June Anne Gaeta were his crew.

Ewers admits that as a very young, very green fire lieutenant he was book smart but lacked the fire ground command and exposure to structure fires.

“Mike was a true teacher and mentor to me,” Ewers said. “His experience in fighting real fires, his expertise with the equipment, and his knowledge of the city helped this young lieutenant grow.”

Kruse joined the department in 1975 and was one of the first members to obtain his fire science degree at MCC.

“He was a true firefighter dedicated to protecting property and saving lives,” Ewers said. “He was very detail oriented, liked everything clean and in its place, and took his job very seriously.”

One thing about Hartman’s relationship with Kruse is that Hartman knows that Kruse would expect him to maintain his training and safety, two things that were very important to Kruse.

“That’s one of things I reflect on at this time of year,” Hartman said. “What can I do to train a little bit more, to be a little bit safer, or to help our staff train harder and be safer.”

Hartman said you can either focus on the negatives at this time of year or you can look for ways to become better.

“Everybody is going to be sad at the loss of life,” Hartman said. “You can be sad and focus on the negative part. Or you can be sad and ask what would Mike want. Those of us, especially those who worked with Mike, would ask that question.”

Everybody dealt with Kruse’s death in a different way. Many on staff just did not talk about the event or what Kruse meant to the department. A gap started to develop as staff left or retired and were replaced his young new hires. Hartman noted that after a while, one of the newer firefighters asked what you can tell me about the event and about Mike. Hartman and others realized that they had not done a good job of that, and sat down to put together a presentation to give to each shift. The two-hour presentation on the event, what went wrong, what could be done better, and what Mike was all about is now given at each new hire academy.

“You cannot undo what happened but you can use what happened and get as much positive out of it as you can,” Hartman said. “I think sharing this information with the department and the new hires helps to not only keep Mike’s memory alive but it is the right thing to do and brings them in to culture.”

Ewers spoke of the difference between commemoration and celebration during his 2012 speech. Commemorating an event, he said, is done to honor the memory of that event. Celebration is a time or rejoicing, a time to feel good about something that has happened.

“Commemorations often remind us of what we have lost,” Ewers said. “Commemorations are important, not because of the words spoken, but because of honor, courage, and sacrifice that were displayed during the time of the event itself.

“We all know in our hearts that firefighting is a dangerous profession,” Ewers said. “Mike knew this when he was hired in 1975. Not every firefighter who responds to the sound of an alarm is guaranteed a safe return to quarters. Some will be mentally scarred for life with what we see and encounter at emergency scenes, some will be seriously injured, and some will pay the ultimate price.

“So it was with Mike Kruse on September 14, 2002 while battling a house fire at 6th and Orange just a few blocks from here,” Ewers said. “We have gathered here to commemorate that tragic event that took one of our own and left behind a painful gap in our ranks. We will continue to do this as long as the Muscatine Fire Department is in existence.”

Muscatine’s Firefighters Memorial is located at the intersection of Cedar and 5th Streets.

NATIONAL FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS MEMORIAL – Kruse is among the fallen firefighters to be honored with inclusion on the National Fallen Firefighters Memorial.

In his memorial, his children wrote:

“Mike was a ‘True American Hero.’ He never wanted to be recognized for all the wonderful things he did. Mike always stood up for what he believed in. He was always honest‚ even though the other person did not want to hear what he had to say. Mike always followed the rules‚ unless someone gave him a direct order to do otherwise.

Mike always put others before himself. He always talked about his family which he was so proud of. Mike stood by them through thick and thin. He gave his children unconditional love. He taught them to respect other people for who they are. Mike explained to them to love life because life is short. He became their best friend. He loved them for who they are. He was so excited about his little grandson‚ who bore his name. He took time out of his busy life to spend lots of loving moments with him.

Mike always went the extra mile at home and at work. He kept track of every run he had ever been on. He stopped by some of the houses while he was out for his morning jog and checked on patients to make sure they were doing all right. He never passed up the opportunity to play in the yearly basketball game with the Special Olympics. Mike always enjoyed carrying the boot and receiving donations for MDA.

Mike was a veteran at the fire department for twenty-seven years. He was still able to keep up with some of the younger guys. He was able to give the younger firemen the knowledge he had learned over the years. He was very respected for that.

Mike was taken from us at a moment in time when his family and friends were so proud of who he was. He will always remain alive in our hearts as a ‘True American Hero.’”

IOWA FIRE FIGHTER LINE OF DUTY MEMORIAL

National Fallen Firefighters Foundation

Muscatine Community Heart & Soul launches website to help start conversations on improving Muscatine

MUSCATINE, Iowa – Conversations on making Muscatine a better place to live, work, or operate a business begin with community leaders reaching out to community members to learn about what opportunities residents see for solutions and improvements to the quality of life in Muscatine.

Those conversations are at the core of the Muscatine Community Heart & Soul initiative. The Muscatine program will involve all residents in conversations to improve the community in ways residents want to see through building on the valued strengths.

“We are eager to hear from our community members concerning the various projects the City is working on as well as to gather information that will help guide our next Comprehensive Plan Revision,” Jodi Royal-Goodwin, Director of Community Development, said. “Asking what residents like about Muscatine and what they want to see more of is a crucial part of working to improving Muscatine together.”

The City of Muscatine was awarded a $10,000 seed grant from the national Community Heart & Soul organization to support of the Muscatine Community Heart & Soul program. The program seeks to gather resident feedback that will help drive positive change in our community by determining what matters most to residents. The feedback will be used to identify the action steps that will be integrated into the upcoming revision of the City Comprehensive Plan.

One of the ways that the forces behind the local initiative will use to collect feedback from residents is a survey that is available online. The short survey is also being distributed at community events so more residents can be involved.

The project’s leadership team is comprised of community members and is being directed through the City of Muscatine Department of Community Development. To be successful, however, the project needs YOUR voice. Residents can share their thoughts and feelings about Muscatine by completing the Heart & Soul survey at Heart & Soul Survey. Separate surveys are available for adults and youth, and are available in English and Spanish.

Your feedback today can spark change for the future of our community.

Meghan Custis was an intern with the Department of Community Development this past summer and specialized in piloting the Heart & Soul program.

“Heart & Soul offers true promise for our community and, I believe, will help connect residents across the board,” Custis said. “I’ve spent a lot of time getting advice from other communities that have completed the Heart & Soul process, and it gives me such hope for Muscatine. Great things are already happening in our community, this is an opportunity for residents to speak up and tell the City what should come next.”

Community Heart & Soul is a national model designed for small communities to uncover what residents collectively value and identify action steps based on core values. It has been field-tested in 90 communities across the country and shows proven results.

The Muscatine Heart & Soul project will be completed in three phases with the first phase concentrating in the South End area (Hershey Avenue south to the City limits), phase two the middle section of Muscatine (Hershey Avenue north to Mulberry Avenue), and phase three the east section of Muscatine (Mulberry Avenue north to University Avenue).

In each phase, the Heart & Soul team will dedicate efforts to gathering resident stories and experience through events, community forums, engagement at community gatherings, and survey distribution. This strategy will allow all residents to share their thoughts and perspectives on their neighborhoods as well as the overall community.

The project is estimated to take between 18 and 24 months.

“I grew up in the South End, and I know how the community looks at that part of town,” Kindra Petersen, a member of the Heart & Soul Leadership Team said.  “The South End has so much to offer the community: bike paths, a skate park, easy access to the riverfront, Deep Lakes Park, a mini-soccer area, the soccer complex, Kent Stein, a beautiful dog park, and more.”

 Petersen pointed out that there is more to the South End than just the amenities available.

“There are also tons of local businesses in the South End that are often overlooked because the big factories tend to overshadow the location,” Petersen said. “I’m hoping we can bring to light the vast opportunities South End has to offer our community.”

The newly launched Muscatine Community Heart & Soul website houses additional information, updates about the initiative, how to become a part of the team, and links to the surveys. Visit the website to see our progress and stay up to date on our efforts! As a resident-driven process, the involvement of community members to steward the Heart & Soul efforts is essential to this project.

Community Heart & Soul is a tested community-development model that has been used in over 90 small cities and towns across America. It focuses on three key principles including involving everyone and focusing on what matters. The third principle is playing the long game to uncover areas of improvement while building lasting relationships across the various communities, organizations, and neighborhoods. Heart & Soul uses an inclusive, affirming approach to strengthening communities. The focus is on building upon what is working and valued in the community while ensuring all voices are incorporated into solutions.

The local Heart & Soul project was announced in February and begins in the South End, an area that Royal-Goodwin noted has suffered from a lack of significant investment.

“The Grandview Avenue area is a neighborhood made up of residents and businesses on the southern end of Muscatine,” Royal-Goodwin said. “We have already received feedback from residents in this area and we are hoping for more. We are looking to work with residents and businesses to reinvigorate and revitalize this important area of Muscatine.”

The main focus of Heart & Soul will be improving the quality of life and economic development of Muscatine and beginning in the South End. That focus has been broken down into five pillars including street revitalization, economic development, recreation, business support, and residential support.

The City of Muscatine’s Grandview Avenue Reconstruction Project fits into the street revitalization pillar and will improve the drivability of the corridor with new pavement, improve the walkability of the corridor with new sidewalks, and improve the aesthetics of the corridor with landscaping.

Information on Muscatine Community Heart & Soul can be found at https://www.muscatineheartandsoul.org/, or on the City of Muscatine web site at Heart & Soul.